Any recommendations on a carving vise. So far I have just held them but I am working on bigger pieces and need a vice.

[Hi_Ho_Sliver]

here are some vises.... http://216.106.57.170/~dielle/designs.html

also, you might take a look at my site...I think its in the misc. folder...the shavinghorse and the homemade vise on the end.

How big is bigger? For large sculptures, I made a rig out of 3 4x4s and 3 lag bolts. Two to hold the legs and one to hold the block I'm carving. I drove 2 fencewire nails into each side of my bench and tie it down with good ol army 550 cord (parachute rope)

Randy
I like your idea, but unfortunantly, living in a CA condo does not allow me a shop at all. (I would love to have that kind of room, I am very envious) I actually do all of my carving in my loft. I was carving caricatures in the 4-7' range but now I am carving caricatures that are 14-18' and they are very hard to control especially in the beginning when I am wanting to take off lots of wood.

[Hi_Ho_Sliver]

It was listed in the site I gave you, but a 'Panavise' with the round platform works well also

That Panavise looks interesting.

[Hugh]

That is what I call CARVING !!!!! Just couldn't stop looking at that picture of the bench and the carving. Great stuff 8)

Thanks Dave, I lost that link and have tried many times to find it again. I was wanting to try making the pyrographic station (has to be better then my $5 pen).

You might try a jerry rig vise for carvers probably only available at places that sell carvers tools and supplies or an online carving supplier, around $150

There is also a small vise that can mounted on a table by suction and has a swivel top. I bought mine at Lowes for about $20

There is also a vise that mounts like a C Clamp. Have seen them at Lowes also. They are not expensive, think they are about $20

This is kind of a jerry rig,.... Take a length of 2/4 and bolt it to your bench. Take another length of 2 x 4 and bolt down one end kind of close to the other 2 x 4 (the distance determined by the size of your work. Visualize swinging the 2nd 2 x 4 toward the first sandwiching your work in between. Now with a clamp, nail, another bolt or something fix the opposite end of the 2nd 2 x4 in place. Your work is now firmly wedged betweeen the two. Hope that made some kind of sense. A lot easier to do than to explain.