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RWW #84 Roubo Sliding Leg Vise

Completed Roubo WorkbenchSo here is the final work holding touch to this workbench. Really an accessory to help with wide panels or edge work on long boards, but something that is indispensable when those needs arise. Much of the work is the same as the leg vise except for the sliding mechanism which I detail in this episode. Finally I apply leather to the jaws for that little bit of extra holding power. Enjoy!

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Al Navas

Shannon,

It is great to see the workbench get to this point. Congratulations!

Al

Jason Young

Hi Shannon,

I’m in the process of designing my own Roubo bench and was wondering if you notice any difference in the clamping force between your leg vice and your sliding leg vice? I’m considering raising the parallel guide on the leg vise up above the stretcher so that both vises are identical, less stooping etc.

    Shannon

    Good question Jason. There is a difference in clamping power when you decrease the length of the lever arm, but the clamping power is already really really high. For everything you would do this will still be fine. I would suggest you continue the chop below the parallel guide to the stretcher on both the slider and the leg vise. This allows you to run a long board down the front of the bench and get clamping pressure all the way down. It makes for a rock solid way to do edge work on large case sides.

Justin Hill

I was just wondering if it would have been easier to slide it in from the inside instead of the outside. That way when you lever it in you have more space on the back side of the tenon that would pull against the stretcher. At least thats what it looks like from the video.

Overall, the bench looks great! I can’t wait to get started on mine! Thanks for the helpful videos
Justin

    Shannon

    Not sure I follow you on this, but as with anything in woodworking, there are 100 ways to do the same thing.

Garth

5 years later, is the sliding leg vise still something you would build if you were doing this today? Did you put a “V” track and grove on the other side of the bench so you could swap the vise to the other side? Is the metal re-inforcement a must on the top grove? I am seriously contemplating the sliding leg vise as an alternate to the dead man and really wonder after 5 years what your experience has to say.

    Shannon

    Yes definitely Garth. I use it a lot. When I bring it to bear in tandem with my leg vise for longer boards it is awesome but actually it gets the most work as a stand along vise on the other side of the bench. So to answer your question, yes I set it up to work on both sides with the V shaped stretcher and the groove on the underside of the top. I don’t think the metal reinforcement is all that necessary frankly and my solution was really just over engineering. A deadman will do any of the work that I do when I use the vises together but having the second leg style vise is something a deadman can’t touch.