How to Make a Moxon Vice

[@bltoth1955]

Great video. You can always Pin or Loctite the wing nut to the end of the threaded rods. This will keep the rods from jutting out the front.

[@eugenetswong]

Hello, from Canada! Your voice and the music make your videos therapeutic. I'll probably make a Moxon vice, if I ever get started in wood working.

[@55mga1500]

I made one using acme thread from home depot - 3/4" - and I made wheels out of laminated plywood with the nuts let in and epoxied. Using scrap wood and the HD parts total cost was about $15. Wish I could post a pic here.

[@scottbarlowe2328]

I appreciate your comment about it not being perfect that it just needs to work. I currently building one that is more of a mini workbench and I have lost count of the mistakes I have made. Interestingly, other than failing to follow part of my plans all of my mistakes were made with power tools…. Most of which were corrected with hand tools. Still I think this one will wind up being a “prototype” if for no reason, then to make me feel better about all my mistakes

[@ElliotNesterman]

If you prefer the screw sticking out the back instead of the front you could put the jam nut against the handles, then the shafts would come out the back. A bit of Loctite 271 on the jam nut would keep it from accidentally working loose. FWIW, jam nuts are generally about half the thickness of regular nuts since they don't take the tension of the screw, merely keep the bearing nut from turning on the shaft. The other thing you could do is to drill through the collar of the handles and the shaft and pin them in place, but using the jam nut on the front is easier if less elegant.

[@georgeb7332]

Nice job. An even cheaper option if you're strapped for cash is to use dumbell bars. They're excellent trapezoidal threads that, with the included spinlock nuts, spin on real fast. I got two, with 4 nuts, for £10 plus shipping. Bargain. Very happy with them.

[@justplanebob105]

Thanks so much, James. I've been looking at this kit for months. 😁

[@watermain48]

Much better for me with you commenting as you go. Thanks my young friend.

[@danielgrabske3545]

Going to fabricate my kit , already have the acme threaded rod , just have to do a little welding.

[@ryanallthewiser]

Great timing... I bought the kit from Tay two days ago

[@ryanallthewiser]

Great video

[@WoodByWrightHowTo]

Ooh. Looking forward to seeing what you make.

[@johnyuchimiuk7575]

Just picked up kiln dried 2x9-ish rough red oak in North ATL area - 28 board feet for $42 out the door price. Currently letting it acclimate to my shop. And yes I did buy extra. Plenty more available from the same seller.

[@WoodByWrightHowTo]

Wow. Nice find.

[@Xgecko66]

I just built that very kit....I laminated 3/4 inch maple for the chops and mortised a clamping call on the back of the rear chop

[@WoodByWrightHowTo]

That is what I did for my other one. Works great.

[@walterrider9600]

thank you James

[@gatekeeper84]

Instead of wedging the nut you can drill small holes and use steel or brass rods that are flattened on one side.

[@budj13]

Nice job and good to see a review of this kit.

[@timort2260]

First vice I made was a moxon. Ya really can't go wrong with diy but not gonna lie mine don't look as nice. But it still works. Great video man

[@WoodByWrightHowTo]

It doesn't have to be pretty just has to function. Sounds like fun

[@MCsCreations]

Amazing work, James! It really looks beautiful! 😃 Stay safe there with your family! 🖖😊

[@thomasarussellsr]

Thanks, James, this looks like a great kit. I'll definitely have to check this out.

[@andrewbrimmer1797]

That boiled linseed oil looks nice you might like using that regularly 😂

[@hassanal-mosawi4235]

Thanks for sharing that!

[@makermark67]

Great kit, great build. Thanks!

[@SteveC38]

Lovely Job James!

[@w4baham]

James, have you done a video on laying out and hand cutting compound angle dovetails? Not just the splayed joint dovetails. You have an excellent "teaching method" in your videos.

[@WoodByWrightHowTo]

I did. A. Five-sided dovetail bowl about 5 years ago. But I wanted to do another one here sometime.

[@w4baham]

@@WoodByWrightHowTo I was thinking of a splayed food serving trey, like a 20" X 14" example (4 sides).

[@scottswineford6714]

Lol, you haven't found a use for the small rear bench because you're very young yet. Your eyes work and your back doesn't come with sound effects. Yet.

