2in1 Bench Pin With Vise

My relatively new hobby is to make small parts or decorations for my classical guitar and make jewels for my wife. So the jewelers saw became an essential tool. But I don't have a bench pin, so I needed one. Cheap to buy one, but I wanted to make my own.

There are many types and designs out in the wild:

https://www.pinterest.com/search/pins/?q=bench%20p...

https://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Make-a-Jewe...

This is my favorite one as inspiration:

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/525865693967802856/

Before the making the Christmas gift to my wife (3D Layered Veneer Earrings https://www.instructables.com/id/3D-Layered-Veneer... I realy needed a proper tool to achieve the goal.

I uploaded a raw SketchUp model of it.

Step 1: Materials, Tools

There were a leftover piece from beech door sill. Look at this piece of wood! Do You see a banch pin out of it? I did.

Tools

• metal saw
• jevelers saw with wood blade
• hobby knife (I prefer OLFA)
• flat and round files
• drill
• rotary tool
• angle grinder with flap disc
• wood glue
• clamps
• vise
• sandpapers
• mini router base (https://www.instructables.com/id/Wooden-Mini-Router... )

Step 2: Basic Shaping

With a flap disc on the angle grinder I made the slope and flattened it on sandpaper. Lined out the design and started to sawing. When finished I fined the surfaces and rounded the edges on the back side. This gives a little more spece underneath to work with the saw or file. Clamp it and the bench pin is ready to use.

On an average project we are finished. But it's not an average project, it's our project. ;) Let's make it better!

Step 3: 2in1 Design, Clamp It With Vise

At this stage You need 2 clamps to secure it tightly. And You see Your vise with one wide base clamp. And here comes the idea of a 2in1 combined design, let's clamp the bench pin with the vise itself. Quickly draw the vise base outlines and start to make some more dust. Finaly You have an option to clamp the bench pin in one step. It was good time to make the gift earrings to my wife: https://www.instructables.com/id/3D-Layered-Veneer-...

In a later step I will route a seat for the vise. But at this time a have no router.

Step 4: Mahogany Inlay

So I have no router at this time but have an ugly bite across the wood and some nice mahogany veneers. Make it nice!

Clamped the metal ruler as a guide and used multiple metalsawblades held together to make a groove. Fined with file and fitted the inlay strip. After gluing sanded down to flat, polished and added a touch of citrone oil. I know, it's just a tool... but why not?

Meanwhile I finished my mini router base (https://www.instructables.com/id/Wooden-Mini-Router...) so it's time to finish the seat of the vise.

Step 5: Route the Seat for the Vise

To make it more stable I wanted to route a seat for the vise. Now with the mini router base it was easy.

The finished tool is easy to mount, good to use, and feels good to use. All goals achieved.

Entered to Leftovers contest, if You think it was a good way to use the leftover piece of sill, please vote for it! If You work with small pieces with jevelers saw You might need something similiar.

Comments

[Pyrowuzzup]

Nice build. IT would be great to see some of the things you've made on it.

[maKACS]

Meanwhile there are some more created on it:
https://www.instagram.com/makacsdesign/

[maKACS]

Thx Pyrowuzzup!

Here You can see the first one made on this bench pin: 3D layered veneer earrings „Venearings".

And I plan to make the second version of my owl shaped guitar soundhole cover. Will be easier with this proper tool. :)

[jongscx]

I love it, but my girlfriend says I already have too many vises...

[maKACS]

Thanks and lol. :) Maybe it's time to use one of Your vise as a clamp of a bench pin? :)

[jakesplacebc]

Would love to see a video of it in action. ?

[maKACS]

Now I uploaded the SketchUp model of it, and made a short 3D video animation. You can see it in the intro section.

[maKACS]

Maybe later I will shot one, but You can see many similiar usage on Youtube: Youtube search for jewellers saw

[Duggietbuyer99]

great idea for using up scraps. Could lead to other ideas

[maKACS]

Thanks Duggietbuyer and I agree. Just look at my recent 3 projects.

First I made the mini router base out of leftover laminated floor. After that I was able to finish this bench pin I started earlier out of leftover door sill with the mini router. And then I made the veneer earrings on the bench pin. The veneers was leftovers in a woodworker workshop after retirement.

It's funny to use materials in not intended way.

[Yonatan24]

I've never heard of a "Bench Pin", I looked at the links that you gave, But I still didn't understand exactly what it's used for. What do you use it for?

[maKACS]

It gives support for fret/jewelers sawing tiny pieces of materials, usually to cut intricate details on metal, wood, plastic. It's an essential tool for jewellers, modellers, makers.

You can see it in action after 7:27: Step-by-Step Guide to Sawing for Handmade Jewelry.

With a little practice and a huge amount of patience You can make things like 3D layered veneer earrings or

owl shaped guitar soundhole cover, etc etc.

The edge of a table on its own isn't the best, it's easier to achieve nice work on a proper tool, and for this job it's a bench pin.