mounting vise to bench

mendozer · April 6, 2015, 03:42 PM

After some recent difficulty with trying to remove the sights from my S&W 5906 (still haven't gotten it off) I decided I need a vise. CL has a few good used ones (USA made Wiltons, Parkers, etc). Do I really need a solid machinist or mechanics style vise or will a simple wood vise work ? I'd rather have something with more travel anyhow, and if I cam mount it into the base of my bench (vertical 2x4 under a horizontal 2x6 and hardboard surface) then that would be better IMO than a big old lug of metal on top the bench.

I figure as long as it holds things firmly, it should be ok for a cheaper wood vise right? And I'm talking about holding slides, frames, etc while doing little work. I already have a MTM gunsmith vise for cleaning shotguns/rifles so this would be for small pistol jobs.

Mavrick79 · April 6, 2015, 03:49 PM

In my opinion the jaws don't really matter because your going to be putting something between the jaws and the slide anyways. What matters is that the vise and bench are solid and do not move when you tap the sights out. If there's any flex it will make it more difficult more difficult to tap the sight out because that movement will act like a shock and absorb the impact on the sight.

mendozer · April 6, 2015, 04:16 PM

so then how do you mount these wood vises to the bench? Attach the inner jaw behind the wood?

Roughedge · April 6, 2015, 04:29 PM

I use this one from midway http://www.midwayusa.com/product/511...ProductFinding . Its good for a china vise although I wear one out in a year or two. I'm a gunsmith so I use it everyday and crank it down hard sometimes . I buy two at a time so I have a spare but if you use it now and then it should last you a lifetime.

Nlight1 · April 6, 2015, 05:00 PM

I have an undermount unit

Clark · April 6, 2015, 05:01 PM

Bolt or screw the press to a 2x4 or 2x6 that is a long as the bench is deep, probably 24".

Clamp the press to the bench with one of these
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

This makes it easy to reload in the living room, the car, the tail gate, the bench at the range, etc.

And you can use that clamp for woodworking.

April 6, 2015, 03:42 PM	#1
mendozer Senior Member Join Date: January 26, 2013 Posts: 235	mounting vise to bench After some recent difficulty with trying to remove the sights from my S&W 5906 (still haven't gotten it off) I decided I need a vise. CL has a few good used ones (USA made Wiltons, Parkers, etc). Do I really need a solid machinist or mechanics style vise or will a simple wood vise work ? I'd rather have something with more travel anyhow, and if I cam mount it into the base of my bench (vertical 2x4 under a horizontal 2x6 and hardboard surface) then that would be better IMO than a big old lug of metal on top the bench. I figure as long as it holds things firmly, it should be ok for a cheaper wood vise right? And I'm talking about holding slides, frames, etc while doing little work. I already have a MTM gunsmith vise for cleaning shotguns/rifles so this would be for small pistol jobs.

April 6, 2015, 04:29 PM	#4
Roughedge Senior Member Join Date: January 24, 2011 Location: Monroe,NC Posts: 669	I use this one from midway http://www.midwayusa.com/product/511...ProductFinding . Its good for a china vise although I wear one out in a year or two. I'm a gunsmith so I use it everyday and crank it down hard sometimes . I buy two at a time so I have a spare but if you use it now and then it should last you a lifetime. __________________ The man that die's with the most stuff win's!

April 6, 2015, 05:01 PM	#6
Clark Senior Member Join Date: December 4, 1999 Location: WA, the ever blue state Posts: 4,678	Bolt or screw the press to a 2x4 or 2x6 that is a long as the bench is deep, probably 24". Clamp the press to the bench with one of these http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...?ie=UTF8&psc=1 This makes it easy to reload in the living room, the car, the tail gate, the bench at the range, etc. And you can use that clamp for woodworking. __________________ The word 'forum" does not mean "not criticizing books." "Ad hominem fallacy" is not the same as point by point criticism of books. If you bought the book, and believe it all, it may FEEL like an ad hominem attack, but you might strive to accept other points of view may exist. Are we a nation of competing ideas, or a nation of forced conformity of thought?

April 6, 2015, 03:49 PM	#2
Mavrick79 Senior Member Join Date: August 25, 2013 Posts: 143	In my opinion the jaws don't really matter because your going to be putting something between the jaws and the slide anyways. What matters is that the vise and bench are solid and do not move when you tap the sights out. If there's any flex it will make it more difficult more difficult to tap the sight out because that movement will act like a shock and absorb the impact on the sight.

April 6, 2015, 04:16 PM	#3
mendozer Senior Member Join Date: January 26, 2013 Posts: 235	so then how do you mount these wood vises to the bench? Attach the inner jaw behind the wood?

April 6, 2015, 05:00 PM	#5
Nlight1 Member Join Date: June 19, 2013 Location: Oklahoma Posts: 89	I have an undermount unit