Popular Science Monthly 



To Make a Work Bench and Vise 



THERE is nothing more essential to 

 good work than a good bench. 

 When room was plentiful and lumber 

 cheap it was the usual practice to con- 

 struct large, heavy benches. With the 

 spread of the manual training idea a 

 rather new and different type of bench 

 has been developed. They are smaller, 

 and a type of construction is used which 

 will require a minimum amount of lum- 

 ber to give the required strength and 

 rigidity. In the bench shown the two 

 top rails are notched into the legs, while 

 all of the lower rails are first cut square 

 on each end and drawn and held in po- 

 sition against the legs by means of the 

 bolts. To do this the holes are first lo- 

 cated and bored in the legs the size of 

 the bolts or 1/16" larger. Next, the 

 same sized hole is bored into the end of 

 the rail to a depth of 4". From the side 

 a 1" hole is bored in to meet the end of 

 this one. The center of this hole should 

 be located 3^2" from the end of the 

 rails. In assembling, the nut is placed in 

 the rail from the side and the bolt 

 through the leg and into the end of the 

 rail to meet it, when the bolt may be 

 drawn tight by means of a wrench ap- 

 plied to the head. The bench may be 

 kept rigid indefinitely by going over all 

 of the bolts occasionally. 



The top of the bench may be one or 

 several pieces glued together. The lat- 

 ter method is the better as well as the 

 most usual one, but is not essential to a 

 good bench. The back pieces are easily 

 worked out to the size suggested. Any 

 good, sound lumber may be used for the 



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bench, though hard lumber, such as oak 

 or maple, is best. The last mentioned is 

 most often used. 



The bench described above may be 

 fitted up with a machinist's, cabinet 

 maker's, pattern maker's or any other 

 type of vise the builder may desire. A 

 very satisfactory form for general wood 



Details of the construction of the 

 vise, showing dimensions 



The completed work bench, with- 

 out the vise, showing dimensions 

 and general construction 



work is shown here. The greatest ad- 

 vantage of the parallel jaw vise is the 

 fact that at all times it will take firm 

 hold on the work without injuring it or 

 causing it to pop out as soon as work is 

 begun. 



The upper part of the vise, as shown 

 in the sketch, or the front jaw, is first 

 Avorked up, after which the guides 

 shown under the bench top are worked 

 out and assembled. Care should be used 

 to secure a snug fit, but no binding should 

 be allowed. The edge of the bench top, 

 together with the piece marked X, forms 

 the back jaw. Both back and front jaws 

 should have wood faces supplied them to 

 take the wear. These are easily replaced. 

 They are not shown in the drawing. 

 The part P is best an iron plate, although 

 wood will serve; 34" ^ 1" x 12" is the 

 size. The iron washer is cut from the 

 same size stock. The ends support the 

 back of the slide marked 5". They should 

 project %'' from G. Carriage bolts arc 

 used to bolt the guides together and to 

 the bench top. 



The screw is of the usual form and 

 manner. The nut, however, is not fas- 

 tened as usually, but instead is bolted to 

 the underside of X by means of the clamp 

 shown. The satisfaction this bench and 

 vise will afford will quickly repay the 

 builder for all time and expense required 

 to make them. 



