Workbench Vise

Most people who like working with their hands, be it in carpentry, metalworking, carving, electronics, gardening, or any other discipline, like to have a workbench to work on.

Workbenches are very popular because of their convenience. They have storage to keep materials and the most often used tools at hand. They also have an ample surface that you can work on without worrying that it’ll break, stain, or get damaged.

While a lot of workbenches are dedicated to a type of work, there are some that are specific to a discipline. For example, a wood working workbench may have a saw for cutting wood, while an electronics bench might have electronic outlets and a power source, to power tools and gadgets.

Nevertheless, there is one thing common to every workbench. They always have some device to hold the piece that it’s being worked on fixed in a certain position. That way, the person can work on it with both hands without the piece moving. This really makes the job much easier and allows for much more precision or strength when working.

Most of the time, the device that holds the piece in place is a workbench vise. A workbench vise is a mechanical apparatus that has two pieces, also called “jaws” that hold the piece to be worked on in place by pressure. One of the jaws of the workbench vise is fixed and the other one is parallel to it and can be moved towards the other jaw or away from it via some mechanism, which is usually a screw.

Working vises come in different types and models. Some of them are already attached to the workbench and others are bought separately and installed.

The type of workbench vise will always depend on the type of work intended. For example, if you plan on welding, then you need a workbench vise that can stand sparkles and heat. If you work with fragile materials, you need a workbench vise that has rubber or other soft material on the jaws, so the risk of breaking the piece is reduced. If you work with wood, then you need a big workbench vise that can hold huge pieces of lumber in place.

In addition to the qualities of a workbench vice, you have to consider the position it’ll have in the workbench. Common workbench vises positions are leg vise, shoulder vise, tail vice, front vise, etc.

The best way to decide which workbench vise is best for you is by talking to a professional who does the same kind of work you want to do. Clerks at stores usually don’t know what is needed for the job or want to sell anything just to get a commission.