Leg Vise for workbench

[Jack01]

I am in process of building a workbench.
I am planning to install a leg vise on this using a vise screw. In order to avoid any racking i need to use a cross support mechanism, so there will be exact parallelism between the vise jaw and the vise leg.  

There are various techniques to achieve this, so far I have found following.


Parallel guide- very common  1st pic

Cross Brace- (St Peter’s cross) sold by Bench craft and Hovarter vise  2nd pic

Steel Rod-      3rd pic

Linear bearing and steel shaft- relatively new.  4th pic

Any one uses these? Any feedback?
Any other ideas?

[WoodTinker]

I am in process of building a workbench.
I am planning to install a leg vise on this using a vise screw. In order to avoid any racking i need to use a cross support mechanism, so there will be exact parallelism between the vise jaw and the vise leg.  

There are various techniques to achieve this, so far I have found following.


Parallel guide- very common

Cross Brace- (St Peter’s cross) sold by Bench craft and Hovarter vise

Steel Rod-

Linear bearing and steel shaft- relatively new.

Any one uses these? Any feedback?
Any other ideas?

What? 

No wooden vise screw on your list.

Takes fewer turns to loosen/tighten.

Doesn't ding your dropped material.

Doesn't rust.

Be a normal person and pick #1 or #2.

#1 has holes for a pin to stop racking.

#2 is designed to slightly toe-in at the top.

[omark]

In addition to possibilities you have mentioned, there are two more worth adding:
1.
Chain-based guide. In fact it is creation of Woodnetter (unfortunately I cannot recall his username or his website).
I believe you can find more on Derek Cohen's website.
2.
The 3rd picture you posted, labeled as "steel rod" is probably missing one element: bottom threaded rod should have a wheel which you can turn by foot and set distance preventing chop to sink too much. Wheel is something like 8 inch wooden disc with a nut matching the rod.
I have seen this ingenious thing on workbench of user tablesawtom.

[barryvabeach]

Jack,  I had a leg vise on my first bench and used it for the longest time.  I don't recall exactly what I did, but I know it was simpler than each of the options you show.  While each of those is cool, that is a lot of work, and I could not justify it.   For my work, the vast majority of the time I was clamping 3/4 stock.  So a block of 3/4 stock at the bottom of the leg vise would have been plenty.  On the rare occasions I went much wider, I probably just put a few blocks at the bottom.  A little racking ,  IMO, is not that big a deal.  I would go as simple as possible and get the bench built.

[Bill_Houghton]

My grandfather's leg vise, which I also used for quite a few years, just has the stick at the bottom with a pin through the holes, and it worked fine.  He was a full-time cabinetmaker, with that as his only vise. His had fewer holes than you picture; slight toe in at the top didn't create problems for me (or, I imagine, for him).

[Ron Brese]

You can't go wrong with the Benchcrafted hardware. My first bench had the leg vise with the parallel guide. Worked great, however when I built a second bench I put the CrissCross hardware in that bench. I ordered another Crisscross and retrofit the first bench. I knew I would never use the one with the parallel guide unless I put the Crisscross in it as well. It's that good.

Ron

[tablesawtom]

This is in reply to your question ( Any other ideas?)

First picture is  R and D (research and development) I build a temp bench to get height right and to use while building the bench

   

Picture of the vise screw.

   

Third picture is in the process of building bench and vise. 

   

The shoulder vise screw on the top of the bench was used to make the wagon vise in the next picture.

   

Fifth picture is the bench with vise finally complete. I am quite happy with how it turned out and  thrilled with how the vise works overall. 

   

Tom

[Admiral]

http://ancorayachtservice.com/?page_id=196

Chain Vice.

[cputnam]

Chain Leg Vise by Jom Ritter (Anchora Yacht Service)

Haven't seen nor heard of him since he sold the business and retired to New England somewhere.

Lake Erie makes the wooden vise screws - universally loved.

I've heard good things about Hovarter but the user base is mighty thin.

I'm going with the Lake Erie screw and even though I have the Chain Leg Vise hardware may yet go with the Criss-Cross from Benchcrafted

[Boatman53]

Thanks Admiral and Curt. I’m still around. Closing my shop was a huge undertaking, way more time and effort than I ever imagined. In the end I was just giving away wood and tools just to get the place empty. Yes moved to Maine, and love it. Don’t have a shop set up yet so not working on much. Waiting for spring so I can really get into the repairs on the barn. 
Yes still selling the kits in fact sold one yesterday. They work great with the Hovarter vise. I have a couple of videos on YouTube you can find if you search chain leg vise.
Jim