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.



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



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.







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?

IMG_1893.jpg IMG_1894.jpg IMG_1895.jpg

[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 ...



Moxon vise added for sawing dovetails or joinery ...



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



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 . . .

TNNW End Vise (22).jpg

[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