[@justkirk]

I've been considering making a one of these for a while now. I do have a wooden tap and die, so I'm going to take a look at your other video. Might be good to have a link to the other vise with the wood screw in the description - just a thought. Thanks for sharing with us.

[@WoodByWrightHowTo]

Stink. I thought I put it that in there I'll have to add that in a bit. Thanks for the reminder.

[@prrk47002]

When I made my Moxon vice, I made the front jaw ~1/4" lower on the bottom than that back one.This way, when the vice is closed and I set it against the bench, the back jaw automatically aligns with the front edge of my workbench. (Credit Chris Schwarz with that idea)

[@WoodByWrightHowTo]

I did that on my last one. But I have had a few times I wanted it in the middle of the bench.

[@pulsehead]

Would you say the amount of work holding in your shop is a virtue or a vice?

[@marshmoreland8365]

If you wood articulate nice work too

[@Vincent-S]

Maaaaan. I need to find me a place that has oak boards that big for 16 bucks.

[@WoodByWrightHowTo]

Menards in the Midwest. I went back and looked at my receipt and it was actually $18.

[@danarea51]

Great vid, but...is that a wedding ring on the drill bit at 2:39??

[@WoodByWrightHowTo]

here you go. kzbin.info/www/bejne/ZmeZYXiJirtrZ5I

[@danarea51]

Hey, thanks👍 Much appreciated!

[@crmcbrideww]

Did you change your camera or lighting? The quality looks really really good. Nice work too

[@WoodByWrightHowTo]

Thanks. Whenever possible I have a friend who comes and shoots the video. so there's a little more movement in it as he can walk around and get closer to things rather than just having it on a tripod. Luke does amazing work.

[@BillHartCooks.]

@@WoodByWrightHowTo ...... I can hear your say.... "Use the "Force" Luke. "

[@wolfman75]

That turned out really nice!!! I do have a question: being a artist we are told not to use are hands to smooth out because of the oil. Does the same apply when using BLO or any other oil? I am curious, because you do not use any type of rag or brush. (I know more oil to oil)Thank You James!!! 👍😎🤔😁

[@WoodByWrightHowTo]

If I were doing it with store-bought boiled linseed oil then I would not use my bare hands. The chemical dryers in there I really wouldn't want to mess with. But this is homemade and is just linseed oil.

[@skylerhughes8227]

Good video. Very good detail. Where did you get that adapter for your bit brace

[@WoodByWrightHowTo]

here you go. lddy.no/1gauf

[@skylerhughes8227]

Thankyou very much. Keep the videos going. We all learn so much from guys like you. Especially the newbies like myself

[@tomsharp4840]

Very nice build. I do have one question, why did you not carve a Celtic design on the front of the vise?

[@WoodByWrightHowTo]

I ran out of time. Really wanted to though!

[@ay8306]

I bought one of these kits from TayTools last fall, and the threads on your kit were much, much, much better than on the kit I received. Unfortunately, mine had many burs and nicks in the threads that prevent the wing nuts from spinning freely like yours. I used a small file to clean them up as best as possible, but the end result was only mediocre at best. The kit is useable and affordable, so I can't complain about the value, but anyone buying this kit needs to set their expectations properly.

[@WoodByWrightHowTo]

Wow. That's not good. I would contact a tools and see if you get replacements. It's just threaded rod so it should be perfectly good no matter what the price.

[@andrewbrimmer1797]

Wouldn't bench on the top make it easier to line up your parts to mark pins and such?

[@WoodByWrightHowTo]

It can. But that then takes up a lot more space. Most people just have something the same height as what they're currently working on to hold up the other end of the board. But if you do want to make whole thing that's called a "bench on bench" it's a lot of fun especially if you're working in a small space you can then put that on top of a countertop or table and do your work anywhere.

[@opabutterscotch5902]

I have seen a few YT makers make a Moxon Vise even though they had leg and end vises on their benches. I had the understanding that this was an alternative for those that didn’t have any other vises. From this vid, I take it that you use your Moxon in combination or along side you other vises. Can you explain the advantages of Moxon vs others? Or do you already have a video on this subject?

[@WoodByWrightHowTo]

The moxon vice is commonly used for end-grain joinery such as dovetails. It raises the work up another 6-in or so off of the bench. this brings it closer to your eyes and makes it easier to work on some of the detailed items. The history goes back hundreds of years but it is generally a supplemental vice that goes on top of a bench that already has others.

