Vise recommendation

[Uncle Alvah]

If you were purchasing a vise to mount on a rifle building bench, would you go with a "traditional" bench vise, say 5 or 6 inch or would you be looking at something else as the "base" to combine with a forward rest?

[Scota4570]

Broke one of these:
http://www.midwayusa.com/product/511694/shop-fox-gunsmith-vise
It is cute and seems usefull but it is not strong enough for me. 

I now use a china made version of:
https://www.amazon.com/Yost-Heavy-Duty-Multi-Jaw-Combination-360-Degree/dp/B00CBL62HQ
The jaws were not parallel.  It is cheaply made and casting voilds were filled with bondo.  After some tinkering it works and I have not been able to break it. 

[chubby]

Hi, I would recommend a stock carvers vise from Woodcraft, I have one on each end of my table very usefull vise Chubby

[David Rase]

What Chubby said!  I have had one of these sitting around in my shop collecting dust for about 4 years.  I recently started using it and find it clamps gunstocks very securely, is very stable and I find that I can clamp most anything with the swivel jaws.  Wish I would of started using it years ago.     http://www.woodcraft.com/product/142768/woodriver-patternmakers-or-gunstock-carving-vise.aspx
David

[PPatch]

A regular quick release woodworking vice works surprisingly well as a basic stock shaping vice.



When I need to get the work higher, and for it to swivel, I clamp a Multi-vice in the woodworking vice.



I have built two rifles using this setup and like it.

dave

[T*O*F]

I gotta agree with Scota.  This vise was in my auto shop for at least 15 years.  We used it daily beating out U-joints, pressing in bushings and tons of other operations.  I brought it with me when I moved and it's been in my shop for another 16 years doing duty as a gunmaker's vise.  I replaced the jaws with ones made out of oak and have leather wraps and lead foldovers for special uses.  You can turn the jaws horizontal and clamp your rifle upright when inletting nosecaps or pouring pewter ones.  You can slide the lead jaws on to remove breech plugs.  You can angle it out to gain floor space when drilling ramrod holes.  You can mount brass items fixed to wood block to engrave them and have 270 degrees of walk around and then loosen the base and turn it for the other 90 degrees.  I use it for a multitude of other things that don't come to mind immediatley and still use it for the occasional automotive use.  It's sturdy enough for cold forging items both in the jaws and on the integral anvil on the vise.  The leg is a simple T covered with carpet.

Those woodworker vises seem to be purpose built and don't allow the variety of uses that this one will.

[P.W.Berkuta]

I also agree with TOF. If you are going to only have one vise then the conventional metal workers/machinist vise in 5" or 6" is a mighty handy vise to have.

[Nate McKenzie]

I have several but if I could only have one it would be the one Dave Race shows. I have it on the front corner of my bench with an adjustable roller out front of it.

[davebozell]

I have a Versa vise that I like very much.  It's similar to the one that ppatch showed at the bottom of his post.  I have mine permanently mounted in the center of my bench.  It holds the work up pretty high, which I find helpful.  I also have a couple cheap vises that I mounted on my planing bench.  The work sits lower, so planing and other shaping are easier with this set up.

[WKevinD]

I am another fan of the pattern makers vice from Woodcraft

 

[SingleMalt]

I have a Home Depot machinists vise very much like TOF's that I've used for almost 20years.  Tough as nails.  I also have a multi-vise like PPatch's that I'm not impressed with at all.  I'd OK for supporting a fore stock, but nothing else.

[Bob Roller]

I have a Home Depot machinists vise very much like TOF's that I've used for almost 20years.  Tough as nails.  I also have a multi-vise like PPatch's that I'm not impressed with at all.  I'd OK for supporting a fore stock, but nothing else.

My daily use vise is a 4",made in Poland and bought new by me in January of 1976 from MSC
for $25 INCLUDING shipping from NYC.It has a rear jaw that slides in a gib adjustable dovetail.
I have made a new set of jaws from 0-1 and they are getting sorta ragged but still useful.

Bob Roller

[kutter]

Just a good old machinists/mechanics swivel vise,,whatever the correct name is. Get one big enough and make a set of quick removeable wooden jaws. You can use the smooth steel original jaws for about anything needed along the metal work line.

I've worked in a couple gunshops and custom gunshops where they had fancy gizmo vises in place and always found them lacking. A plain woodworkers vise is OK if all I did was just wood work I guess. But that's not the case and probably isn't with anyone here either.
JMO of course.

[David R. Pennington]

I have a quick release woodworker's vise mounted near the center of the bench with padded wooden jaws that extend it above the bench surface. There are two padded arms that extend on either side of the vise to help support the stock clamped in the vice. I also have a post vise on the far end of the bench for metal work.

[flehto]

On one end of the bench is a Starrett 4" vise w. smooth jaw inserts and pads are used when clamping stocks. Good all around vise w/ excellent jaw alignment.

 On the other end is a Versa Vise for very light duty clamping  because if I had to do it over again. I'd buy a different vise. It barely offers a convenience when my main vise is in use. The first Versa Vise was returned because the clearance between the screw and nut was so sloppy, the moveable jaw didn't move at all. Had to redo the screws that hold the vise at angles.....the original thumb screws didn't hold very well.  I'm on my last LR and that's the only reason I tolerate this piece of junk.


Angled supports support the forestock when the main vise is rotated......Fred

[jerrywh]

 I like that woodcarvers vise but it doesn't tilt. Mine does everything but you can't buy one like mine.
A person would have to revise it.  The post can be raised and lowered and turned in any position. There is a checkering devise that can be put in the post also. One of the jaws is a swivel jaw and I have some rounded inserts for odd shaped objects or holding pistols.

[Long Ears]

I believe Mike Lea still builds the vise Jerry has. I have one just like it. He has a special base for them and they are a really a nice builders vice. Not for beating on however. I really like mine. Bob

[David R. Pennington]

[Boatman53]

I just realized how Jerry's vise was modified. Very nice and I like the stand also.
Jim

[delivered]

If anyone would like the prints for the modifications let me know and I will send them to you.
I was the one selling the "Gun Builders Vise" (old Virsa-vise) many years ago.
I was selling them without the mod for several years before a friend of mine who was apprenticing with John Bivins
told me how John had his modified. I asked John if he cared if I used his design and he said OK!
I used to sell them @ Dixons where I met Peter Alexander and Pete talked me out of mine and did an article in Muzzleloader Mag about the vise. I have sold hundreds over the years to some great gunsmiths!
The company that was making them went belle up several years back; they wanted me to buy the old antiquated machines used to make them but was not interested do to the fact that was all that they did! Then along came CNC that could do it all in one machine! That is the one that Mike Lea is selling now.
I went to NMLRA Gunsmith seminar @ WKU a couple of years back and it was great to see all the vises I had sold in the past and all the different modifications some of the guys had done to them
I will try and post some pictures of mine in a few days. 

[hortonstn]

I'd like the plans I have a vise need the plans
Paul

[Boatman53]

I to would love to see the plans, thank you.
Jim

[delivered]

e-mail me @:
 savedwright1@gmail.com and I will send them to you.
Steve