Moxon Vice for Mark V

[Cheechako]

Does it have a tendency to slip vertically when exerting downward force?

Those spt column clamps are somewhat wimpy(especially if not adjusted properly to tighten only against the columns.

Stop collars can help there.

Thanks for your comment. I agree that the twist knobs on the extension table tubes are not designed to take heavy loads. They are a friction mechanism, so I suspect will slip if too much downward pressure is applied. But this is mostly a concern when using a chisel to chop a mortise or half-blind dovetail. In this usage, the downward blow of the chisel will likely overcome the holding power of the twist knobs. Yes, I agree that stop collars would also improve the holding power.

The best workaround is to drop the Moxon all the way down so the stationary jaw now rest on the SS casting. Then you can pound on the stock with a mallet and nothing moves. Very solid when used this way.

[Cheechako]

This is AWESOME, what a great idea.

I’d be very interested in more details about your build and info about what you learned.

Steve:

It is not a difficult build. I will share how I did this, but naturally there is more than one way and you will find your own methods...

I have a few pictures and can write up a summary of the steps. Stay tuned to this thread and I will try to get to it in the next few days.

[roy_okc]

Great looking and great functionality, I suspect you'll be finding all sorts of uses for it.

The best workaround is to drop the Moxon all the way down so the stationary jaw now rest on the SS casting. Then you can pound on the stock with a mallet and nothing moves. Very solid when used this way.

I would be hesitant to pound too hard when the tubes are resting on the casting in fear that the casting would break, but imagine light to medium would be okay.

[bainin]

I like it. Looking forward to the build pics, I was wondering how you mounted the tubes to the stationary block (bottom side) .

b

[Cheechako]

I’d be very interested in more details about your build and info about what you learned.

Steve, bainin

Thanks for your patience. And I apologize for the long winded explanation....

Here is how I did it:

There are 2 key steps:

1. Getting the spacing between the posts exact, and
2. Avoiding epoxy leakage onto the extension tubes and/or SS casting

You will need two SS extension table replacement tubes. I did not keep the SS part number, but if you call SS customer phone number, the lady will know what you are asking for. The parts are not on the Web site, but are available for $29 each. If you have a metal lathe, you can buy 1 and 1/4 inch steel pipe at the box store, but the ID of the SS casting is about 3 or 4 mils smaller than the OD of store bought 1 and 1/4 inch pipe, so you would need to mill it down to fit. I have no such skill, so I bought the extension table tubes directly from SS.

Next you should mill up two slabs of 8/4 hardwood. I used 28" in length and 6" wide. One will become the fixed jaw, the other a floating or adjustable jaw. In the floating jaw, the outer edge is chamfered at 45 degrees to allow for a tilted saw cut on stock mounted in the vice (for half-blind dovetails esp). After doing a lot of testing, I found that a 28" wide vice will allow for me to stabilize long pieces that stand on the floor while held vertically in the jaws outside of the screws.

In the stationary jaw, two 1 and 1/4" holes are drilled 2 inches deep (in a series of steps) to receive the extension tubes. If the spacing is off by a little bit, the tubes will not engage the SS casting correctly and the completed vice will bind when lifting/lowering.

How to get the spacing between the tubes exact? Forget using measurements!! If you are off by 1/32, the tubes will not slide in the SS castings.
Instead, I used a template. I cut some scrap wood as wide as the thickness of the stationary jaw (2 inches wide by about 1/2 thick").
I cut off a section of that scrap piece as a spacer and placed it onto the SS castings, matching one edge to the outer rim of the recess in the casting and then trimming the opposite end to fit exactly in the distance between the casting recesses. IOWs, this is a spacer that exactly represents the distance between the two tubes. Getting the spacer the exact length was just by feeling the edge as it rests on the casting recess. Small adjustments were made with the disc sander until an exact fit.

Next, I drilled a 1 and 1/4" hole with Forstener bit in the longer template piece. This represents the position of the first extension tube. Then I hot glued the spacer to the template, aligning one edge to the previous cut hole, by feel. I rotated the template 180 degrees and butted the spacer up against the bit and drilled the second hole.

MoxonTemplate1.jpg (101.96 KiB) Viewed 2638 times

Now the holes are the exact same distance apart that they would be on the SS casting.

To confirm this, I put the template over the casting and dropped both extension tubes through the template and into the casting. I was gratified they both slid into the casting without resistance. A stop collar was very helpful to keep the tubes from falling down through the casting while I fumbled with the twist knob.

MoxonTemplate4.jpg (124.57 KiB) Viewed 2638 times

Now the goal is to use the template to transfer the same drill hole positions to the stationary jaw. To do this, I marked the dead center of the jaw blank, and drew guides lines down the length of the blank to represent the OD of the extension tube, positioning the tube in the middle of the blank.

