Greetings and Salutations...

On Mon, 04 Oct 2004 16:00:19 GMT, "Bob"
wrote:

In selecting a front vice for my work bench, I am intrigued by the pattern
maker's vice such as the Tucker vice sold by Lee Valley at
http://tinyurl.com/4hvrd. My local dealer has Taiwanese clone of this style
that sells for $190. It appears to be quite well made and works smoothly.

I'd appreciate any comments from someone who owns or has used a similar
vice.

Bob


Well, last year, in a moment when enthusiasm overcame wisdom
I picked up a real Emmert turtleback off Ebay. It was actually a
pretty good deal, as, including shipping, it was about $465...and it
does cost a bit to ship 100+ lbs of iron and steel halfway across
the country.
I had to do some work on it, and spent another $50 on parts
but, still have a decent deal, I think.
Now...how do I like it? I like it A LOT! It was called
the "Iron Hand" when it was produced, because of its strength and
flexibility. I have already used its ability to hold heavy objects
at odd angles several times. While it would have been possible
to do the work without the vise, it made it a LOT easier. For
example, I am working on carving a "story stick" for a friend.
Before I had the Emmert, it was kind of a pain to hold this thing.
It is about 7' long, and, roughly octagonal. I was clamping a 2x4
in my regular vise and using "F" clamps and such to stabilize it.
Now...I just swing the vise up, and clamp the pole in it. when
I finish an area, it is trivial to readjust it.
Also, I built a Biesemeyer fence for my table saw this
Spring. Having the Emmert made that go a LOT easier both from
the flexibility aspect and the strength. That vise is ONE solid
support!
Now...as for the $200 clones available. I have laid
hands on them, and, frankly, was just on the verge of getting
one of them when this opportunity came up. They are fairly
well made, and, quite strong. They are slightly smaller than
the Tucker and Emmert vises (either patterned after the #2
Emmert, or made from patterns taken directly from the vise...
without accounting for shrinkage). I would say that
while they are expensive, they seem to be pretty good
values for the money.
Having said all this, I should also note that I
got by quite well for 30 years or so without the patternmaker's
vise. Actually, at first, all I had was a small machinist's
vise bolted to one end of the bench. It was only about ten
or 15 years ago that I picked up a "real" woodworker's vise
(from Grizzly Industrial, actually...) and was way impressed
by how much easier it made so many tasks. If you are
serious about woodworking (or metalworking, for that matter)
the patternmaker's vise is a great addition. If you only
get into the shop once or twice a year to make a box...
probably not worth it, except as a cool toy.
Regards
Dave Mundt