The new VX20F face vise has many new features based on customer feedback and retains the quick action clamping with no racking just like the previous vise. It has a totally enclosed housing to protect the mechanism from sawdust and shavings and is completely assembled. The VX20F will be sold as the vise hardware itself with the handles sold separately to allow the customer to customize the vise as desired. The vise pictured is a production intent prototype. The production version will be anodized black just like the VX20 leg vise. It will also utilize black Delrin bearings mounted in the rear vise jaw that are very similar to the VX20 leg vise.
This new face vise will allow the metal hand wheel to be used as an option. This may seem like a trivial thing but in order for the hand wheel to work well the force required to clamp a work piece needs to be adjusted because of the extremely short lever arm with a hand wheel. In old style wood screw vises they used a 2 tooth per inch (TPI) screw combined with a 14” long tommy bar handle to reduce the amount of force required to clamp. The metal hand wheel is 8” in diameter which is equivalent to a 4” long tommy bar. Obviously something needs to change so you don’t need to be a body builder in order to clamp your work. The VX20F features a special cam which makes the clamping action similar to a 7 TPI screw. This high number of teeth per inch is unique in face vises because traditional screw operated face vises have to compromise fast travel for clamping force. Our quick action face vises can get away with 7 TPI clamping action with no compromise. You can quickly position the vise jaw and then clamp with the incredible force of a 7 TPI screw!
The new VX20F vise hardware will be exactly the same for single handle or twin handle versions. You only need to select the appropriate handles or create your own handles. We will offer a wooden hub and handle, a metal hand wheel or a cap which creates a single handle vise. What is great about all of the handles is that they can be quickly removed with a quick release pin and then the entire vise jaw may be removed. The clamp shafts may also be retracted flush with the rear jaw. This will allow clamping of large panels against the front of the bench when needed. We also envision being able to easily install some simple special use jaws that can be used to clamp round or hexagonal stock at various angles.
The VX20F face vise hardware will come with an adjustable rack bar that will allow the customer to select whatever clamp shaft center to center distance is desired. This new rack bar was described in detail in a previous blog. The adjustable feature of this rack bar will allow very precise adjustment to eliminate excessive free play. It also makes installation easier because each vise mechanism may be installed individually.
We are working hard on building the production vises and should have the ordering and pricing up on the website soon.