Bench Vises

Michael Fortune’s unconventional vises

February 23, 2021

His work is anything but traditional, so it’s no surprise that he also uses unconventional workholding tools.

Workshop Tip: Pivoting vise jaw secures irregular workpieces

July 15, 2020

Double-tapered auxiliary jaw holds odd shapes securely.

Don’t build a new workbench

June 1, 2020

Chris Schwarz demonstrates how to improve any existing bench with a few inexpensive pieces of wood and steel.

Build a Simple and Stout Workbench

October 28, 2019

Designed for student use at the Center for Furniture Craftsmanship, this easy-to-build, no-nonsense workbench can stand up to lots of use and abuse.

Workbench Helpers: Tips on Holding Work

November 29, 2017

Holdfasts and hand screws make your workbench more versatile.

installing a woodworking vise and drilling dog holes

Installing a Vise

October 28, 2015

A solid workbench is pretty much useless without a solid vise. Watch this video to learn how to mount a cast-iron vise to your workbench.

Restore a Vintage Vise

October 28, 2015

Built to last and easy to refurbish, sturdy old vises are a great bargain

Magnetic vise-jaw pads prevent bite marks

October 1, 2014

I use a cast-iron machinist’s vise for a lot of woodworking projects. To keep the steel jaws from damaging my workpiece, I always used a couple of pieces of scrapwood…

Wedge Keeps Vise from Racking

June 6, 2013

Even a high-quality bench vise will rack a little when a workpiece is clamped on one side and the opposite side is left empty. A common fix is to insert…

Hand-Screw Vise Holds Odd Pieces on Drill Press

February 7, 2013

To make a versatile drill-press vise for round or irregular workpieces, start with an inexpensive 10-in. wood hand screw. Cut a 110° notch out of each jaw with a bandsaw.…