Installing a Nicholson Style Vice
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- Опубликовано: 1 авг 2024
- www.theUnpluggedWoodshop.com
Learn how to install a Nicholson style vice, using basic hand tools and materials. The Unplugged Woodshop is a hand tool only school in Toronto, Ontario. We have 8 workbenches for students who want to learn the fine art of furniture and cabinetmaking. 6 Nicholson style benches and 2 Roubo's. We offer a full curriculum of hand tool wood working classes and courses. For the beginner to the advanced, we have something for everyone.
For more details, check out: www.theunpluggedwoodshop.com 
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Hi Tom, I've just installed the hardware for a Nicholson style vise, the next task is to fit the tenon to support the other side. I've already drilled a hole for the mortise, but wondered if there would be any disadvantage to fitting a dowel rather than chiselling out the mortise and fitting a square tenon?
Great question...without trying it I can't say for sure; but thinking about it this second, it may work just as well. The only thing is the boxing in the back may be a little more difficult. We just recently boxed in our parallel guides to help them run smoother and prevent them from sagging- worked really well. I suppose you could install some blocks behind the apron and drill the same size hole through for an easy way to create the blocking.
best of luck with the build!
Had the same exact thought! Please do let us know if you end up trying it
because I have a hard wood dowel in hand (used to be an old tool handle) and I would
love to use that!
I plan to give it a go tomorrow, I'll let you know how it turns out! My plan at the moment is to make one block, screwed to the underside of the top surface, with a hole drilled through it to support the dowel, probably placed 10-15cm from the inside of the apron on my bench. I think I'll also cut the dowel 10-15cm longer than the threaded screw on the vice, that way it shouldn't come out of the block even if the jaws are at max opening. I'm not sure if it'll give enough support - certainly won't be as sturdy as boxing in the guide as Tom describes.
Mostly successful... A few things that I learnt along the way: 1. Sanding the length of the dowel - except the section glued into the jaw of the vice to slightly reduce the diameter and the inside of the holes through the apron and the supporting block helped it to move more smoothly. 2. Applying wax to the dowel also movement. 3. Fitting the block was mostly trial and error to find the right place. 4. Buy your dowel then drill the hole... don't drill a hole then go and hope there's dowel that fits!
electroritz thank you so much for the update mate!! do you feel that the vice is at all wobbly or do you still get a strong hold? does it stay parallel to the bench? can you grab pieces of wood on the outer side of the screw without loosing the parallel holding? And finally, regarding the supporting block, I am guessing that it just has the same diameter hole drilled into it?? Sorry for asking so many questions, but I'm just so excited that someone actually went ahead tried this with a dowel!
I just got your books not realizing it’s you. They are amazing. You are amazing. I can’t wait to learn this beautiful craft. As a purist, your “unplugged” style really appeals to me. Thank you for sharing your immense talent with us.
Thanks Maddie- happy you're enjoying the work.
all the best in your creative journey.
How can anyone give this a thumbs down? Tom is full of helpful information, is a very talented musician and has a very meditative and humble style. Thanks Tom.
OMG I was blown away by your skills, all hand tools great job!!
I enjoy watching you work and to hear you talking about the project was a nice upgrade to add to this. As far as the focus issue, everything starts out a little foggy and soon becomes clear if you are patient enough. Thanks for posting this and have a wonderful life!
+Fester Adams Many thanks!
Great simple vice. I love that you brought out the razee jack plane at the end. Building that plane from your book, The Unplugged Workshop, changed my woodworking forever. Thanks for your inspiration.
Thanks for the comments Jeff!
Very much appreciated~; )
So soothing, I like the music and the melody played by your tools, especially the wood shaves while you drill
Thank you and greeting from Paris - France
Love it. Awesome work! Simple, pure, and great craftsmanship!
Tom, as expected from you, even on a simple device, first quality precision craftsmanship.
Thanks for sharing...
just love the simplicity of your work, I'm kitting out my own back garden workshop at the moment and your clips have really inspired me to altering my tool choice.
+Edward Kennedy good to hear- many thanks and best of luck with the new shop.
Thought you went away! Glad your back! Thank you for sharing Tom.
First off, so happy to have another RUclips video to watch! I can't even express how cool that live edge turned out. I love it. It allows for rustic to meet reformed. One day..... One day I'll get up there for some classes!
+Tim Kotanko Thanks Tim! Very much appreciated. I hope you do make it up this way one day. all the best to you~
Properly hand made, nice job, thanks for sharing!
