Raamtang

[MauleSkinner]

I've been procrastinating on building a Moxon vise, so when I saw the Raamtang article in the October PW Magazine, I decided it would be a good alternative...quick build, even with me at the bench!



Quick test on a piece of scrap, and it seems to work well. I'll probably add some leather to the jaws, and I need to order proper holdfasts from Joel, but other than that, a success.

Thanks for looking.

David

[C. in Indy]

Great job! I liked the article as well.

[ZachDillinger]

Great job! I am so glad that you enjoyed the article.

[MauleSkinner]

Thanks, Zach...great job on the article! A simple, quick, & useful project.

Plus, I like the satisfying sound of wedges being whacked into place to hold something!

[KSMike]

I enjoyed the article very much. I have some interest in woodworking tradition and tools from that part of the world.

[Mike Brady]

Congratulations on getting your nice article published. That's a great accomplishment. I do have a couple of comments. This design does not raise the working height the way a Moxon vise does. To me that is a disadvantage, unless you have no front vise at all. Is there a way that it could be made so that operations such as dovetailing could be done a more optimal work position?

Another need I have is for a way to hold drawer sides when plowing the drawer bottom grooves. The fence on my plow plane needs to hang over the front of the bench for clearance and holdfasts get in the way of the plow body. The wind-up is that it is a challenge to secure any narrow boards for plowing. My only solution so far is to plow the grooves in wider stock and then rip them to width, which is wasteful of material.

[stmfitr636]

Mike Brady said:

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Another need I have is for a way to hold drawer sides when plowing the drawer bottom grooves. The fence on my plow plane needs to hang over the front of the bench for clearance and holdfasts get in the way of the plow body. The wind-up is that it is a challenge to secure any narrow boards for plowing. My only solution so far is to plow the grooves in wider stock and then rip them to width, which is wasteful of material.

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^ I would use a stick-board for this.

[Mike Brady]

Thanks, Steamfitter. I will look at that idea and see how the LV plow plane can work with it. A plow require both lateral and downward pressure during use, plus room for the plane body on top and the fence in front, so there are greater needs for open space than a molding plane requires. I'll make one and post it if it works ok. This is on my mind right now because of a multiple-drawer project I have planned for winter. Working the face of a board can be tricky when there is no way to securely clamp it.

[Aram]

Mike Brady said:

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...I'll make one and post it if it works ok...

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Please do. Thanks.

[ZachDillinger]

Sticking boards work well for holding narrow stock for just about any edge operation. However, I tend to temporarily nail the piece to my bench with cut nails, do the work, then lop off the nail holes. Easy, fast, no slipping or chasing anything around.

If you need the raamtang to sit higher, put some blocks under the rear jaw before clamping it down. I tend to sit down for dovetailing so it doesnt bother me. I really like the versatility and ease of use provided by the raamtang, especially for its intended purpose, to remove saw cuts from the backs of moldings and to hold those pieces for molding.