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Thread: location of bench vises?

  1. #1
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    location of bench vises?

    Why do most work benches I see have a full width vise on one end, and on the long edge to the left of this, have another smaller vise all the way at the other end?

    Why is the small vise rarely all the way down the long end to the right of the full width vise? Is this a left handed/right handed for hand planing thing?

    bench vise.jpg

    I'm building an adjust a bench 4x8 torsion box bench, and hope to also use it for a mini/midi lathe for some time, until I have room for a dedicated lathe stand/cart. I think the lathe would best be located on the corner where that small vise is. they might both be able to be there and I just wouldn't use that vise unless the lathe is off the bench.

  2. #2
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    It's a handedess thing. Right hand, you have the face vise on the left and the end vise on the right (left hand vise versa ). It works out so much better for most operations. I'm sure others will pipe up, or I'll give some examples when I'm not on my phone.

  3. #3
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    Quote Originally Posted by mike stenson View Post
    It's a handedess thing. Right hand, you have the face vise on the left and the end vise on the right (left hand vise versa ). It works out so much better for most operations. I'm sure others will pipe up, or I'll give some examples when I'm not on my phone.
    Thanks mike. I figured this was the case. I look forward to seeing/hearing of the examples. I'm thinking I can put a face vise on the left and it won't be in the way of the lathe use. But we'll see.

  4. #4
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    I always figured the side vise was backwards for the way I thought it should be. I am very close to ambidextrous so sometimes things seem "wrong" when they are not to someone who uses right or left hands dominantly all the time. I would think about how you work and check out what Mike shows for examples and then put them where they will work best for you. My vise ended up on the left side of the long side of the bench. If something feels awkward I just switch hands.
    Last edited by Mike Kees; 07-28-2020 at 12:19 AM.

  5. #5
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    Quote Originally Posted by Mike Kees View Post
    I always figured the side vise was backwards for the way I thought it should be. I am very close to ambidextrous so sometimes things seem "wrong" when they are not to someone who uses right or left hands dominantly all the time. I would think about how you work and check out what Mike shows for examples and then put them where they will work best for you. My vise ended up on the left side of the long side of the bench. If something feels awkward I just switch hands.
    Yeah, it's kinda funny. I need a workbench to build my workbench. Which came first, the chicken or the egg. I'm also trying to design the workbench so that the face vise can go on either side without too much headache.

    Chances are ill mess something up and will rebuild/improve it years down the road.

  6. #6
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    AFAIK all lathes are set up the same with the headstock to the left, tailstock to the right so the vise location will affect the future lathe equally. There are some rare lathes with a powered headstock at both ends for glass or real heavy lathes for pipe work. On metal lathes the handwheel on the carriage can be either right or left side of the carriage. American and British lathes tend to have the wheel on the left. European lathes mostly to the right, away from the hot chips. Asian lathes either way depending on which one they are copying.
    The headstock is on the left end iss originally so threaded chucks can use a right hand thread.
    Bil lD

  7. #7
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    Quote Originally Posted by Jon Steffen View Post
    Why do most work benches I see have a full width vise on one end, and on the long edge to the left of this, have another smaller vise all the way at the other end?

    Why is the small vise rarely all the way down the long end to the right of the full width vise? Is this a left handed/right handed for hand planing thing?

    bench vise.jpg

    I'm building an adjust a bench 4x8 torsion box bench, and hope to also use it for a mini/midi lathe for some time, until I have room for a dedicated lathe stand/cart. I think the lathe would best be located on the corner where that small vise is. they might both be able to be there and I just wouldn't use that vise unless the lathe is off the bench.

    It does not matter where you place the vises if you only use power tools. It matters a great deal if you use hand planes to dimension and/or finish boards/panels.

    The flat bench top is a reference surface as well as part of the method to hold board fro planing. I am right handed, so the vise is at the left side.



    Leg vise plus sliding deadman hold wide panels for planing ...





