Show me your vises!

Ryan Mooney

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The Gorge Area, Oregon
I'm considering adding another vise, maybe two to the shop and am curious what folks are currently using.

Right now I have a rather junky side vise (no quick release, and to small and lightly built.. it needs to go) on one end of the woodworking bench and a veritas twin screw on the other.


On the metal bench I have something very like this Yost. I don't think they sell the one I have anymore, the behind the jaw anvil on mine isn't painted (why would you paint it!?!?) and it's actually level with the jaws which has proven to be a somewhat useful feature at times (and is in the way at others).


Plus I have a smaller 4" metal vise mounted to a piece of 3/4" plywood I mount where needed with clamps and some tiny little clamp on/vise in vise that I keep partially for small work but mostly because they're super cute.

I'm considering a traditional vise with quite release or maybe one of the newer patternmakers vises as a lot of what I do is "kind of not entirely unlike that sort of work" but I'm curious on what everyone has, how they use it, what they like and especially what you DON'T like about them.
 
Thanks, the bench weighs about 400# so it's a solid platform. Not shown (this pic is a couple of years old) are some retractable castors I added in case it needs moved. It's tricky since it's very top heavy and unbalanced...so i don't move it much.
 
I've had a few different formats. For the past several years I have used twin screw vises at the main bench,
New Shop at 7 mo (1).JPG
a small metal "woodworking" vise with wooden jaws at the outfeed table
New Shop at 7 mo (25).jpg
and a machinists vise mounted to a block that can be captured in one of the other vises when I need that sort of thing. I have a parrot vise setup on a block that I use the same way.
Parrot Vise (4).jpg
I don't want to dedicate work surface to vises that I only ise a few times a year so this works for me. Someone who does more with metal would want something better suited to heavy work.
 
These used to be my vices, but not anymore.
istock000036051402small.jpg

Oh wait...I had the wrong spelling. Never mind. :whistling:
 
twin screw vises at the main bench
I like having one, as it's nice and wide which it great for some things. I'm kind of wondering on the utility of two though?

The parrot vises do look handy, I'm not sure there's enough utility over the heavier metal vise I have. Probably if I was doing gunsmithing or some similar where a lot of complex angles were desired that could flip the decision point. Hmm,... actually I don't see highland selling the pattern makers vise I was eyeballing anymore, snooze you loose.. that might move a portable parrot vise like this up the list perhaps. I was originally thinking the heavier fixed vise would be more stable but also am not really a fan of a fixed above the bench vise so.. this is back in consideration.
 
I have an OLD workmate circa 1976 that I use as a twin screw vice and a 4 inch metal vice mounted to a 4x2 that I put in the work mate when I need it. The metal vice was one my Dad gifted me 45+ years ago and has always been on my benches until I moved into this house. Also I have wood working vice on the Harbor freight work bench I use a my reloading bench, it just sits there cause it came with the bench. Maybe when I move and set up a better shop I can put it to some use.
 
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