New vise idea. How do others clamp there bows?

[High-Desert]

Since I’ve been makin bows, I have always used a regular bench vise. I have always built little magnets wood jaws with leather to attach to the vise jaws to protect the potential bows. I have always been irritated by having to use so much pressure to hold the staves from pushing through as a rasp away. I built a new bench this last year that weight close to 300 pounds due to the movement of my last bench moving so much where I had to stand on it as I worked. I didn’t want the new bench to be taken up with a permanent vise. So I came up with this contraption, with a cheap vise that wood can’t push out the bottom and doesn’t require so much pressure to clamp a bow down, and can be moved easily off the bench. Just throwing this idea out there for anyone looking for new ways of doing this, and I’d be curious to see how others work in there bows, vise? No vise? I’m always looking for new and better ways of doing things.

[Swampman]

I use a stave press.  I mount the pipe base to my bench permanently but if I need more bench space I can remove the stave press from the base.  I have an extra base too that I can clamp to picnic tables or other surfaces.  When the weather is nice I like to work outside.

The stave press cost me some money but it was well worth it.

[Drawknife]

Bought a harbor freight bench for 125 that has a built in wood on wood vice. I like it!

[Hawkdancer]

Built and adapted Jawge's bench with a regular vise and magnetic jaw pads, I guess it works, but I need to figure a more flexible way to mount the rille ring tree.  But right now it is holding my quiver!
Hawkdancer

[Dances with squirrels]

I used, and was fairly happy with, a heavy duty 6" bench vise for my first 20 years of bowmaking, but then I built a new workbench and now I have 5 different types of vises in the shop. Three of which are used regularly for bow making. My trusted bench vise still gets used a lot, but also two types of patternmakers vises which I've really taken a shine to. They're versatile.

When I use the regular bench vise on bows that are far enough along that they need protection, I just slide a piece of 1/8" industrial strength rubber down into the vise. It protects the bow, and grips it well. I have the same rubber on my shavehorse.

[Benn.Of.Trades]

Build yourself a shave horse young man.

[Stick Bender]

I have a small shop so most things are duel purpouse ,I have every thing on wheels & I made detachable bases for a lot of my vice bases I have multiple vices I usualy secure my staves with 2 vices ,handel & uppers !

[artcher1]

I built a vise years ago for working on rifles that I adapted for bow and arrow making. Today, I think folks call it a leg vise. But I added a little twist to mine for working on bow staves.

You can build this type of vise for little or no money. Most of us have an old scissor jack or two laying around. Remove the crank  screw and nut (cut off with hacksaw). Imbed the thread nut in the jaw on the bench, and the crank screw in the leg. Twist I added for bow making was to attach an adjustable rest. This type of vise will hold anything up to 8-9" in width. Perfect for those like me with limited work space...…..Art

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[Eric Krewson]

I use a US made Colombian 5 1/2" bench vise. I added leather covered vise pads that hold tight, don't shift and are easily removable if you want to clamp metal in the vise and don't need the pads.

[High-Desert]

Very cool, I like hearing and seeing everyone’s ideas.

Build yourself a shave horse young man.

That was one of the first tools I built back in middle school. And love it, I start all my bows on them. My three old loves using with a drawknife and a bit of soft juniper.

[dratera]

I use a vice on the middle of the bow and clamp the tip to the table with one of those quick ratchet clamps so that it doesnt move around, but not optimal so good to see different ideas. Cork from a sanding block epoxied on the vice for padding, and also i have tied a bit of rope to the pin/bar handle to make it easier to open and close quickly

[High-Desert]

I use a US made Colombian 5 1/2" bench vise. I added leather covered vise pads that hold tight, don't shift and are easily removable if you want to clamp metal in the vise and don't need the pads.

This is what I have use for years, and it has been the best thing that I have currently used other than the minor irritations thy I’ve had with it. Which is the problem I’ve been trying to solve, which my new set up solves, but I’ll never be satisfied and I’ll find a problem with it too

[RyanY]

I made this bench a couple years ago and it’s been great. I can sit while I work and my weight holds it down. It’s relatively portable and I can stash tools in the bottom. The vise isn’t great but gets the job done. On the other end I added a mortise that I made a tillering tree for so I can make bows anywhere.

Edit: Photo posted upside down for some reason. 

[Deerhunter21]

I have seen ryans bench and am trying to make one. its pretty epic.

[bownarra]

A 4inch jawed Engineers vice. Or spend some money and get a pattern makers vice with all the bells and whistles.