• I received a note that Big Wood Vise was among 12 products that were awarded the Popular WoodWorking Magazine's "Best New Tools of the Year - 2009" !  
• I can't tell you what a thrill it is to be among the selected for this prestigious award, especialy after a Big Wood Vise Screw was used on Megan Fitzpatrick's and Chris Schwarz's "LVL Workbench", which was on the cover of the November 2009 issue.   
• They've been gracious enough to allow me to post some photo's out on the gallery.

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April 6, 2008 - Work In Progress!

April 6, 2008 - Work in Progress!

• Just a shot from the shop, to let everyone know that work has been steadily progressing through the shop.
• It's a big change from going from making these things from 1 at a time to 10 at a time - but its coming together nicely.
• So far, everyone that has received their components has had very nice things to say (look for more testimonials soon).
• I'm making another batch of classics, followed by a batch of shakers, then back to the classics - its the only way to do this in any timely fashion.
• My thanks to everyone for being patient - I am overwhelmed with orders but working steadily through them - as you can see in the shop picture.   That's a stack of 40 threaded nut stocks, 150+ drilled balls, 40+ handles, and only 5 classic vise screws in the picture - but 7 more behind me.  I'll be boxing and shipping this evening.
• Oh, there in the background is the "Mark 1" vise that I made when I started my "refined" process about 8-9 years ago.  That's my shop "beater" vise, thrown together in 30 minutes (ok -it shows it, too) - I use it virtually every day in the shop.  It  is mounted on the end of my table saw.  It grips so strong that I can (and I have) lift the tablesaw into the air - by a workpiece held in the vise! 
• Thanks Again!

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April 2008 - BigWoodVise.com Now Accepting Online Orders!

Just click the add to cart button next to each product to place your order.

• Please note: BigWoodVise.com is using Paypal for order processing, - however -  you do not need to have (or to create) a paypal account to purchase our products. 

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April 2008 - Upgraded Equipment to meet demand:

• I had never expected the response that I am getting, and I know that in order to meet demand - I have to beef up my jigs and fixtures (this is an eternal process with me- but definitely needed for the volume of orders that I am getting).
• Please be patient with me - this will insure that your orders are filled, and that I can spend my time making you the quality product that you deserve.
• At BigWoodVise - I truly believe in "Quality without Compromise" - if somethings not right - you won't receive it.

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March 19, 2008 - Wednesday - Chris Emails Newsletter:

• Chris Schwarz posts his e-mail newsletter - with reference to the blog entry.
• My website started getting a lot of views!
• Thanks Chris!

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March 17, 2008 - Monday - Chris Schwarz Blog Posting

• Chris Schwarz's posts favorable mention of the wood vise screws in his blog.
• Well, apparently there are a lot of serious woodworkers that read Chris's blog on the internet.
• My website was receiving a ton of views!  Lots of product inquiries, and orders!

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March 16, 2008 - Sunday- I meet Chris Schwarz, editor, and author of Workbenches book

• I met Chris Schwarz, editor of WoodWorking Magazine, and Author of "Workbenches, from Design and Theory to Construction and Use", at WoodCraft in Sterling Heights, Michigan, before a class that he was teaching.
• I let him examine some of my all wooden vise screws and nuts that I have been making.
• Chris carefully inspected my work, and seemed to be really excited about them.
• He took some pictures of the vise screws and said that he would post them on his blog.

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February 2008 (the dark ages of my website):

• I published the first primitive renditions of BigWoodVise.com - purposely omitting things to get the website picked up by search engines.  I wanted to develop the website, and then start the "marketing plan" I had developed.
• Much to my surprise - I started getting inquiries from woodworkers around the world regarding the site - and wanting to purchase my all wood vise screws! 
• My dreams of having a small business of my own were coming true.

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January 2008 - The Birth of BigWoodVise.com

• I finally decided that it was time that I quit talking about starting a hobby business - (as I had for years) - and decided to do it.
• I knew that if you wanted to make a business work these days, you had to really market to the world via the internet.
• I'm passionate about woodworking, and my hobbies include metalworking/machinist work, making cnc equipment, etc- and decided to market a product I've been developing and making for years - the all-wood vise for woodworker's workbenches.   A product that is not only traditional looking -but incredibly functional and traditional, as well. 
• I've been developing the process of making brutally strong wood screws for over 10 years.  I'm a mechanical engineer - and love to tinker.  I've been building, modifying and re-building equipment in a seemingly endless development cycle (Ok - I love to experiment), to perfect a brutally strong wood screw.
• So, I thought, what better product to start out with?   Surely there are other woodworkers that would like a centuries old traditional wood vise... so....
• BigWoodVise.com - was born!

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About Me:

• I was born and raised in Pennsylvania.
• I have always had a passion for all things mechanical, in how they worked, and what they did.
• I have also always enjoyed woodworking and metalworking.
• I'm a mechanical engineer - that loves to tinker and build things - and so I began tinkering with making wooden screws and nuts and gears and what not. 
• I decided that I wanted to build a strong wooden vise - complete with a wooden screw and nut - and began toying with ideas on how to make one.   I eventually worked it out, to my satisfaction, and what you see today is the fruit of about 8-10 years of tinkering with various ways to manufacture them.

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1800 - Henry Maudsley Invents the Engine Lathe

• In 1800 - Henry Maudsley invented the Engine lathe.
• This was the first powered lathe with a "lead screw" - which couples the rotational movement of the headstock with the lateral movement of the carriage - to cut the first accurate screws.

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200 BC - Archimedes utilizes the Screw to raise water from a well.

• Archimedes (287 BC - 212 BC) came up with the clever invention of using the screw thread to raise water.
• This principle is still in use today in grain elevators, and semi-solid handling systems.

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400 BC - The Screw Thread is Invented!

• It is popularly believed that the screw thread was invented about 400BC by Archytas of Tarentum (428 BC - 350 BC).
• Archytas is often referred to as the founder of mechanics and was a contemporary of Plato.
• One of the first applications of the screw principle was in presses for the extraction of oils from olives and juice from grapes.
• The oil presses have been found in ancient Pomeii worked by the screw principle