Half way thru this video.... May I say sir what I have seen is very simplistic as well as elegant, this was a beautiful build. I should also mention I hope you have many more downloads ahead as I will be watching...for I now I am subscribed.
The work space looks great, lots of room and light. Thanks for the video. Great to see your stuff again. Thanks.
BearKat Wood buona L’idea ma pessimo il formato. Forse bastava licenziare il cameraman e impostare la fotocamera sull’autofocus
This is the best simplest vise I have seen. I have a yost quick release metal vise I dont really like. I am going to add this one instead.
Great to have you back here Tom! Bit dizzy after this one, but still enjoyed it!
Thank you. All good, the craftsmanship, the music, the vice. The in & out focus...well maybe not as good, but it is great to see you again.
Great to see another video, Tom. Thanks. Enjoyable to watch as always
I believe that I am over thinking my vise setups. You make it look so easy.
I really, really enjoyed watching that. It complements Richard Maguire's english workbench series nicely (which I've just finished). Lovely light in the workshop too.
Oh my, he's back!!!! Thank goodness.
I enjoy watching you work. Well done.
+Raymond Charon Thanks Raymond~ good to hear.
Great video! Just used this method to install a tail vice on my bench. Works great. BTW, using guides not only to provide side-to-side support for the tenon, but also underneath it to limit vertical drift, seems to help prevent racking.
Very good job. I learned a lot again. Thanks Tom. Greetings from Poland.
I wish I lived closer to your woodshop and attend one of your workshops at least every month!
You are a true master crafter
Its good to see another of your videos Tom, and I am happy that you are using your talents to pass them on to others, because working wood by hand should be taught first before you use power tools. Working by hand brings you in better contact with the wood and what you are trying to make.
+John Morris Thanks John- great points. Much appreciated!
Thanks for such a great video. It came just in time, I'm starting my bench construction this sunday!
+Nicolás Salgado excellent~ happy to help!
Very simple beautifully functional.
Hello Tom.
Thank you very much for enlighten in the art of wood. I'm light years of good technique, but with your videos encourage me and make me be more detailed and clear taste for working with wood.
You get a strong hug from a beginner really like your videos.
CDMEX. David.
Thanks David!
nice work, like that style of vise.
Thanks for sharing ... this is going to be the next addition to my bench!
Great timing, I just bought this hardware for my Nicholson bench.
+Woodnerd excellent! Hope the video helps. You'll find pdf. and sketch up files on the UW website....follow the links at the end of the video-; )
As always, just a wonderful lesson. Thank you and keep up the good work.
+Jonathan Simmonds Much appreciated-; )
Glad to see you back! ;) great as always!
the art of being woodworking community and thanks for sharing this videos :,)
Im not a woodworker by and slip of the imagination, i only have the brain capacity for metalwork, but i love the videos, seeing everything done with hand tools and the chilled soundtracks too.
Much respect to you sir.
+neil atkinson Thanks Neil- very much appreciated!
+Tom Fidgen very welcome
I love watching you work, great video! (Please have who's ever behind the camera to FIND THE FOCUS!)
Wow, this hand thrill cuts crazyly fast.
Thank you for another inspired video,
I'm late to the party. That is one beautiful & well made vise by hand. Nothing not to like here, very well done...
Bill on the Hill,
Vermont, USA... :~)
Thanks Bill!
Love it Man. that is a great vice to learn on. Really got to make the trip up there some time! keep it up man! good to have you back!
Thank you so much, I've been having trouble with my homemade vise. I'll have to implement this design to my workbench.
Thanks again for the video, I was wondering when I would see another one of your builds, hope we can see more in the near future.
+Jesemanuel Ramirez Thanks for the comments- happy to hear this vice will be an option for you. As for more videos, we're working on them-; )
many thanks and all the best~
Nice to see you back on the channel.
+norm1124 Thanks Norm!
Added one of these to my bench using this video as a guide. Thanks so much!
Happy to hear it helped! all the best~
masterful as always, good to see you again!
+Cordless Carpenter It's good to finally have the time to post new videos! Thanks for the comments~
awesome work.
Very cool! Thanks for sharing.
Really like the simple way of building
Thank you-
Good Job. I'm following from miles and miles away. Mauritius
Beautiful Video, great techniques.
+Guillermo Janner Many thanks!
"...world class video's and craftsmanship. love watching your video's."
