face vice install question

[woodrot]

I am installing a 9 inch face vice on workbench. The inner jaw is inset into the bench so that the wood face that will be attached to the cast face will be flush with the side of the bench. Both inner and outer jaws have two holes for mounting the wood faces. The holes are not threaded. My question is what is the normal way to mount the wood face to the inner jaw that is inset into the bench? Just wood screw through the face and into the bench itself, or a nut and bolt? If the latter do I drill the bench to allow for a bolt or nut on the back side? Just wondering how to attach the inner wood jaw face so that won't have to unbolt the whole vice to replace it later if necessary?
thanks
woodrot

[Guest]

Woodrot,

I attached flush wooden jaws to my face vise with #10 screws through the jaw and into the bench. That was 10 years ago and I've had no problems with it. Several years ago, I removed the vise faces and lined them with leather (I highly recommend doing that). I put the rear face back on the same way, with screws into the bench top. Nuts and bolts would, as you said, require removing the whole vise to change the faces. That seems like an awful lot of trouble and the screws into the bench top have worked just fine.

Hank

[rwe2156]

I would just screw it. Counter sink the screws and plane flush with bench apron.

You can make a mortise on the inner side of front apron, too.

[woodrot]

Thanks for the replies. I just needed to know the normal way of attaching the inner wood face. But now that it was mentioned, what is the usual way to attach leather to the wood? I will probably do that as well. I'm using maple.
thanks
woodrot

[JimBelair]

Well I attached the leather to the face of my old vise using spray contact cement (masking well of course).

I can tell you that is NOT the way to do it. The contact cement maintains a very soft glue line so the leather creeps under side stress.

I'm in the process of building a new bench and will likely use hide glue (Old Brown) but PVA would probably work fine also.

And thanks for this thread. I was all set to screw from the back of the rear vise face into the rear chop, which would have the screw head buried just like on the previous vise when I used bolts. D'oh!

[EdL]

JimBelair said:

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Well I attached the leather to the face of my old vise using spray contact cement (masking well of course).

I can tell you that is NOT the way to do it. The contact cement maintains a very soft glue line so the leather creeps under side stress.

I'm in the process of building a new bench and will likely use hide glue (Old Brown) but PVA would probably work fine also.

And thanks for this thread. I was all set to screw from the back of the rear vise face into the rear chop, which would have the screw head buried just like on the previous vise when I used bolts. D'oh!

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I used a spray glue from the hardware store, haven't had any problems with the leather moving. FWIW, I only sprayed the leather.

Ed