66 M ODEL AVIATION
s are many hobbies, modeling is
generally a solitary activity—particularly
during construction and neverending
maintenance. We often wish there
was someone standing nearby, so we could
say “Here—hold this” while we performed
an operation on a piece.
We have gotten around the absence of
such a genie by acquiring every clip, clamp,
and vise imaginable; yet, like many modelers,
I needed another kind of vise and I couldn’t
quite decide what it would look like.
Finally, I started making sketches on the
workbench notepad. For each operation for
which I didn’t have the holding device I needed,
I made a change in the sketch to satisfy the need.
I thought I would eventually recognize the
type of vise I needed and buy it. After many
frustrating operations, I realized that I needed to
convert the sketch to something I could build.
The principal requirement of this vise is
a workbench with a top that has a flat
n Ken Cashion
A few of the clamping devices modelers use, which don’t handle many building
situations routinely encountered. The author’s custom-built unit fills the gap.
The top vise jaw is secured to the base with eyebolts tightened in the vise-base slot.
The hanger bolt secures the base to the underside of the work surface.
Underside of jaw shows inset tee nuts. It
is important that the slot in bench facing
is a snug push-fit for the vise base.
A workshop vise
born of necessity
April 2001 67
undersurface and is bound by a facing. The
facing will be slotted; consequently, the vise
is only as strong as this facing and as steady
as the fit of the vise base in the slot.
If you cannot easily perform the operations
made possible by this vise, you need one. It
might be the best tool you get all year.
The vise can be built like mine, shown,
or it can be modified, but keep the operation
simple; a complicated tool is seldom used.
There are two basic pieces to this device:
a long vise base and short vise clamp. I used
oak, but any hardwood will do; do not even
consider using pine, plywood, or poplar.
I needed the end of my vise base to
extend far enough from the workbench to
provide clearance for an electric motor with
a 16-inch propeller. Other builders might
not need this extension range (or they might
need more), but the length of the vise base
behind the bench facing adds considerably
to the overall vise stability.
Operation: The vise base is stored in a
retracted position within the workbench. When
you want to use the vise, pull it out the desired
length and tighten the wing nut underneath the
workbench to secure the base in that position.
The vise clamp is set on the base so that
the eyes of two eyebolts slip through slots in
the base; these are turned 90° so the opposing
wing nuts can be tightened to lightly hold the
material between the vise base and clamp.
The two eyes of the back eyebolts are
screwed down, to force the back of the
clamp up and the front down. This provides
considerable gripping pressure.
There are three lengths of eyebolts that can
be used in the appropriate places. The shortest
bolts can accommodate (with parallel gripping
faces) material up to 3⁄4-inch thick; the long bolts
accommodate material up to 21⁄2 inches thick.
I bent “J” clamps from threaded rod to
hold cylindrical objects. These clamps fit
common electric motor sizes as well as a
small motorized hand tool.
Construction: Follow these steps and you
will have few problems. A list of materials
is provided at the end.
1) Make a cardboard template of the vise
base and position it on the workbench, to
Underside of vise base shows jaw eyebolts turned 90° to slots
and resting in small grooves to prevent rotation.
The completed vise. In long slot is the end of the hanger bolt,
which stays screwed into the underside of the bench surface.
The vise is hardly noticeable in its stored position in the bench. The vise “tools” are
laying on the bench surface. The “J” clamps are for tubular objects.
With a 500-size motor, the vise base is extended to provide clearance for a 15-inch
propeller. Electronic speed control current is being measured here.
Photos by the Author Graphic Design by Jill Ann Cavanaugh
70 M ODEL AVIATION
confirm that the shape will serve. Consider
the operations performed at the bench.
Modify the template if necessary.
2) Determine the vise’s location on the
bench. Mine is slightly to the right (I am
right-handed) of the bench area where I do
most of my work; this includes sawing,
soldering, filing, drilling, etc.
3) Lay the vise base and vise clamp on 1
x 4 x 36-inch hardwood.
4) Cut pieces to length.
5) Secure the clamp on the end of base.
In two places, drill through both pieces with
a 1⁄4-inch drill. These are “Ref. Holes”
marked on drawings. Take care to make
these holes 90° to the surfaces.
6) Separate the two pieces. On the
underside of the clamp, mark two places and
drill approximately 1⁄16-inch deep with a 3⁄4-
inch boring bit, to clear the base thickness of
the 1⁄4-inch tee nuts. On these centers, from
underneath, drill through the material with a
5⁄16-inch drill. Take care as the drill exits so
the edges of the holes will be clean.
