Least-Offensive Location for Mechanic's Vise on Bench?

[Bernie May]

I have been getting ready to clamp mine to my new bench, but a new thought occurred. Maybe I can hinge it to the bench so it flops over the side or the back side when not in use.

[Mac McQuinn]

I've used large threaded brass inserts in the top of my reloading bench to hold things like a vice and press to the bench. Top is a torsion box, MDO/2x4 construction. Seems to do the job and keeps the bench "clean". Storage for press and vice is in "Rubbermaid" containers underneath on shelf.
Mac

[ian maybury]

Having done it for many years I'm not a big fan of a metal working vise on a bench where woodworking is done - the issue for me is cross contamination of the woodwork with metal particles from filing, hacksawing and the like. Cutting with an angle grinder is the worst of all - it spews a stream of hot metal particles everywhere. If nothing else it's potentially a fire risk (not sure how real the risk is) when there's wood shavings and sawdust about. There's also times i weld, braze or solder, which can drip hot material on the bench causing burn marks as well.

If forced to do metalwork on a woodworking bench i'd argue strongly for at minimum a well sealed, smooth and decently hard coating on the bench - so that the metal particles are easily swept up. A fancier and much better solution (since hot grits can burn into and partly stick to wood finishes which messes up the effectiveness of the vacuum) can be to sheet the area around the vise with some (brushed?) stainless steel sheet. Drill it to suit the vise, and it can be sandwiched with/held down by it and some countersunk screws (drill at slow speed to prevent over heating and hardening), get it folded in the local fab shop and it can wrap around the front edge of the bench top. Which latter prevents the edge getting damaged or rubbish getting under it, and looks neater.

Best of all though is a dedicated/separate metal working bench, ideally in a room separate from the woodworking...

[Jim Becker]

Keith, the hitch receiver thing is an incredible idea!

[Keith Outten]

Jim,

I can't take credit for the receiver hitch idea, its been around for a long time. I have expanded on it though, finding more and more places that it makes sense and allows me to get more done in a variety of situations. What I need now is to design a shop rack to store all of the things that I have installed on square tubing that fits in my receivers.

I have receivers mounted on my van, tractor, garden tractor, golf cart, lawn mower, work bench and the one on the post in my shop. Soon I will add several more receivers on the post at various levels to accommodate more jobs and machines.

[Shawn Pixley]

Like Larry, my mechanic's vise is mounted to a separate bench. I the can apply big torque and not overly worry about metal bits. I would not mount it to woodworking bench give the way I work.

[Larry Edgerton]

Keith, never thought of using my setup for a grinder. I will now!

Thanks

[Matthew Hills]

I've got my mechanics vise on my original bench that is used with rigid spindle sander, desktop drill press, misc. home repairs, and sharpening. My woodworking bench is on the opposite side of the shop and remains wood-only.

Matt

[Keith Outten]

Keith, never thought of using my setup for a grinder. I will now!

Thanks

Larry,

You can mount your bench grinder to a metal plate and either use fasteners or weld the plate to the square tubing. I have also used plywood mounts shaped like a "T" for several tools so I can quickly mount them in either my woodworking or metal vise. All of my scroll benders are mounted to 1/2" thick wall aluminum "T" or "L" shapes so I can swap them out real quick when I need to do multiple bends. If I roll the scroll bender 90 degrees I can bend vertically and the T tubing piece that you can see in pic with the pipe vise allows me to rotate into a vertical mode as well.

In the second pic you can see how I can mount my small pipe vise. The options are endless as you work through a variety of jobs you will find more ways to use the receivers for rigging and holding long boards and pipe..you name it.

A receiver could easily be tucked under a bench top and fastened underneath so it would never get in the way of normal work or projects. Using square tubing as an extender can get whatever tool you need to work with away from the bench and provide a lot of clearance that you can't get from a bench mounted vise. Imagine working at your vise with no obstructions underneath and being able to use a shop stool right up close to the vise as well. I can also setup a table for my miter saw and have a very long temporary station ready to cut long boards in just a couple of minutes. I can transfer the miter saw station to the receiver on my mower or garden tractor and cut vinyl siding or framing lumber outside and its mobile.

I have a one ton trailer that has a receiver welded to the center support that will accept any of my tools and setups as well as one of the truck lifting booms.