Could not agree more...rr
Good to see you posting again, hope to see more. :)
Thanks!
Yes, more to come....
Excelente trabajo. Muy prolijo.
I like all it. The only thing I would not use, if I make a video like this, is the "focus effect". I use glasses and this out of focus effect seens just like my every day struggle to see things. But I love your videos. Congrats!
+cavamanara I think the videographer is trying to do a focus fade as a sort of softer cut to the next scene. I think it would be better to not take so long focus-fading to the next scene. I agree that can get a little annoying at times.
Great video, nice to be able to put a voice to the face, keep up the great work!
Many thanks~
Thank you for new content!
+Nick Stokes (Coach Nick Stokes) it's my pleasure! all the best~
Great vid. Tom. Thanks for sharing.
+Jeff Forbes Thanks Jeff!
Very much appreciated~
There he goes! Top notch
Qué hermosa prensa te hiciste y qué chulada de viruta sacas al cepillar la madera!
Saludos desde Reynosa Tamaulipas México Maestro!
Nice to see you. Good video and music as usual. Thanks!
+bob Last Thanks Bob!
I LOVED the cool out of focus stuff. I get it!
Hi Tom ! Thanks for this nice video ! Great job, great music. After watching your videos, I'd like woodworking in my garage ! Thanks a lot for share your passion & your expertise. It's a real pleasure.
PS : Your book is excellent !
See you soon
Gwen, from France
Thanks Gwen!
Beautiful video, Tom.
This type of front bench clamp I did not know until then. You but it looks great, also because of the bark edge
+Günter Schöne Thanks Gunter- the live edge was a nice coincidence. We left it as it will be great when sawing dovetails at a 45 degree angle- the edge of the vice won't get in the way- all the best!
Aha, okay
Have just started to watch it. Only the music is amusing.... Good job!
You made it look easy
Excelente gracias!
world class video's and craftsmanship. love watching your video's.
Thanks again!!
+Adam Craig thanks Adam!
Yes and great music too
Thanks John!
Tom Fidgen deserved
Thanks so much for this video Tom, - it is a simplified type of vice that I want to make, appreciated..: )
+Brad Lloyd Thanks Brad!
I will be makimg one. Thanks
great work
Thanks!
Vary nice work.
Exemplary. Chapeau!
Great job and nice results as always. :)
+Humus Workshop Many thanks!
Awesome! Thanks for sharing :)
For me, this vise makes more sense than the leg vise found on the Roubo. I will try this one. BTW, impressive school. Thank you.
Thanks Gary-
this vice is very accessible. We enjoyed making and using them at the UW Toronto. all the best~
nice job you schould check out my channel would be cool
Good to see you back dude... I was missing your mellow artfulness ;-)
+rdouthwaite ; ) cheers!
Great vid. I am going to add same to my bench. Exact same hardware available here in Sydney from Carbatec 'Tools for Wood' for $47 AUD so can't get a great vice much cheaper than that! Lovely to see the all wood jointing plane being used. I occasionally build a stave shell snare drum (custom orders only) & I have an all wood smoother to which I've radiused the sole & cutting iron to finish the inside radius of the shells. My other planes are all Stanley Sweethearts low angle block, smoother & low angle jointer (unfortunately I can't afford Veritas or Lie Neilsons ) but I love my block plane - the extra weightiness & low angle cut just 'feel' right in my hand!
Thanks Paul- maybe we'll catch up on my next trip down under. I would love to visit Sydney one of these years. Do you have a website showing your work?
I'd be curious to see the snare drums.
Sounds like you have a nice hand plane collection on the go-; ))
watch out- it's a slippery slope!
all the best~
Hi Tom, I don't have a website where you could see my work, sorry. I do have photos of all the drums, both acoustic & electronic I've built over approx. the last 10 yrs. I also build electric guitars & I'm currently experimenting with Australian grown Paulownia as a tone wood for solid body guitars. You probably have a Fb page so I'll post some pics on mine for you to check out. Yes you are right, it is a slippery slope!
She Who Must Be Obeyed (my long suffering spouse) is often at her wits end when she sees another 'must have' hand tool coming through the door! However I have recently admitted to myself that I do have just too many hand planes so two early 1900's British made Record No. 4 smoothers are being sold as I just don't ever use them, they just sit there as I only ever use the Stanley Sweethearts.
