Vises

[PTskier]

I have older Swix set that looks a lot like the current World Cup. I like the vertical adjustment of the end vises. I always manage to clamp the center on the toe binding, not the ski sidewalls. Also easy to do is make or buy a boot dummy, some wood the right sizes to snap into your bindings, then the vise holds the boot dummy.

To control wax scrapings, minimize them. First re-melt the wax and wipe the excess off with a paper towel. Then scrape & brush. Much less mess.

 

[SlideWright]

I was ready to pull the trigger on The Beast, and do a wax tray a'la @Doug Briggs, but comments from @Lorenzzo on the chintziness of it made me pause.....

So, question for @SlideWright, could these be mounted directly to a wooden bench without the use of C-Clamps, so I could mount it six inches or so in from the edge of the bench?

http://www.slidewright.com/tools4boards-ski--snowboard-tuning-vise.php

There is a rubber base you could pop off and either screw the base directly to a bench, base block or the T4B base plate. With a block or base plate you can use the vise in a t-track for easy moves and removal from your bench.

This is also true for the T4B Lasso, Grip & Fix vises.

 

[Jacques]

Anybody know anything about the Eggbar system (other than it's expensive)? It looks intriguing.

Of the more classic style vises, right now I gotta say that @Jacques favorite Beast looks very good.

Though I may have hurt his feelings by specifying "no videos".

Oh not at all! I must refrain from posting my long videos here ever time a question is asked.
I have been doing a few links in my text, but I still need to be careful here.
I understand "they" want good info here and not a bunch of..................well, you know, and I get that.
Most say the Jaws Of The BEAST is not so hot, but it works fine for me. No mini vice on the ends, but one can use a wood wedge if they need it.
I have found it the best vice for clamping to the bindings and not the skis or ADF's etc.
Really, it's whatever works for the person using it.

 

[Jacques]

Thanks. The tray is simply luan plywood with a piece of lumber on one edge to stiffen it up and create a lip. Since employing it I haven't had more than a drop or two of wax on the floor and almost no scrapings.

I like all the wax on my shop floor! Ha ha. Helps seal it up good!
As for scrapings...........well, that's what the shop vacuum is for! Best for brush cleaning too!

 

[Dave Marshak]

could these be mounted directly to a wooden bench without the use of C-Clamps, so I could mount it six inches or so in from the edge of the bench?

http://www.slidewright.com/tools4boards-ski--snowboard-tuning-vise.php

I like that one, but it's $80. This one is just scraps from the lumberyard, and it works just as well:

I use home made wood "vices". I use real vices at a retail store, until I make new wood ones.

View attachment 35491

dm

 

[Tom K.]

After a ridiculous amount of agonizing, I went with the Beast Vise.

So far, great!

 

[LabMan]

I have older Swix set that looks a lot like the current World Cup. I like the vertical adjustment of the end vises. I always manage to clamp the center on the toe binding, not the ski sidewalls. Also easy to do is make or buy a boot dummy, some wood the right sizes to snap into your bindings, then the vise holds the boot dummy.

To control wax scrapings, minimize them. First re-melt the wax and wipe the excess off with a paper towel. Then scrape & brush. Much less mess.

Any instructions on making a boot dummy would be appreciated!

 

[Big J]

From a post above by focker
I just ordered these: https://www.amazon.com/RaceWax-Worl...UTF8&qid=1513697443&sr=8-1&keywords=ski+vices
They were $89 Amazon, came in 2 days and work great.

I was looking on Ebay for a vise and had just done a hundred dollar purchase at racewax.com and had no idea they had this vise. I purchased it direct from their website and got a 10% early season discount. I like the fact it is a metal vise. I actually spoke with Marc the owner who is a very nice person to talk to.

 

[CalG]

I use the Beast vise. I like the ethic of the company.

Whenever I get to feeling I need something "more burly", I reflect on those nice long curls that come off the file when restoring edge geometry with almost no real effort or resistance. I reflect on the wonderful sound of hard wax peeling off the bases while doing a "wax clean up" after surfacing.
I reflect on the reality that if it requires "Burly". I'm Doing it WRONG!

The Beast vise is light, and easily moved to fit any situation. I grip the binding with the center vise, and support the ski with the two outboard elements.

 

[Jacques]

I use the Beast vise. I like the ethic of the company.

Whenever I get to feeling I need something "more burly", I reflect on those nice long curls that come off the file when restoring edge geometry with almost no real effort or resistance. I reflect on the wonderful sound of hard wax peeling off the bases while doing a "wax clean up" after surfacing.
I reflect on the reality that if it requires "Burly". I'm Doing it WRONG!

