Moxon vise build - how much do you trust a glue joint?
#11
Hey all,

I'm about to build a Moxon vise. I was surprised to find a shortage of 8/4 lumber in my garage, aside from a couple pieces that I already have a plan for and can't spare.

I have an 8/4 piece of ash for the back of the vise that's a perfect size. No problem there. But for the front chop, I would need to glue together two 8/4 pieces of walnut, with the glue line falling just slightly off-center and going through the holes for the screws (see the horizontal line in the attached image). People always say that a properly prepared glue joint is stronger than the surrounding wood, but the warning light is going off in my head on this one. Thoughts? Go forth and build it, or run away and find another solution?

My three alternate solutions are to buy a chunk of 8/4 something, use some 6/4 that I have on hand (likely oak), or laminate two pieces of 4/4 together to get sufficient thickness. Distance between screw centers is only about 18", so this isn't overly wide and 6/4 might be possible, but I'm curious to hear responses.

Tyler


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#12
(02-09-2021, 08:36 PM)OneStaple Wrote: Hey all,

I'm about to build a Moxon vise. I was surprised to find a shortage of 8/4 lumber in my garage, aside from a couple pieces that I already have a plan for and can't spare.

I have an 8/4 piece of ash for the back of the vise that's a perfect size. No problem there. But for the front chop, I would need to glue together two 8/4 pieces of walnut, with the glue line falling just slightly off-center and going through the holes for the screws (see the horizontal line in the attached image). People always say that a properly prepared glue joint is stronger than the surrounding wood, but the warning light is going off in my head on this one. Thoughts? Go forth and build it, or run away and find another solution?

My three alternate solutions are to buy a chunk of 8/4 something, use some 6/4 that I have on hand (likely oak), or laminate two pieces of 4/4 together to get sufficient thickness. Distance between screw centers is only about 18", so this isn't overly wide and 6/4 might be possible, but I'm curious to hear responses.

Tyler

Get a fresh, in-date bottle of Titebond, or whatever your glue of choice is. Make sure the surfaces mate well. Clamp well, leave overnight. That joint isn't going anywhere.
Best,
Aram, always learning

"Perfection is achieved, not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing left to take away.” Antoine de Saint-Exupery


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#13
I don't see a problem with where the glue line is
Steve

Missouri






 
The Revos apparently are designed to clamp railroad ties and pull together horrifically prepared joints
WaterlooMark 02/9/2020








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#14
Mate the two edges well and the result will be stronger than the original wood. Try it - what's the worst that can happen? It breaks and then you make a new one,
Thanks,  Curt
-----------------
"Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards."
      -- Soren Kierkegaard
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#15
(02-10-2021, 01:55 AM)cputnam Wrote: Mate the two edges well and the result will be stronger than the original wood.  Try it - what's the worst that can happen?  It breaks and then you make a new one,

What you propose would probably work, but laminating two 4 /4 lumber would likely be stronger, think lvl versus standard lumber.
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#16
Actually, when I made mine I jointed and planed a short of plain old 2x10 spruce that had been sitting in my shop for maybe 10 years or so, and it was plenty dry and actually fairly hard, and it worked wonderfully with no problems in the 6 years I've had it; I really don't think you need 8/4 stock to make this project. So another alternative. That being said, your glue up plan works for me.
Credo Elvem ipsum etiam vivere
Non impediti ratione cogitationis
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#17
Make sure the faces are jointed well & you'll be fine.
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#18
Thanks for all the feedback. Sounds like we're in agreement that the glue line isn't really a problem. And, as stated, the worst thing that happens is that I have to remake this fairly simple piece.

Admiral, I suspect the 6/4 oak that I have on hand would also work just fine. But that's part of a nice 10' board, whereas these scraps of walnut are leftovers and barely larger than I need.

Thanks!
Tyler
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#19
I sit in a chair with a glue joint every single day. It holds my weight, no matter whether I plop myself down hard or easy, with zero failures in the last 10 years. You will be fine.
Still Learning,

Allan Hill
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#20
I would make the blocks larger than required and then glue.  After the glue cures, I would trim to the required size.  On my saw, that would mean flipping over the piece to get the full cut. I think my saw cuts 2-7/8".

This will be a short piece to cut, so be very careful about kickback.
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