I've just found a guy here in Sydney who forges holdfasts from 1" round bar & only charges $15 AUD each for them so I'll be using those in favour of the fiddly bench clamps with star knobs that have to be screwed and unscrewed add infinitum. I've checked out several of your vids now and am in awe of the Unplugged Workshop. We visited Canada in 2010 started in Vancouver and made our way by train to Jasper, rental car across the Icefield Parkway and then plane from Calvary to as far east as Montreal.
So Toronto and a visit to the UW next time!
Cheers
sounds good- indeed, come for a visit next time. cheers!
Another beautiful video, Tom. Thanks! Honest feedback - the lack of focus control was driving me crazy.
I have to definitely agree.
Brian Mills holy shit i had to skip video due to lack of focus. at least i learned what its called. maybe someonw else made a more in focus video.
The video was out of focus? What a relief, I thought it was me. I'm going to install this on my own michelson, and I'm going to put a big number 6 on the apron, so it will look just like Tom's.
Every now and then I come to watch this video over again. I've watched it God knows how many times. Your work is incredible. And the music!! I love it. Can you tell me the name of the song? Cheers!
thanks, Tom! I love your stuff but can't afford the subscription....nice to see a video back here again!
+Brian Ernste Thanks Brian! We have a lot of new content planned for the channel- stay tuned!
Nice vice. Cool music.
thanks!
Great love it
amazing
Beautiful!
CAB
Nice!
Boa Noite Mestre Tom, ficou muito boa sua " Prensa de Bancada ", parece que o segredo do bom funcionamento está na corrediça da guia da esquerda e é claro tudo no esquadro. Tudo de Bom para Você !!!
+Zitto Rossi Muito obrigado! tudo de melhor ~
Thanks for another inspiring woodworking video. QUESTION: How would you compare the Nicholson to the Moxon Style vice, as to ease to make and better all purpose vice?
thank you
omg I missed you!!!
+thebr00klynz00 LOL- missed you too!
Tom. I bought the album. I was asking about the music played during the video. Love the way you handle the tools.
Thanks Terry- this tune is an instrumental I wrote and recorded. It isn't on iTunes but I'd be happy to email an mp3 file to you- email me if you're interested. Send to: tom at the unplugged woodshop dot com
cheers!
Will do
Tom Fidgen I tried the email a couple of times and it wouldn't deliver. Send if you will to towdavis@hotmail. Com
very good..
Two thumbs up .... well done :)
+jmber27 many thanks!
Gracias por tu vídeo y bienvenido.
+José Grau Gracias!
Nice video. Popped up in my recommended. Was wondering about who makes the bit. I just have Irwin augers
Thanks for the questions and comments. It's also an Irwin- called a spade bit. You should be able to find it in most big box stores.
all the best~
I'd like to take 2 exceptions to the install. #1 You mounted the flange on the chop with the ears horizontal. Shouldn't they be vertical to give more strength and support to the chop when clamping a piece along the top of the vice? #2 the tapered flange nut under the bench was mounted facing away from te chop. If the tapered flange was set into the inner jaw (bench side) it would add more strength to support the screw.
By reading the comments below I can see we have a battle of age groups with the focus techniques. those of us old schoolers like to see what is being presented while the younger viewers like the in focus out of focus art form.
Awesome work Tom, I've just ordered my shoulder vice assembly but once that's done I'll be making a Nicholson vice like this! Love the music in this video and so many others on your channel! Anywhere i can get this track? I'd pay for an album of your instrumental stuff, really good and chilled for working or relaxing.
Thanks
Rod
Thanks Rod-
this one isn't on any of my albums, but if you drop me an email I'd be happy to send along an mp4 file.
you can find me at: tom at the unplugged woodshop dot com
cheers~
I know it's churlish to complain about stuff you're doing pro bono, but I'm afraid I've got to an age where my eyes provide enough interesting out-of-focus type moments without needing more from arty-farty camera work. Having said that, this is definitely a candidate for my 'shop.
I notice that you described it as a "pretty decent" vice, do you have reservations about it or do Canadians do understatement as well as us Britons?
+David Clarke LOL- thanks for the question and comments! Yeah, my eyes aren't getting any younger either-; ) but as for the vice...it's easy/quick and inexpensive to make and does a great job holding. "pretty decent" was definitely an understatement. cheers!
WOW! Hammering in the wedge... please tell me that was 'natural' reverb :D Sounded amazing!
+mellowfellow9 LOL- yes, natural reverb- ; )