A vise is a shop tool that a person may not think about until the day that a person realy needs to use a vise. When a person finally do encounter a task that requires the use of a vise, the vise is the most important tool that a person can have on there workbench. Whether the task require a person to shape metal, hold wood in place, or file an edge to an object, there is a type of vise that will perform the job required of the vise.
There are many different kinds of vises that is available to those in the shop, but many people are unaware of just how many different kinds of vises exist. Each type of vise has been created due to a specific problem that the vise needed to solve. A person who understands the different types of vises available to shop owners will be able to avoid buying a type of vise that will work against the tasks that they perform with the workbench.
The differences between the different types of vises includes the manner in which the jaws of the vise move, the type of object that the vise must grip, and the amount of force that the vise is required to exert upon that object. Some types of vises have been around for many centuries, and were created to fulfill a need for a particular design and structure for that vise. Other types of vises were created with the emergence of different manufacturing technologies, which required those vises to fill a need for being able to hold objects in odd shapes or angle.
Each type of vise can be used to accomplish a specific task better than the other types of vises available to shop owners. Thus, it is important for those who own workshops to gain an understanding of each type of vise. Bench vises are the type of vise that most people recognize when they hear the term vise.
Different Kinds of Vises for Your Workshop
1. Bench Vises
Bench vises are a type of vise whose jaws are permanently attached to the workbench upon which they are used, and whose jaws move in a direction that is parallel to each other; a heavy bolt is turned by the user to open and close them to accomplish such a task. Bench vises are available with iron jaws that can exert several thousand pounds of pressure. Bench vises are available in woodshops, metal shops, and even in garages; they are simple in their appearance and they are strong in their function.
Many bench vises also include a swivel base that allows a person to rotate a workpiece that is clamped within the vise without having to remove the workpiece from the vise. Such a feature is especially helpful in cases where a workpiece must be filed at an odd angle; without the swivel base, it would be challenging for the person filing it to access the workpiece. Some bench vises come in two main varieties.
The plain base models are less expensive than those with a swivel base, and they are stiffer; stiffness is an important feature in cases where a workpiece must be hammered or chiseled. Those bench vises that include a swivel base include the feature at the cost of some of the rigidity of the vise. However, if a workshop owner performs tasks like filing or sawing at odd angles to the workbench, the swivel base will pay for itself after a period of use.
Any joint included in the swivel base is a potential location for the vise to flex when performing work; the best bench vises minimize the instances in which the vise will flex.
2. Parallel Jaw Vises
Similar to bench vises are the types of vises referred to as the parallel-jaw vises. Similar to bench vises, these types of vises have jaws that are meant to open and close in a direction that is parallel to the other jaws of the vise.
The reason for the creation of these types of vises is that precision workpieces cannot allow for any tilting of the workpiece that may occur when the vise opens or closes. Because of this, machinists often utilize these types of vises. Many of the best models available for these types of vises utilize hardened steel for the jaws of the vise, as well as utilizing Acme-thread screws for the screws that open and close the jaws of the vise.
These types of vises may cost more money than other types of vises, but the accuracy with which these vises hold their workpieces is worthy of the purchase. Additionally, many of these types of vises include replaceable jaw inserts; these inserts can be made of brass for holding soft metals, or of steel inserts for holding rough stock. In addition, there are models of these types of vises that are created to be mounted onto a workbench (like a traditional vise), or that are created to be mounted onto a milling machine worktable.
3. Quick Release Vises
Another type of vise that workshop owners often purchase are the quick-release vises. These types of vises include some type of mechanism that allows for the person to open or close the jaws of the vise by hand before the screw that sets the vise is tightened. Instead of having to make thirty turns of the screw to open the vise to allow room for a two-by-four (for instance), a workshop owner may simply pull a lever or twist a knob to open the vise to the required size.
Such a feature is especially helpful for woodworkers that require the vise to be opened for various sized workpieces. However, the quick-release feature for these vises does come at the cost of introducing more potential locations for the vise to wear or develop slop over time. While well-made quick-release vises may last the lifetime of the workshop owner, the cheapest models of quick-release vises may begin to rattle after a few years of use.
Thus, those who require the use of a vise that is opened and closed very often will find that the quick-release feature is worth considering.
4. Pipe Vises
Another type of vise are the pipe vises. Pipe vises are mostly created to have jaws in the shape of a V; this shape of the jaws allows for the vise to cradle the round workpiece that it is to hold, preventing the round workpiece from slipping out of the vise.
The pipe vises are the types of vises that plumbers and steamfitters often use. In many cases, the best pipe vises include a metal chain that is able to cinch the workpiece (often a pipe) to the vise, providing the vise with a grip on both sides of that pipe. Some pipe vises are foldable to make transportation to a jobsite easier, while others are permanently bolted into place in a maintenance shop.
