Help! Choosing a face vise for new workbench

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tarheelz

Dave
Corporate Member
Gang, I'm lost. You are my only hope. I need a new vise (not a new vice).

In an effort to move my hobby along in limited space, I have made some progress on building a workbench/outfeed table combo to attach to my SawStop PCS. As such the width is 68". The design takes cues from Paul Sellers' English-style bench and thus is made entirely of SYP laminations together with an SYP front apron for a total depth of just 13 5/8" (essentially depth of one traditional bench w/out a tool well).

The bench thickness is right at a solid 3.5".

(I'll post pictures tomorrow. Right now I have the apron clamped following final glue-up.)

Here's the problem. My current front vise is a little Bessy 6" vise. I had hoped to get away with that but it simply is too small. Even with no spacer blocks, the top of the faces are over an inch shy of the top of the bench. I really do not want to be drilling out the bench thickness I just created.

Does anyone have recommendations for a vice on the market in 2015 that can be mounted to the bottom of a 3.5" thick bench and still be tall enough? I hear the old Record vises could do this but they are no longer available. The big Jorgensen vises all claim a max bench thickness of 2.5". My other challenge is that the vise's screw/mechanics cannot be too long as the bench is only 13 5/8" deep (and there is table saw cabinet and door right behind that). I could build the face out a bit (losing the flush nature) from the apron but that's perhaps just another 1/2" or so.

Thanks for any help on this. (I'm bracing for the impact on my wallet.)
 
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JohnW

New User
John
Dave,

I'm not clear on the exact vise you are looking for....but if its a typical quick release bench vise, I've seen many shops with them installed incorrectly. Read these instructions and it may give you an idea. http://www.highlandwoodworking.com/mountingquick-releasevises.aspx. If the link doesn't work, just search for "instructions for mounting quick release vise".

When installed correctly, the bench top will require some mortising to get the back jaw recessed. And 1/2" offset below bench top is also typical. My offset is closer to 1/4", but that's arbitrary and your choice.

if these instructions don't help you, maybe they will help some others that have not recessed their vise. DAMHIKT.
 

tarheelz

Dave
Corporate Member
Dave,

I'm not clear on the exact vise you are looking for....but if its a typical quick release bench vise, I've seen many shops with them installed incorrectly. Read these instructions and it may give you an idea. http://www.highlandwoodworking.com/mountingquick-releasevises.aspx. If the link doesn't work, just search for "instructions for mounting quick release vise".

When installed correctly, the bench top will require some mortising to get the back jaw recessed. And 1/2" offset below bench top is also typical. My offset is closer to 1/4", but that's arbitrary and your choice.

if these instructions don't help you, maybe they will help some others that have not recessed their vise. DAMHIKT.

Thanks, John.

You've got the idea. It seems that no matter how large a vise I get, there aren't any on the market that will allow it to be properly installed without "letting in" the vise by removing benchtop material on a thick bench. I just never considered this (during design or construction) given the instructions I kept seeing (and the reality for my light duty vise under a 1.5" bench top) discussed additions (spacer blocks), rather than subtractions (letting in).

This video I discovered last night is now my guidance. (My bench is of this same concept.) Time to buy a bigger vise and do some hoggin'!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kSFQ-TGWvug
 
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KenOfCary

Ken
Staff member
Corporate Member
I have the Lake Erie Toolworks Wooden Screw Vise hardware and couldn't be happier with it.

http://lakeerietoolworks.com/epages...-4d8f-be17-cfa28690d1dc/Categories/Products/2

Some pics of my workbench - quite a few more in my gallery.

DSC_0261_800x532_.jpg



DSC_0259_800x532_.jpg



DSC_0348.JPG

 

JohnW

New User
John
Dave,
Wilton 78 and 79 series have a fairly deep mounting recess and may handle top thickness more than 2.5"...not sure but worth a call to Wilton customer service. They do have 4" high jaws. You will be adding wood inserts onto the cast or steel jaws so the difference in height could be taken up with the inserts...perhaps? The top of the jaw does not have to be flush with your work top. The top of your inserts should be a little below the level of your top to keep from hitting the vise when working wood.
 

Rwe2156

DrBob
Senior User
I have a Jorgensen 10" very heavy, very heavy duty.

I also have one from Rockler on the end I like it too.
I would play around with the location first I wish I had mounted mine a little closer to the end of the bench.
I think the best location is about a foot from the end.
 

Mike Wilkins

Mike
Corporate Member
I'm thinking the twin-screw vise from Lee Valley. With your design you would have to mount it in the middle of the bench, which would not be a problem.
The only option I can think of without cutting into that nice wood.
 

merrill77

Master Scrap Maker
Chris
I'll make an unusual suggestion - pipe clamps. On most bench designs, this requires some pre-planning, but the big front apron on yours would make this pretty easy. Here's the face vice on my bench:



It will need a second support under the bench for the back end of the pipe, as close to the other side as possible. But the only other modification you need is holes in the apron for the pipes. On my bench, I can put the pipes more than 40" apart, or as close as 6", depending on what I need clamped. The screws on the pipe clamps give me about 1.5" of travel, which is enough for most work. I can use the adjustable end of the pipe clamp to open my face vice about 9"...or even longer if I switch to longer pipes. The ability to remove the face vice entirely is a big benefit for me. Adding/removing any of the vices takes <3 minutes (all 4 vices on my bench are based on pipe clamps. Biggest downsides are (1) they stick out a bit far and (2) cheap pipe clamps don't hold up very well with repeated use. The blue clamps pictured here seems little better than those from HF...only time will tell if they hold up better.

Just a thought.
Chris
 

tarheelz

Dave
Corporate Member
I'll make an unusual suggestion - pipe clamps. On most bench designs, this requires some pre-planning, but the big front apron on yours would make this pretty easy. Here's the face vice on my bench:



It will need a second support under the bench for the back end of the pipe, as close to the other side as possible. But the only other modification you need is holes in the apron for the pipes. On my bench, I can put the pipes more than 40" apart, or as close as 6", depending on what I need clamped. The screws on the pipe clamps give me about 1.5" of travel, which is enough for most work. I can use the adjustable end of the pipe clamp to open my face vice about 9"...or even longer if I switch to longer pipes. The ability to remove the face vice entirely is a big benefit for me. Adding/removing any of the vices takes <3 minutes (all 4 vices on my bench are based on pipe clamps. Biggest downsides are (1) they stick out a bit far and (2) cheap pipe clamps don't hold up very well with repeated use. The blue clamps pictured here seems little better than those from HF...only time will tell if they hold up better.

Just a thought.
Chris

Impressive. Don't let my dear spouse see that. She just approved the expense of a heavy face vise.

Actually, I may do this immediately. If it works, great. If not, I have other options to work through to see what works out best for me.
 

merrill77

Master Scrap Maker
Chris
Impressive. Don't let my dear spouse see that. She just approved the expense of a heavy face vise.

Actually, I may do this immediately. If it works, great. If not, I have other options to work through to see what works out best for me.


I'm probably not too far from you - you're welcome to stop by and see it in action.
 
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