    The vise is over the leg to provide maximum stability when mortising with a chisel.



    There is a tail vise at the other end to hold longer pieces, or to work against a dog ..








    Regards from Perth

    Derek

  8. #8
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    Quote Originally Posted by Jon Steffen View Post
    Yeah, it's kinda funny. I need a workbench to build my workbench. Which came first, the chicken or the egg. ...
    Mike Siemsen, in his "Naked Woodworker" video*, starts with two 5 gal buckets, rehabs swap meet hand tools, builds saw benches from construction lumber, and then builds a Nicholson, or "English", workbench from construction lumber. There are ways to do it without a workbench, though I'm sure a second bench would be easier (an existing bench being one of many reasons.)

    (* that's "naked" as in without tools, not without clothes. I've seen folks put off by the click-bait title.)

  9. #9
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    I keep two benches in my shop. If your lathe weighs what I suppose, a dedicated fixture makes sense.

    Woodworking with back strain isn't fun.

  10. #10
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    I went the opposite way, with the twin screw on the side and the small vice on the end. I wish I would have gone the other way. The twin screw gets in the way. Since this photo was taken I've replaced the chop with one about half the thickness but it still gets in the way when planing long boards.

    4103275307_f30a5080da_b.jpg
    Sharp solves all manner of problems.

  11. #11
    Just completed mine, I use the tail vise much more than I thought I would - everything from clamping a board for using a router to hand planing and sawing dovetails. I wish I had put the leg vise a little closer to the end so I could work the wood when clamped in it from that side, not a huge deal and I think it might be because I am ambidextrous so instead of flipping the wood around it is just natural for me to swap the tool to the other hand.

    Also do yourself a favor and use the Benchcrafted hardware, it is superb.

    787D36A6-3523-4861-9539-72CDF3AA649D.jpgF84B5A7F-4C72-4D7E-91B1-221DEC0CC232.jpg

  12. #12
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    Quote Originally Posted by Jon Steffen View Post
    Why do most work benches I see have a full width vise on one end, and on the long edge to the left of this, have another smaller vise all the way at the other end?
    Most that I see have a smaller end vise like a tail or wagon vise. The front vise is indeed a 'handed' thing with the left position working for righty's and the right position working for lefty's. As of the last decade it seems that I see more large scale front vises but, that could be the phenomena where you see a lot of the model of car you just got. I will work with just about any holding method but, went large in front and at the tail for my last bench. You want to ignore trends and build for how you work. You will be happier longer.

    TNNW End Vise (22).jpg
    Last edited by glenn bradley; 07-28-2020 at 10:42 AM. Reason: left/right/backwards ;-)
    "A hen is only an egg's way of making another egg".


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  13. #13
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    Vice location and type is always very personal and "handedness" certainly comes into play, especially when hand tools are involved. Most of my vice needs are handled by a simple front vice on the left side like is shown in many of the photos in this thread. I don't have any kind of end vice on my main bench. I do have one on my guitar bench, but it's in that location because it would be a physical hazard to be on the front with the way my shop is arranged. For workholding, I use holdfasts like in Derek's first photo in post number 7. I'll use dogs and other stops on the top of a bench for when that's what's necessary to contain a workpiece without clamping.

    Think about how you work. You can't go wrong with a front vice for general use initially while you figure the rest out. For that reason, you could consider a more modest benchtop at first until you really know what your needs are.
    --

    The most expensive tool is the one you buy "cheaply" and often...

  14. #14
    A wood lathe is annoying on a bench. Much better with legs. On a bench continuous buildup of chips to be cleared , better on the floor. Turn a bowl and 4/5ths of the block is chips.

  15. #15
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    I put it on the left side, since I am right handed, then you can hold your work piece in the right/dominant hand and operate the vise with the left/stupid hand.

    Doc
    As Cort would say: Fools are the only folk on the earth who can absolutely count on getting what they deserve.

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