[Closed] Vice positioning on new workbench

middler than that. You're going to be putting things in it you need plenty of room around.

edit: and yes, I'd replace the top with some heavy wood.

So right in the middle or in the middle 3rd?

If it's right in the middle doesn't it restrict the use of the flat surface for other stuff?

The flat surface should be full of other junk so you can't really use any of it.

mine is about 1/4 along (so as you say bench space)with jaws on edge (so I can put tall bits in upright without hitting bench),

[URL= http://i1300.photobucket.com/albums/ag98/stavromuller/Bench_zps888a5a24.jp g" target="_blank">http://i1300.photobucket.com/albums/ag98/stavromuller/Bench_zps888a5a24.jp g"/> [/IMG][/URL] As you can see, my vice is proportionally in the same positions you've placed yours. This works great, it's been there since 1995 with no probs. It's also in line with the side door so really long stuff can stick out (top tip).

Make sure the rear jaw is positioned proud of the leading edge of the bench so that you can clamp long objects vertically.

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Needs to be as close to end as is feasable so you can work in two planes, like they were at school, and engineering college, after all what self respecting bikist can go into LBS and not say 'I'm an engineer dontcha know'!!

Your vise should be near to a leg ideally. Provides the most support. You don't want any flex when [s]smacking[/s] adjusting things with a hammer..

i am going to move it to the other end, about 1/4 of the way in there is more space that side.

oh and whats good for a top surface? old kitchen counter top? Is 600mm x 1200mm so not too big.

fire door

kitchen surface

lots of 2x2 or 4x2 glued , bolted and planed flat.

but offcuts of kitchen surface easier to come by.

if you go to your local supplier or even the woodwork corner of BnQ next tto the fire exit where they do the cutting in store they have an offcuts section for cheap cheap.

as above, I used a collection of old stuff. When my worktop wasn't as sturdy I had a plank below and a section above for the vice, so I could bolt it down hard and spread the load underneath.
On positioning, imagine you need to use it to remove some hub end caps with a wheel attached and allow room for that.

If treating the top as sacrificial it should not matter too much. MDF will turn into porridge with enough moisture though. Old kitchen worktop would do or a nice thick bit of (marine or exterior grade) ply would be nice.

My vice is proud of the bench, over a leg, and at a very slight angle so that very long things can be accommodated by sticking out of the door to the man cave. The last might not be relevant to where you have yours. As a lefty I prefer to have the long bit of whatever I'm cutting sticking out of the vice to the right so I can support it with my right hand. You cack handed righties might prefer it the other way around!

one thing i will say - if thats an aldi vice , remove the rotating base bit or your going to be removing nothing from anything.

just bolt it down to the table without the rotating base , as soon as you put any force into turning something the casting in the base splits.

I used 4x2 as a base with 18mm far eastern ply as a finish.
I dont have much room on my work bench so I drolled the holes for the vice and only install it as and when its needed.

I would say the vice is fine where it is if you're right handed, but put it on the other end of the bench if your a wrong 'un.

If you don't know where to position your vice I suggest you eBay off your tools. I hope this helps. 🙂

If you don't know where to position your vice I suggest you eBay off your tools. I hope this helps.

a bit harsh, but I can't see where your going to put the laptop to ask STW mid job 😉
(on a more practical not I did used to run my power from the room so that I could keep the cables off the bench

I have that bench (but with a drawer under) and put my rotating vice right in a corner over the leg so I can use it with stuff off the end of the bench as well as the front (off the end is great for cutting fork steerers etc).

It gets more support there too.

I did put another foot square lump of wood under the work top and bolted through that to give more support to the vice, tbough,

Vice in the middle works well...on 3/4" ply... with too much junk on the bench to use the vice properly in the end anyway !
[img][URL= http://i558.photobucket.com/albums/ss30/rfarquharson/bench3.jpe g" target="_blank">http://i558.photobucket.com/albums/ss30/rfarquharson/bench3.jpe g"/> [/IMG][/URL][/img]

ive attached mine to the side near a leg like yours is positioned..

Ive used big bolts through the work surface and a reinforced plank with some big washers underneath the vice area..

ive also used big wingnuts on the bolts so its dead easy and quick to remove the vice if i need it out of the way for any reason!

thinking that I need to take the No 0 record off and put the No3 on after reading all this, may extend the worksurface to accomodate both and increase the stuff out of boxes in the increased area to make look busy...

#edit, mounted on kitchen worktop - infact whole kitchen unit fitted, and braced into garge, next to the fridge freezer, which has both beer and icecream...

I've got a cobbled together workbench in the shed made from a kitchen work surface offcut. I have the vice at the side of the bench usually so its out of the way, but did drill some mounting holes in the front of the bench too, so I can move it between the two if needed.