Thread: Installing an Irwin Record vice, how much below the benchtop is OK?

I have a very similar set-up, a 230mm vice (Asian copy) but it is sitting 36.5mm below the surface.

I placed a 12mm by 120mm deep by 380mm wide piece of softwood (pine drawer side member) against the front of the bench to give me fiddle room for bent/curved timber, this is held in place with countersunk screws.

On the front of the vice I found an old bedhead made out of pine, it is 34mm thick by 380mm wide by 120mm deep. I found the best way to make things work was to countersink two holes and use some normal nuts and bolts to attach this as plan A was using screws that just pulled out, plan B was the nuts and bolts approach, that has been quite successful.

I then pulled that piece of metal thingy out of the front and welded an extension bit of steel of the same size, to lengthen it so it would work correctly.

My bench is made completely from scrap materials picked up from the nature strip, apart from screws and bolts that is.

My bench top is from an executive looking type desk, looks like current kitchen bench top material inside with a laminate on the top, not the best, but, as it cost me nothing at all, perfect.

I'll try and figure out how to do some pictures and add them later today, or tomorrow.

In answer to your question on thickness, 18mm from my experience sort of bends a bit before it starts to rip apart or crack, especially hardwood. The thicker softwood is kind to anything you place in the vice and so far doesn't even look like stretching, cracking or breaking.

Mick.

First of all welcome to the forum.

Here are some instructions online. Here is a nice pictorial

also the workbench book by Scott Landis has some info as well.

Hmm yes, welcome to the forum.

I took a few pictures and they should be reasonably easily understood, I hope.

One thing that is a bit different from all other benches I've had, is that this one is attached to the garage wall and doesn't budge a fraction of a millimetre. With that feature I placed a piece of timber vertically behind where the vice is placed on the wall, then covered it with a wardrobe side that was 18mm pine, this then takes the pressure when I use the raised aforementioned metal piece to hold stuff in place.

I use a series of timber blocks, either length way or side way and a small strip in the front to take the metal piece direct to stop damage to the material being held. It has been a most effective feature and one that is invaluable when assembling drawers, boxes and other stuff as it really works a treat. Anything that is too wide for the vice also is placed in the same vice set-up.

Mick.
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