This morning I completed installing the new leg vise on my Holtzapffel workbench that is powered by the Benchcrafted Classic Vise and Crisscross. Installation took about four hours – spread out over the week – and was straightforward thanks to the crazy high quality of the Benchcrafted components and the excellent installation instructions.
The new vise set-up is remarkable. I’ve never had a leg vise that works so well.
While the installation was simple, it’s not for the bolt-it-and-go crowd. You need to be on your A-game to get the vise to run smoothly. The mechanism has plenty of “forgiveness” for small inaccuracies. But everything will go together with less frustration if you take your time and pay close attention to the details.
I’ll be interested to see how the mechanism fares in the long haul. So there’s only one way to find out: Get back to work.
Next up: a shelf for the Holtzapffel and an almost-vanished tool from the 16th century.
— Christopher Schwarz
P.S. Read our Lost Art Press Statement of Ethics for information on how we buy our tools.
P.P.S The music is “Vernon Jackson” by The Brought Low.
What did you end up doing for the bit of leg tenon that runs into the crisscross mortise? Just snip it?
Yup. With the French bench architecture, all the strength is in the top-to-leg joints. The stretchers are just along for the ride.
How did you cut the “cove” into the chop? I’m not sure that is the right term. The decorative hollow along the outside face edge of the chop. I was wondering if I could do something like that with a beading tool or if you have a specific tool to do it. I have the LN beading tool but I don’t have any molding planes. Looks and appears to work great!
I resorted to the router. I wanted it done fast so I could get back to editing….
The hand-tool way would be to cut a rabbet around the perimeter. Do what you can with round planes. Scratch the rest with a scratch stock that matches the round.
Ok Thanks!
That’s a big honkin’ vise. As there are no perfect (anythings or) leg vices, care to comment on the virtues and ‘limitations’ (such as they are) of glide, classic, & lake erie? Haven’t you used them all w/ the crisscross?
Can you really refer to it as a Holtzapffel? Isn’t it more of a Holtzaschwarz? Turned out nice whatever you decide to call it.
Droolworthy heavy metal Northfield, chris. Oh, and nice vice, too. So how does the action of the tommy-bar compare to the ship’s wheel model?
That looks fantastic! I’ll bet it is a true joy to use.
I see there is a draw-bored tenon to attach the leg-vise leg to the top.
I am going back and forth whether to use a tenon like that or the ‘Roubo’ stile dovetailed tenon to attach my legs to the top. The top is laminated (as opposed to a solid slab)
Is there a mechanical advantage of one over the other when using it with a leg-vise?
Pros of a blind tenon:
• Faster and easier to make
• No end grain exposed on benchtop that needs to be planed down on occasion
Pros of the sliding dovetail/tenon
• End grain exposed, which is a nice place for tough chopping chores.
• It looks dang cool
Thank you.