In in a Vise on getting a Vise!!!

[michaelgarner]

Hello friends,
I am nearing to the point of selling most of my WW shop. The big tools are going and a part of me is sad to see them go. (there is good reasons for it though) I do have to say that I am going to be able to keep essential tools and I am milling the wood now for my future fold-down bench. I have a twin screw vise that I have for a tail vise but I need a front vise. I have looked at leevalley and such but I am on a very very very tight budget and need something adequate, but inexpensive (dirt cheap but not cheap quality of something exists). For ease of instillation I was thinking of something like the pic below. I am not expecting miracles but I do need one on sale. Let me know if anyone has seen something I can use. Have a blessed day friends.

 

[Gofor]

Check out the 9" shop fox at Klingspors. I think I paid about $60 for mine (pictures in my gallery under Woodbench and side vise). Its a heavy beast, tho. (40 - 50 lbs). If you need something pretty light for a portable bench, Tractor Supply (and I think Lowes) has a little 6" one for a 2 1/4" table top for about $15. They are cheap quality but functional.
If you do get the Shopfox, wear gloves when you take it out of the box. The threads on the screw are sharp and the edges have sharp burrs on them. I cleaned mine up with a flat bastard file and it works very well. I really like the quick release feature, and it will stand a lot of torque.

Hope this helps

Go

 

[michaelgarner]

Thanks friend, I will look into that vise. maybe I will squeeze some change out and see if that one fits the budget.

 

[DaveO]

I have one of the Groz vices I believe that you have pictured in your post.

I think it is well made and has done what I have asked of it. I did replace the plastic "dog" with a shop made one out of Ipe, for a little more rigidity.
Woodcraft is having a few sales coming up where you can save 10-15%, and that might be a good time to get it from them.
Also there is the "economy" vices which are on clearance right now -

I am sure that they would do the intended job quite well also.
Dave

 

[michaelgarner]

Mark, Hey friend what is the size of your bench? Did you make the top out of oak? And is there a reason you added another piece of wood to the apron of the for the Vice jaw?


Dave, I will have to look at the economy vises. What size do you have right now? What price did you pay? Thanks for the help.

 

[DaveO]

Dave, I will have to look at the economy vises. What size do you have right now? What price did you pay? Thanks for the help.

I think that I have the middle sized Groz vice. You can see it here with it's own shop made face -

I got it back when I knew the manager of Woodcraft and he helped me with some special pricing :-D:icon_thum It was enonomical enough for my cheap budget.

Dave

 

[McRabbet]

I have one of these from Woodworker's Supply and I made hard maple jaws for it. It works great -- sorry, no pics.

 

[michaelgarner]

Do you hae the 7 or 10 in one. It looks like this one I found http://www.wttool.com/product-exec/product_id/19181/nm/Quick_Acting_Woodworking_Vise

its only 19.99 plus shipping of course. Is it a big difference between a 7in and a 9-10in vise?

 

[DaveO]

Is it a big difference between a 7in and a 9-10in vise?

Personally I don't think that there is a big difference between the width of the vice jaws. You can always add your own face to the vice and make it almost any width. Given significant thickness of the wood face, racking and flexing would be kept to a minimum.
Jaw opening is something to be considered especially if your going to add a thick wood face. I wish that my set up had a little greater capacity occasionally, but for the cost I wouldn't trade it.

MYCW,
Dave

 

[McRabbet]

Michael,

I have the smaller one. As I said, I made Hard Maple jaw faces (11-1/2"w x 4"h x 1-1/2" thick) that widen the face. I mortised the front one so the vise is recessed into it and added three 3/4" bench dog holes on 4" centers on the top edge to allow larger pieces to be held against dogs in the bench top (I use the plastic B&D Workmate dogs that work fine). The rear face is let into the front 11-1/2" overhang of my bench so that face is flush with the rest of the overhang. It is screwed into the thick front rail of the bench. Works great and still allows 9-1/2" jaw opening. I can take pics if you need them.

