Thread: Newbie questions about installing vise to my bench

This might help

https://www.woodworkforums.com/f213/t...ds-ask-126076/

Thanks.
I had exactly the same question. The link is interesting (and I suspected it was for planing) but TBH it doesn't really leave me the wiser.
I reckon it makes more sense to have it on the right (I have a B&D workmate and I always clamp timber on the RH side of it) for RH sawing.
I guess it's preference?
Besides, I hate planing ('cos I can't do it - like chiselling - I make a total mess).
Bin

If it makes more sense to you to put it on the right, put it on the right. There's no rules about it. In my opinion it's 20% practicality and 80% tradition to have it on the left for a right hander. I sometimes find myself walking around to the other side of the bench to cross cut when I have a long piece in the vice that I want to work on one end of. A bit hard to do if your bench is against the wall I suppose. So in some situations, it would make more sense to be on the right.

Who knows why it's on the left? All anyone can do is give you their opinion. Probably half the reasons given are because of techniques that developed because the front vice is always on the left. I suppose if you are teaching the craft you need to have a standard practice.

I bought a bench from a bloke once. He asked me if I was right handed and I told him I was. He said "good, this bench will suit you. I'm left handed but I built it back to front". He had the leg vice on the right and the tail vice on the left, which is normal for a left hander but he always felt it was the wrong way around.

I'd say put it where you feel most comfortable and don't get hung up on whether it's "right" or "wrong". It's your bench after all.

But I would always have it on the left

One reason vices are on the left for a right hander, is so they can hold the off-cut with their left hand.

I'm not even done building it yet, but I'm currently putting the finishing touches on a workbench (finally). The top is 27" deep, 41" wide and 34 1/2" high. I put the woodworking vise in the right front corner on the short side and the knee/leg vise on the long side near the same corner. I find this seems to work out best for me regardless of any 'official' position on where it should be.

Here's the corner with the vises:


The height works for me because I can lay the flats on my palms on the top while next to the bench. The length and depth are what they are because that's the space I have available in my shop.
I have holes for benchdogs on the long direction in alignment with the woodworking vice and I plan to add some more for the leg vise.
Here's the top as it stands now. I still have some benchdog holes to drill, I have alittle more work to do on the leg vise, I added a brace with holes for a peg I can slip in to help support longer pieces.

Here's the panel the peg goes in to support longer pieces held vertically in the vise:


That's where I am today, more to go but getting there.

Paul