- Type: If you are a woodworker or a machinist or a welder, there will be different bench vises designed for you. ...
- Size: A vis is measured from the length of the jaws from end to end, and it is basically telling you how much contact your vise has with the workpiece.
- Opening: Vices will only open a certain width. ...
How to choose the right bench vise for You?
Look for a bench vises with integrated pipe jaws. These extra jaws are located in the throat of the dynamic and static jaw and are serrated and curved specifically to hold pipes. Determining the max pipe diameter is important in determining the size of vise you will need.
How high should a work vise be?
Many of them are 10″ or taller, and if you aren’t a really tall person, they can put the work piece too high for comfort. In many cases people buy or build dedicated stands that bolt to the floor, or build a short bench just for the vise to put it at the right work height.
What are the different types of workbench vises?
Common thread types are Acme and buttress . Traditional workbench vises are commonly either face vises, attached to the front of the workbench, near the left end (for a right-handed worker) or end vises, attached to or forming part of the right end of the bench.
How are bench vises made?
Bench vises are commonly made in two distinct processes: casting and forging. Casting is the most common and cost effective manufacturing process. It involves pouring hot liquid metal into molds. Once poured into the mold the liquid steel is allowed to cool. After cooling and hardening the molds are removed leaving a finished shape.
How big is a 6 vise?
18 x 8.7 x 9.7 inchesEnhance your purchaseMaterialCast IronItem Dimensions LxWxH18 x 8.7 x 9.7 inchesColorBlackStyle6-Inch Shop ViseItem Weight42 Pounds1 more row
How do I choose a good bench vise?
While selecting a bench vise, you have to check its throat depth – this is the distance from the top side of the jaw to the top of the slide below the jaw. Larger throat depths mean you can hold larger workpieces. Bench vises have varying jaw widths. For larger objects, you need bench vises that have bigger jaw widths.
How is the height of a bench vice adjusted?
1. The height of the vice should be approximate 1 metre from the shop floor to the top of vice or it should be equal to the worker's elbow height. 2. The bench vice should be preferably fixed over a leg of bench for better support and stability with proper bolts, nuts and washers.
How do you choose a vice?
Most common DIY projects and household tasks don't need a vise with a jaw width wider than four or five inches. But if you will be doing specialized work with larger materials, be sure to select a vise with a jaw opening wide enough to accommodate your projects.
How do I know my vise size?
Vises are typically available in 4, 5, 6 & 8" sizes. These sizes refer to the width of the jaws. The larger and heavier the object to be held the larger the vise required. As a general rule of thumb, the maximum throat depth is typically proportionate to the jaw width.
Is a steel or cast iron vise better?
Cast-iron vises are also suitable to use as an anvil hammering surface. Steel vises are also popular, since they're strong and even more durable than cast iron. They can deform a bit under extreme pressure, however, and so they tend to be less expensive.
What are the types of vice?
Types of VicesBench Vice.Pipe Vice.Tool Makers Vice.Hand Vice.Leg Vice.Drill vice.Pin Vice.
Why soft jaws are used in vice?
It is often a problem when working, that the hardened steel serrated jaws on the Bench Vice will mark the surface of the piece. This is especially a problem when working on soft materials. To prevent this problem occuring Soft Jaws are used. Soft Jaws fit over the jaws of the Bench Vice and are made of a soft material.
How does a vise screw work?
A threaded screw, which is connected to the jaws, runs through the body of the vice, and its movement is controlled by a handle, which is located on the outer end of a vice. Pressure is exerted by the handle, through the screw which then moves the sliding jaw.
Who makes a good vice?
Best Bench Vise: ReviewsYost LV-4 Home Vise. ... HFS Heavy Duty Bench Vise. ... TEKTON 4-Inch Swivel Bench Vise. ... Wilton 11106 Wilton Bench Vise. ... Forward DT08125A 5-Inch Heavy Duty Bench Vise. ... Olympia Tool Bench Vise. ... Yost Tools Bench Vise Tool. ... IRWIN Tools Multi-Purpose Bench Vise.More items...•
What is throat depth on a vise?
The throat depth is how deep the jaws of a vice are and is measured by the vertical distance from the top edge of the jaws down to the top of the screw/slide. This indicates the maximum height of a workpiece that is capable of fitting into the throat of a vice.
Are Irwin vises good?
The Bottom Line. The Irwin Multi-Purpose Vise is very attractive for about $95 as long as you keep in mind its light-duty design intent. It's a great fit for a DIYer's shop or garage and has some potential for Pros that don't need 2 tons or more (literally) of clamping force.
