Australian/New Zealand Luthiers Forum

Like many things in the StewMac catalogue, first time I saw the repair vise I thought I could make one in timber. That was a fair few years ago, but I persisted with my Zyliss vise and different angle wedges. Then I saw Marcus' swivel vice and knew I'd make one. This seemed to be the right time. I'm doing a lot of housekeeping in the shed. New bench; lowered the old bench, and now this repair vise.

Components :

3 @ 75 mm X 75 mm X 90 mm Kwila
2 @ 20 mm X 60 mm X 480 mm Cherry
2 @ 200 mm X 25 mm Kwila dowels
1 @ 16 mm X 400 mm threaded rod
2 @ 65mm x 90mm x 120mm Pine
2 @ 6mm x 65mm x 120mm hide

Fantastic workspace you've got there. I'd love a peacock for a visitor. My wife would be feeding every chance she got.

Great work! That's quite different from my bricolage.

Your swivel vice looks a quite a bit sturdier than (both of) mine. That should be enough clamping power to hold your mandolins - I guess it was a bit too much for the lower bout of that guitar in the second picture!

Nice bird and classy router table!

Cheers,

Thanks for the comments fellas.

I have forgotten to ask you: do you use some lubricant (soap?) for the dovetail rails?

And that fiddle on the bench... is this a double bass or does it just look similar to a double bass? The scroll caught my attention.

Oh, and then there was this picture comment "Good-bye Zyliss". Don't throw it away, they are not made any more! Well, there is now the Z-vise (with "s", not "c") which gets made in China and now is completely disconnected from Zyliss and the former swiss manufacturer. I don't know if the Z-vise is better or worse than the Zyliss. But in 90 years or so those original Zylisses surely will be collectables, just like old Stanley planes now.

I worked candle wax into the raw timber, I used about 20mm.

The big fiddle on the bench is indeed a db.One of my first forays into acoustic lutherie, other than an A mandolin in 2001
The pegbox/scroll is one I'v used before with good results on elec. fiddles. This particular one looks a little awkward because the timber wasn't thick enough to get a sharper neck/ pegbox angle. I thought it would work. I can trim a bit at the point the scroll first starts to bend. Live and learn. I can still save it . The neck is bolt on and can be adapted for use on an eub. The db is going to be opened up soon and have one of two tone bars removed , another idea that worked on a smaller body db.

I would never get rid of my Zyliss, I hope I live long enough to collect on the vice. Interesting history , I have seen off brands around.

P Bill wrote:The pegbox/scroll is one I'v used before with good results on elec. fiddles. This particular one looks a little awkward [...]

Awkward or not, it certainly is an eye-catcher. A bit like those headless guitar necks.

P Bill wrote: [...] I hope I live long enough to collect on the vice. [...]

Keep on building beautiful instruments and sturdy benches will do the trick.

Cheers,

Hi Bill
I just love the pictures of your workshop (so much natural light) and your jigs. I spent a couple of hours last night trying to work out a good design for a temporary router table as part of my set-up. I went to bed still unhappy - then woke up and saw your "quick-release" picture. Problem solved! Thanks
Mark

Mark it's good to hear the the router table helped. I remember being pretty excited when first saw this method in use as well.