Quick release steel Vise or cabinet makers front vise

[Zahid Naqvi]

Ok, experienced neanders, I have a choice to buy one or the other for about the same price range, the grizzley cabinet makers vise or the HF 9" quick release. I have used both for short periods at other shops. I don't care much for the quick release feature, it's nice to have but not a big deal. On the other hand I like the wooden handle of a traditional front vise as well as the large opening capacity. As you can guess I am inclining towards the front vise.

Am I missing something I should know about?

[Joe Meazle]

I am no expert but i will try to jump start yor thread Z. If the quick release is not a big deal deal then go with the other one. You can make the jaws as big as you want. Or heck get both for that price.
Joe

[Roy Wall]

Z,

I like what Joe said about making your own "large Jaws" using the Grizzly Vise..... I prefer this feature.

I have never used a quick release vise....maybe it would spoil me..i don't know. But - as long as the Grizz vise has moderately "coarse threads"...I would lean toward this style....and the threads would allow fairly quick adjustments...

[Alan DuBoff]

I don't know that I'm an experience neander, but I can tell you that I often get frustrated with my quick release vise, in the sense that they rack easy. The bigger jaws you put on them, the more likely they are to rack, as it's easier to put something in off center. It's not that big of a deal, just requires adding an extra block to prevent the racking.

I have a larger quick release, and it works well, just that you must always be aware of the racking problem.

I think it gets down to the type of work you're doing. Another option for you is to get a shoulder vise screw from Lee Valley, or this press screw from Rockler for about the same price also, and I'm not trying to advocate you do this, just that it's in the same price as the Grizzly (HF vise didn't have a price on it). This is good for specific work, like joinery and such. Chris Scwartz used one of those press screws to build a wagon vise to his Roubo bench.

I would reccomend you consider the leg vise Chris added to the front of his Roubo bench, it is detailed in this issue of Woodworking Magazine. I really think bang for buck, the leg vise with the crochet is a very functional system, and it only requires a screw also. I have only used a leg vise without a crochet, so can't comment too much on them, but I like leg vises as they are versatile.

There are many inexpensive ways to build a vise, the question you need to answer is what type of work will you be doing with it? Then get/build the type of vise that suits that work best and use it to create a decent solution for yourself. Again, many people like quick release vises, and I won't say anything bad about the one I have/use, just that it sometimes annoys me that it racks easily (this same quality exists in most all quick release vises, even the records). The convenience is the quick release, that part I like.

Of course some of the other vises are much more expensive to get into a twin screw, pattern maker's vise, or even some of the higher end quick release vises such as the Jorgensen.

Good luck in deciding what will work best for you. That's what matter most.

[Jerry Palmer]

I switched out the front vise on my storebought bench and replaced it with a leg vise using the shoulder vise screw from LV. In addition to less tendency to rack, the leg vise gives more depth above the screw which lets you get more stuff centered on the screw removing racking completely.

I recently added a 6/4 X 6" wide piece of white oak (it was what I had available) onto the existing front skirt of the bench and drilled 3/4" diameter holes every 6" or so for using my Gramercy Holdfasts for either securing long stock snuggly to the skirt or for adding a simple jack for supporting the end of the stock if needed.

The simplicity of the leg vise and its versatility are its main benefits.

[Zahid Naqvi]

Aha! I knew the only thing this thread needed to get started was a first spark. Well looks like the leg vise is liked by a lot of folks. I don't do much wood working, weekend warrior at best. But I like working with hand tools and as such have to hold boards in all kinds of directions in a vise for cutting joints. I like the depth that a leg vise provides, because frequently I will have to clamp a board on one side of a vise to work around the screw and sliding bars down the middle, major racking (the reason why I am cautious about QRs).
I also anticipate working on a bunch of drawers for a soon to start roll top desk, the leg vise will help me hold the whole drawer.

question for those who have used a leg vise, do you guys ever have problems with holding wide objects. Because, geometrically speaking, the more you open the vise the more out of parallel the jaws will get, sorta like a V shape although not that extreme. I wonder if it impacts the grip.

Alan thanks for the link to the woodworking mag, I might be able to get my hands on it if it is one of the magazines Dennis subscribes to.

[Larry Conely]

I have a Record 52 1/2 quick release vice that I built into my bench 20 years ago. I love the quick release feature. I have never found racking to be a problem, but maybe that's because of the type of work I do. I'm strictly an amateur. I think the Record is far superior to other quick release vices (and more expensive) because of the undercut threads which lock the vice tighter as the threads are tightened. It is a much more positive action. Most quick release vices use acme threads. I use a bench slave for holding longer boards with the Record. I also built a tail vice with a metal screw on the end of my bench.

Larry

[Jerry Palmer]

. . . question for those who have used a leg vise, do you guys ever have problems with holding wide objects. Because, geometrically speaking, the more you open the vise the more out of parallel the jaws will get, sorta like a V shape although not that extreme. I wonder if it impacts the grip.

Here are some pics of mine before I added the oak skirt on the bench.



The piece seen at the bottom allows you to widen the bottom so that you don't get that V shape and associated problems.

Here's a close-up of the spreader at the bottom.



The bolt gets moved from one hole to another to adjust the pivot point.

Since mine was a retrofit, the existing leg was not wide enough so I bolted a piece of ~4 X 4 I had onto the existing leg. This still tended to pull the leg for the vise outward when pressure was applied, but the oak skirt I added prevents that now.

[Zahid Naqvi]

Thanks Jerry, that basically does it for me. It is exactly what I need.