Are clamp on vises good?
As such, clamp-on vises are typically most useful for light duty operations. That's not to say that they can't take some abuse and some torque, but the upper limit just isn't as high as a traditional vise.
How is a vise measured?
A vise is measured from the length of the jaws from end to end, and it is basically telling you how much contact your vise has with the workpiece.
How Do You Use a Bench Vise?
When using a vise, you must first open it wide enough to accommodate your material. When you place your material in, you can close the vise down until it is tight, holding your work piece in place. If you are working with a delicate material make sure you have it protected as the teeth of a vise can be damaging.
What is a Bench Vise?
A bench vise is used to hold an object in place while it is being worked on. Most bench vises are bolted to a workbench, and they stay stable while the work is being done. Bench vises are adjustable and allow you to change the amount of pressure exerted on the item you are working with. Bench vises are common in mechanical workshops, machine shops, woodworking shops, and metalworking shops.
What is a front vise?
A front vise is what most non-workers think of when they think of a bench vise. It attaches to the front of the work bench. This style provides more angles for cutting, which makes it a useful woodworking vise.
How to use a vise?
When using a vise, you must first open it wide enough to accommodate your material. When you place your material in, you can close the vise down until it is tight, holding your work piece in place. If you are working with a delicate material make sure you have it protected as the teeth of a vise can be damaging.
Do you need a workbench for a heavy duty vise?
If you buy a heavy-duty vise, you must make sure you have a sturdy workbench. If your workbench cant handle the weight of the vise plus the abuse it will take while you work on your materials, then you must purchase a sturdy and robust workbench to start. Some vises also come as a swivel bench vise, which trades some sturdiness and clamping force for versatility.
What is a bench vise?
Bench vises are an integral part of any workstation whether it is fixed or mobile. The primary function of any vise is to hold an object safety and securely so that it can be worked on. Bench vises make work such as sanding, finishing, chipping, sawing, and welding easier by freeing the operator's hands to perform the needed task. Their simplicity and versatility means users of any skill level or experience can benefit from their use.
How are bench vises made?
Bench vises are commonly made in two distinct processes: casting and forging. Casting is the most common and cost effective manufacturing process. It involves pouring hot liquid metal into molds. Once poured into the mold the liquid steel is allowed to cool.
What is the strength of a forging vise?
Unlike casting, the forging process uses solid blocks of steel that are heated and then pounded into their required shape. This production method is common in the tool industry when manufacturing wrenches and pliers. A high quality forged vise can have a tensile strength of 90,000+ PSI compared to 19,000-60,000 Psi for a cast vise.
What is a metalworking vise?
For the purpose of this article, we will be focusing on the metalworking vise, often referred to as the Engineer's, Mechanics, Combination, or Tradesman vises. Metalworking vises are designed to be fastened to a sturdy table via eyelets located at the sides and back of the vise. The dynamic jaw (explained later) is designed to hang over the edge of the table. Although vises are primarily designed to hold a work pieces horizontally, the overhanging front jaw does permit the holding of objects vertically.
How large is a vise?
How large are the objects you will be holding? Vises are typically available in 4, 5, 6 & 8" sizes. These sizes refer to the width of the jaws. The larger and heavier the object to be held the larger the vise required. As a general rule of thumb, the maximum throat depth is typically proportionate to the jaw width.
Where are the pipe jaws located in a bench vise?
Look for a bench vises with integrated pipe jaws. These extra jaws are located in the throat of the dynamic and static jaw and are serrated and curved specifically to hold pipes. Determining the max pipe diameter is important in determining the size of vise you will need.
Where is the handle on a vise?
Handle – is located at the front of the vise. It acts as the lever that turns the lead screw, which in turn moves the dynamic jaw. The handle is engineered to match the maximum clamping power the vise can handle. A properly designed and manufactured handle will bend when too much force is applied.
How to check if a vise has a swivel base?
If the vise has a swivel base, check that the base doesn’t have missing/cracked mounting tabs/ears. Check that the swivel base itself doesn’t have any cracks. Flip the vise over and make sure the internal parts of the swivel base aren’t cracked, damaged, or repaired.
What is the crack in the front of a vise?
Essentially, the front half of the vise breaks off the slide, or develops a crack from being overstressed. Another is the ledge that sticks out from the front of the main body to support the dynamic jaw as it extends forward. That area also cracks, or breaks off from being overstressed.
What is the center bolt on a swivel base?
