Vice on a Bowyers workbench?

[Ringbill]

So I have decided to build myself a workbench. After using a sawhorses and a piece of plywood for 10 years I want something more substantial. With any workbench comes a vice or vices. I do other things than just bow building and am making a rubio style bench. With a woodworking vise in one corner and a leg vice on the side. My question is what kind of vice do you guys use to hold a bow when working on it and where is it located on the bench. Up until this point I have been using quick clamps to the plywood. I have only done trilams so far but would like to do some selfbows in the future. I have been considering making a shaving horse for a long time for decoys but I don't have room for one so please don't recommend that.

[Pat B]

I use a regular bench vise for hogging off bark and sapwood and to hold forms for heat corrections. Most of the tillering I do I use a bowyers bench(Stave Master to be exact).

[leftyfred]

My $.02 is a Jorgensen 12", American made quality vise

[bowhntineverythingnh03743]

I love my Garret Ultimate vice... It can be positioned many ways and works like a charm.

 

[Roy from Pa]

 

 

[J.F. Miller]

http://www.stewmac.com/Luthier_Tools/Types_of_Tools/Vises/ShopStand_and_Guitar_Repair_Vise_Set.html

without a doubt, this is the best monetary investment I ever made in my bow building. the swiveling, non-marring urethane padded jaws of this vise might as well have been engineered for bow building rather than guitar building. the stand mounted to the floor allows me to work from all directions without moving the bow. sturdy enough to hold staves solid while ripping bark off with a drawknife, delicate enough to not mar the finish on a new bow while holding it tight. this is a sturdy, well built piece of equipment. a once in a lifetime investment and worth every penny, imo.

[fujimo]

that is one cool vice- thanks!!
another thing on the list now!!

[Roy from Pa]

I guess it's ok...  

[EwokArcher]

I would suggest a set up like roys with a heavy vice that opens  at least 6 inches and is bolted into concrete. When you are working on big staves you will love it. I'd then make a wooden or leather set of jaws for it.

I did the quick clamp thing for a while and I promise you will wonder how you ever got by without your big vice.

[RedStag5728]

I have my clamp on the end on an old kitchen table and it's adjustable so you can pivot it left or right and lock it down. You definitely want to make or use something as a cushion between the vice grip and your bow. I use a scrap piece of marine grade carpet when I carpeted my Jon boat (Bateau or flat bottom depending on where you're from) and it works great.

[wood carver 2]

Originally posted by fujimo:
that is one cool vice- thanks!!
another thing on the list now!!

X2. It's hard being a tool hound when you don't have space for any more tools.    :(  
Dave.

[George Tsoukalas]

I like a woodworker's vice padded with a drop in piece of leather.

 http://traditionalarchery101.com/bowbench.html

Jawge

[Eric Krewson]

I have a vice on my work bench and have a support post on the end of my work bench as can be seen in the picture. With the support you can get serious about hogging off bark and sapwood and not have you stave move around in your vise.

   

Easy to make, easy to remove vise pads;

 

Another view;

   

[Bowjunkie]

Jamie, I've been eyeing that vice up for a few years, but haven't pulled the trigger yet. I'm undecided between it and the bigger Wood River pattern maker's vice.

I'll be building another workbench soon, with a 8-9' chunk of synthetic topped bowling alley for the bench top, and I want the most heavy duty and versatile vice I can get. Rock solid.

My concern with the smaller of the two is whether it can hold a big stave/split well enough while unleash my drawknife terror on it.

[Bowjunkie]

Here's the Wood River patter maker's vice.

 http://m.woodcraft.com/Product/128748/PATTERN-MAKERS-VISE.aspx?gclid=Cj0KEQjwrZ24BRC098fr-OqnuMkBEiQAKQ9lgKtel6wkmj_XNcZJTCIR-UZE4xfMyoUcEo2lR0QTBNsaAncb8P8HAQ

[Ringbill]

I have never seen a pattern makers vise before and that has to be the coolest thing since sliced bread. I do decoy carving as well and it would be the ticket for that. A little more research is going into this type of vice for sure.

[J.F. Miller]

I've never had any trouble using luthiers vise for reasonable size staves, but for the really chunky ones I go back to the old #52 Record wood vise. I used the Record vise for over 10 years for all my bow work, until I got Stew-Mac vise. nowadays if I have a chunky or otherwise difficult staves, I can put Stave Press in the Stew-Mac shop stand.

this is my luthiers' vise
 

my Record
 

stave press adapted to shopstand
 

[Bowjunkie]

Nice option, my friend. And opens the door for others.

Now I wish I would have had the foresight to cement a receiving pipe of suitable depth into the floor when I poured it, so I could drop a smaller diameter pipe down into it, one with tabs or pins that would eliminate rotation... and then remove it and plug the hole when not in use. That too would offer some nice additional options. I could do it now I suppose.... would just take a little more doing.

[John Scifres]

I tried some vice on my workbench once.  It was fun for a bit of a change of pace from my regular vice.  The dang vise kept getting in the way though