vice, bowmaking, workbenches

[Thesquirrelslinger]

so I have the opportunity to make a workbench...
here is the only problem- Most of the workbenches I have seen don't seem to be able to handle the stress of making a bow...
or they move too much for precise work.
I do have limits on lumber- not much.
I am thinking a LOT of weight on it.
Such as... a 3 layer top of 1" plywood....
It does need to be strong.
Massively so.
So where is the best location for the vice on the workbench?
its a conventional vice-

I am thinking a corner.
I do use a vice for roughing out(drawknife and occasionally hatchet).
I am going to bolt it down with either wood screws or maybe some bolts.
Good enough?
my current workbench is a ancient(actually only a little over 100 yrs old) woodworker's bench made from oak. it weighs around a couple hundred pounds with all the stuff I have on it(it has a very good little rack that I put staves on)... I can't move it. neither can dad.
it has a woodworkers vice attached to the side.
Great except for tillering.
It doesn't move, even when chopping staves.
What would be the minmium weight for such a bench, roughly 5 feet by 2.5 feet top... so it won't move much(it is freestanding) when it is on smooth concrete flooring?
I am making this for a bowmaking friend of mine.

[George Tsoukalas]

My workbench is anchored to the floor so it does not move. My bowbench is clamped to it in a wood vice for the heavy wood removal. Pretty steady.

When the heavy wood removal is done, I remove the bench for the final tillering. Back to the wood vice where I calm my rope and pulley to check tiller.

BTW the vice is securely clamped to the workbench and reinforced with plywood. It sheared off once before I really took the time to clamp it securely.

The 2 x 4 of the rope and pulley is clamped to a ceiling joist up top so it does not move around.

This unit is removable so i can use my work space for other purposes.

That's the way I do it. Check my site for a picture.

http://georgeandjoni.home.comcast.net/~georgeandjoni/directions.html

Jawge

[Dan K]

I have a book on the history of the workbench. I learned the workbench is one of the oldest tools known to mankind. Over the years it has been altered many many times to serve the purpose of the worker. I to have a woodworkers bench that dates back at least 100 years. I would recommend mounting your vice on to a T platform that you can secure in the vice on your workbench when you need it. This makes it portable so you can move it out-of-the-way if needed.

[bow101]

Mine is very basic built from 2x4 and 2x6.  Is is secured to the wall with a few wood screws in the corner of the garage.  The floor is cement.
I have a vice exactly as shown in the photo, it broke about 4 months ago.  THe base near the swivel cracked, so I jerry rigged it . It still works but then again I used it for clamping car parts as well.
I would spend the extra money and buy a heavier vice. And you will have to bolt it down.
Don't waste moeny on plywood, I just topped of the bench with 1/4" MDF. Glue it and screw it, call it a day.

[Pat B]

My work bench has a 2x4 frame and 3/4" plywood top and mid shelf. I have it bolted to the basement block wall. The vice(like the one posted) is bolted to the right front corner of the bench. I use this vice for removing bark, etc. and until I reach floor tiller stage then I use my Stave Master for tillering.
 The ideal(IMO) way to set up a vice is mounted to a post so you can work 360 degrees around it. You have to have the post solidly anchored.

[Thesquirrelslinger]

I have a book on the history of the workbench. I learned the workbench is one of the oldest tools known to mankind. Over the years it has been altered many many times to serve the purpose of the worker. I to have a woodworkers bench that dates back at least 100 years. I would recommend mounting your vice on to a T platform that you can secure in the vice on your workbench when you need it. This makes it portable so you can move it out-of-the-way if needed.

This is for a friend of mine. He is also a bowmaker, and wants to be able to easily work on bows without coming to my house.

[Thesquirrelslinger]

Mine is very basic built from 2x4 and 2x6.  Is is secured to the wall with a few wood screws in the corner of the garage.  The floor is cement.
I have a vice exactly as shown in the photo, it broke about 4 months ago.  THe base near the swivel cracked, so I jerry rigged it . It still works but then again I used it for clamping car parts as well.
I would spend the extra money and buy a heavier vice. And you will have to bolt it down.
Don't waste moeny on plywood, I just topped of the bench with 1/4" MDF. Glue it and screw it, call it a day.

thanks.
This is not the actual vice I have.
I am not worried about breaking the vice because it is over 40 years old.
Back when stuff was built to last.
Thanks!

[Crogacht]

I was planning on building my bench this weekend, but got sick, so it will have to wait.

I decided building a bench heavy enough to remain still under its own weigh would cost too much, so I'm going to anchor it to the concrete floor in the garage. Here is a picture of the design. It's about 35 inches high, 35 inches wide and 70 inches long. Legs are 4 inch x 4 inch posts, and the rails are rebated into the legs etc. The benchtop is solid and about 2 inches thick.

I got a 6 inch cast steel swivel engineers vice, it's an old one made in France and weighs over 60 lb.

I'm going to bolt it to the front right corner of the bench, as near to the leg as I can get it. But the bench is going to be in the middle of the floor, so I'll be able to swivel the vice around and work on the wood along the short side of the bench also. I was planning on adding some kind of tillering tree to the bench, but I've found a place to bolt it to the wall, so that will work much better.

[ajooter]

My father and I are currently making a bench for myself.  I will post picks when done.  So far it looks great....almost too nice to use.  It will be very heavy when completed.

[lostarrow]

Ever tried a shave horse? Once you have you may not go back. Smaller , quicker ,uses  less lumber holds work securely but is much quicker to adjust the position of the stave. More gentle on finished surfaces ,holds at odd angles.  the list of benefits goes on and on. You could even pull it outside easily if you wanted to spend the day outside. Try that with your work bench. The whole thing can be built for less than the cost of the vice you have pictured.
   Just another option to consider.

[Thesquirrelslinger]

Ever tried a shave horse? Once you have you may not go back. Smaller , quicker ,uses  less lumber holds work securely but is much quicker to adjust the position of the stave. More gentle on finished surfaces ,holds at odd angles.  the list of benefits goes on and on. You could even pull it outside easily if you wanted to spend the day outside. Try that with your work bench. The whole thing can be built for less than the cost of the vice you have pictured.
   Just another option to consider.

I already have the vice.
If I can hew some lumber..

[Gaust]

If you use a solid-core door, 3' x 6'-8" x 1 3/4" thick, atop a 2x4 frame, it should be heavy enough.  Build it 36" height, and add a 1" thick plywood shelf at the bottom, supporting it with a 2x4 frame also.   Drill holes at the all corners to bolt the heavy-duty vice - all four corners so you can move it around when you need to.  At one leg, you may want to build a removable 6' tillering tree.

[NeolithicMan]

Squirrelslinger, I have that same vice you showed a picture of and built a new work bench not long ago. I built a decking frame out of 12" wide pine boards and then topped it with more 12" pine. built it into wall studs for the back and 4x4 legs in the front. put the vice on a corner about 2 1/2" in from the edges, no problems with movement what so ever. I would pit up a picture but you would just see a massive pile of half made bows, knives and other yet to be finished projects!

[adb]

I don't use a workbench for bow making or tillering. I have a work bench, but for tillering, I made a pedestal vice.

[Del the cat]

Vice on the right front edge. And a moveable '3rd hand' clamped to the left front edge.
Note use of old woolen carpet on the vice and the '3rd hand' to protect bow.
Del
BTW. That's a Yew Warbow 84" ntn 100# @31" 
Just noticed the Vice has 'No 3' on it, I'm damned if I know where my other two are