Inexpensive portable woodworking vise

[pop-pop]

After working with the inexpensive dumbbell screws on the Moxon vise, I wondered if I could design a “get started” vise for new woodworker who didn’t have much money to spare. Here is what I came up with:

The vise is just under 18” tall and can be clamped to a workbench, a picnic table, the porch rail at your country place, etc. Since the vise’s operation in unconventional, I made a 2 1/2 minute video but get a “too large for the server to process” message when I try to upload it. Anyone know a way around this limit?

So, here goes an explanation in words rather than video:

Place your work between the chop and the fixed jaw.
Slide the chop to hold the work.
Spin the top nut to take up the slack.
Turn the bottom nut to tighten the chop.

The raw materials are:
Walmart - Two 14” dumbbell handles @ $6.87 each
Walmart - HDPE cutting board @ $9.97 (Home Goods had one for under $5)
AutoZone - Cork-rubber gasket material @ $6.99

The wood was “QSSYP”, an SYP 2x12 (from a BORG) that was center cut from the tree. Then “rip the pith out of it” to get 4-1/2” wide boards.

The net is a capable woodworking vise for $30 or so and an easy weekend build.

I have been using one for a couple of weeks now and the the unnatural action quickly becomes natural.

 

[Dreuxgrad]

WOW, you definitely are the man with many vises. Nice build Mike!!
And I appreciate the source info, as I have brought in some heavy walnut for the dovetail vise(sometime)

 

[bowman]

Mike, try uploading your video to your photo gallery, and then see if you can link it to the post

 

[JimD]

I've never seen that one! Jay Bates has a leg vise design which uses a scaffold leveling screw - big and inexpensive. But I've never seen a dumbell bar used.

 

[Dave Richards]

Very nice. Since I have the screw and nut from your Moxon vise, should I do up a plan for this? You could send me your dimensions in a PM.

Pretty soon, though we'll have to put together a book titled Pop-Pop's Illustrated Book of Dumbbell Vises.

 

[mdbuntyn]

Nice bit of creative thinking

 

[pop-pop]

Mike, try uploading your video to your photo gallery, and then see if you can link it to the post

That was the first workaround that I tried and got the exact same error msg.

I’ll make a shorter video (hopefully) tomorrow.

 

[Jim M.]

Very cool idea Mike.

 

[Bear Republic]

Looks great! Thanks for sharing. We could do this as a workshop is there is interest.

And most unnatural action become natural when you do it enough.

 

[pop-pop]

We could do this as a workshop is there is interest.

I’ll be glad to help if it comes to pass.

 

[DavidK]

That looks great! Thanks for sharing!

 

[Steve_Honeycutt]

Keep in mind we have a YouTube channel where this video can be displayed. Look for NCWW.

 

[Grimmy2016]

If we need help getting this to our YoutTube channel please direct message me. I have access to upload.

 

[Dave Richards]

If anyone is interested, I've made up a plan for Pop-Pop's portable vise. It's available in Resources. FWIW, I also updated the plan for his Moxon vise after finding a typo.

 

[Grimmy2016]

Let me know if we have the video to load to YoutTube

 

[pop-pop]

Let me know if we have the video to load to YoutTube

I gave up on a video for now since the .MOV files that my iPad makes are not universal enough. Also, the format conversion utilities did not work for me
either.
————————————————————————————————————

Here is how to use the vise:

The nuts will rotate several turns if you give them a flick.

Slide the chop against the work and give the top nut a flick or two so that the nut is just snug and the chop is more or less vertical.

Next, flick the bottom nut against the HDPE bearing, then 3-4 partial turns will secure your work. There is a mechanical advantage of a little over 2:1 using the bottom nut for the final securing of your work. Note that tightening the bottom nut increases the chop toe-in which is the opposite of most vises.

Loosen the bottom nut to release your work.

 

[pop-pop]

We could do this as a workshop is there is interest.

In order to get a sense of the suitability of this unorthodox vise design for a workshop, I would like to get usage impressions from some members in the Research Triangle area.

If you would like to use this high vise in your shop for a while and report your impressions, I would appreciate it.

I have two vises ready for user testing. If you are interested, please PM me and I will deliver a vise to your shop.

TIA!

 

[pop-pop]

If you would like to use this high vise in your shop for a while and report your impressions, I would appreciate it.
I have two vises ready for user testing. If you are interested, please PM me and I will deliver a vise to your shop.

No takers so far so I’m changing the offer. But first, here is my duty vise that uses a Benchcrafted Criss-Cross. It’s clamped in my End vise and quickly removed when I need the end vise for something else. A high vise like this puts work at elbow height that is convenient for many operations, especially sawing and paring.

The two high vises that I made using dumbbell screws were an exercise to make a really inexpensive vise that was still good enough for woodworking.

I still would like some user feedback.

If you would be willing to try a vise in your shop for a while, update me on its pluses and minuses, and the vise works for you, then you can keep it for free (I have too many vises).

PM if interested. RTP area preferred since shipping one would cost more than building one.

 

[Phil S]

I would like to get on to use and also show during the upcoming Raleigh shop crawl on December 7

 

[pop-pop]

I would like to get on to use and also show during the upcoming Raleigh shop crawl on December 7

Good. Both vises are spoken for now. When would be a good time to bring the vise by?