What do you think of this Vice ?

[jussi]

I'd like to make a workbench in the future and was wondering what you guys think of this vise? My local Rockler is having it on sale for $50. How would this be mounted? Do you use it as is or add those wooden calls (not sure what they're called). And what is the proper name for those wooden calls?

http://www.amazon.com/Jet-708569-JWV.../dp/B00004T9M6

[Norm in Fujino]

Looks like a good buy for $50. Yes, I would put wooden faces in it, but not screwed in; embed rare-earth magnets in the faces of your wood pieces and then just let them stick magnetically to the surface of the vise jaws, so you can easily remove them if necessary.

The vise is mounted to the underedge of your workbench, using lag bolts through the holes from below (see picture), or hex bolts countersunk through the top of your workbench.

[jussi]

Thanks Norm

[cgallery]

I have the Rockler version (mine is blue). Last weekend I replaced my bench top and I haven't remounted it yet, but anyway...

I've been very happy with it. It has a quick adjust and the jaws stay square to one another, seems to do everything I'd want.

[dbhost]

That particular vise is copies worldwide. Rockler's house brand is blue, Jet has their brand, Harbor Freight sells one under the Central Forge brand that is silver (The one I have).

Yes you would use a hardwood block for the jaw faces to keep from marring your work.

As a poster above showed, you mount these from the bottom. Usually directly to the bottom of the bench top.


The bigger jaw face (wooden block) gets attached to the part of the vise closest to the front... This should get 3/4" diameter holes bored in it for bench dogs.

[Uncle Cracker]

Oh, a vise... I tuned in thinking you were gonna tell us about a bad habit...

I think many of those cast-iron jobs are made side-by-side in the same factory in China. I got one of the HF variety at a ridiculously low price at one of their sidewalk sales. With the additional 20% off, it was only about 19 bucks. Other than a bit of a twist caused by loose holes on the guide rods, it has worked fine for me. I made jaw protectors out of sugar maple.

[pelligrini]

I opted to mount mine into the face of my bench. Longer boards will be against the full front of my bench and I can clamp the other end in my leg vise that's on the other side. I used lag bolts through the bottom casting into the bench and some machine screws into threaded inserts through the back face.

There's a 5/8" thick piece of oak on the back face and the front face got covered with some recycled table (some sort of mahogany). I replaced the metal dog on the vise with a longer one out of hard maple.

I tried to keep the wood faces fairly thin so I wouldn't decrease the 9" opening depth of the vise. Mounting the vise below the top of my bench allowed me to cover the any metal with wood and also slightly increase the depth of the jaws.

[LCHIEN]

And the word you're looking for is CAUL:

http://www.bt3central.com/showthread...highlight=caul

[jussi]

Oh, a vise... I tuned in thinking you were gonna tell us about a bad habit...

That would be my horrendous spelling

[Uncle Cracker]

That would be my horrendous spelling

No criticism intended... I just can't resist the opportunity to make a funny.

[cabinetman]

Flexible magnetic sheet with a peel and stick one side can be cut to fit thin wood or plywood to add to the jaws of the vise.
.

[Ed62]

Oh, a vise... I tuned in thinking you were gonna tell us about a bad habit...

But buying a vise could be the start of a vice. You gotta love the English language.

Ed

[Rich P]

I've always felt that everyone needs at least one vice...makes us more human!