Moxon Vise Hardware Kit

Dovetailing with a Moxon vise is such a dream, it’s now difficult to remember what we did before the current revival this wonderful fixture.

As Chris Schwarz was working on reprinting parts of Joseph Moxon’s 1678 landmark book on woodworking, Mechanick Exercises, one of the book’s engraving of a workbench prompted some questions: what was the utility of the strange, seemingly floating vise jaws at the front of the bench? While there are several theories about what Moxon was actually trying to illustrate what came to be known as the Moxon vise is a pair of easily removable vise jaws that sit on top of your workbench and allow you to easily clamp boards vertically at the right height for dovetailing. Unlike a regular twin vise that is typically at the wrong height, this attachment brings everything perfectly higher.

We do not offer a completed vise, but instead sell a kit of great hardware for making your own. Our hardware was originally developed in conjunction with the Philadelphia Furniture Workshop, and has some very practical design elements that make it unique, all at a very economical price.

Our hardware (sold in pairs) features an ACME thread for strength and longevity. We use rectangular nuts so that you can easily install the nuts in the vise without danger of wear over time, allowing the nuts to twist in the wood. The black metal handles give you great leverage but also can swing out of the way after you clamp them down so you don’t bump into them. Also included are two cupped washers that prevent wear to the wooden jaws, but also allow the jaws to clamp at an angle without jamming into the thread.

See below for a link to a blog entry were we take a look at the elements of a Moxon vise so that you can easily design your own to fit your own workshop needs. Made in the USA.