Vise Placement

[Edward Weber]

This is more of a survey than a question in search of a specific answer.
If you have more than one vise on your bench, where are they placed.
Thanks

[Zachary Hoyt]

I have a woodworker's vise on one end of one table and a small metal vise on the other. I got the 3/4" plywood top with both vises and some crummy saw horses for $10 at an estate auction many years ago. I have since replaced the machinist's vise when the old one died, but the wood one is still fine, albeit with a new handle. The new base is more robust and much higher too. I don't use the wood vise for traditional work, so the light weight of the whole table is not a problem. It's handy for certain things I do.

[Richard Coers]

Typical German style. Face vise on the front left side and tail vise on the right end.

[Jimmy Harris]

Typical German style. Face vise on the front left side and tail vise on the right end.

This is what I prefer too. My old workbench has a small metal face vise on the front left and a wood vise on the right end. My new workbench doesn't deviate much, other than having a leg vise on the front left and a wagon vise on the right, front end.

[Jim Becker]

On my primary bench, there is a face vice mounted on the left side of the "front" edge of the bench.

https://onedrive.live.com/embed?resid=C0685A604D3742F9%216632&authkey=%21AOqxXmTSuTJOSbQ&width=660

On my guitar bench, which is also used for other things, there is a vice mounted on the right side end.

https://onedrive.live.com/embed?resid=C0685A604D3742F9%215165&authkey=%21AO599uZgh3MTU6c&width=660

My auxiliary bench does not have vices, but has other features, such as built in provisions for down draft sanding and pocket screw drilling, along with a flat top for general purpose.

https://onedrive.live.com/embed?resid=C0685A604D3742F9%216609&authkey=%21AKk9zDyP8PmjB6Y&width=660

https://onedrive.live.com/embed?resid=C0685A604D3742F9%216620&authkey=%21AKg6LM3UXauaOLo&width=660

https://onedrive.live.com/embed?resid=C0685A604D3742F9%216623&authkey=%21APUlEt3hs9fNB8I&width=660

As you can see, all three benches also have a grid of 20mm dog holes on 96mm spacing and can use various clamping and work holding methods accordingly. The main bench also has three rows of 3/4" dog holes in the thicker purple heart strips for use with my "beloved" Gramercy holdfasts. I'm considering adding some additional "vice" oriented enhancements to the main bench to better handle longer stock, but have not decided on the "what" at this point.

Note, all these photos were taken at the old shop.

[Cliff Polubinsky]

Wagon vise front right. I use this one the most. Leg vise front left. Hi-Vise usually parked on back right but is moved as needed. All vises Benchcrafted

Cliff

[Aaron Liebling]

Leg vise on the front right (I'm left handed) and an end vise on the opposite end.

Mostly making furniture, but a good amount of box/cabinetry/joinery. I am very happy with my vises (if not my vices) for these purposes.

[Maurice Mcmurry]

3 of mine are installed on shop cabinets attached to the North wall. Needing to face North may be some kind of disorder?

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[Patrick C Daugherty]

quick release wood vise on left front, with pattern makers vise on right end as a end vise.

[Derek Cohen]

This is more of a survey than a question in search of a specific answer.
If you have more than one vise on your bench, where are they placed.
Thanks

Hand- and power work is separated by different benches types.

Somewhat classic vise set up for hand tools, with a focus on hand planes. Leg vise and wagon end vise ...

https://i.postimg.cc/Pr7Nsmrk/Underbench-Cabinet-Completion-Cabinet-html-m5a0ab82.jpg (https://postimages.org/)

Moxon vise added for sawing dovetails or joinery ...

https://i.postimg.cc/vmqLrPpZ/1.jpg (https://postimg.cc/67ZvwhWk)

MFT for sawing, metal work, finishing, assembly and carving. There is a Record #52 vise at the left end ...

https://i.postimg.cc/wBBsRjSk/saw2.jpg (https://postimages.org/)

Regards from Perth

Derek

[Maurice Mcmurry]

I have a DIY removable pin on the Wilton wood vice. It disables the quick release which takes a very big turn and pull to dis-engage and another big turn to re-engage. There is nothing quick about that when repeating a squeeze on multiple items of the same thickness.

[Robert Hayward]

Big metal vise, Wilton 748a, on the right end and a woodworkers vise towards the left end. Both vises on a 2X10 southern yellow pine bench that has served me well for a lot of years.

I have had my finger on the "buy" button a bunch of times at Advantage Lumber near me for 200 bf of 8/4 hard maple to build a really nice woodworkers bench. Just cannot make myself spend the money when I have a super solid bench already.

