NOTE: This project was prior posted on Lumberjocks and I copied and pasted here, may or may not have worked correctly. Posted here for general knowledge by anyone that may be of need.
Project Information
I'm posting this as an easy possible solution for those that use their end vise to either clamp a component on one side, or as I do - clamp along the from edge of the bench for sticking molding or planing long narrow boards. Hopefully this will benefit some others, especially if there is no wagon vise.
Picture 2 shows all the needed materials I used: a 1/4" poplar dowel, a 3/4" oak dowel, a small block of cherry to be used for center drilling the oak dowel, and a block of hard maple to extend my vise jaw.
Picture 3 shows a dowel drilling block as described somewhere on the web, can't remember where I saw it, but basically: I drilled a 3/4" hole through the block for the larger dowel, and a 1/4" hole - centered on the first & on the top, to guide the drill bit to the center of the larger dowel.
Number 4 picture shows the drilled dowel & centering block.
Picture 5 shows the drilling spacing on the dowel. I used 1/4" holes with 1/4" between the circumferences or edges of the holes - which equals 1/2" center to center. Then I drilled another series of holes directly in between the first set, at 90 degrees from the first. This yields 1/4" increments for rack adjustments. So far I have found this to be sufficient to my needs, with some experimentation yielding a maximum vice rack or distortion at about 1/8". If this is too course for others, I believe that the oak dowel can be drilled three ways or directions, by rotating 60 degrees each time, to yield much closer spacing. I've not attempted this though.
Picture 6 shows how the dowel will resist against the added maple block, in my case. This was only done because I have no space to drill a 3/4" hole directly behind the jaw due to the factory screws between each of the stabilizers and the adjustment screw, as shown in this under bench photo: As for the oak dowel, I made it long enough to reach as far as possible when in & flush with vise face, with drilling enough quarter inch holes to permit use with the vise open as far as it goes. Opening or extracting the dowel when in flush is very easy by reaching under the bench, it is very loose in the hole, but stable due to the length - it doesn't fall out.
Also, needing some lathe time, I decided to make a pin to replace the dowel, with a cap copied from a brass adjustment screw from my antique plow plane.
Time has shown this set up to work very well, and the pin allows a great deal of vise pressure to be applied, with the pin exposed top & bottom of the dowel. The shearing force to break it is much greater than any I've applied. I have clamped a 3/8" board at about 24" long on the front of the bench between the vise dog & a bench dog to the point where it bowed up.
Hopefully this will benefit someone else, and should there be any questions, please contact me.
That's pretty unique Oldtool! Very interesting. Here's a "vise rack stop" I made after one that Lee Valley sells. It's anti racking is very effective as well.
Thanks for the comments guys, appreciated. MrRick, yes, pretty similar. I drilled the holes at 90° each adjustment, with the distance between them the same as the drill. This way the setting can be plus - minus quarter inch. RyanGi - I made the pin to look antique, copied the top from a plow plane depth adjustment knob. MikeB. - the thing I like about it that it's always right there when needed, and completely out of the way when not needed.
Great solution OT 👍 I've always used a stack of shims. Works well but really a PITA to set up and close the vise while holding them. Yours looks like it was always meant to be there AND no fuss!
