Good quick release front vise or not quick release

[Dan Karachio]

I have a very old quick release vice (brand unknown), but it is not holding up. Wracking, loose, not lining up... time (I think) to die.

As a replacement I was thinking about the Jorgensen Rapid Acting Bench Vise (12"), but a few negative reviews on Amazon has me wary. I believe it was rated well by FWW a while back, but I'm not sure. Any others people can recommend? I really like the quick release, but am I limiting myself? Maybe a Veritas front vise would be better, even without the quick release?

[Mike Henderson]

I have a front vise with a quick release and I had to disable it. It works by backing off with the handle (loosen the vise). This disables the screw and you can pull it out.

The problem is that you often want to open the vise a small amount, and it's easier and more accurate with the handle and screw. When you pull it, it tends to open too much, then you have to screw it back in. It was basically a pain in the ***.

I disabled the quick release and don't miss it except when I have to open the vise really wide, which is very, very seldom.

Some other quick release technology might work much better.

Mike

[Ryan Baker]

I have one that works like Mike's. I also find it to be a pain most of the time. My vote goes for no quick release, though it could be nice if implemented a better way.

[Dan Karachio]

I'm thinking less about quick release. Do you guys like a particular front vise brand?

[Mike Zilis]

I went with the Jorgensen Quick Release 41012 for my face vice. I love it. The QR is smooth and the lockup is strong. I really like being able to flip, turn or switch out work pieces so quickly.

Just my $.02.

Mike

[Bruce Page]

I have the same Jorgensen as Mike and I'm a fan of the quick release. I would absolutely hate to crank it open & closed all of the time.

[James Taglienti]

my quick release has a threaded clamshell type nut with one side heavier thn the other. gravity drops it open when i twist counterclockwise. It works great but too much grease keeps it from dropping open.

I love having the quick release. It is easy to switch from large to small stock without leaving a puddle of sweat behind./

[michael osadchuk]

I've have three of the smallest Record quick release steel vises - the 52 model and they have been great over the past fifteen to twenty-years (not bought all at once). The quick release in via a solid lever. I haven't had any binding or deterioration issues. The throat on this smallest Record, with wood cheeks, is about 6 1/2" and I haven't found the need for more capacity (I've put one on each end of the same long side of my workbench so the pair of them can act to hold long pieces securely.

Landis' Workbench book has a chapter on them, including mounting illustrated instructions.

My Records were made in England. I don't know where they are made now.

good luck

michael

[Steve Schoene]

Unfortunately, Record vises are no longer made. There are copies.

And, no you can't buy my Record 52 1/2 ED

[Brian Ward]

I have the smaller one of the two, the 40709. It works for me and I like the quick release. I don't think there's much difference between the two when you add wooden jaw liners, but there isn't much difference in price, either.

I got mine at Woodcraft because I could look it over for damage first. I wouldn't really trust anything that big and heavy to shipping companies unless it comes in a very serious box, and it does not come in a very serious box.

[Rick Markham]

I have my eyes on Jameel's vises... nothing even compares! Got to try them on Ron Brese's bench at the Tampa LN toolworks show. I do love his bench design too... I wanna build me one of them!

[harry strasil]

FWIW Dept. - To make a quick opening and closing vise out of an ordinary vise. Just make some Drop in Spacers for the ordinary vise, they can be dropped in on either side of the work and you can make various thicknesses of them.

You can even use the Spacers in Lieu of permanent wood faces so that by using some thin spacers you can increase the usable vise opening.

Ole Jr.

[Andrew Pitonyak]

I own a DUO 1500 Bench Cabinet Combo from Sjobergs. The vices work, but, the fit is very poor so I must work very hard to use them. This might dissuade me from another of their benches... Then again, I might rebuild their vice "stuff" and see if I can fix it.

The Jorgensen, on the other hand, is my favorite vice. I really like the action, and even my four year old is able to operate it.

[Charlie Kocourek]

I know of two styles of quick release vises.

I really like the style used on the old Record vises and the newer Record knock offs. This style is operated with a lever on the face of the vise.

