Portable Vise
A
S A YOUNGSTER,SOME60 years ago, I often watched my father
doing finish work using a light workbench, which he hauled
from job to job. One of the attachments on that bench was a shop-
made wooden vise, like the one shown in the drawing. I reproduced
the vise from memory and find it a versatile aid for holding stock
both on edge for planing or flat for scraping.
To make the vise, I selected a scrap rectangle of^3 ⁄ 4 -in. birch ply-
wood, cut the sliding wedge from it with a beveled edge on the
angled side, then notched the other side of the wedge at^1 ⁄ 2 -in. inter-
vals. I fasten work in the vise by finding the notch that fits and then
tapping the wedge tightly into the jaws. A quick tap on the other end
of the sliding wedge will loosen the workpiece. If I were making
another, I would use^5 ⁄ 8 -in. material so^3 ⁄ 4 -in. stock would stand a bit
proud of the vise and thus be easily dressed.
—ALFREDS. WHITE,Los Angeles, Calif.
CHAPTER TWOStationary baseSliding wedgeBeveled edgeWorkpiece