never used a vice…
i more or less agree with ‘spoon:
1) do one side (cone+locknut) up ‘bloody tight’ and pop it into the hub
2) screw in (by hand) the other cone, followed by the locknut (also by hand)
the ‘loose’ cone + lock nut should now be nestled against each other
3) nip them up
4) check for play or tightness
5a) if you find ‘play’, tighten a smidge with a spanner on both locknuts – yes, you’ll need 2 spanners.
5b) if the bearings are tight, loosen a smidge with a cone spanner on both cones – yes, you’ll need 2 cone spanners.
6) nip up the ‘loose’ side a bit more than last time
repeat from step 4 until the loose side is ‘tightened up’, and there’s just a hint of play.
There, easy, takes about 2 mins, and all you need is 4 spanners.
it’s all very civilised; you haven’t got to hit anything, you won’t break anything, you won’t bend anything.