I have a heavy hickory chop and I'm curious about how the Benchcrafted crisscross mechanism works. Can it handle the weight of my chop, or does the majority of the weight rest on the screw? I want to understand its mechanics better before making any decisions.
3 Answers
The crisscross should support the weight, helping keep the screw horizontal. I’ve got a big cherry chop and it operates smoothly with it. You shouldn’t have much trouble there.
I've got a thick maple chop and don’t have any issues turning my screw setup. Using a wedge at the bottom helps a lot too, but I can see the appeal of having a crisscross! They’re a bit pricey, though.
Honestly, it supports some weight, but if you’re using a quality screw like the Benchcrafted or others, you won’t run into issues even with hefty woods. Hickory is pretty stiff too, so you might not need as big a chop. Just for reference, my hickory chop is 9 by 36 and I plan on sanding it down to lighten it a bit for looks and function, but it’s definitely on the heavier side.
Good to know, I might consider getting one eventually!