[@opabutterscotch5902]

@@WoodByWrightHowTo that’s what I was thinking after I wrote my question but I also wanted to make sure. This could be something I build. I think I should work on organizational builds now rather than making more stuff I have no place to but them. Lol. Thanks for the reply

[@hdwoodshop]

Could you pls break down costs for die option versus screw kit? Just curious.

[@WoodByWrightHowTo]

Sorry. I'm not sure what you mean by the die option versus the screw kit?

[@hdwoodshop]

@@WoodByWrightHowTo sir James. I meant the option where you buy the die to cut the threads out of wood versus the option of buying a metal power screw for the vise.

[@soberlivingwithbrianfrankl8254]

Jeeeese thats cheap for the wood... red oak here in the big box store is Ridiculously priced!!

[@stainlesssteellemming3885]

Yep - just priced it at about $130 in my area. Even poplar is 3 figures

[@soberlivingwithbrianfrankl8254]

@@stainlesssteellemming3885 yeah poplar is about 27$ for 7 inches wide and about 8 ft long

[@stainlesssteellemming3885]

@@soberlivingwithbrianfrankl8254 Did you mean $127?

[@soberlivingwithbrianfrankl8254]

@@stainlesssteellemming3885 lmao

[@stainlesssteellemming3885]

@@soberlivingwithbrianfrankl8254 No, seriously, 2 x 6 poplar here is over $100 for an 8' length

[@tinywoodshop5491]

Hey James, what was the glue or brand you used for the leather?

[@WoodByWrightHowTo]

Titebond hide glue.

[@TOTHEPOINT82]

What type of bit was in that brace at the beginning?

[@WoodByWrightHowTo]

They are wood owl bits. Here's a video about them. kzbin.info/www/bejne/mJukoKB-f8Rro6c

[@josemejia38]

I just bought 2 DMT stones. Can I just use them out of the box.

[@WoodByWrightHowTo]

Sure. There really isn't any prep needed for a diamond plate. Just add a little water or in my case Windex and go to town.

[@stainlesssteellemming3885]

Which Big Box Store is selling 2 x 6 Red Oak for $16? Even if you said $60 I'd jump at it. At my HD, the cheapest hardwood 2 x 6 board I could find was $110 for 8' of poplar - and it's not sold by the foot. Combined with the cost of the kit, it's actually nearly breakeven if I buy a Sjoberg's SJO-33274 portable vise. Now 2 x 6 douglas fir is no problem (less than a tenner for 8'), but I'm guessing it would be too soft for a vise.

[@WoodByWrightHowTo]

All depends on where you are. Around here red oak is fire wood.

[@weldabar]

For me 2x6x8' red oak is $130 USD at big box = $16.25 per board foot. Wow.

[@brettshegogue]

None of the big box stores around me carry 8/4 or 2x oak. Thickest hardwoods they sell are S4S 1x poplar and oak. Is this a blue or orange store or something more local to you?

[@WoodByWrightHowTo]

Damn. It's one of the things that I love about Menards.

[@garyhubley]

To save even more money, you could do a pipe clamp moxon vise like Jay Bates.

[@WoodByWrightHowTo]

Around here two pipe clamps cost more than this kit. It's hard to find the clamp heads for less than $10 a piece plus pipe. And that's used.

[@garyhubley]

@@WoodByWrightHowTo Since you said that I just double checked the price. It's actually very close here as well (Nova Scotia, Canada). The thing that offsets it is that I live in Canada. After factoring in the exchange rate, the kit is ~ $64 CAD. The stuff for clamps (Bessey 3/4") comes in at ~$56 CAD. Good value for the kit since it's specialized hardware.

[@WoodByWrightHowTo]

Not to mention you would have to calculate in shipping to Canada. And that's gone through the roof recently

[@moonwolf7135]

I'm surprised you didn't do a carving on it before you BLO it

[@WoodByWrightHowTo]

I wanted to. But ran out of time.

[@moonwolf7135]

@@WoodByWrightHowTo ok let you off the hook this time when you make the next one for Sarah you can put a carving on it or have her do a carving and do a video of it

[@fernandosirianni337]

Wouldn't be better to use a square nut instead an hexagonal?

[@WoodByWrightHowTo]

I guess to be a personal choice. Personally I find octagonal holes more enjoyable to cut but most people would consider a square hole easier to cut.

