Vice placement on the workbench?

[Rich Engelhardt]

Hello,
What's the best location for the vice on the workbench - front or side - or both front and side?

[mike holden]

A lot will depend on what type of work you do.
Start with one on the front (left side for right handers, right side for lefties),
then add the one on the end if needed.
Workbenches are as personal as the person using them, but for some real insight into how they work, Chris Schwarz has a new book on workbenches that is HIGHLY recommended.
Mike

[JayStPeter]

I would suggest the Chris Schwarz book on Workbenches. He discusses the pros and cons of different types of vices and locations. The whole book is a worthwhile read if you're considering buying or building a workbench. He really shows why most modern benches are not as effective as they could be with some minor design changes.

[Lee Koepke]

I am reading Chris Schwartz' book right now.

Glad I did BEFORE I built my bench. There are one or two things I would have never considered ( or had considered and now realize why I shouldnt )

He does talk about the vise positions, and the answer you dont want to hear is ....... it depends.

Harry Stansil (sp?) usu found on the Nean Forum has talked about his bench and its vises, I found that useful.

[Mike Heidrick]

I have a kind of do everything bench. It is not fancy. It has a 2X base and a laminated two layer plywood top and is sized to be the outfeed table for my TS. It is on casters so I can move it wherever. After it was already built I mounted a Wilton Heavy duty 7" vice on the front left with the rear jaw flush mounted with the front side. I do not have Dog Holes in the bench. Your work will dictate what setup works for you.

[J. Z. Guest]

Since the answer seems to be that "...it depends", you should let us know what kind of woodworking you do. Power tool or hand tool? What kind of projects do you favor?

The thing that is most common is to have one vise on the front near the left leg. Next most common is to also have one on the right side.

That wasn't an option for me, since my bench is in a corner. Since my bench is in the right corner of the garage, the front left position was ideal for me. I wound up getting rid of my Makita circular saw because the blade was on the wrong (right) side to use with my bench. I replaced it with a left-bladed 5-1/2" Skilsaw and it is perfect now.

One thing I'll probably do with my bench soon is to add a door hinge and block of 2x4 to the right front leg to help support longer workpieces.

[glenn bradley]

I have a left side, front vise and a right side, end vice. This may be completely wrong for you. Pretend you are doing what you normally do and see where you end up on the bench 'wishing for a vise' . . . that's the right spot for you.

[J. Z. Guest]

One place a vise hardly ever gets put is in the middle of the bench, away from the legs. Reason being that if you need to pound or push down, there will be more flex in that area than if it were mounted near a leg.

[Greg Hines, MD]

I had always heard that if you are right handed, the vise should be on the left hand side of the bench, and vice-versa for South Paws. That is where I put mine, and it just seems natural to me. I do not think that it is the same for everyone, so clamp it in place a couple of times, and see if it seems right to you. I do think that everyone agrees that if you intend to put a 2nd vise on a bench, that it should be on one end or the other for using bench dogs.

Doc

[Dewey Torres]

You will sooner or later, "in most cases", want a shoulder vise (which placement will depend on what hand you use as the "pusher" for hand planes), and an end vise (which combined with bench dogs/holes will allow clamping to the length of the bench). Most woodworkers prefer versatility over specialized construction, therefore I advise that until you find out which is the main preference for you, construct your bench in a manner that will allow task suitability with flexibility/expandability in the future.
Dewey

[Steven DeMars]

I am reading Chris Schwartz' book right now.

Glad I did BEFORE I built my bench. There are one or two things I would have never considered ( or had considered and now realize why I shouldnt )

He does talk about the vise positions, and the answer you dont want to hear is ....... it depends.

Harry Stansil (sp?) usu found on the Nean Forum has talked about his bench and its vises, I found that useful.

I can not say enough good about Chris' book . . . . But I will tell you, buy it from a woodworking supply dealer that will include the CD with it available only from those dealers . . . . If you pick it up at the regular book store you will only get the book . . .