Thursday, November 8, 2018

How to install a woodworking bench vise















I just got a proper carpentry vise. In this video I document it’s installation process.  

I got inspired from Mr. Paul Sellers, check out his vise installation video here.

Tools and materials I propose:

First of all I had to fill the front area of my work bench with wood. I did that by glueing and screwing pieces of plywood in place.

Next I marked the screw holes of the back jaw, predrilled pilot holes and added the screws.

Under the bench top I glued and screwed another wooden block. On that I predrilled pilots holes again and added bolts and washers to secure the vise in place.

I next I cut a piece of plywood on the bandsaw to act as the jaw’s frame. I glued and nailed it in place with my air powered nail gun.

I then cut the plywood jaws on the table saw. I used masking tape to make a cleaner cut in the areas were the blade was perpendicular to the grain of the wood.

Next I clamped the two jaws on the vise to get the marks from the back jaw’s bolts. I used a forstner bit to create pockets to hide them.

Then I glued the back jaw in place and screwed the front one. 

I then used a hand plane to make everything flush. 

To make the sides flush I used my belt sander.

Next I cut a piece of leather for the front jaw. I applied adhesive to both the contacting surfaces. I waited about 15 minutes and glued the pieces together. I then trimmed the leather flush with a knife.

At this point I installed the jaw and used the vise as clamp to hold the pieces together over night.

I did some tests and my vise worked really nicely.

This is a huge upgrade for my workshop and it was about time it happened!

I hope you enjoyed this project, as much as I did!


Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links, meaning, that at no cost to you, I get a small commission if you click through and make a purchase.

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