[@alexandersagnella3056]

Nice job! On another note, what watch is that?

[@WoodByWrightHowTo]

it is the Garmin Fenix 5X I am an ultra runner and a diver and it is for both of those. amzn.to/39NpWK3

[@doctordutch]

What would you recommend for a general woodworking vice for a small bench and small woodworking projects?

[@WoodByWrightHowTo]

I would look up the bench on bench concept. It usually has a mocks and style vise that goes all the way along the front. It gives you a lot of versatility to clamp in different directions. And it's basically a small bench that you can then clamp down to a table or counter or whatever you want.

[@doctordutch]

Do I google “bench concepts” or is that on your website/ KZbin library?@@WoodByWrightHowTo

[@WoodByWrightHowTo]

"bench on bench" it is a small bench that can go on other things.

[@w4baham]

Great video! How much width did you build it between the rods? Widest highth of a chest of drawers I suppose, 24"?

[@WoodByWrightHowTo]

Sorry. I don't quite understand the question

[@WoodByWrightHowTo]

I think I see what you're saying. I put 18 in between the two screws. You may find that you create something that's bigger than that, but in that case it's usually easier to clamp it to the face of the bench then to put it in amoxin vise. Cuz usually at that point you are dealing with something that's also a lot longer.

[@w4baham]

@@WoodByWrightHowTo Good point. I agree.

[@TankGunner84]

Wow!! What big box store did you get a oak 2x6, especially for only $16?! Here in Kentucky a 2x6x12’ would about cost that!

[@WoodByWrightHowTo]

Menards.

[@jeremymcmurrin6311]

I was thinking the same thing. I was just at lowes and they wanted 18 dollars for a 2x6x8 douglas fir that looked like a 🍌

[@TankGunner84]

@@WoodByWrightHowTo there are menards in Cincinnati about an 1.5 hours from me, I may have to check them out when I’m up there next. All I have close is Lowe’s. Now I will say there’s a lot of sawmills ready to sell rough-cut lumber for a pretty fair price but I have to dry it and some have the space at the moment.

[@RickFarris]

No spokeshaves?

[@WoodByWrightHowTo]

Not in this one.

[@jaymzx0]

Great video. I just finished my build of this kit over the holidays. Here's a pic: imgur.com/a/Eys4XeS I (over)built my indoor workbench (I live in a small apartment) primarily for electronics work a few years ago and just recently picked up an interest in hand tool woodworking. Being able to clamp the vise down to use, and then quickly stow it away when finished is the perfect solution for me. I plan to make the 'mini bench' version at some point since I don't have dog holes in my workbench. Remaking the front jaw a little beefier with some dog holes to work like a front vise would be very handy in my case - especially for planing faces. I made each jaw with 2 layers of 18mm Baltic birch. I didn't get the kit with the leather, but later decided the leather would be an improvement, so I bought some 2mm suede scraps from a local leatherworker to line the jaws, held in with Super 88 adhesive. I thought about the wedge method for the nuts, but elected to work on my chisel practice and mortised the nuts in. I ran the ball handles over a wire wheel and stripped the oil from the hardware with acetone before going over every bit of the metal parts with paste wax. After a few days of curing, the spin of the knobs is _super smooth_ and yea, it's actually fun to spin them. I finished the whole thing with a few layers of GF oil-based Arm-R-Seal. The vise works so well that a slight spin of the knobs is all it takes to lock the workpiece in. I'm super happy with how mine turned out and for the price of the kit, it's a great value.

[@WoodByWrightHowTo]

Nice I like it!

[@marshall3300]

shouldnt it be moxin, moxout?

[@kennethnielsen3864]

Funny to see you using tapemeasur, that is not a everyday thing.

[@WoodByWrightHowTo]

Yep. I pretty much only pull it out when I have plans to work from or working to.

[@kennethnielsen3864]

@@WoodByWrightHowTo I know, but stil a bit funny, almost looks out of place in your video, almost like when you use power tools, it just looks wrong. Stil super video, keep up the good work.

[@kennethnielsen3864]

62nd.

[@madscientist5969]

No white oak? Oh the horror, oh, the cellulosity!

[@QlueDuPlessis]

Everytime you say "nut" my mind goes the the nut on a crossbow. I think ive watched too much Tod's Workshop.