Vice ever so slightly out of square...

[dance]

Hi!

I've been trying to fit a vice to my workbench and the use of a jigsaw has resulted in a slightly out of square rear face...

I've made a picture quickly which hopefully shows how/where the vice is out of square (sticks out by about 4mm more on the right side than it does on the left).

There is a 5mm piece of oak behind the rear face, not that that's relevant. As I will be attaching wooden jaws/faces to the vice, is there any way I can bring the vice into square that way? i.e. by planing off material from just one side of the wooden rear face? The way I see it if I did that, I wouldn't need to do that on the 'front face' as the problem would be taken care of.

Otherwise, underneath the vice there were two holes for carriage bolts and two three sided holes - I suppose these are for adjustment, but I don't see how I can adjust the vice to bring it into square by moving it sideways if it is firmly attached with the two circular holes. Just mentioning this in case there is an easy fix I'm missing.

I did use the trick of attaching the vice to a length of wood to take its weight - that went well - its just the bit involving removing material to fit it flush with the workbench apron that went pear shaped because of my finding it tricky to cut through 60mm of material with a jigsaw blade.

 

[Sportique]

Hi Dance

Perhaps you can square it up by adjusting the Oak in-fill into a wedge shape to allow the vice to sit square?

HTH

Dave

 

[bugbear]

The normal solution to inaccurate sawing is paring or planing.

BugBear

 

[Benchwayze]

Hi Dance,

I would think that the best machine to cut the housing for a vice would be a router and suitable cutter.
If you don't have a router, then a sharp Tenon saw followed by a mallet and sharp chisel is the next option.

Just chisel out the back of the housing until it's flat. If it's too deep after that, use shims to flush the rear jaw with the Apron.
Would that help?

Regards
John

 

[dance]

I would think that the best machine to cut the housing for a vice would be a router and suitable cutter.
If you don't have a router, then a sharp Tenon saw followed by a mallet and sharp chisel is the next option.
Just chisel out the back of the housing until it's flat. If it's too deep after that, use shims to flush the rear jaw with the Apron.

I did try the router option, but at the mo, the only router I had access to was a 1/4" model with only about 35mm depth of cut. Not enough power or reach. I ruled out the saw and chisel route because my bench is made from laminated plywood and I wasn't sure if it would chisel cleanly.

Would that help?

Regards
John

Yes, if I'd done it that way to begin with! I think I'll try to plane away material to make the apron fit the uneven vice front. THANKS