I’m building a workbench and wondering why the vice is usually positioned at the left of the bench (not a tail vice). I’m left handed, so presumably I should put mine at the right. But why?
If I hold a piece of wood for sawing, then with the vice on the left, I can saw off the left end of the bench with my left hand. If I’m planing, then my left hand is pushing the plane, so I’m working left-to-right: the wood is gripped in the vice and supported at the right end by a jack or dog or whatever. So, the workpiece is gripped at the ‘near’ end and supported at the ‘far’ end. This seems to make sense for a left hander – the other way round might tend to lift the workpiece off the support.
Am I missing something?
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Replies
I think, in the end, it's all a matter of personal preference. What is comfortable and practical for you given the ways you intend to use the vise - the operations you will most frequently perform with it. I doubt you will find crosscutting all the way through a board is something you will often do with your vise as a a proper 18" or so high saw horse, a bench hook, a table saw sled, miter box, or a sliding compound miter saw, etc. are ever so much better options for accomplishing this task.
Also:
Will your bench be postioned so that you can walk all around it, or will it be pushed against a wall? How wide is your top? The point here is that, with access from all sides, you may be able to utilize the front vise from teh opposite side to do some things.
As far as the planing, I've never tried to plane from the vise end to the supported end, but as long as you've got good and secure support, I can't see why it would matter.
Edited 2/1/2006 10:36 am ET by Samson
Tim,
When I built my bench I put in two vices on the side - one left end and one right end. [There's also a tail vice]. I find that I almost always use the one on the right, and I'm right handed. So I agree with your reasoning!
Bob
No RULES.. Just Right!
Make YOUR bench as YOU like it!
TimNott,
I'm left handed too and have the vise on the left of the workbench. I like it there for many reason ..not the least of which is clamping the bench hook and cutting on the left hand side of the hook. However, there may be one slight drawback (this is a guess)from mounting the vise on the left and working with planes from left to right while edge jointing. While my bench is quite heavy, I can still get racking with a small piece of stock in the vise. If my vise were at the other end perhaps there would be less racking of the bench.
Recently, I've edge jointed the stock while supported on top of the bench and there is no racking. I'm still happy with the vise on the left, however.
If you look at old bench pictures/illustrations before the advent of steel vices, the wooden versions were larger. When you worked towards the vice on the left it was in front. When working away from the vice on the right it was at your right hip and that interfered with your stance when working. That tradition kept you from banging your thigh all day.
Edited 2/3/2006 4:43 pm by QCInspector
Well that IS a point, especially with a leg or shoulder vice - but as I'll be using a metal vice it shouldn't give me too much grief.
Many thanks to ALL who reponded
Tim
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