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Vise Crank Handle

I'm getting up in years but I still love woodworking. My hands aren't as limber as they used to be, so it was uncomfortable to twist my vise handle. I remembered the crank on my father's Model T, so I made one just like it for my vise. I drilled a hole slightly bigger than the diameter of the vise's rod in one end of a 1" diameter turned wooden handle. I removed the endcaps from the rod and slid on my new handle. As a bonus, the handle swings out of the way so I won't bang my leg into it. If your endcaps don't come off, you could split your new handle with a chisel, place it around the vise handle and glue the halves back together. 

George G. Spillane

My Take

This is a great idea for a vise that doesn't have a quick release. Instead of the Model T, it reminded me of the knobs on the steering wheels of the tractors I drove growing up. I think they were illegal on cars, and referred to as "suicide knobs."


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