01-13-2019, 06:00 PM
This is in response to another post that kind of got away from me. It covers some, well meaning at heart, responses, brought up by other people. First of all I am going to post pictures of my work bench.
If you look closely at the top picture you will see three holes that are bigger than the rest. Those of the holes in the front have acme nuts burred in the top to except the threaded rods for the moxon vise. The moxon was planned as level as I could get it after mounting it and the height of the top is at a good height so that the height of the board to be cut is at a good height for my elbow swing when sawing sawing dovetails. The top is at a height that gives the wood good support but not high enough to interfere with the cut
My first bench had the standard length shoulder screw. I person on a different forum stated that he didn't like the shoulder vise because it left him to far from the work piece. I paid attention and shortened the screw length 2 inches to get me closer for dove tail work and incorporated a moxon vise into the build, not as an after though or an add on even though it is an add on.. And I do use the shoulder vise for a small run of dove tail sawing. But if more are required then I mount the moxon vise. It allows me to get my hips in closer to my work and to angle my body, allowing for a more natural arm swing angle at my shoulder so I can present the saw correctly to the work piece.
You can't see it but the moxon vise has two keys cut vertical I placed in it after the top was planed that the stock fits against. One is removable depending on stock width. This takes the guess work out of is the top of the board being level which allows me to focus more on is my saw at the correct angle and plumb for the pins or square to the work piece and at the correct angle for sawing the tails. I say this because if the top is not horizontal then it is even harder to cut straight down. I do pins first so I feel it is very important. I have a line to go by for the tails and I square the saw to the board with my eye.
So to recap: height for me I covered, Position of the body in relation to the natural swing of the arm covered, height of elbow relationship work piece covered. Being able to sight up the saw to square and to vertical as well as angled to the line and so on covered. Note the wooden part of the shoulder vise also levels the top of the board so that, that plane doesn't into into the equation just like the top of the moxon.
Now I don't post much and I am sure that I am not very well known on the forum and I am sure I left some points out on cutting dove tails. But I hope that by what I have written one can figure out that I am not a green horn. And believe it or not I now invite everyone to share in the conversation. Please be polite and not to hard on me
And for the future bench builders out there I hope I have given you some ideas. The most popular bench built is the Roubo style bench and the design is primarily for hand planning so incorporate a moxon vise into the build not as an after thought .
I will say one more thing, I cut pins first others cut others cut tails first, which I liken that argument to be like what came first the chicken or the egg. Like Frank Klausz says, Do it however it pleases you. And the board in the moxon vise is there only to show proportions and not height for sawing, The center hole in the moxon will a low a 12 inch wide board.
Tom
If you look closely at the top picture you will see three holes that are bigger than the rest. Those of the holes in the front have acme nuts burred in the top to except the threaded rods for the moxon vise. The moxon was planned as level as I could get it after mounting it and the height of the top is at a good height so that the height of the board to be cut is at a good height for my elbow swing when sawing sawing dovetails. The top is at a height that gives the wood good support but not high enough to interfere with the cut
My first bench had the standard length shoulder screw. I person on a different forum stated that he didn't like the shoulder vise because it left him to far from the work piece. I paid attention and shortened the screw length 2 inches to get me closer for dove tail work and incorporated a moxon vise into the build, not as an after though or an add on even though it is an add on.. And I do use the shoulder vise for a small run of dove tail sawing. But if more are required then I mount the moxon vise. It allows me to get my hips in closer to my work and to angle my body, allowing for a more natural arm swing angle at my shoulder so I can present the saw correctly to the work piece.
You can't see it but the moxon vise has two keys cut vertical I placed in it after the top was planed that the stock fits against. One is removable depending on stock width. This takes the guess work out of is the top of the board being level which allows me to focus more on is my saw at the correct angle and plumb for the pins or square to the work piece and at the correct angle for sawing the tails. I say this because if the top is not horizontal then it is even harder to cut straight down. I do pins first so I feel it is very important. I have a line to go by for the tails and I square the saw to the board with my eye.
So to recap: height for me I covered, Position of the body in relation to the natural swing of the arm covered, height of elbow relationship work piece covered. Being able to sight up the saw to square and to vertical as well as angled to the line and so on covered. Note the wooden part of the shoulder vise also levels the top of the board so that, that plane doesn't into into the equation just like the top of the moxon.
Now I don't post much and I am sure that I am not very well known on the forum and I am sure I left some points out on cutting dove tails. But I hope that by what I have written one can figure out that I am not a green horn. And believe it or not I now invite everyone to share in the conversation. Please be polite and not to hard on me
And for the future bench builders out there I hope I have given you some ideas. The most popular bench built is the Roubo style bench and the design is primarily for hand planning so incorporate a moxon vise into the build not as an after thought .
I will say one more thing, I cut pins first others cut others cut tails first, which I liken that argument to be like what came first the chicken or the egg. Like Frank Klausz says, Do it however it pleases you. And the board in the moxon vise is there only to show proportions and not height for sawing, The center hole in the moxon will a low a 12 inch wide board.
Tom