7) Mark for two recesses on top of the vise
base, then drill 1⁄16-inch deep with a 3⁄4-inch
boring bit. This provides stability for two metal
discs, to protect this area from excessive wear
when tightening rear-clamp eyebolts.
8) Drill two 7/32-inch-diameter holes (#2
drill) in the vise base as shown on drawing,
to secure cylindrical objects (electric motors
in my case).
9) To make two slots in the vise base, bore
with a 1⁄4-inch drill at the extreme ends of the
area to be slotted and remove the wood in
between. I used a chisel—there are other lessrefined
ways of doing this—but the eyes of the
eyebolts need to drop easily through these slots.
10) Make four slight recesses on the
underside of the vise base, at the center of the
slots, so the eyebolts’ eyes rest in these relieved
areas when they are turned 90° to the slots and
tightened slightly. These hollows hold the
eyebolts in position. (A Dremel® with a 5⁄16-
inch oval router wheel worked well for me.)
11) At the appropriate location midlength
of the vise base, drill a 5⁄16-inch-diameter hole
through the material. This will define the
stowed position of the vise base when it’s
pushed out of the way into the bench facing,
and it will provide a means to secure the vise
base against the underside of the bench.
12) Remove material in the vise base to
form a long slot from the hole to the end of
the base. This should be an easy-sliding fit for
the 1⁄4-inch hanger bolt, which will be
screwed into the underside of the workbench.
13) Bevel the upper front edge of the
vise clamp as shown on drawing. This gives
more access to small pieces secured in the
bench vise.
14) Sand all surfaces, but do not bevel
the edges any more than necessary to
protect the vise user.
15) Press the tee nuts into the underside
of the vise clamp and hot-glue metal discs
in the vise-base recesses, assuring that their
tops are flush or slightly below the base
surface. (I used pennies.)
16) Remove all burrs from the ends of the
eyebolts so they are smooth to the touch.
17) Assemble with eyebolts, washers,
and wing nuts, and confirm that the ends of
the vise base and vise clamp are flush. If
they are not, hold them together and remove
material until they show an even “bite.”
18) Mark a location for the slot on the
bench facing, and drill to remove material. I
used a drill, a keyhole saw, a file, and
sandpaper. Lay out this slot undersized at
first, so when completed there will be a
snug push-fit and the top surface of the vise
base will slide and maintain easy contact
with underside of the bench surface.
19) When you’re sure of a good fit,
push the vise base through the slot until
its end is flush with the outer surface of
the bench facing, then mark the location
on the bench underside at the near-end of
the long slot. This will be the location of
the hanger bolt, and will limit vise-base
travel into the bench.
20) Install the hanger bolt by drilling a
3⁄16-inch-diameter hole into the bench
undersurface at the end of the long slot
when the base has been pushed fully into
the bench.
With two nuts tightened against each
other on the machine-screw portion of the
hanger bolt, the end nut is used to screw the
wood-screw portion of the hanger bolt into
workbench. (Nuts are then easily removed
without loosening the bolt.)
Once the hanger bolt is in place, the base
should slide easily with the wing nut
loosened, but should be completely secure
with wing nut tightened.
21) Bend 10-24 threaded rod to shape,
cut to length, and remove burrs. Slip the
tubing over the arches. Heat-shrink tubing
was sufficient to protect the clamped object
from damage by rod threads.
22) Finish. I left my vise unfinished; I
did not want to worry about finishing
material sticking to it, solvents softening
it, clamped material sliding on it, burn
marks, etc.
Yes, the bench vise will eventually get
grungy from usage without a finish, but
hey, it is a tool and will serve for many
years. It is okay for it to show all the use
you will no doubt put it to.
Materials List: All items are from The
Home Depot.
one 1 x 4 x 36-inch oak or other hardwood
two 1⁄4 x 3 eyebolts
two 1⁄4 x 4 eyebolts
two 1⁄4 x 5 eyebolts
two 1⁄4-inch tee nuts
one 1⁄4 x 2 hanger bolt
three 1⁄4-inch wing nuts
three 1⁄4-inch flat fender washers
one #10-24 threaded rod, at least 24 inches long
four #10 flat washers
four #10-24 wing nuts
Contact me if you have comments or
questions. MA
Ken Cashion
157 Tennyson Cove
Picayune MS 39466
[email protected]
