Need an inexpensive vise for bench

[Matt Day]

My little basement shop of my rental is only temporary, and I barely have enough room for my workbench/outfeed table that's there now. We'll buy a house next year and one of my first projects will probably be a real bench with nice bench vises, but my current one doesn't have a vise of any sort.

What do you all suggest for a cheap vise to use for the time being? My workbench is a simple 2x4 construction with 3/4" MDF top and shelf.

Thanks

[Chris Padilla]

Actually, I need an expensive one, Matt! Any ideas?! ;) [sorry, it's Friday, right?!]

Visit your local flea market and you might find something that could work for you.

I've seen cheap wooden screw clamps work to make cheap vises on temporary benches.

[David Cefai]

Have you considered buying a good one now and later on transplanting it to the new bench?

[Matt Radtke]

You can get vise screws from Lee Valley and just turn them into a vise. That's what I did.

[Rusty Eads]

Menard's has a 7" "Pony" vice for 34.95 It looks like it would work decent enough.

[Van Huskey]

Now I am gonna talk CHEAP. Woodcraft has an inexpesive small Wilton vice they has on sale in stores for $10 a couple of months ago, regular price $35, they were blowing them out on the website for about $9.00 earlier this week, I don't see them now but if you have a local WC might be worth a look. I bought a couple just to stick in places to have a vice close.

[Mike Cutler]

Matt

I bought a pair of these cheesey little vises from Woodcraft on sale a few years ago.
They're actually not that bad.
I've used 'em quite a bit, on some pretty big stuff, and even done edge jointing by hand using them to hold the material. It takes both of them though.
I like them.

http://www.woodcraft.com/Product/2003855/9682/Portable-Hobbyist-Vise.aspx

[Matt Day]

That little one from WC looks like the ticket!

I did consider buying a nice one now and moving it, but I don't think my current bench meets some of the installation minimums (top thickness, etc). I might look into this a little harder though before I buy.

[Glenn Vaughn]

HF has a vise with quick release (on sale now) that I bought last year. It works very well and is only $3 more than the Woodcraft vise. It is not a clamp on vise and opens to 10". http://www.harborfreight.com/9-inch-quick-release-woodworking-vise-94386.html

[Chris Tsutsui]

I got the HF quick release vise as well. I think it's 9" though i'm not sure.

Make sure to try the one before you buy it to make sure the quick release works perfectly since there could be discrepency in the units.

I lined the jaws with hard maple, and to mount it to my 3/4" particle board work bench, I just had to take a couple pieces of 3/4" material to make the bench thicker at the mounting location.

[Charles Wiggins]

Have you considered buying a good one now and later on transplanting it to the new bench?

+1

That's what I'd do.

[Mike Harrison]

As Glenn and Chris did, I bought the HF quick release vise. I got mine about 9 years ago and its been flawless. As you can see in this pic, I built it into the left end of my bench.

http://i670.photobucket.com/albums/vv62/mikeinkcmo/Woodworking/Wesleys%20Dresser/EP3.jpg

A couple years after getting my first, I wanted to get another as a present for a friend, but they no longer carried them, then here within the last 2-3 years, I guess, they started carrying a quick release again.

[Glenn Vaughn]

I got the HF quick release vise as well. I think it's 9" though i'm not sure.


9" wide - 10" opening max.

[Brian Loucks]

I have a temporary vise I made from a 2 ft long pipe clamp and a piece of oak 2x 4 x 2ft long. Drilled a hole thru the middle of the 2 x4 and one thru the center beam of my bench. There are also 2 stablizer bars on the ends of the the 2 x4. These are secured in blind mortises, (for asthetics:) I believe they were made from pieces of a discarded swing set.
The handle end of the clamp is on the outsde, the other end of the clamp is seated behind the bench center beam. Works great. My plan is to replace it when I build my Shaker style bench. Afte 30 years of use, if I ever do build a new bench I'll have to keep this one... just because.
I also have a very old large mechanics vise that I installed 2 x2 x 15 inch oak jaws on. Pretty sure I could secure most anything on that one.
Picture book worthy - no, functional - very

Brian