A vise is an essential part of a workbench. Bench vices are an engineer’s vices that are made to hold the object in a fixed position. The vise is mainly used by carpenters and metalworkers.
They use it to hold the wood in a position, stick glue and dry, etc. The vise is also used to cut materials. If you have a vise beside your handy bench will serve a multi-purpose like sawing, drilling.
When you are a passionate woodworker or a metalworker, the vice will help you a lot. The most efficient vice has marked that one which remains unchanged for years and easy to handle.
Now the question may arise in your mind that how to mount a vise. Here we will get an overview of the simple mounting process of a vice. Let’s dive deeper.
How To Mount A Vise – A Complete Guideline
To mount a vise, first of all, you have to collect some instruments. There are some selective materials and tools to fix the vise on the bench. The materials, you have to fit with the vise and the tools will help you in the whole operation.
Arrange all the vital instruments and bring the model. If the vise has any instructions or guidelines to follow, you should go through them on the paper carefully.
There are some brands that don’t follow the traditional procedures of assembling a vise. Rather they provide their procedures.
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Vise Location And Selection
There are a few different ways to mount a vise on a workbench – each with its own set of pros and cons. The three most popular methods are as follows:
- T-molding – This is the oldest method and is often used when a vise is small or when space is limited. T-molding consists of a piece of wood that has been cut to fit the contours of the vise, then a metal mold is made to fit over the wood. The metal mold is heated until it’s malleable, then it’s pressed into the wood to create the desired shape.
- H-frame – This method is preferred for large vises that need to be mounted on a workbench at an angle. The h-frame consists of two pieces of metal that are bent into the desired angle, then they’re attached to the workbench with screws.
- C-clamp – This method is preferred for vises that need to be mounted on both sides of the workbench. The c-clamp consists of two pieces of metal that attach to the vise using clamps, then they’re screwed into place.
Simple Mounting
One of the most common tasks that woodworkers need to perform is mounting a vise onto a workbench. This is usually done by using a simple mounting system that uses screws and bolts. Here are the steps you need to follow:
- Start by marking the location of the vise on the workbench with a pencil. Make sure that the vise is the correct height so that it is level with the top of the bench.
- Drill pilot holes for the screws and bolts in the marked locations. It’s important to use the correct size screws and bolts for your vise, so double check before drilling.
- Mounting screws and bolts into place, attach the vise to the workbench using the screws and bolts. Tighten all screws and bolts until they are snug, but do not over-tighten them as this could damage your vise.
Estimated Cost
If you want to get a quality product with comfort, you must spend a handsome amount of money. A woodworking vise may cost $30 to $400. And a metalworking vise may cost $50 to $700.
An effective vice accelerates the quality of your work. And the whole action of mounting a vise may take $100 to $200 if you perfectly mount the vice in your working table.
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The Time Needed
Usually, the total action takes 10 to 15 minutes to mount the vise. But experts need only 5 to 7 minutes to conduct the whole job.
Tools
- Pencil
- Cordless drill
- Drill bit
- Socket
- Wrenches
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Materials:
- Bolts
- Washers (top & underside)
- Lock washers
- Nuts
Steps On Mounting A Vise
If you gather all the tools and materials, it won’t be a hard task to mount a vise. It’s time to amalgamate all the tools and materials to mounting the vise. There are some easy steps of mounting a vise, these are:
Trace Out The Mounting Hole
First of all, you have to find out the hole of the vise where you want to mount. Mark up the point with a pencil. Sometimes a mounting templet is also provided with the vise.
If you found any, try to follow the instruction of the given templet. It will make your mounting easier. Make sure that the description of that templet and your vise match.
Usually, most of the person is right-handed, and they find it helpful if the vise is mounted on the right side of the table. But positioning the vise depends absolutely on the choice of the user.
Drill Out the Hole
The second and the most crucial step of mounting a vise is drilling. Select the right size of the drill bit. Now drill out the Pencil marked area with very mild pressure.
While drilling, never put high pressure because it may cause the soft materials to splinter. You also have to be careful to put hard pressure while working on the plywood.
Fitting The Washer
The fitting of the washer is very important. You must test whether the washer fits properly on the holes of the vise base or not.
