Where to put the vice?
- This topic has 9 replies, 8 voices, and was last updated 6 years, 6 months ago by
.
-
Posts
-
Hej there,
i am close to finish the workbench. Just have to lower the well board.
After that i will install the vice.What do you recommend. I could install the vice on the left, right side or in the middle of the bench.
I am right hander.
Cheers tobias
Really depends on what you feel comfortable with. I wouldn’t do the middle though.
I believe the general rule is a righty has it on the left and vise versa. I’m left handed so I put it on the right side and it works great for me. Clamp some boards to each side and try working on them to find the comfortable spot for you.
Traditionally Workbenches have the main Vise on the left to make room for a Tail Vise on right, works great as a righthanded person.
However with how your Bench seems to be positioned you should consider moving it to the right otherwise you might run into problems clamping bigger pieces, a tail vise is out of the question then.
If at all possible id advise do not put the bench into a corner, tail vise needs space to open, normal vise with bigger/longer pieces needs space aswell. Walls in the way can be quite the annoyance as i can attest to.
Ok, thank you!
I’ll put the bench to the right and the vice on the left side.
Yeah what they said.
As a righty, I like to work the vise with my left and workpiece with my right.
Then when it’s time to plane, I turn to the left and my planning hand is over the workpiece without reaching across my body.
If I’m rip sawing in the vice, it’s the same as planning. Also chiseling.
If I’m cross cutting, it’s to the right of the vice.
That’s just me.
Rick G
Left side but to the inside of the left leg. I put mine in the outside and my bench moves sometimes. Left middle is better balanced. Nice bench!
Great! Thank you all for your opinion.
I’ll put the bench to the right and the vice on the inside next to the left leg.
cheers
Being a lefty myself I naturally found it easier to put the vice on the right. I’ve just managed to obtain another old Record quick release vice in good condition at a bargain £20, which I will put on the end of my bench on the left.
Don’t think there is any hard and fast rule, just do what feels right for you.
Some of us are left eyed, some of us are right eyed. Draw a cut line on a piece of scrap, place it on a table (no need for a vise or clamp), and then lay your saw on the line as if you were going to cut. Depending upon your handedness and your eye-ed-ness, you will prefer to be on one side of the line or the other. This partly relates to whether you are looking over the saw plate or not. Fool around with this and determine how you like to relate your body to the cut line. Then consider yourself standing at your bench in the space where your bench will be and decide whether you feel like you have more or less standing room and elbow room with the vise placed on the left, right, or middle and then consider putting the vise in that location.
You might play this same game holding a chisel and thinking of how you will place your body to work with the chisel.
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.