advise on Axminster VICE

[Lark]

hey
i have brought this
http://www.axminster.co.uk/src/lieniels ... -29796.htm

it is very nice..... but also very heavy i was going to go for the 7inch but fort well might as well get the 9. with out thinking

my worktop is 2 layer of mdf and oak trim... the vice i think this is like 18kg weight
is this heavy,

only have 7 days to decide about it if i want to send it back
(worktop is 500mm wide by 2000 lenth) on to cupboards with a gap in the middle where i want the vice to go. gap is around 400mm wide at a guess can find out if that would help for sure

also would have been nice for it to tell me... there are NO BOLTS..... so if i keep this.. and it will be ok or change for a lighter weight one. what bolts do i need and where to get them from. i guess all i would want from the shop

 

[George_N]

You will need to put some packing between the underside of the bench top and the vice for mounting it so that the top edges of the vice end up below the bench surface. You can then add secondary wooden jaws to the vice to be flush with the bench top. I personally would keep the 9" vice, the 7" is really too small as your main vice. When you come to mounting the vice get a length of 4X2 and and grip it in the vice with the timber set vertically. This will give you a prop to hold the vice in place while you fit the bolts...coach bolts work well and the heads can be counter bored into the bench top so that they are just below the surface. I hope that isn't too much of a ramble and makes some sense to you. By the way, I have the Axminster 9" QR vice on my bench and a 6" non-QR one as an end vice. The 9" one is pretty good but the 6" one is much too flimsy and racks (twists) quite badly under pressure.

 

[Lark]

yes thanks this is great.

is there a good place to get these bolts from ... maybe online and maybe the size as well and thickness.
what sort of thing would be good for the packing.
some more mdf? i guess i would need something thick ish as the worktop is thinner than most people's

in time i might go for the 3 layers.. but it wouldhelp to have the hand tools to help get it flat planes or good ones cost alot but thats another story.

 

[Paul Chapman]

is there a good place to get these bolts from ... maybe online and maybe the size as well and thickness.
what sort of thing would be good for the packing.
some more mdf? i guess i would need something thick ish as the worktop is thinner than most people's

You can usually get coach bolts from B&Q or most hardware shops. I used some threaded studding with a nut and washer at each end when I fitted mine but coach bolts would be better

You can use almost anything you have handy for the packing - MDF, plywood, solid wood - the thickness isn't critical. Just make sure that the metal jaws are lower than the bench top then, when you fit the wooden jaw facings, plane them so that they are flush with the top.

Hope this helps.

Cheers :wink:

Paul

 

[Lark]

thanks yer . i would need a plane as i dont have one for LN or veritas cost alot.... and want to get the low angle block plane veritas first.

what size bolt do i need and i guess i will need to buy the washer and nuts as well guess they dont all come together. might check ebay soon

 

[Paul Chapman]

what size bolt do i need

Well that depends on the size of the holes in the vice :? I would guess M10.

One other thing. When you fit the wooden vice jaw facings, if the holes in the vice jaws are plain (they tend to be these days - Record used to thread them so that you could fit the vice jaw facings with machine screws) I would use machine screws and nuts. The reason for this is that vice jaws usually toe in at the top (the top touches before the bottom when you do up the vice). This is deliberate and it grips the workpiece better that way. However, it causes a bit of leverage and if you fit the jaw facings with wood screws the leverage can, over time, cause them to work loose.

Cheers :wink:

Paul

 

[Lark]

ok i will remember that

 

[George_N]

thanks yer . i would need a plane as i dont have one for LN or veritas cost alot.... and want to get the low angle block plane veritas first.

what size bolt do i need and i guess i will need to buy the washer and nuts as well guess they dont all come together. might check ebay soon

I don't have any LN or Veritas planes either but I do have a few old Record and Stanley planes (No. 9 1/2, No.4, Record 05, No.6). I also have a couple of woodies, a jack, a 22" try plane and a skew bladed "shoulder" plane. Almost all bought off Ebay and probably didn't cost me more than £50 for the lot. For sure, not as nice as LN or Veritas but lots of woodworkers have have got by with a lot less and done very good work (not talking about myself here) so don't feel that you have to spend a fortune on planes to get your self started.

I wouldn't want to go with smaller than M10 bolts for mounting a big vice...check the mounting holes/slots on the vice to make sure what bolt diameter you need. I got mine in my local B&Q, various lengths available.

 

[Lark]

ok. i like online as i dont drive easy to get them sent here.

and yer it would be first time planing so them makes have nice big thick blades and i guess more user friendly. only just got my self a card scraper

i will try and check the holes as they look big so if there bigger than 10 i guess thats what i should use.


with the package part do i or should i glue and screw or brad that on or just leave it lose and be held by the vise as of such.

 

[Lark]

coach bolts have a flat head? not the nice hex type head yer ?

are the socket or hex heads not good then ?



my bad i found some with a hex head.

 

[Shultzy]

with the package part do i or should i glue and screw or brad that on or just leave it lose and be held by the vise as of such.

You need to fix the packing, either brad or glue will do, as trying to hold the vice and packing won't be easy. Drill the packing for the fixing holes before putting in place then use it as a template for drilling the pilot holes in your bench.

Coach screws are also an option if you don't want the coach bolt heads to show on the top of the bench, both can the bought from B&Q or any hardware shop.

 

[Lark]

thank you
i dont think i will have as much of a problem with the attachment of the vice

as my worktop is not screwed down yet (still lose) not finished sanding it all so i can add it on before lock the worktop in place but good idea for the template thing

 

[paulm]

Have a look here Lark for some idea of how to go about it

https://www.ukworkshop.co.uk/forums/view ... ce&start=0

Lots of pics on the second page.

Your bench and vice may be a bit different but pretty much the same approach I would have thought.

Cheers, Paul.

 

[Anonymous]

When you come to mounting the vice get a length of 4X2 and and grip it in the vice with the timber set vertically. This will give you a prop to hold the vice in place while you fit the bolts...

That's a good tip that I wish I had known when I did my two vices.

 

[TheDudester]

I recently fitted two vices to a workbench using coach bolts and by turning the bench upside down. Thinking about it afterwards, I may have used the following procedure to install it with the bench the correct way up.

1) Place the vice upside down on top of the bench.
2) Mark the hole placement and centre of hole.
3) Drill countersink for head of bolt using a spade bit.
4) Clamp the spacer in place underneath the bench.
5) Drill through the rest of the bench top and spacer to accommodate the bolt.
6) Drop the back two bolts through and screw nut on a few turns. You can then hook the two rear fixings on the vice which are open to support it.
7) Fix the front two bolts.
8. Tighten all bolts.

Regards

D