Posts: 10,118
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Joined: Sep 2006
Location: South Alabama
That’s a nice bench! I can see how retrofitting a vise could get interesting, though. You might want to find some pictures of Shaker workbenches, which are built much like yours is.
Steve S.
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Tradition cannot be inherited, and if you want it you must obtain it by great labour.
- T. S. Eliot
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The Literary Workshop
Posts: 1,407
Threads: 2
Joined: Jun 2003
There are many ways to clamp a board flat on a bench, but IMO nothing works better than a dog hole system.
Which means you need a vise that will accommodate clamping between them, and a moxon won't work. A moxon is designed to clamp vertically and will rack if you clamp a board horizontally or try to use a dog..
Don't know what you're top is made of, but to use dogs it needs to be at least 2 1/2" deep.
Other than the paint, nice bench.
Posts: 4,577
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Joined: Jan 2005
Location: North Front Range, CO
The nice thing about Rustoleum flat black is that I can touch it up with Sharpie. It also doesn't show dirt, carbon fouling, oil, degreasers, etc... because it was my only bench for years, and I did everything from cleaning guns to disassembling a Yamaha four stroke on it. I'm happy with it. The top is 2 1/4 thick all in. It will work well enough for plane stops and the like, I imagine. I could glue up a flat heavy benchtop with relative ease, but with limited clearance underneath, I doubt it would be a fix for the longer holdfasts and such. Ordered a Sellers-style Milwaukee vise (thanks hbmcc) and think I can mount it cleanly and securely without too much drama. Going to go that route first, along with a couple screw-in planing stops and some holes to put my various collection of MFT dogs and clamps in place.
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Tom: I've seen a few shots of your bench while cruising through the hand tool forum of late, and I think it is beautiful. I hope to have the space for something similar some day. Also like your variable Moxon idea.
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Blackhat: Mostly clean-up after machine jointer work, trimming miters, and two hand-tool specific things: Want to learn to hand-cut dovetails because I have hated setting up every dovetail jig I've ever owned, and to hand cut tenons and hand chop mortises, just because it is a skill I feel I should have.
I've got what I was looking for, as well as plenty of good advice and fair warnings, and I appreciate all of it. Thanks!
Math is tough. Let's go shopping!
