Vice advice!

[BKeys]

I am just finishing my work bench / set up table and am starting to look at adding a tail vice or two.  I see quite a few options and a pretty wide price range.  I understand that you get what you pay for and that there is a price difference for a reason...but...?  I guess I'm naive in thinking that all of the options will securely hold the work piece and uneducated enough to think that there are only so many ways to hold said pieces.  At any rate, do any of you have any advice, recommendations or input that might keep me from making a bad purchase.  Even the cheap vices are surprisingly expensive.

[..Kev]

A picture of what you want to put the vise on would help.  Is it truly a "tail vise"? 

Obviously Bench Crafted makes a great tail vise and has a price tag to match.  I also know that Veritas makes one that can drop into any table top and seems to get pretty good reviews.  I haven't gone and looked to see what the price is on that one.

[BKeys]

Hmmmm....I'm a bit of a technology handicapped person.  Not sure how to get a pic onto this tablet and then posted.  Bench is pretty simple and is really not the right term.  It is more of a table.  52" x 144". It's on a 48"x120"  heavy metal rolling frame.  The top is 1 1/2" thick and is not yet fastened to the frame so I can center and have 12" overhang on each end to work with or off set it if I need more on one end.  I can mill and glue another 1 1/2" board under each overhang on the ends if I need it to be meatier to attach a vice.  I can also notch out the metal frame underneath if I need to make a chase for the vice screws to pass through.  As far as the type of vice...I'm just getting started with woodworking and really only a couple of steps off the clueless line and may well be using the wrong terms.  I want a vice on the end that also has dog holes on top to correspond with ones in the table top.

[..Kev]

So, I'm guessing you're wanting something more along these lines..

http://www.leevalley.com/US/wood/page.aspx?p=31137&cat=1,41659,41661

This is an inset tail vise.  Keep in mind that this would require you to drill dog holes in the table so you have something for the vise to work against.

http://www.leevalley.com/US/wood/page.aspx?p=66819&cat=1,41637,41659

And this is the Benchcrafted tail vise which would not work in your table

http://benchcrafted.com/TailVise.html

[BKeys]

Thanks,. The first lee valley option is the style I had in mind.  I'm just a bit worried that given the wide price ranges that I'd go for the least expensive, thinking a clamp is a clamp, and inadvertently buy junk.  Now that I have a suggestion to work with I'll either look at getting that or at minimum use it as a benchmark to evaluate others.  Thanks again.

[Llama]

I'd advise to take this vise money, and spend it on wood for making a proper woodworking bench.

You can do a hell of a lot with some clever usage of clamps, and stops. No need to spend a grand on vises you don't know you need right now. Spend some time researching woodworking benches. With a holdfast, planing stops and maybe a crochet, there isn't much you can't do.

[Chet]

13 hours ago, TIODS said:

This is an inset tail vise.  Keep in mind that this would require you to drill dog holes in the table so you have something for the vise to work against.

http://www.leevalley.com/US/wood/page.aspx?p=66819&cat=1,41637,41659

The second one that Kev mentions is the one I recently installed on my bench.  So far it has done everything that I have asked it to.  I put this one in because I wanted something now but wasn't sure what type of vise I wanted long term.   I figured this would work for now with out breaking the bank and give me an idea as to what I want in the future.

[..Kev]

Here's a couple more options for you.  This is my outfeed table that I use to work at quite often.  It has 2 T-tracks recessed in the top and the hold fast on the ends.

Mel makes an awesome point!  You could buy an expensive vise but, you need a bench to put it on.  This outfeed table is mostly big box store lumber and plywood so, not terribly expensive

[BKeys]

Wouldn't call the table junk. Plenty stable. Just not made of nice wood. I used 2x12 construction lumber. I didn't want a bench I was afraid of dinging.  Likewise, I want a good quality vice but certainly not looking to break the bank. I'm just getting started and may reevaluate later but for now want decent quality and functional.

[wtnhighlander]

I wouldn't call your work table 'junk' at all. It looks quite sturdy, with the 2x top on a steel frame. However, the design may not lend itself easily to mounting some styles of woodworking vises. And if you are doing hand tool work, you might need to add mass, or some other anchor mechanism to keep it from scooting around the floor. My small-ish bench (with added ballast) weighs about 300 lb, and sits on four large, flat feet, not casters. It still moves if do any vigorous planing on tough wood.

Can you thicken part of the top, so the vise screw passes under the frame rail?

[BKeys]

Yeah. I expect to have to add some thickness to the ends.  The casters are total locking so no rolling or swiveling when locked so it is surprisingly heavy and stable. Not sure how much it weighs but is solid at least with "normal" hand planing.  Not sure how well it will do with something clamped and wrenching on it.  Shop is a mess right now.  I just got finished with it and am now just getting to benches and cabinets.