Bench vice hight for modern workshop

[Martin KyteParticipant @martinkyte99762]

Hi Chaps

Got to thinking the other day that maybe the old advise about bench vice height is a little out of date. I installed mine with the jaws at elbow height as per normal which is great for traditional filing of flat faces and hack-sawing. Trouble is how much of that gets done these days ? Generating flat surfaces is usually done on the mill and many of us have some kind of cut off saw for chopping up material. This leaves the vise for the fine finishing of small parts with needle files and the like and that's when you need your eyes as close to the work as possible. This would argue for a vice at chest height.

What does anyone else think or maybe you already have other arrangements.

regards Martin

[Martin KyteParticipant @martinkyte99762]

[David JuppParticipant @davidjupp51506]

Sit on a stool ?

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

Or have a small toolmakers vice that fits in the big one, that is what I do with small detailed parts.

[Mike PooleParticipant @mikepoole82104]

As Jason says a vice held in the main bench vice can be very useful. The instrument makers type of vice is good for small parts and has great flexibility in holding the part at all sorts of angles. Due to a manufacturing cock up my main vice is about an inch too high. I will make a duckboard to put this right one day, until I do it will continue to irritate me.

Mike

[Peter TuckerParticipant @petertucker86088]

Posted by David Jupp on 25/05/2016 16:38:15:

Sit on a stool ?

That's what I do,

Peter.

[jimmy bParticipant @jimmyb]

Posted by JasonB on 25/05/2016 16:50:40:

Or have a small toolmakers vice that fits in the big one, that is what I do with small detailed parts.

I have a very small vice mounted on the end of some 1 1/2" square bar, perfect for them little jobs

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Martyn,

A good rule of thumb is that the average angle at your elbow should be a little more than 90° [obviously this angle will vary during the stroke of a file or saw], and your posture should be reasonably upright.

Various tools and activities therefore dictate different heights [as mentioned earlier]

To avoid leg and back fatigue it is best to not stand rigidly, and it can be helpful to stand on a flexible mat which induces small movements.

MichaelG.

.

P.S. … The 'rump rest' [see fig. 60 here] is an excellent alternative to perching on a stool.

Edited By Michael Gilligan on 25/05/2016 18:00:00

[mechman48Participant @mechman48]

I sit on a 2 step kitchen stool when I need to do close work, I have a 2" clamp on mini vice in the end of my bench, I use a fold up bar stool if my back arthritis kicks in when I'm using the lathe, I have foam pads on the floor, old stereo system on a shelf, tea caddy & kettle on the tool chest… comfy or what

George.

[BazyleParticipant @bazyle]

Standing up to work in the office has become the latest fad spawning an industry of overpriced elevating desks and things to put on the desk to raise the computer and then excercisey things to do with your feet while standing. Having spent much of the day standing at work today I was rather glad to get a chance to sit down.

Perhaps MEW should publish a design of a steam elevating bench or a variable thickness duckboard to go in front of a high bench. Time to get one together for the April issue.

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Posted by Bazyle on 25/05/2016 18:31:57:

Standing up to work in the office has become the latest fad …

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**LINK**

[Ian WelfordParticipant @ianwelford58739]

got a couple of bar stools but comfy chair with large cushion is best for contemplation, coffee, cake etc. I have a magnifying lamp I have got to get round to installing near the workbench but get round to is the operative phrase !

Foam mat / old carpet on the floor adds comfort and protection to dropped tools, not that any of you would be as careless of course……

[not done it yetParticipant @notdoneityet]

One of my vices is dropping the lathe in back gear for removing the chuck. It is also a vice to leave your vise over-tightened for long periods. Another vice might even be that of using both words to cover up one's spelling.

As above a lower vise, at elbow height, is the best. One can generally adopt a strategy to make it higher, but unless you have something to temporarily stand on it is not so easy, when too high, to lower it. Mine is too high but lowering the bench is not an easy option.

 

 

Edited By Richard Balderson on 25/05/2016 19:25:33

[DustyParticipant @dusty]

Ian I also have a 'roundtoit' as I suspect have many others on here, the only trouble I find, is, that I never have time to use it. I am a subscriber to the stool clan (why stand when you can sit) I also have on my bench a swivel vice which I find invaluable at times.

[Ian WelfordParticipant @ianwelford58739]

Dusty

I'm even more embarrassed to admit _ I too have a swivel vice been maturing under the bench since I moved house ( 18 years ago), it lives next to the "roundtoit".

[Author]

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