I’ve finally finished my winterlong workbench. Well, almost; while assembling the chain for the twin-screw vise the link used to join the chain went flying across my shop into a deep pile of sawdust behind a shelf, never to be seen again. So I’m awaiting a replacement link from Veritas for the vise. But everything else is done, and I could not be happier about how it turned out. Manhandling this thing has been a real challenge in my small shop space, as has all the work chopping and cutting all the mortises and tenons by hand (including the giant dovetail on the shoulder vise).

Doing work by hand, like planing, paring or chopping with a chisel, etc., requires a way to hold your work steady in a variety of different positions. I think my design covers almost every way I could hold my work. No more fumbling with one hand holding my work and the other wielding a sharp object!

I’m really looking forward to seeing what I can accomplish with this new tool of mine.

A few photos:

shoulder vise