[Anonymous]

I’m hoping yall can help me.  Im in the process of building a new workbench.  Im basing it off of a modified paul sellers bench.  Dimensions are 5-6 feet long, 40 inches tall which is right below my belt buckle, and 30 inches deep including a rear tool well.  My shop is a small one car garage, so the bench has to be against the wall. I cant decide what kind of vice to use.  I like the rubo (spelling) style leg vice.  And i saw a video by samurai carpenter and his bench has a sliding deadman.   But ive only been doing this for about 2 months so i dont really know what I need.</p>
<p style=”text-align: left;”>Any advice is appreciated.</p>

Topic

[Mike in TN]

#2029013

My advice is that most styles will work and some folks like to work without vises at all but utilize various other traditional style holding mechanisms such as wedges, holdfasts, clamps, etc.. Since you have stated in other postings that you are new to woodworking, I would suggest that you shelve the decision until you have watched some other craftsmen with various bench types do their work and see what seems to match your expected work style. My vises are common metal and wood vises (three of which are quick release) but I have worked on several style and find that they will all work as long as they are sturdy.

Have fun.

[Sides]

#2029019

If you are building a Paul Sellers bench, it will have an apron. you can make a leg vise work. Every vise has it’s strong points and weak points. A leg vise is more work to install, but it will work. Keep in mind Paul doesn’t use a leg vise. The leg vise can be less expensive, depending on the hardware you use and what you are comparing it too.

Your bench seems large. My bench is a Nicholson bench with a leg vise. 6 feet long 24 inches deep and 34 inches tall, I am 5’8″ tall. 40 inches tall is a very tall bench, unless you are over 6’6″. This video will help you.

[Anonymous]

#2029023

I appreciate the help.  Since my original post I’ve watched probably 50 videos on benches and read about half of Christopher Schwarz’s work bech book. So ive changed my mind a bit, im not going to put an apron on it.  I want the legs flush with the top, so i can clamp longer pieces to the edge of the top.

My current bench is 37 1/2 inches tall which comes to the middle of my hand.  Im 6’3″ and i have back problems so i dont want to stoop alot.  I only have a tail vice on my current bench its a single screw so it always racks unless i use a scrap piece of wood as a spacer.  Last night i drilled a line of dog holes with a hole every 3 inches so that should help some for the time being.

 

Im thinking a leg vice with a sliding deadman  for the face, to work the edges of boards.  and a twin screw vice as a tail vice, which i can use with dogs to secure pieces flat to the top, and if the screws are wide enough i can use it for dovetails, and tennons.

 

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