AmericanLongRifles Forums
General discussion => Shop Made Tools => Topic started by: WalnutRed on January 05, 2026, 08:57:37 PM
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I recently picked up a carving vice from Woodcrafters when they were running a sale. Rather than mount it on the bench top I'm thinking about building a little extension from the bench top to give more room to work. I've also thought about mounting this vise to a pedestal and working with it that way. Presently I usually have one end of the stock clamped in my bench vise and the other end supported by a stand. If I mount the vise to a moveable stand it would be easy to secure the other end of the stock to my bench.
What works for you? Pictures would be very helpful.
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All I can say is get the vices out where you can utilize the jaws vert & horizontal. The
parrot vice offset is extremely versatile too, as I can swap it with another same style I
use to work when knife making.
Keith
(https://i.ibb.co/C5BrVLXh/100-8896.jpg) (https://ibb.co/BVL1Tk7q)
(https://i.ibb.co/pv0s22kR/100-8897.jpg) (https://ibb.co/TBvnccNb)
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Do you have your vise in the middle of the bench?
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I mounted my vice to an extension that is 12" off of my bench.
(https://i.ibb.co/MDyNshgV/swivel-base-1.jpg) (https://ibb.co/JRWkKdc7)
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I have mine on an adjustable height stand bolted to the front of the bench. The bench is bolted to the wall. This has the working part of the vice 9" off the face of the bench. Those two bolts on the side loosen and I can raise it to any usable height and lock it back down. Then I have a self standing support for the off end. Works good. The only downside is with a rifle hald horizontal getting something off the wall is a bit of a stretch.
Jeff
(https://i.ibb.co/TMqxXdBT/20260107-135853.jpg) (https://ibb.co/3mY9XQys)
(https://i.ibb.co/Q3cDxzPj/20260107-140413.jpg) (https://ibb.co/9kvZdzb3)
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My inherited Dad's vise is now well over 70 years old and I bolted it onto the corner end of a heavy bench table that's bolted to the shop concrete floor, so that it can swivel in all directions. Still works great.
(https://i.ibb.co/fd5zysMx/plug2.jpg) (https://ibb.co/3mq9jn1C)
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I'm appreciating all of the suggestion. If I get the mounting working properly I'll post pictures.
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(https://i.ibb.co/dwsb0hhj/Fridaylayout.jpg) (https://ibb.co/ksV3gdd5)
Different vice, different mount.
Kevin
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You may want to see these two web pages that show carving vises in Jud Brennan's shop. One is on his main bench, and another is on a bench back in the corner of the shop.
My carving vise setup is similar to how Jud has his mounted here in this first link, using a beam that comes off the end of the bench.
https://contemporarymakers.blogspot.com/2011/08/judson-brennan-alaskan-longrifle.html (https://contemporarymakers.blogspot.com/2011/08/judson-brennan-alaskan-longrifle.html)
Scroll down in this webpage to see Jessee Brennan using the bench in the corner of Jud's shop. This is also a beam arrangement, but it is mounted in the center of the bench. This is in Jud's shop, but Jessee's own shop has a similar set up to the one he is shown using here, with the beam in the center of the bench.
https://jessebrennanartsmith.blogspot.com (https://jessebrennanartsmith.blogspot.com)
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Here's how mine is set up, similar to Jud's. The removable tray on the vise was also his idea, but mine attaches a little differently from how he has his.
(https://i.ibb.co/chNgMvYY/IMG-7445.jpg) (https://ibb.co/d4QW1cmm)
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(https://i.ibb.co/Y4RFpGcx/IMG-0077.jpg) (https://ibb.co/ZRLpWCB0)
(https://i.ibb.co/PGdNd4Vq/IMG-0079.jpg) (https://ibb.co/23TyTPpG)
(https://i.ibb.co/qMfsHJ3q/IMG-0080.jpg) (https://ibb.co/bgZB4bMw)
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Robby, that stove and chair look so inviting! And those windows! Nice setup you have there.
Whetrock
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What I ended building is not as refined as some or your mounts. As long as I don't need any heavy pounding it should hold up. The vise you see is mounted to a 2x8 that is not fastened to the base. On the carving vise the through bolt secured it plus thee is a metal lip you cannot see on the back side of the 2x8. I have a 6" bench vise, a small swivel vise, a Forster case trimmer and an old Lyman lubrisizer that are also mounted on 2x8s. This should let me rotate tools as needed depending on what I'm working on at the time.
(https://i.ibb.co/LzS6vdkw/Vise.jpg) (https://ibb.co/d0B674W9)
(https://i.ibb.co/HpLc17t7/base.jpg) (https://ibb.co/WpNrqnkn)
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Robby, that stove and chair look so inviting! And those windows! Nice setup you have there.
Whetrock
Thank you whet rock. I cannot remember ever being loathe to go there,
Robby
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I have 2 vises in my main bench mounted with bolts and nuts to the bench and a third one one the bench at the rear of the shop the same way.Several years ago I posted a picture with Taylor's help of a modified bench grinder with extension shafts to mount expanding wheels for different grits of polishing cloth that made the grinder much more useful tool.Jacobs chucks with 1/2 X20 threads can also be substituted for the nuts that hold the wheels on the right side and shaft mounted expanding wheels can be used.
Bob Roller
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I mounted my vice to an extension that is 12" off of my bench.
(https://i.ibb.co/MDyNshgV/swivel-base-1.jpg) (https://ibb.co/JRWkKdc7)
I like the hand wheel tire on the vise. Handle doesn’t gig you or snag on clothes. BJH