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So I've been eying the Stew Mac Guitar Repair Vise for a while



I'm wondering if there are any other sources for this vise or one which is highly similar.

Also, what other types of vises are being used by you all? I'd love to hear what you're using, why you like it and any other suggestions you all may have.

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"There's really no wrong way, as long as the results are what's desired." Charles Fox

"We have to constantly remind ourselves what we're doing....No Luthier is putting a man on the moon!" Harry Fleishman

"Generosity is always different in the eye of the person who didn't receive anything, but who wanted some." Waddy Thomson

I got mine from The Japan Woodworker. The only difference I've seen was the wheel you turn. I couldn't go without it now. I think it was $20-30 cheaper through them. I've also seen them at Woodcraft, about the same price as Japan Woodworker. Clinton

I have one of this type.....can't remember if I bought the original or the knock off.........either of these are excellent.
Suggest you line the jaws with leather for instrument work.....you will also like the swivel and quick dismount capability. Very solid, very good versatility.
Prior to this I had the lightweight aluminum vise by Zyliss.........don't even know if they make that one anymore......

A large size rubber band stretched around the collars below the jaws will also prevent a neck from falling onto the rails.....................

So Todd, are you saying that the SM vise is not up to snuff with the woodcraft of Japan Woodworker?

I was just looking at all three sites, japan woodworker is the lowest price by $27.

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My Facebook Guitar Page

"There's really no wrong way, as long as the results are what's desired." Charles Fox

"We have to constantly remind ourselves what we're doing....No Luthier is putting a man on the moon!" Harry Fleishman

"Generosity is always different in the eye of the person who didn't receive anything, but who wanted some." Waddy Thomson

Thanks Todd,

I bet it's really no big deal adding a nylock nut to the swivel heads and I have a tonne of UHMW that I can add to the faces of the jaws. Actually, I think I may just make a couple of 1" thick UHMW jaws for soft use and stick with the hardwood jaws if I need more ridgid grip.

I've got the JWW in the "cart" ready to order along with one of their shinto saw rasps, the price for those two items including shipping is $4 more than the stew mac vise alone (plus shipping).

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My Facebook Guitar Page

"There's really no wrong way, as long as the results are what's desired." Charles Fox

"We have to constantly remind ourselves what we're doing....No Luthier is putting a man on the moon!" Harry Fleishman

"Generosity is always different in the eye of the person who didn't receive anything, but who wanted some." Waddy Thomson

This style vise was originally built in Germany under the Ulmia brand. I was very happy to pick up one of the originals on Ebay a while back. There are one or two high end copies around made for the gunsmith market that cost multiples of the SM or Woodcraft or Woodworkers Supply versions. The differences are subtle, and the cheaper ones work fine, but everything is tighter and more precise on the high end ones.

A Versa-vise (now called Parrot vise by Grizzly) is another woodworking standby that is useful for guitars. You can make wood inserts and have one of the jaws pivot to hold tapered shapes like guitar necks.

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Howard Klepper
http://www.klepperguitars.com

When all else fails, clean the shop.

I also have the original German pattern vise, bought on Craig's list for a song. Great vise, tighter than the late copies and a tad heavier I think. I lined the beech jaws with cork. Couldn't live without it now.
I have a Parrot vise on another bench, it's a great smaller vise to use as it can be used vertically or horizontally, and it's cheap. Frank Ford's site has a whole thing on Versa (or Parrot) vises.
http://www.frets.com/FRETSPages/Luthier/ProductReviews/Tools/ParrotVise/parrotvise.html

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Laurent Brondel
West Paris, Maine - USA
http://www.laurentbrondel.com/

My favorite guitar holding vise is the one described on Sylvan Well's page and cost less than $10.00 to make. It's great because the vise conforms to the radius of the top and back and holds the guitar very secure without any worry of cracking. Check it out:

http://www.wellsguitars.com/Articles/Guitar_Holder.htm

John

Thanks for sharing that John! That looks like something I can easily make and since I have an abundance of pipe clamps already it should be cheap too.

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Reguards,

Ken H

I second That John!! The Wells guitar vise works great, and I couldn't or wouldn't do without one now. It's inexpensive and easy to make. I made mine based on a plan published in the GAL Lutherie Tools Book One, submitted by Duane Waterman in 1984.

Cal

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Remember, there are no stupid questions, only stupid answers!

I am glad everyone likes my pipe clamp vise system. However, it is not original with me. I too, got the original idea from Duane Waterman's article in the GAL in the mid eighties! The real beauty of guitarmaking and its' makers' is that everyone shares so much. This is a perfect example of something shared 20 years ago and it is coming around again!

