Hand-screw bench vise is great for beginners or kids
Simply drill holes in a hand-screw and secure it to a bench or tabletop using F-style clamps with a bar-type tip.
In my early days as a woodworker, when I lacked a proper woodworking vise, I held workpieces using a simple arrangement of hand-screw clamps. I’ve used a similar setup to help teach woodworking to kids and other newcomers to the craft.
Mike Taylor of Taylor Toolworks recently alerted me to a helpful variation on my approach. Instead of using additional hand screws to hold down the one that’s acting as a vise, you can simply drill holes in it and secure it to a bench or tabletop using F-style clamps with a bar-type tip. These specialty clamps are sold for holding down T-tracks and securing fences. Manufacturers include Milescraft and MicroJig.
To protect the surface of a desk or table, place a piece of plywood underneath the hand screw. (This step is particularly important when working with kids, or on your dining-room table.)
Since it’s nearly impossible to drill the necessary holes on the drill press, I used a doweling jig to guide my cordless drill. But you can also guide the drill by eye.
—Doug Stowe, Eureka Springs, Ark.
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