Birdhunter
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Moxon Vise
- Thread starter Birdhunter
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Dick Mahany
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Looks great and very handy. Did you buy a hardware kit or use acme screws. nuts and handles from an industrial supply house?
CirclDigital
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Birdhunter
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The hardware came as a kit from Highland Woodworking. It’s from Benchcrafted. Good hardware, but zero instructions in the box. The web site has PDF instructions. The kit comes with 2 screws, 2 washers, 4 nuts, 1 roll of a cork like material, and 2 wheels. As they say “some assembly required.
I had some 8/4” hard maple that I milled for the vise components. The MFT pattern was done with the Woodpecker guide in 3/4” Baltic birch plywood. Oak trim.
The tricky part is ovaling out the hole in the front part of the vise so it can be racked when necessary. I think a drill press is an absolute necessity to get the holes true. I drilled the holes with the two sides attached together with double sided tape.
It’s a fun project.
I had some 8/4” hard maple that I milled for the vise components. The MFT pattern was done with the Woodpecker guide in 3/4” Baltic birch plywood. Oak trim.
The tricky part is ovaling out the hole in the front part of the vise so it can be racked when necessary. I think a drill press is an absolute necessity to get the holes true. I drilled the holes with the two sides attached together with double sided tape.
It’s a fun project.
Birdhunter
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My question wasn't clear enough. I was asking about the MFT table not the vise, as the MFT table isn't heavy or sturdy like a workbench. Does the whole set-up shake a bit when you make a heavy cut (with a saw or plane -- I suppose that's what the add-on to the vise is intended for)?
Birdhunter
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The instructions say to leave the front jaw short. I watched a number of Moxon videos and most left the front jaw short. I may redo the front jaw and make both the same.
Years ago, I added an extension to one of the two MFTs to add a woodworking vise. The extension had really stout metal legs. Thus, a really stable MFT.
View attachment 1
Years ago, I added an extension to one of the two MFTs to add a woodworking vise. The extension had really stout metal legs. Thus, a really stable MFT.
View attachment 1
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Thanks. That sure is a sturdy leg, which I see holes that you can use to bolt down the set-up to the floor.
By the way, you can add holes on the top edge of the front jaw like this to add another clamping functionality to yours:https://www.finewoodworking.com/readerproject/2014/08/31/moxon-vise-2
Also, too late for you now, there many youtube videos on building the vise with a benchcrafted kit such as this:
By the way, you can add holes on the top edge of the front jaw like this to add another clamping functionality to yours:https://www.finewoodworking.com/readerproject/2014/08/31/moxon-vise-2
Also, too late for you now, there many youtube videos on building the vise with a benchcrafted kit such as this:
Birdhunter
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This video is much like the ones I watched. I didn’t see where he ovalized the front holes. I let in an ebony guide in the back of the front jaw to minimize wear from the screw.
He also left the front jaws short. No clue why this was in the plans.i applied the cork like material to the long back jaw in case I wanted to change the front jaw.
He also left the front jaws short. No clue why this was in the plans.i applied the cork like material to the long back jaw in case I wanted to change the front jaw.
Corwin
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Birdhunter said:
As far as I can tell, the extra width of the rear jaw may simply be there as a place to clamp it down to your table. On my LN dovetail vise, it also has a wider rear jaw, however, it is only wider at the bottom portion while the top portion is the same width as the front -- just short 'ears' that extend on either end for clamping down.
I like your design with the rear 'table' area that is the same height as the top of the vise. This feature looks rather handy compared to those without.
Birdhunter
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I’m just getting into hand cut joinery. David Barron uses an L shaped device to align dovetail pieces for marking. I made a copy. The copy fits nicely in my Moxon vise resting on the MFT like surface.
Birdhunter said:
It wouldn't matter whether the jaws are of the same length or not, as the clamping is done between the threaded shafts.
What would matter is that if you don't want saw kerfs seen on the front jaw (after you make some angled cuts), you can chamfer the front jaw's outer edge as seen in the FW link.
CirclDigital
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ChuckM said:
But it can matter.... depending on how you intend to use it.
When you extend the moxon to include a small bench then it makes perfect sense to have same lenght jaws. It is even more versatile that way since you then can also clamp items on the side of one of the threads should you need that function.
Chris Schwarz, who has helped making the moxon the popular again, has some thoughts on it as well:https://www.popularwoodworking.com/...-schwarz-blog/small-changes-to-my-moxon-vises
And when you include a table you can also have bench holes in the top of the front jaw so you can use bench dogs to clamp your boards horizontally making the moxon even more versatile. Then a beefy and wider front jaw helps as well.
When I made mine I made it a project where I only used hand tools. You don’t really need a drill press to make the holes for the threads. Just use a couple of squares to make sure that you are straight (or nearly that). The allignment isn’t as critical as you might think since you will be extending the holes in the front jaw to be able to move it. A small amount of play here helps to make it move smoothly. Elongating the holes in the front jaw can also be done with a rasp once you have drilled the holes....
Birdhunter
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I’m definitely going to remake the front jaw to be equal to the back jaw.
Now, I have to find that cork like material that was in the Benchcrafted set.
Now, I have to find that cork like material that was in the Benchcrafted set.
CirclDigital
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It’s called “crubber”..... but you can also use cork 
. (or suede).
. (or suede).[member=15289]Birdhunter[/member]
benchcrafted sells the crubber on their site.
https://www.benchcrafted.com/crubber
Ron
benchcrafted sells the crubber on their site.
https://www.benchcrafted.com/crubber
Ron
Michael Kellough
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[member=68420]CirclDigital[/member] is your front jaw hollow? I like the idea of hollow so you could use regular Festool styled clamps.
Long ago I started to add a Delta sliding table rig to my table saw. I got as far as installing the long rectangular beam to the side of the table then decided the whole thing would take up too much space. I left the beam which is mounted out from the table by about an inch. This beam allows me to clamp stuff to the top, side, and bottom of the beam which is over 4 feet long. It’s proven to be extremely useful over the years.
Long ago I started to add a Delta sliding table rig to my table saw. I got as far as installing the long rectangular beam to the side of the table then decided the whole thing would take up too much space. I left the beam which is mounted out from the table by about an inch. This beam allows me to clamp stuff to the top, side, and bottom of the beam which is over 4 feet long. It’s proven to be extremely useful over the years.
CirclDigital
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Nope, it only has benchholes on one side, the top (the threads are exactly in the middle so I can flip it over if I want). I could do that but it’s a rather massive front jaw so I would need to drill about 7” deep. And with the benchholes and the rest of the design, a split top for the table, I have all the clamping options I need from this bench.
What you regularly see is designs where they route a T-track at the beginning of the table so you can use that as well for clamping. But I didn’t see the need, and can always add it later.
Mine was designed to fit onto and into my trolley/toolchest that also has a worktop. I can attach it to the worktop or I can flip it to mount it underneath.
What you regularly see is designs where they route a T-track at the beginning of the table so you can use that as well for clamping. But I didn’t see the need, and can always add it later.
Mine was designed to fit onto and into my trolley/toolchest that also has a worktop. I can attach it to the worktop or I can flip it to mount it underneath.