The other style is found on Jorgensen vises. This one is operated by turning the handle in a counter clockwise direction. Some people really like this style, but I could not get used to it. If I owned one of these I would probably disable the quick release like Mike Henderson did on his.

[John Schreiber]

I've been very pleased with the Wilton tilt jaw (http://www.woodcraft.com/Product/2000316/3175/WILTON-Woodworker-s-Vise.aspx) as an end vise. The quick release is reliable and easy. It was expensive at the time, but not as much as it is now.

For my front vise I have German made hardware on a shop built face. It has only four threads per inch, so it opens and closes quickly and does fine without a quick release.

[Prashun Patel]

I have a quick release from Rockler. It's an 'economy' vise. Any wracking probs I've had have been a function of the bolts I use to connect the jaws or the hw to the bench.

Other than that, I like it.

[David Keller NC]

As a replacement I was thinking about the Jorgensen Rapid Acting Bench Vise (12"), but a few negative reviews on Amazon has me wary. I believe it was rated well by FWW a while back, but I'm not sure. Any others people can recommend? I really like the quick release, but am I limiting myself? Maybe a Veritas front vise would be better, even without the quick release?

I have and use the Jorgensen. What shocked me when I purchased it is that it still has a "Chicago, USA" cast into the front face - I'd thought that all heavy cast iron manufacturing had gone to Taiwan or mainland China years ago. In comparison, I've a Record copy made by Grizzly, and briefly had a Record copy made by Anant. Neither of these vises were up to snuff, in my opinion, and I far and away prefer the Jorgensen. The specific complaint about the Grizzly/Anant is that the lever quick release can sometimes release on its on when the vise is being tightened - and that can sometimes result in a disastrous trip by the piece I'm working on to the concrete floor.

I've not had the problem that Mike H mentions with the Jorgensen - perhaps this is a variability in the specific example at hand.

All that said, the Veritas twin-screw will most certainly give you greater capacity if you wish to build larger things like dovetailed cases for chests of drawers.

[Mike Olson]

I have the Rockler Economy vice with the Quick Release. It's got a hinged split nut QR but if I tighten the vice too much, when I loosen it the top of the split nut shoots off. I had to wire the thing together which disabled the QR but it's easy enough to spin with 1 finger to open & close.

[glenn bradley]

Dad just got the large Rockler and it is very well made if pricey. It uses the 1/4 reverse turn to unlock the mechanism. I prefer the unlock lever as I like to back the vise off under control and the reverse turn mechanism does not allow this. The acceptance of this will vary with your technique.

All that said I have QR vises in both positions and non-QR vises in a box under the bench. I purposely avoided the QR feature for awhile to see if I would miss it, I didn't and so plan to swap (or add) vises. YMMV.

[Dan Karachio]

Thanks John. That does look a like a really interesting and good vise for an end vise, so while I am in the market for a front vise, I will keep this in mind for sure. How do the lift up jaw and the other features work for you?

[John Schreiber]

. . . How do the lift up jaw and the other features work for you?
For clamping things across the bench top it's great because it amounts to being a full width dog. As a regular vise, the way it pivots, it's single square guide and it's narrowness means that I don't have to worry about wracking at all. I often have branches or small logs locked into it without any worries. No problem with the quick release so far. A quarter turn backwards and it slides back and forth. The tilting jaw also comes out in case I want to keep it square for any reason.

[Scott Stafford]

+1 for the Wilton. Wilton also has magnetic wooden jaw liners available. I bought mine about a year ago from a local tool monger and only paid $114. Maybe there are some more at that price out there somewhere?

Scott in Montana

[harry strasil]

FWIW, LOL, I guess I have what might be called a COPY of the very first face vise. It's definately QUICK RELEASE, and doesn't get oil from the screws on the material being worked. Its definately a Neander vise.

Sorry, I just couldn't resist the temptation to butt in with my pennies worth!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v81/irnsrgn/nu%20bench/auxfacevise001.jpg

[harry strasil]

FWIW, here is a very flexible alternative to a Face Vise, that will do most anything even wedge shaped pieces.

Remember we are only limited by our ingenuity in clamping/cramping material to be worked on.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v81/irnsrgn/nu%20bench/auxfacevise.jpg