Like many workbenches, mine has a cast-iron vise at one end of the front edge. To support long boards on edge for planing, sawing, and drilling, I place one end in the vise and the other on this simple but effective board jack, which sits at the other end of the benchtop, where it is held in place by the weight of the board, with no clamping needed. I made the height of the support block adjustable, but it could also be fixed at a convenient height. It won’t work if the rear jaw of the vise is inset into the benchtop, flush with the front edge, but it works great with a rear vise jaw that protrudes from the edge.

—Rick Lombardi, Dublin, Ohio