bench end vice

[lurker]

I've been needing an end vice on my homemade bench, but lack the skills to make a "proper" one.

Last week, with the Screwfix discount I had a bit of a buying frenzy.

One item I bought was the smallest cheapest vice (£17) this fitted just right on the end of my bench and I've cladded the exposed metal (I'm paranoid about dinging my hand tools) with hardwood. Am really pleased with the result.

Incidentally, I needed to make up one of the orders (as you do!) and bought a pair of cheap plastic bench clamps (£3.80 for 2). Not only do these do the job (and appear quite robust) but can see adaptations for them as guides, holdowns etc on either router, drill, saw tables. Might get some more once I've road tested the ones I have.

 

[George_N]

I did the same sort of thing recently with one of the cheap Axminster vices (£13). I also fitted a wooden jaw and drilled it to take a 3/4" round bench dog. I found that I had to taper the hardwood jaw, top to bottom so that when the vice was closed the jaws met at the top edge first. This means that when the end vice is used with bench dogs it tends to push the workpiece down onto the bench top. That is the beauty of using a wooden vice jaw, you can easily shape it to fit.