You can place your workpiece very close to the screw, minimizing side-to-side racking. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. I need get on with the vise. Visit the help section or contact us. Shop By Brand.

More surface area means more friction to keep your work from slipping. You can increase the effective surface area of any metal-jaw vise by adding oversized cheeks,but we prefer vises that start out with large jaws. For a wood-jaw vise you can make virtually any size jaws. Use a stiff wood such as hard maple and make the front jaw 3-in. Rarely will you open your vise all the way, but a deep capacity gives you more clamping versatility. Some metal-jaw vises have a huge capacity, but wood-jaw vises generally have shorter openings after allowing for the thickness of the jaws.

Almost all the metaljaw vises offer one of two types of quick release. They all work well. Most of the wood-jaw vises do not have a quick release, but two offer the reverse action type Photo 4.

Friction-fit, spring-loaded dogs are the easiest to use. One pre-made kit includes the dog hole. Some metal-jaw vises have large-diameter handles that are easier to grip than the rod-type handles. Regardless of the amount of throw, all the vises have plenty of clamping power. Choose your own handle length with a wood-jaw vise. The handle must be a fairly large diameter to fit into the socket.

This story originally appeared in American Woodworker October , issue Click any image to Free Woodworking Plans For Outdoor Benches With view a larger version. A metal-jaw vise is ready to go right out of the box.

A wood-jaw vise requires assembly. Make your own jaws and turn a handle of any length or buy one. The front of the bench doubles as the upper half of the rear jaw. Squeeze the lever on this quick-release mechanism to slide the front jaw in or out. We prefer this type of quick release. Reverse the handle one-half turn for another type of quick release.

This action releases the nut. To engage the nut, turn the handle clockwise. One metal-jaw and two wood-jaw vises have this feature. Hold a board on top of the bench with a vise dog. All metal-jaw vises come with dogs. Make your own dog hole in a wood-jaw vise. Large-diameter handles are comfortable to grip.

Long metal-rod handles give you more leverage and a more sensitive adjustment below, right. We find short metal-rod handles or those with capscrew ends below, left less comfortable. Raise up the pivoting jaw to make a huge dog. You can place your workpiece very close to the screw, minimizing side-to-side racking. Investing the time and effort to select and fit a good quality bench vice will pay continuous dividends throughout your woodworking career.

With the bench vice installed and bolted firmly into place, your ability to hold the workpiece securely in an appropriate position for the task at hand should become second nature. If you are building a woodworking bench from scratch, the type of vice you choose may have a bearing on the dimensions, so choosing the vice first will potentially save time, materials and effort further down the line. Email when available. We are taking online orders as normal, but the current distancing measures mean we may not be able to answer your phone calls personally.

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