Mounting Vise

[Givl Reggin]

I just purchased a vise and it came with no template or instructions.. I noticed on the swivel base that on one end the bolt holes are 5" center-to-center and on the other end they are 6" center-to-center... Which end should be mounted closer to the jaws?

The engineer in me tells me that the end with the bolts holes spaced the farthest apart (ie 6") should be farther away from the jaws to provide better holding power against the turning movement, I realize that in the end it probably won't make a bit of difference, but I'd like to get it right just for the hell of it!

 

[w1im]

Hard to say without a picture, but generally a vise is mounted so that something can be clamped vertically in it and extend down past the edge of the work bench. This means that the static (non-moving) jaw extends beyond the edge of the bench.

A lot of vises have 3 holes, 2 are placed on the left and right of the body and one in the back, allowing the vise to sit just on the edge of the bench.

 

[8paintchips]

Wow, never thought about that, my gut told me to mount the wide bolt spread closer to the jaws so thats how i've always mounted vices, no ones ever told me different.

 

[spongerich]

I'd think that the wider spaced ones go towards the front... as W1im said, you want the static jaw to just hang over the bench so you can clamp longer items without interference.

If you're putting so much pressure on it that it matters, then you should probably be using something without a swivel.

 

[Givl Reggin]

I'd think that the wider spaced ones go towards the front.

Well, that's the way the picture on the box shows it too... so, that's how I'm going to do it. Good point about the jaws overhanging the edge of the bench - that's one of those little details I would most likely overlook. Although, there must be some reason they spaced the holes differently on the base... it's one of those things that probably has soe reason few people know... but, it's just me overthinking the problem, again!

 

[junk4dummies]

Put the 2 of the 3 bot holes toward the front enge of the bench top. Make sure you get the face of the back jaw out over the front edge of the bench top. If you want to hold things in a vertical position you will not be able to to it if the face of the back jaw is set back. Make sure the jaw face is parallel with the front enge of the bench. Mounting it is a no brainer. I have never seen a templeate to mount one. I would not trust it if I did. Some like the vice mounted to on the left or rigth front corners. Tool and die makers teen to stay away form the corner of the bench top. Myself I like it mounted on the riight end of the bench. I bend a lot of things and that end seems to work better for the way I work.