I'm thinking about making a hi-vise since I can't afford the Benchcrafted hardware. I'm curious if anyone here has successfully built one from scratch or used a Yost style screw for it. There's also a plan from Woodsmith that I'm considering buying. If you've made one or have ideas, I'd love to hear what you've come up with!
5 Answers
I haven't built a hi-vise yet, but I want to. I've been thinking about using a drilled dumbbell handle as the screw. It’s a low-cost solution, but I haven’t made much progress yet. Just one of those projects on the to-do list!
I made a similar one with threaded rod and a wrench. It's not pretty, but it does the job!
I have a busted hand screw that I want to turn into a hi-vise. On a budget, I think a main vise screw and a way to prevent wracking are all you need. Looking into leg vise designs has helped me figure this out.
Yeah, there's some good ideas out there for making it stable. You can definitely DIY this!
It's totally doable to make a hi-vise using any old tail or shoulder vise screw. The design isn’t new; just keep everything parallel. I think you could whip something up with a little creativity and some basic tools.
I decided to go a different route and just modified my existing machinist vise with oak jaws. I really like having the cast iron body for sturdiness while working on different materials.
That sounds like a great solution! It's good to maximize what you already have.
For sure, it could save a lot of effort!
I've built a moxon vise which I love! I might try this design too. I just watched the Woodsmith video and almost have everything I need but the rod. I'll keep you posted on how it goes!
Awesome, I’m curious to see your progress! Good luck finding that rod!
Haha, that sounds like me with all my unfinished projects!