[Randy Heinemann]

For me, the most useful type of vise is an end vise with bench dog holes along about half the length of the bench and on the top of the vise face. That allows me to handle a variety of shapes and sizes from those which can be held in the jaws of the vise to boards that can be held between dogs flat on the bench top. The vise goes across the whole 30" width of the bench. I think that a moxxon vise for the top of the bench would be a useful addition. That would allow me to hold some pieces I'm working on above the bench top at a height that would be easier to work on them and would be useful for other miscellaneous work.

[glenn bradley]

Probably as many answers as there are woodworkers . . .

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[Aaron Liebling]

I know it's not exactly the original question, but I do feel like the anarchist's workbench (free PDF if you don't want to buy it) does a great job walking through the various vise options and their pros and cons for different kinds of work

[Bill Dufour]

Left or right handed makes a difference?
Bill D

[Holmes Anderson]

Left or right handed makes a difference?
Bill D

Yes. Front vise of the left and end vise on the right is for right-handed woodworker. Front vise on the right and end vise on the left for left-handed woodworker. At least according to the lefties I know.

[Justin Rapp]

Typical German style. Face vise on the front left side and tail vise on the right end.

Same for my bench.

[mike stenson]

Front left on both benches, as I am right hand dominant. I prefer the leg vise, and I don't miss the end vise one bit.

https://photos.smugmug.com/Woodworking/Shop/Roubo-Bench-/i-2z59QWn/0/FFxbx9BNVgGhczS8PX77wWg4kgwG3tS2Qb98fm56B/L/IMG_8023-L.jpg


I mount my machinists vise on the left front as well, for what that's worth.

[James Pallas]

On the woodworking bench I have a tail vise on the right a leg vise on the left and a gun makers vise usually in one of the dog holes somewhere along the bench. On my Noden bench I have a face vise at each corner. Two are on one end and two are opposing on the face at the same end. So I have a left handed bench on one side a a right handed on the other. I have a machine vise on a base that I can clamp in any of the vises when needed. I find this works very well for me. Since I work on a large diversity of projects from wood, carving, machining, and electrical I need versatility.
Jim

[Edward Weber]

Thanks for all the replies, I'm happy many of you included "why" your vises were positioned where they are, very helpful.

[Jim Becker]

Thanks for all the replies, I'm happy many of you included "why" your vises were positioned where they are, very helpful.
The nice thing about making one's own bench setup is that things like vices can be positioned and designed to best support how "you" work. I think this might also be one of the reasons that folks who start off with a "typical" commercial bench or basic work surface will take the time to design and build "their" ultimate bench. And that's a good thing.

[andrew whicker]

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This is mine. It's a complete workhorse. Obviously I've been using it as a paint table as well. That should be ending in a few months.

I use the double handled end vice all the time for clamping. My holes are only mildly close to ideal cnc like accuracy. Very mildly in a lot of cases. I decided instead to use the dog clamps that slide so my hole accuracy wasn't important.

I hardly ever use the side mounted vice.

I wouldn't get rid of it, but if it was gone tomorrow I'm not sure I would invest in a new one.

[Mel Fulks]

Jim , ‘tis a beautiful thing ! If you ever keep kid’s during the day they will really enjoy it ! Great Primary Bench that would be coveted
beyond the primary grades and into college frat house. I’ve worked in a couple of shops that looked like coal mines.

[Joe Calhoon]

I built a European style bench back in the 80s. It was a pleasure to build and has been a joy to use all these years! The side vise with the sliding jack board gets used a lot for edge work on doors. I made my bench a little taller than the norm. A few years ago I added fittings for Mac’s clamps.
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People are taller nowadays. This last photo is from a German woodworking school. You can see where most benches have been added on to raise the height.
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[Ron Selzer]

I built a European style bench back in the 80s. It was a pleasure to build and has been a joy to use all these years! The side vise with the sliding jack board gets used a lot for edge work on doors. I made my bench a little taller than the norm. A few years ago I added fittings for Mac’s clamps.


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That is a long radius
Ron

[Warren Lake]

German shop look like Ulmia benches. They have some issues if they are older ones think the company was bought out at one point. I remember emailing them showing them some issues and they said no way they were theirs.

Yeah on the too low thing. Even with old age shrinkflation they were too low so have them raised. There was a time you would find them in European shops in Toronto. not all but some of the ones mostly Italian or mostly German seemed to have them. Sometimes some stuff was out before the auction photos and auction. The good old days when auctions were live and you could read the audience.

[Phil Gaudio]

Left, right, middle: 'a la Lie Nielsen:
https://i.postimg.cc/cHKqwqQc/IMG-3378.jpg (https://postimg.cc/fthgQrq3)

[Tom Bender]

Well without doubt Derek has the prettiest bench but Maurice may have the hardest working one

Love the birdhouse Robert

[Maurice Mcmurry]

Well without doubt Derek has the prettiest bench but Maurice may have the hardest working one

Love the birdhouse Robert

Thanks Tom My old motto was "I will do your job ASAP".
My new motto is "I will do your job AASP" "(at a snails pace)