Official Luthiers Forum!

When my daughter set up repair shop in January of 14 (5 years - Yow) I bought her one of the Garret Wade parrot vices. It had an extra steel fitting they had made that makes it a swivel, but the only problem was that it had to be drilled and tapped for a bolt. They sent a cheap drill and tap - 11mm tap if I recall. It took a loooong time to drill the hole and even longer to tap it, and I ruined my hand with the cheap tap as I only had a moderately sized tap handle - felt it for 6 months!

So check to see if it still needs to be tapped.

Other than that, covered the jaws with thick rawhide and it is her go-to along with the frequently-removed S-M patternmaker's vice.

Ed

All the holes are predrilled and tapped. No bolts, big thumbscrews now.

I bought one from Woodcraft last week. Unpacked it and started scratching my head as to how to install/remove the vise from my HF workbench. Holes, there's plenty, drawers too.

I'd love a suggestion or two as to how I might make something to help the vise get temporarily attached to the HF workbench and then removed. I have plenty of space to store it.

Thanks!

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Peter Havriluk

We use an end mount that is easy to make and allows the space below the vise to be used when working on a rim (e.g., clamping the rim in vise with neck block or tail block oriented so that the rest of the rim passes below the vise). A few scraps of 3/4" plywood and about 6 feet of 2x8 makes the stand. On the Harbor Freight bench, a spacer between the foot and the vertical vise support would keep everything square. It is also worth mentioning that the HF bench needs diagonal reinforcement on both leg assemblies and across the back to stiffen it up for use as a general woodworking bench.

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We have become a civilization that elevates idiots, prostitutes, and clowns. Am I still to defend it? Yes, for its principles. Yes, for what it was. Yes, for what it still may be.

-Mark Helprin, The Oceans and the Stars: A Sea Story, A War Story, A Love Story (A Novel)

Woodie, thanks very much for your advise about the vise and the workbench itself. Got me a project for tomorrow!

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Peter Havriluk

phav

Any 3/4" hole can be used to mount the vise, just drill one where you need it. Not sure what the HF bench looks like, but if the drawers are in the way, you are SOL on that one. If there is an overhang at one end or the other of the bench - maybe there. It just takes a minute to mount and dismount(??).

Ed

Not enough overhang to fully engage the underbench part. Got to build up something to in effect, create an overhang.

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Peter Havriluk

The overhang on the HF bench is not sufficient to allow the spinner to be tightened and still keep the vise base's three feet on the top. One solution might be to extend the top by adding a top-thickness x 4" hardwood extension to one end...the stand I showed photos of is just this approach with some trimming of that extension to allow the vise to hold a rim by the neck or tail block with the rest beneath the bench.

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We have become a civilization that elevates idiots, prostitutes, and clowns. Am I still to defend it? Yes, for its principles. Yes, for what it was. Yes, for what it still may be.

-Mark Helprin, The Oceans and the Stars: A Sea Story, A War Story, A Love Story (A Novel)

I don’t know if I could function without mine. I have holes drilled all over the place for it. Even made an extension for my sanding table to hold it so I could shape necks and catch all the dust.

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It's not what you don't know that hurts you, it's what you do know that's wrong.

After Carl posted about the Garrett Wade version of the Parrot vise I checked out the video and decided to order one. In the video it mentioned that it opened to 3 1/2 inches, which seemed reasonable enough for what I wanted it for. In the add it mentioned they were shipping them from a new casting, which does appear to be the case ( different from the one demonstrated in the video). The one I received opens to 5 inches and may be slightly heavier than the one in the ad. No complaints. I mounted it to a board which I can clamp to different tables or benches, depending on where I am working. It is a bit heavier than I expected, but I'll get used to it.

AHA! breakthrough: Mount the vise to a plank that can be tied to the benchtop using various
of its many predrilled holes. Same idea as I used to temporarily mount my binding router.

Gonna look into this one, the vise will not permanently live on the bench anyway.

Thanks!

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Peter Havriluk