These types of vises are especially helpful in situations where a pipe is to be cut or filed at numerous locations. Because the pipe vise distributes the force applied to the workpiece with even strength around the circumference of the workpiece, the workpiece will not be deformed when it is cut with a pipe die; it will remain strong and intact. Thus, pipe vises are helpful in workshops whose common tasks include working with black iron pipes, galvanized pipes, or large dowels.
5. Hand Vises
Another type of vise is the hand vise. A hand vise is a type of vise that is produced in such a way as to allow the person to hold the vise with one hand while the person performs their work with the other. Thus, hand vises are small versions of the bench vises; they can have a long handle to function as a clamp.
These types of vises are used by jewelers, model makers, and others that perform fine workpieces on small objects. One way to increase the stability of a small object that a hand vise is to manipulate is to clamp that hand vise into a larger bench vise. This creates a small tower of vises that allow for additional stability in positioning of the workpiece.
Hand vises are most useful in situations where the vise is to hold a workpiece that is either too small or too delicate to be gripped by a standard bench vise. The best hand vises have jaws that are made of smooth brass or copper to prevent from marring the metals that the vise is to manipulate. Though a hand vise is not meant to be used for heavy workpieces, they are capable of performing such tasks.
6. Vacuum Vises
Another type of vise is the vacuum vise. A vacuum vise utilizes atmospheric pressure to hold the workpiece firmly to a workbench or shop table. A pump that is included in the vise removes the air from beneath the vise’s baseplate that is to be held.
Types of vises that utilize vacuum force may be used for delicate electronic components or workpieces that are to be engravings. Other vises that utilize vacuum force are strong enough for use in moddern CNC shops, where the vise is to not drill holes in the shops tables. One advantage of vacuum vises is that they can be moved across a workbench without any bolts or clamps having to be used to secure the vise to the workbench.
The downside to vacuum vises is that they will only work on workpieces that are placed upon non-porous and flat tables. Any scratch or dust on a workbench will prevent the vise from establishing an even seal to the workpiece. Thus, in the situations where the conditions are correct for use of a vacuum vise, they will be able to effectively hold the workpiece in place.
7. Angle Vises
The next type of vise to discuss are the angle vises. Angle vises allow for the workpiece that is placed into the vise to be tilted in one or both planes, and then locking the tilt of the workpiece in place. The base of an angle vise may include a scale that is calibrated for the angles in which workpieces will be cut.
These types of vises are often used by tool makers or others that must create prototypes of a workpiece that require a series of holes at an angle that is not 90 degrees from the workbench. The best angle vises are heavy in their construction, with large screws that lock the tilt of the workpiece to prevent the workpiece from moving while it is being cut. Though angle vises are more complex and costly than other types of vises, the angle vise eliminates the need for creating custom jigs to hold workpieces at angled cuts.
Thus, if work requires angled workpieces, a workshop owner will find that the angle vise is a tool that they will miss if they did not owned one.
8. Multi Function Vises
Another type of vise is the multi-function vise. A multi-function vise is one that includes a bench vise, pipe jaws, an anvil, and other features like a level or press that may be included to the vise.
These types of vises are common in home workshops. Space within a home workshop may be limited, and the workshop owner cannot afford to own many tools; thus, a multi-function vise that performs many tasks is more convenient for the workshop owner. However, due to the ways in which the vise is constructed to include these many different features, there is a sacrifice in the performance of each of the functions included in the vise.
Thus, though a vise with these features may be convenient, it is not often the best choice for anyone whose primary tasks with vises may require precision or heavy force. Though a multi-function vise is not the best vise for precision or heavy workpieces, it can be the best for those who perform general workshop repairs or hobby projects. Thus, workshop owners should honestly consider the types of tasks that they commonly perform.
A jack of all trades is never going to be the master of any trade; the same can be said for a workshop whose tools are all multi-function vises. No matter the type of vise that may be purchased, it is important for the workshop owner to consider the task that each type of vise can effectively perform. For instance, applying excessive force to a vise that is meant to hold the smallest jewelry will frustrate the workshop owner.
Additionally, the same force will be frustrated if attempting to use a delicate hand vise to hold a workpiece that is to be hacked at with a saw. A person should consider the types of materials that will be worked upon, the amount of space that is available within the workshop, and the type of force that will have to be applied to the workpieces. Each of these aspects will ensure that the workshop owner purchases the type of vise that will best allow their workshop tasks to be performed to their satisfaction.
This is the ultimate goal within a workshop.