For a better fitting of the washer, you can use a bench grinder or metal file to make the big holes a bit smaller.
Bolt Adjustment
It will help you to smooth the portion of the edge. It’s time to adjust a bolt with the washer before putting it together with the drilled hole of the vise.
Try to use the strong bolt of the correct size. During the operation, you must notify the fact that you have used your customized washer to avoid sizing problems.
Setting The Washer
In this stage, you have to set a washer under one hole. Lock the washer carefully and nut properly on the beneath of the bolt.
You have to tighten all of the bolts so that none of them displaced and create obstacles.
Tighten The Bolts
At the final step, you have to use the socket wrench and standard wrench. With a socket wrench, you can tighten the bolt in the right place.
And use a standard wrench to fix the nut. It will ensure the stability of the vise. The vise will perform well if you assemble it appropriately. Again, check the bolt and nut further before use.
Thinks to Notice Carefully
Though the step of mounting a vice is easy, you have to carefully handle some issues. The position of the jaw face is vital. It should be placed in such a way that its frequent release makes you move the vise with a little effort.
If it has any pop-up stop, you don’t need to drill a doghole in the movable jaw. If you are a right-handed person, set the vise on the front right corner of your reloading bench.
Always be careful while putting the pressure. Keep at least 4inches of overhanging in your workbench so that you could put glue, drill on something straight.
Tips
There are a few things that you will need in order to mount a vise on a workbench properly. These include a vise, some clamps, and either a drill or screws.
- Drill holes in the workbench – Using a drill, make holes at the height that you want your vise to be. It is important to make sure that the holes are spaced evenly so that the vise can hang evenly.
- Screw the vise in – Once you have drilled the holes, use screws to attach the vise to the workbench. Be sure to tighten the screws until they are snug, but not too tight – this will prevent damage to the workbench or vise.
- Clamp it down – Finally, clamp down any excess screws so that they don’t move and cause problems with your vise.
Final Words
So how was the “How To Mount A Vise” guideline? To a wood or metal worker, a vise is an inevitable instrument. It helps for planning, sawing, routing, and many other instrumental operations on the workbench.
It increases the success of your handwork, hand plane, router, or table saw. It is such a device that makes you free to do whatever you want to do with wood. However, there are differences between Woodworking vises and metalworking vises.
If it is a metalworking vise, place it on the top of the bench, and if you feel comfortable with the woodworking vise, place it under the bench surface.
A vice is a helping device that makes you fix a thing on which you want to work on. A good combination of all the material in its perfect place will help you to get the utmost benefit of the vise.
FAQs
There are some other questions that people want to know about mounting a vise. The answer is given below.
1. How to Mount The Vise With Leg Bolts?
Leg bolts can be used to mount a vise. If you want to use leg bolts, drill the same holes parallel with the leg. Many people use it to have a survey, and a leg screwed vise can be placed under the bottom of the bench.
2. What Would Be The Most Suitable Place For Setting Up A Vise?
Placing a vise is vital to get the facilities of it. Basically, a vise is placed by fronting the stationary jaw face. It could allow you to clamp large pieces. And you can hang it from the tabletop.
But the placing depends on your convenience. If you want sustainability, you can separate the bench and the vise by placing steel between them or under the bench.
3. How to Choose The Perfect Bolts To Mount A Vise?
To make your vise fixed in a place bolt must be strong enough. You can use a few long bolts like 3/8″ or 1/2″ bolts.
These bolts are so long that they can go through the vise and the bench. Again, you can tighten the bolt with the nut strongly.
4. How to Place An Overhang to Make A Workbench Handy?
If your bench has an overhang of 4 inches, it is perfect. If you can customize it, make sure that it has an overhang of 4 inches at the front and at the side of the bench. The size is most beneficial for using large clamps whenever it needs.
5. How Do You Mount A Removable Vise?
There are a few different ways to mount a removable vise. One way is to use an L-bracket. This bracket has two holes, one on the top and one on the bottom. The vise can then be attached to the bracket by inserting the screws through the holes and attaching them to the vise.
Another way is to use a T-bracket. This bracket has a hole in the middle, which is where the vise can be attached. The T-bracket can then be screwed onto a piece of wood or another surface.
