Bench vise

[jaydee]

I'm putting together a little workbench for myself (2'x4') to do some kit builds and I'm going to mount a vise to it, but I have no idea how big I really need to go with the thing. What would be a good size for the bench I'm using and is there anything I should be on the lookout for? Or, can I just mount a 4 1/2" vise in the corner of the bench and get to work?

Thanks
Jeremy

[sunburst]

I have a bench with a vice on the end to the right, and a vice on the front edge, to the left end of the bench. I'm right handed, and I almost always wish they were reversed. Think about what you do on the bench, and where the best place might be.
Those are bench vices; wooden jaws level with the top.
If you are mounting a metal vice on the surface, I recommend the right hand corner, because you aren't as likely to bang the peghead against it when working on instruments on the bench.
I also recommend the Parrot vice (http://www.frets.com/FRETSPages/Luthier/ProductReviews/Tools/ParrotVise/parrotvise.html) from Grizley.

[Frank Ford]

After a lifetime of this work, and owning every conceivable kind of vise, I can say one thing with confidence. I would never want to be without my Versa Vise, or its perfectly good knockoff - the Parrot by Gizzly. I currently use both, and like them equally. The only downside is that they are not particularly rigid for heavy work, but their convenience of use and versatility beat anything out there.

[kww]

General advice: the heavier your table, the better your vice will work. Luthiery doesn't involve a lot of brute force, but part of having a vice is having it bolted to an immobile surface. My best workbench was built out of 6"x8" beam frame with a solid core metal clad fireproof door bolted to it. Weighed over 500 pounds. I could cold bend 3/4" thick steel by bolting it in the vice and whacking it with a sledge. No lesser table would have stood fast. Overkill for your needs, but still a goal to aspire to.

The other general advice is smooth soft vice pads. Any scratch or piece of grit will sooner or later mar your work. Make sure they are shaped evenly, scrupulously clean, smooth, and well fitted to the item you are working on.

[Avi Ziv]

I'm building my first kit on my wooden dining table. I bought the Parrot vice and could not be happier. I bolted it onto a short board, which I can clamp on the table when needed. I can imagine that even when I get/build a real workbench, I will still have use for this portable and versatile vice.

Avi

[Jim Rowland]

Mr.Ford is right on,as usual. I've got the Parrot and love it. If you order from Grizzly,get the padded tilting jaws too.
Jim

[John Bertotti]

I only have a machinests vise not a great choice for wood working. That vise Sunburst linked is my next tool purchase.

[markishandsome]

The woodcraft near my house had a different knockoff for under $50.

[Paul Hostetter]

I use a small one like this almost every day:

http://www.cornerhardware.com/images/0/49.jpg

Jaws are about 2-1/2" wide. Indispensible for things like saddles and nuts, whatnot. The jaws on mine are de-fanged, and mine clamps to the table, plus (most important) it swivels.

The other essential one is this one, a patternmaker's vise:

http://bg.woodworker.com/images/ss/801-802.jpg

Prices range from $65 to $150 for the same vise.

I also occasionally use a big machinist's vise.

And I know the difference between a vice and a vise. http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/laugh.gif

[sunburst]

I use a "plain ol'" vise, like the first picture, quite a bit, my bench vises, my parrot vise, even a pipe vise from time to time, but those swivel-jawed vises like the second picture drive me crazy! It seems like anything I ever want to clamp in it just swivels the jaws and comes loose. A nut or saddle blank has to be clamped in the center, or it doesn't work. I know a lot of people who love them, especially guitar builders, but I don't want one!

[kww]

Does anyone else have trouble with the picture of Paul's first vise? It shows as a broken link. If click on it and do a "View Image", it shows up fine.

[sunburst]

Yep. I reloaded the page about 3 times and now it shows up.

[Paul Hostetter]

It wasn't even showing up right for me, so I changed it to another.

Here's another iteration: http://www.cornerhardware.com/images/0/38.jpg

I love my patternmaker's vise, it's perfect for clamping non-parallel things like instrument necks. It is, however, ridiculously large and otherwise entirely inappropriate for things like saddles and nuts.

[Jim Rowland]

For nuts,saddles,and other small work,I use my drill press vice. It's heavy enough to maintain stability for sawing/filing etc,but light enough to move around to your convenience. Grizz sells a variety of them from ten or twelve bucks and up.
Jim

[blacksmith]

If you're looking for a vice that will withstand a lot of pounding, the best thing to look for is a blacksmith's leg or post vice, the older the better. Most new vices are made from cast iron which can be "fragile". An old post vice is made from wrought iron, not the stuff that lawn furniture is made of, but real wrought iron which has no carbon in it. Problem is, real wrought iron hasn't been made in about 60 years so these vices are getting scarce. Best place to find them is rural or farm auctions and the price should be around $60 to $100 depending on size. The wrought iron will withstand pounding well beyond our lifetime, most of my vices are not newer than 50 years old and still in great shape. The other advantage of these vices is the leg which extends down to the floor. Even though the vice is mounted on the bench, the leg transfers all the shock down to the floor, thus saving your vice.

[jaydee]

Thanks for all the great info, I think the parrot vise is the way to go for me. Thanks again everyone for taking the time to answer my questions.
Jeremy

[Chadmills]

Lot of useful info about vises, the height of the thing also seems very important to me. You can repair or replace vise and bench pretty easily, the human back is not so replaceable.
Tom

[oldwave maker]

Working height is important. The top of my parrot vise is 42" off the floor, sets on a freestanding workbench.
The top of my pattermakers vise is 41", on a heavier freestanding oak desk, so a mandolin fretboard resting in the cradle clamped into said vise is 46" off the floor.
For the heavy stuff I use a blacksmiths legiron vise 44 1/2 off the floor, attached to a roughsawn 2x6 bench barnspiked into 20 tons of adobe wall, good for fine inlay cutting and VW bumper reshaping......