The Beast vise is light, and easily moved to fit any situation. I grip the binding with the center vise, and support the ski with the two outboard elements.

Yea, work for me too. Over 15 years now.

 

[Talisman]

Any instructions on making a boot dummy would be appreciated!

Boot dummies are easy to fabricate our of wood. Use 3/4-inch thick pine, trace out the out line of your boot (the two and heel pieces exactly) and cut with a jig saw. Sand and taper the toe and heel to be a replica of you boot. This should easily snap into the binding and also keeps the brake out of the way. If you have multiple family members I write their name on the dummy.

I used a boot dummy for years in a regular wood vise and would attach the 3/4- inch thick replica to a 2 x 4 block to permit more surface in the wood vise.

 

[KingGrump]

If you have multiple family members I write their name on the dummy.

I always wondered why Mamie wrote my name on my forehead. She learned from you.

 

[Talisman]

I always wondered why Mamie wrote my name on my forehead. She learned from you.

She thought you were the best: most athletic, handsome and smartest.

 

[OldJeep]

Just got around to fixing this old toyo vise I bought a year or two ago Previous owner had sprayed the entire thing blue which gummed up the rods and sliders, and then stuck a huge stack of washers behind the adjustment wheel. Why, i can't imagine. Works well now.

 

[EricG]

I’m using the Toko Freeride vise. I like that I can place the ski at 60 or 90 deg to do the edges.

https://www.racewax.com/wide-ski-vise-freeride-toko-155-mm-opening/

 

[eok]

Years ago, I cobbled together a ski tuning rig using a couple of old clamping work tables. It looked like this:

Yep, butt ugly and these economy clamping tables are not exactly high quality precision instruments. Anyway, I just joined the tables with some 1x2 scrap lumber. Then I made some ski supports out of scraps, figuring out the heights by trial and error with some skis. The tops of the supports have strips of wide home insulation tape stapled in place (on top of duct tape strips). The insulation tape is slightly tacky, so ski topsheets stay put on it. The rig let me move the supports (& clamp 'em in place) where needed to accommodate different length skis.

I used the above rig for years. It was cheap, as I got the work tables on sale at Harbor Freight for like $9 bucks each. It's truly a hokey looking setup, but it worked just fine for waxing and light tuning.

For heavy duty setting of side edges, I made a simple add-on jig with a couple of 3ft 1x12s, some 1/2x1/2 aluminum angles and some toggle clamps. Jig is placed sideways (vertically) in the clamping tables & clamped down. Toggle clamps hold the skis in place (vertically) with half the base exposed to accommodate a file guide.

Anyway, over the years I've drawn up numerous plans to build a real homebrew ski tuning bench. All the designs were just too complicated or way too expensive. No matter what I came up with, the designs were not that much more useful than the old rig since the clamping tables add a big versatility factor.

So, I decided to just improve the design of the old rig. Here's what I came up with:

The key feature of this design is seen on the back clamping boards: two bolts go through the 6' clamping board and through the center of the table clamp board below. The bolts actually act as bearings. This allows both the table clamp below to articulate AND the 6' clamp board to articulate, giving more clamping adjustment options. Note: by design, only the back half of Harbor Freight's clamping tables articulate, thus the front clamping board is always fixed.

My add-on clamping boards are actually made up of 6' 1x4s and 6' 1x8s. A 1x4 is laminated to a 1x8 to give a thicker clamping edge and to give some clearance for operating the table clamp handles. Note: the Harbor Freight work table top clamps are 4" wide.

The ski tip rest is attached to a couple 2x4s - which are attached to just the front clamping board. The front clamping board assembly is fixed, only the back clamping board assembly articulates. So, basically, the ski tip rest "floats" over the clamping board.

For the center support I have two choices now: a boot dummy (shown) or a simpler support that the ski rests on. In either case, I use a simple woodworking clamp on the center support to keep it secure.

The new rig lets me quickly adjust the supports as needed & clamp 'em in place. Supports skis solidly - especially if I use the boot dummy. The 6' length can handle skis up to 185cm or so - maybe longer.

At the end of the season, the rig is easily dismantled and stored in a corner of my workshop.

 

[Davec1]

So, I decided to just improve the design of the old rig. Here's what I came up with:

View attachment 60433

That is a great looking set-up!

 

[eok]

That is a great looking set-up!

Thanks. Building it helped keep me from going crazy waiting for real snow to happen.

 

[Philpug]

View attachment 60433

Props for the Beconta Look apron.

 

[eok]

Props for the Beconta Look apron.

It's not a real tune if the apron's not on.