Building the workbench in Woodsmith Vol29/NO.173

Messages
37
Location
Mountainburg, AR
I have finally decide to make something that is NOT a cabinet! A real woodworking workbench.:D
The plan calls for the front vise to be the Veritas 70G08.02 from Lee Valley. This vise actually comes in 2 versions. The one the plan calls for does not have the quick release feature, but they have another one that is almost exactly like it that does have the feature. I was wondering if anyone has had any experience with either or both of the vises and would be willing to share what you know about them? The quick release feature sound pretty handy, but I can see that it might add some complications to a pretty simple tool.
 
I have exactly that vise installed on the bench that I am part way through building. I have a few things to say about it:

- The vice is not Veritas. The brand name on it is York.

- The vise is made in the Czech Republic and it appears to be of the same good quality as an older Record made in the United Kingdom vise that I have installed on another bench.

- The vise was easy to instal and the instructions are good.

- I really like the quick release feature.

-Since my bench is still under construction, I have not used the vise much but I have tested it quite a bit and am happy that I chose it.
 
Last edited:
Larry,

I have a quick release face vise and honestly don't think I could live without it. Whatever vise you decide on, I highly recommend the QR option.
 
I have exactly that vise installed on the bench that I am part way through building.

How's that bench coming along?

I am going to start mine this weekend, and if my last project is any indication of when I will finish, it's going to be around Christmas 2008 or maybe 2009!

I swear, I have to be the slowest woodworker on the planet!
 
Last edited:
I guess I thought it was a Veritas because it was Lee Valley. The number on the one I am thinking of getting is 70G08.10

Thanks for the info Frank
They sell lots of stuff that is not Veritas. But, it's easy to make such an assumption and to be wrong -as I have done a few times myself. :eek: T

he model 70G08.10 is the one that I have. Don't forget to oerder the handle as well.
 
How's that bench coming along?

I am going to start mine this weekend, and if my last project is any indication of when I will finish, it's going to be around Christmas 2008 or maybe 2009!

I swear, I have to be the slowest woodworker on the planet!
My bench was progreesing quite nicely last April, but then I moved to outdoor projects. Next week, I will be back working on indoor projects, but the top prioity is items for Xmas gifts. I don't expect to get back to working on the bench until the new year -maybe you are not the slowest Larry ;).
 
Larry,

I know something about the Veritas vises, since I own both their face vise and tail vise. Mine does not have quick release. But when I bought all the hardware to make my bench, I heard good things about the Lee Valley equipment. The face vise alone weighs 26 pounds.

Last January, just as I was ready to start fabricating the legs and stretchers, the new LV catalog came out, announcing a QR version of their vise. Since mine was sitting in an unopened box waiting to be mounted, I called Lee Valley. It was a Saturday. I sort of had buyer's remorse. I wasn't sure they had staff on duty on the weekend, but a nice fellow answered and said they would be glad to exchange my vise for the QR model. There was a difference in price.

With that out of the way I asked the fellow if having QR would really make much of difference. He said that part of his job was to evaluate new items at Lee Valley. He said that the quality of the standard vise was better. Not by a lot, but just better. And he asked how much work I do. Since I am a hobbyist only, and retired, he said the QR feature was really a luxury that I could live without. So I kept mine, saved $50, and lived happily ever after.

If you were to want something better than the Veritas, you could try Dieter Shmidt (online) in Germany. The Lee Valley stuff comes from Eastern Europe and is tough and nicely finished.

Gary Curtis
 
Gary,
Thanks for the different perspective. I think that the QR feature would be handy, if it really worked well. What I am worried about is that it might not work all that well and just be a point of frustration instead. I have some of those jorgie cabinet master clamps and they are forever getting stuck or not catching when I try to tighten them. I was thinking they were going to be the cat's meow, but I can sure operate a good ole pipe clamp better.

BTW I googled Dieter Shmidt and got nothing about vises. However, I am thinking that these from LV will be all that I want.
 
Last edited:
Gary,
Thanks for the different perspective. I think that the QR feature would be handy, if it really worked well. What I am worried about is that it might not work all that well and just be a point of frustration instead. I have some of those jorgie cabinet master clamps and they are forever getting stuck or not catching when I try to tighten them. I was thinking they were going to be the cat's meow, but I can sure operate a good ole pipe clamp better.

BTW I googled Dieter Shmidt and got nothing about vises. However, I am thinking that these from LV will be all that I want.
It the quick release feature really works well on my old Record vise and the two York vises that I purchased from Lee Valley seem to have copied the Record design. I see know reason at all that the feature should not work well.
 
Larry,

The link to Deiter Shmidt is http://www.fine-tools.com/rauh.htm

You can get the same products from toolsforwoodworking.com in New York.

I have zero experience with the QR type vises. But I have heard they exhibit a bit of slop. If you are not cranking and uncranking 35 times a day, we get into it.

The standard for that type mechanism was the Record from England. I think it was the No. 52 1/2. They appear from time to time on eBay, but have gone out of production. The tooling and molds were sold to India. Do you want to travel down the eBay/India road. As Frank says, it is the best, but you'll be looking for awhile.

Very important to the product sold by Lee Valley are their superb instructions, which include a mounting template. In the final analysis, you have get the thing mounted and set up correctly.

Gary Curtis
 
Top