MoxonTemplate3.jpg (177.31 KiB) Viewed 2638 times

Looking through the holes in the template, I adjusted its position until the outline of the holes were precisely over the guide lines and then held it down with hot glue.

MoxonTemplate5.jpg (68.86 KiB) Viewed 2638 times

Then I started the 1 and 1/4 inch Forstener holes in the jaw blank with the template glued in place. After each hole was about 1/2" deep, I could remove the template and just deepen the holes to a final 2" depth.

BTW, if you haven't heard of this trick, you can just spill denatured alcohol on hot glue and it quickly unbonds!!

MoxonTemplate2.jpg (109.95 KiB) Viewed 2638 times

To permanently secure the extension tubes into these holes, I used epoxy. The trick is to epoxy them into place and stand the stationary jaw upright in the SS casting so the epoxy cures with the exact (and I mean exact) correct tube position. However, if any epoxy runs out of the drill holes, it could ruin either your project or your SS. Here is how I solved that problem.

To prepare for glue up, I put the tubes into the forstener holes of the jaw blank and marked the depth of travel with a Sharpie. I removed the tubes, and scratched the surface by twisting the tubes inside a rolled up 100 grit sandpaper. This maneuver etched scratch marks into the top 1 inch of each tube so the epoxy had something to grip.

Then I covered the SS casting and the bottom of the stationary jaw with painters tape and used a utility knife to remove the tape from the recesses on both the SS and the jaw. This is a precaution to avoid accidental gluing of these surfaces.

To keep the epoxy from bleeding out of the holes, I mixed the activated epoxy with sawdust from the same species of wood until the stirred glue mixture was thick like peanut butter and wouldn't run. Then I used a tongue depressor to apply the thickened epoxy to the deepest 1 inch of the forstener holes in the stationary jaw. I then inserted the etched portion of both extension tubes, gave them a twirl to distribute the epoxy, and finally stood the entire assembly into the SS and guided the extension tubes about 50% of the distance downard into the castings, tightening the twist knob to secure the assembly in place. I waited 24 hours and found the tubes were securely bonded to the stationary jaw. I removed the painters tape. There was no epoxy spillage.

Now that the stationary jaw was prepared, all that was left was to make the correct drill holes for the twin screw hardware. There is no need for me to describe that, because there are several excellent videos on that subject, such as:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2QbDh76mzCg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S6ebOGM40mg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UwdpWl3EICQ&t=303s

And many more videos...just search YouTube yourself. Its not a difficult build. Just two 3/4' holes for the twin screws, and recesses for the nuts.

Have a go and see what yours turns out like. Post some photos of your vice on this thread for all to see....

I am thoroughly happy with mine, and finding new uses for it every day. Great addition to the SS platform.

Thanks for your interest. Hope this helps....

[Cheechako]

I would be hesitant to pound too hard when the tubes are resting on the casting in fear that the casting would break, but imagine light to medium would be okay.

Agreed. A dead blow mallet only for chiseling wood, like mortising or jointery. No, I would not do metal work in this vice, and not risk the SS casting with the kind of forces needed to bend or shape metal. A Moxon vice is for hand tool wood working principally

[RFGuy]

I really like this and what a beautiful vice. Thanks for the inspiration. I have been trying to figure out the best place and strategy for a woodworking vise in my small shop so you have definitely given me something to think about.

[cooch366]

Have a go and see what yours turns out like. Post some photos of your vice on this thread for all to see....

I am thoroughly happy with mine, and finding new uses for it every day. Great addition to the SS platform.

Thanks for your interest. Hope this helps....

It certainly does. Thanks for the tips and pitfalls to avoid. Great explanation and much appreciated.

Steve

[bainin]

Thank you - I was wondering if you had utilized the shopsmith bracket for the extension table (shown below).
Is there a reason you opted for an epoxy joint, perhaps the width of one jaw of the vice isn't wide enough to accommodate
these brackets?

b

Capture.JPG (13.82 KiB) Viewed 935 times

[cooch366]

Thank you - I was wondering if you had utilized the shopsmith bracket for the extension table (shown below).
Is there a reason you opted for an epoxy joint, perhaps the width of one jaw of the vice isn't wide enough to accommodate
these brackets?

b


Capture.JPG

I’m in the process of building one and had the same thoughts. With both side bolts it was over 4” (I don’t remember the exact measurement) but it would have made a huge jaw. I also looked at lopping off one side but that also would have been too big for me. So I went with the way Cheechako built his and today finished the epoxying. As an FYI, I had an extra extension table and was able to remove the tubes by heating the extension table casting with no problems, saving having to buy a set. Using his method, I also had a perfect fit of the tubes & rear jaw. Now I’m just waiting for Rob’s hardware to arrive. (Also had a personal phone call from him thanking for the business, a real nice touch)

Steve