Workbench TWO - Day 32

We are getting to the end. Today is finishing installing the twin vise and the shelf boards.

The twin vise installation for hardware had been completed with the bench up-side down. This enabled me to do precision work will all of the hardware alignment, mounting the vise back boards and drilling the various holes that were needed in the installation process.

So with the bench right side up with the base and top married, it was time to complete the process. The face of the twin vise is 35″ x 2″ x 7″. This has been finished with 3 coats of Enduro-Var Satin. The vise side has a leather face. All was ready for it to me installed. The install was really simple with the new version of the face bushings supplied by Len Horvarter. These are a later improvement when makes the face much more forgiving and a stronger mechanical interface with the 1″ steel shafts.

This all went well until I tested the clamping function of the vise. My plan is the vise would clamp with a clock-wise rotation of the handle. The instructions are very explicit. With the handle on the right side, and me being right handed, this was the natural action to clamp the vise. WRONG !! So I had to take the face off, remove the shafts, springs, clutch disks and gear. Took a little doing but I got it back together and it all worked. I had to re-adjust the clutch disk settings, but now in open position the vise slides freely and when tightened it is TIGHT !!