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Sylvan
http://www.wellsguitars.com

on Sylvan's vise/clamp here too. I downsized the pipe clamps to 1/2" & it's still very strong.

I also use the Wells/Waterman type vise. I find in indispensable in finishing work on the guitar- neck setting, binding scraping, neck setting, finish sanding. I would have to use 3 or 4 other vise designs to replace what it does so well

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Gene

Politicians and diapers must be changed often, and for the same reason- Mark Twain

yeah,this is a good one.I wouldn't want to be without it or the Wells/Waterman....

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Anderson Guitars
Clearwater,Fl. 33755

For those that have used both, what does Stew Mac's vise have going for it that the Parrot doesn't? I only want to buy once and I don't want to regret the purchase or the money spent.

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Aoibeann

I do like the simplicity and low cost of the wells guitar body holder, but I don't have the right setup for that. The only bench that could accomodate that type of holder is to close to a wall and I'd only have access from the front.

To hold the guiat body for scraping bindings, setting necks finish sanding I made a guitar trojyi.



Now I know what you're thinking, this thing takes up more space than the wells style guitar holder, and you're right. But I can put this in the middle of the shop and have 360* mobility around the body when I'm working on it. And it stores away fine beside my bandsaw and doesn't get in the way there.

Great suggestions folks, I've order the pattern makers vise (Stew Mac style) for the bench and I'm looking forward to getting it and what it will do for my shop.

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My Facebook Guitar Page

"There's really no wrong way, as long as the results are what's desired." Charles Fox

"We have to constantly remind ourselves what we're doing....No Luthier is putting a man on the moon!" Harry Fleishman

"Generosity is always different in the eye of the person who didn't receive anything, but who wanted some." Waddy Thomson

No big deal if you are going to make a StewMac order anyway, and add their bolt/nut upgrade kit, because I kid you not, the thread size for the jaw bolts on that vise is 1/2-12. Not a typo. 1/2-13 thread is common. But 1/2-12 is impossible, but that's what those bolts are, and also the StewMac studs and nylon washers are 1/2-12 thread.
They should have put a 1/2-13 thread on the top end, so you can easily get a new nylon nut if needed. I'm afraid to take mine off now, because I can't get 1/2-12 thread nuts and after I put the stewmac studs in, one is higher than the other, and I wonder if they'd be more even if I would switch them, but don't want to take them apart now.

Definitely an expensive luxury item, but works great for guitar making. I have one of the Veritas "Tucker" pattern makers vises. You could buy a few of the SM swivel vises for the price though. I do a lot of general woodworking as well though, and it was a gift so what the hey.

Lillian, if you are going to have just one of them, get the patternmakers (SM or equivalent) vise.

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Howard Klepper
http://www.klepperguitars.com

When all else fails, clean the shop.

Thanks Howard.


Howard, are you holding my favorite over the top guitar in your picture? I remember its debut. What a magnificent show of craftsmanship.

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Aoibeann

I have a Parrot vise and the Veritas patternmakers vise (called the Tucker vise). I can't imagine working without either of them.


-C

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Freeborn Guitars
and home of BeauGuard©

I will bring this thread back to the top. One question that I have not seen answered is What does the Stew Mac vise do that the Versa Vise does not do or what can the Versa do that the Stew Mac does not? Reading through this topic, my thoughts are to go with StewMac + the Wells-Waterman Guitar holder.

The Veritas Twin Screw or the Tucker Vise would be a nice luxury, but I can't justify the cost. BTW, My favorite item in this thread is Filippo's method of mounting his parrot vise.

This thread as well as the work bench thread and the neck jig thread have been great for ideas on how to gear up the workshop.

Greg

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Greg Hatcher
North Carolina

The patternmaker vise (StewMac) allows to hold tappered pieces. It is very sturdy and heavy, it can also rotate and lock, thanks to the screw holding it to the bench.
The Versa vise is much lighter, definitely not as sturdy, and the mechanism locks both the jaws and the rotation. It needs to be set up right for the vise not to rotate when pressure is exerted, and reset regularly. It is not machined as well as the patternmaker. To hold tappered pieces (such as a neck) you will need to make convex pads out of ply or hard wood for the Versa, or buy the add-on jaws.
If I had only one vise I'd pick the patternmaker vise.

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Laurent Brondel
West Paris, Maine - USA
http://www.laurentbrondel.com/

Having been inspired by this thread, I got on Ebay and bought this.....as I said, I used to have one of these....this is an excellent and very adaptable system.