 

[Nativespec]

Michael:

Woodcraft has these on sale:

http://www.woodcraft.com/family.aspx?FamilyID=1893

David

 

[walnutjerry]

Hello friends,
I am nearing to the point of selling most of my WW shop. The big tools are going and a part of me is sad to see them go. (there is good reasons for it though) I do have to say that I am going to be able to keep essential tools and I am milling the wood now for my future fold-down bench. I have a twin screw vise that I have for a tail vise but I need a front vise. I have looked at leevalley and such but I am on a very very very tight budget and need something adequate, but inexpensive (dirt cheap but not cheap quality of something exists). For ease of instillation I was thinking of something like the pic below. I am not expecting miracles but I do need one on sale. Let me know if anyone has seen something I can use. Have a blessed day friends.

Michael--------I saw a Wilton woodworkers vice on ebay recently, Wilton is a good vice. I think the vise went for like 35.00 plus shipping of course. You may run across one on ebay that fits the budget and be of good quality.

Jerry

 

[michaelgarner]

Hello friends,
Thank you all for the great advice. I think I am going to go with this vise though, the price including shipping is $26.78. After comparing the ones that were suggested it seems to be almost identical to a couple that are sold at well know suppliers. I will put an additional face on it like DaveO has done to widen the jaws and make it a better vice over all. I will let you all know how it turns out when I get it. Thanks again friends.


http://www.wttool.com/product-exec/p...odworking_Vise

 

[Gofor]

Mark, Hey friend what is the size of your bench? Did you make the top out of oak? And is there a reason you added another piece of wood to the apron of the for the Vice jaw? ...

Bench is 60" long by 24" wide. Top is white oak. I love it!!!
As for the "extra piece" , ya caught me! It is one of those "design modifications". If you notice, whenever I have responded to someone building a bench, I now always offer the suggestion that it may be best to "Buy all the vise hardware before you design the bench". I advise this because I did not do that on mine. My front apron is 2" thick x 4" deep as it is also the piece I cut the square dog holes in. The stretchers on my base were too high to allow clearance to drop down the vise so I could get to the back of the apron, so I inset the vise into the front apron. I did not want metal on the face, so made the extra piece. I did not have enough lumber left to add a full length piece down the front, so that was my solution. It works well so I haven't yet found a need to change it. I toyed with the idea of just covering the vise face with leather, but opted with the wood.

So now you know!!

Go

 

[michaelgarner]

Hello friends,
Thank you all for the great advice. I think I am going to go with this vise though, the price including shipping is $26.78. After comparing the ones that were suggested it seems to be almost identical to a couple that are sold at well know suppliers. I will put an additional face on it like DaveO has done to widen the jaws and make it a better vice over all. I will let you all know how it turns out when I get it. Thanks again friends.


http://www.wttool.com/product-exec/product_id/19181/nm/Quick_Acting_Woodworking_Vise

Ordered this vise yesterday. I wanted a bigger vice but this one definitely fit my budget, it came up to 27.00 with shipping so that wasn't to bad. I will do a write up on it when I receive it. Have a blessed day.

 

[Badabing]

I've been looking at buying a similar vise myself. I saw the Groz 7'' quick release on sale ($49.99) at WoodCraft a few weeks ago but they were out of stock. Stupid me didn't fill out a raincheck form so I missed out on the sale when they had them in again.

I checked WTTool and saw that same one on their website. I went to the local store in Charlotte and they didn't have any in stock. Then they came out with one that looked like it had just been pryed off a 50 yr old bench and told me it was the only one they had left. The thing was in really sorry shape so I passed on it. I'd be real interested in hearing how this vise is once someone has a chance to use it and post a review!

I think I'm going to get the Economy quick release one at WC if they have it for $40. Otherwise, the Harbor Freight model looks very, very similar and would be about the same price with a 15% off coupon :-D

I'll follow up with some pics and info when I get one too.

 

[michaelgarner]

Joe,
I will let you know how it turns out when it gets here.