Blog

18 Feb

More About the X Link

I have finally gotten the first production X Link's ready for shipment. Shown in the picture above is the X Link in black anodized finish. The 3/8" diameter pivot pins are shown to the left and the shiny plates to the right are the wear plates. Some of the features and advantages of the X Link are described below and a YouTube video showing these features may be viewed by clicking on the link below. The pivot pin for the [...]

By Uncategorized 0 Comments Read more...
14 Nov

Router Template

I have a customer in Italy who purchased a VX 20 vise. He was having trouble finding the correct size drill bits to install the vise. There are no equivalent metric Forstner bits near the 2-1/2" and 1-3/4" sizes. We decided that the best approach would be to initially drill the vise parts with a 1-1/8" Forstner bit and then open the holes up using a plunge router with a template bearing. There is a metric size drill bit [...]

By Uncategorized 0 Comments Read more...
21 Sep

VX 20 Fully Dressed

Here is the VX 20 all dressed out in new production colors! I am really happy with how it came out and I hope you are too. I always love seeing the rough machined parts make the transition to finished parts. The aircraft aluminum housing parts are first vibratory tumbled to ease all the edges and produce a very uniform surface for finishing. We then send the parts out to our local anodizer. Anodizing provides a very durable good looking [...]

By Uncategorized 0 Comments Read more...
18 Sep

Introducing the X Link

  The X Link is my adaptation of the nineteenth century scissors mechanism used with a leg vise to eliminate the need for a pin in the lower guide board. I have used modern materials and have added improvements to make it function better and ease installation. The X Link is shown used with the VX 20 vise mechanism to create a  quick action pinless leg vise. Here is a link to a YouTube video of the vise in action: X Link [...]

By Uncategorized 0 Comments Read more...
11 Sep

Progress

We are hard at work producing the parts to make the VX 20 vise. I thought I would share some of the processes that go into making the vise.  The picture above shows some parts right after machining.  After machining there are a lot of burrs and tool marks in the parts. To get rid of all of the marks and soften all of the corners the parts are put into a vibratory tumbler with little cone shaped dense [...]

By Uncategorized 0 Comments Read more...
28 Aug

VX 20 Vise Now Available For Pre – Order!

Pre - order the VX 20 vise now and save $10.00! This special will only be offered for a limited time so hurry. The metal hand wheel and wooden hub with handle have also been added to the product line up. The pre - order vises will be shipped on a first come first served basis. We plan on having vises ready for shipment in early October. When the pre - order period is over the price will rise [...]

By Uncategorized 0 Comments Read more...
21 Aug

VX 20 Vise With Ancora Yacht Service Chain

  Jim Ritter from Ancora Yacht Service has installed his chain mechanism with the VX 20 vise and it works really well! Jim produced a YouTube video showing how it works. Here is the link: VX 20 with Ancora Yacht Service Chain In Jim's video the VX 20 is shown with a wooden hub and handle and the housing rotated to allow the chain to be as close to the clamp shaft as possible. I plan to offer a VX 20 specifically [...]

By Uncategorized 0 Comments Read more...
07 Aug

Help! My Scissors are Bending!

The above patent illustration is from a May 13, 1845 patent by W.H. Taylor and A.P. Norton of Waterville, NY. I guess the guys in the mid Nineteenth century didn’t like to bend over to adjust a pin either. Scissors mechanisms have been around for a very long time in various forms and have found their way into many household items. The application of a scissors mechanism (sometimes referred to as St. Peters Cross) to a leg vise presents [...]

By Uncategorized 0 Comments Read more...
01 Aug

Contact page email now working

We finally have the contact page email working. If you have sent an email through the contact page on the website recently and have not received a reply please re-send your message as our email was not working properly. Sorry for the problem, we are not ignoring you!

By Uncategorized 1 Comment Read more...
24 Jul

More About the VX 20

  There will be some very minor changes to the VX 20 between the vise shown and the production unit. The mounting will change from four ¼” lag screws to four #10 pan head wood screws. For this application the lag screws are overkill and the #10 screws will package better and be easier to install. I am considering changing the color of the housing to black instead of the gold and adding the Hovarter Custom Vise logo to the [...]

By Uncategorized 0 Comments Read more...