Many models with a swivel base will have a large center bolt that keeps the main body of the vise centered on the swivel base. Sometimes people lose, or remove those center bolts, and finding one is next to impossible.
How to fix bent handle on a ram?
If the bend is mild, you can often place the handle on a flat surface and hammer it close to flat, or some folks will put them in a vise and clamp down to remove minor bends. I’ve had good luck using a couple of pieces of shim steel and a shop press to remove bends. You simply put the shim stock on either side of the bend, put the high side under the ram and lower until it’s just past level since it will rebound a bit. I made two pieces of shim stock with U-shaped channels so the handle doesn’t roll around so much, but even flat stock will work.
Can you replace jaws on vintage vises?
Some vises were made with jaws that can be replaced, and some were made with the jaws integral to the jaw supports. Some jaw patterns for vintage vises are readily available while others would require contacting a machine shop and having them make a custom set, which will likely be cost-prohibitive.
Can you close a vise with a handle?
If it’s really bad you might be able to close the vise with the handle , and have to pull it open by hand. That isn’t a deal-breaker, but is a good negotiating point if you’re the buyer. One thing to look for is when you unscrew the vise all the way, some will start to bind.
Is a vise worth restoring?
If a vise has obvious signs of welding or brazing, it’s probably not worth restoring. It might function fine, but the value is gone for all but the most unusual and rare models. Also, if you find cracks or pieces broken off, there’s a good chance the vise isn’t worth repairing.
Where are the vises on a work bench?
Traditional workbench vises are commonly either face vises, attached to the front of the workbench, near the left end (for a right-handed worker) or end vises, attached to or forming part of the right end of the bench. One common variety of face vise is the leg vise, which has a long extension down to the floor, ...
Why use a bench vise?
Some hobbyists use a machine vise as a bench vise because of the low cost and medium-size. Aluminum soft jaw shown holding five parts at a time in a CNC milling machine. A small machine vise used in a drill press. A machine vise that can be rotated.
What is a vise made of?
Woodworker's vise with entirely wooden jaws. Woodworking vises are attached to a workbench, typically flush with its work surface. Their jaws are made of wood or metal, the latter usually faced with wood, called cheeks, to avoid marring the work. The movable jaw may include a retractable dog to hold work against a bench dog .
What are the different types of vises?
Other kinds of vise include: 1 Hand vise 2 Compound slide vise; a more complex machine vise. They allow speed and precision in the placement of the work. 3 Cross vise, which can be adjusted using leadscrews in the X and Y axes; these are useful if many holes need to be drilled in the same workpiece using a drill press. Compare router table. 4 Off-center vise 5 Angle vise 6 Sine vise, which use gauge blocks to set up a highly accurate angle 7 Rotary vise 8 Suction vise 9 Diemakers' vise 10 Saw vise – used for sharpening hand saws 11 Pin vise (for holding thin, long cylindrical objects by one end, or used as a drill (scale modeler's pin vise)) 12 Jewellers' vise 13 Fly tying vise, used to secure fishing hook in fly tying 14 Leg vise, which is attached to a bench but also supported from the ground so as to be stable under the very heavy use imposed by a blacksmith's work 15 Trailer hitch vise 16 Shaker broom vise 17 Rigging vise, otherwise known as a triangle vise or splicing vise, which has three jaws. Used to close thimbles and splice rope, cable, and wire rope. 18 Fractal vise, used to hold workpieces with complex forms
What is an engineer's vise?
An engineer's vise, also known as a metalworking vise or machinist 's vise, is used to clamp metal instead of wood. It is used to hold metal when filing or cutting. It is sometimes made of cast steel or malleable cast iron, but most are made of cast iron. However, most heavy duty vises are 55,000 psi cast steel or 65,000 psi ductile iron. Some vises have a cast iron body but a steel channel bar. Cast iron is popular because it is typically 30,000 psi grey iron which is rigid, strong and inexpensive. The jaws are often separate and replaceable, usually engraved with serrated or diamond teeth. Soft jaw covers made of aluminum, copper, wood (for woodworking) or plastic may be used to protect delicate work. The jaw opening of an engineer's vise is almost always the same size as the jaw width, if not bigger.
What is a combination vise?
A combination vise combines an engineer-style vise with a subsidiary set of curved serrated jaws below the main for clamping pipe. A pivoting base is standard.
What is a rigging vise?
Rigging vise, otherwise known as a triangle vise or splicing vise, which has three jaws. Used to close thimbles and splice rope, cable, and wire rope.
