instructables How to Make a Wooden 6" Bench-Vise by Yonatan24 I have a great little vise. I use it a ton (pun not hardware. intended)! The only problem with it is that it's tiny-- It opens to a little more than 1.5" Did you know that if this Instructable gets 150,000 views, and 5% of the people that would see it would I wanted to buy a bigger vise (for my birthday), but the build the vise, it would mean that this Instructable prices are INSANE! saved ~MILLION DOLLARS!!! Share, Share, Share! As a "maker", I don't think it makes sense to pay $100 to $500+ on a vise, when it's basically a big chunk of metal and a bolt. I know that I'm not the only one that thinks that. *Pssst! Make sure to check out my top comment (in the comment's section) for a chance of winning I decided to build my own 6" (~16cm), with free several free PRO memberships to Instructables! reclaimed wood, and less than $5 worth of How to Make a Wooden 6" Bench-Vise: Page 1 Step 1: The Plan Back in April, I tried to build a vise, but it didn't really This vise is bigger, stronger, can fit in a small Drill- work out like what I wanted. You can see that vise Press, is easier and faster to use, and many more. here. While I don't have Sketchup Plans (I still haven't learned how to use it) for this vise, you can see the collection of homemade vises, which many different pictures above for the plans, along with fully detailed DIY designs. instructions in the next steps. If you need any more help, feel free to contact me in the comment section below. Also, if you want to build your own vise, but am not Let's get started! really fond of my design, I recommend seeing this 12 1. I didn't add this in the end. The vise is WAY stronger than what I thought 2. I didn't add this in the end. The vise is WAY stronger than what I thought Step 2: What You'll Need: Hardware & Materials: European Beech Wood (The dimensions are written later in the Instructable) 3/8"X29cm Threaded Rod (I bought it at a hardware store for less than $5) 2 Pieces of 290X8mm Metal Rod 2 Washers 16mm Hardwood Dowel 2mm Metal Rod Plywood How to Make a Wooden 6" Bench-Vise: Page 2 2 Screws Paper Towels Chemicals & Adhesives: Spray Lubricant Wood Glue Varnish Alcohol Pad Tools (+Attachments): Abrasive Dremel Cutting Bit Homemade Hot-Glue Mallet Vise (the small one) Drill-Bits: 1, 2, 8, 9, 10 , 19mm Spade Bit , 27mm Holesaw Hammer Clamps Sandpaper: 200 Grit Steel Wool Paintbrush 7mm Chisel Caliper Tape Measurer Speed Square Screwdriver Electric/Power Tools: Drill Drill-Press 6-in-1 Woodworking Machine (It contains the Mini Bench-Grinder) Dremel Circular-Saw How to Make a Wooden 6" Bench-Vise: Page 3 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Recommended Safety Equipment: Earmuffs, Respirator, Safety Goggles Cost (for me): <$5 Difficulty: Fairly Hard Approximate Time: 5 Hours (It took me more10 because I didn't have written Instructions...) Step 3: Cut Wood to Size (& Glue for Making the Final Size) Since this is made from reclaimed wood, I thought clamped them together while they dried. For the there would be no point in making two different steps, actual build, I had to split this steps into several parts, for cutting, and then gluing, to the final size. For because I didn't have enough clamps. example, if this was made from a 2X4, the base wouldn't have been made from two different parts. Here are the dimensions in centimeters: Makes sense? :) 3.5 X 4.5 X 7cm of European Beech Wood I started by measuring and marking cutting all of the European Beech Wood parts with my Drill-Powered 2 Pieces of 5 X 9 X 7cm of European Beech Wood Circular Saw. 32.5 X 9 X 2.5 of European Beech Wood After that, I glued them together with wood glue, and How to Make a Wooden 6" Bench-Vise: Page 4 Step 4: Drill Holes for the Front & Back Jaws I aligned and clamped both of the 5 X 9 X 7cm pieces one on top of another. Make sure they are totally aligned before you drill, this is REALLY important! I drilled a 10mm hole in over the middle part of the first block, and then drilled two 8mm holes for the metal rods. After I drilled them, I used my Drill-Press, again, to slightly widen the holes so the rods could slide better. How to Make a Wooden 6" Bench-Vise: Page 5 Step 5: Chisel Holes for the Hex-nut The nut is going to fit inside the back jaw, like my first homemade vise, I decided to chisel out the holes. This works really well! I first traced the outline of the nut over the hole, after that, I used a sharp chisel to chisel out the hole, and then hammered it in. Unlike my first vise, I used one hex-nut, and made it a tighter fit, instead of using Epoxy. 1 1. Want to know know to make your chisels this sharp? I have an Instructable on that... :) How to Make a Wooden 6" Bench-Vise: Page 6 Step 6: Glue the Rods I mixed up some 2 part Epoxy, and glue the rods inside of the holes that were previously drilled in the first jaw. Since this a tight fit, make sure that you apply a lot of Epoxy. How to Make a Wooden 6" Bench-Vise: Page 7 Step 7: Glue the Front Jaw Glue the front jaw to the base with some wood glue. If you want to turn this into a Bar-Clamp, you won't need to do this ;) I clamped the joint until the glue dried. Step 8: Make the Handle I started by drilling a 9mm hole in the tip of the 3.5 X 19mm hole through the piece of wood for the handle. 4.5 X 7cm piece, and when I made sure that the rod fit snuggly inside, I drilled a 2mm hole through the To finish it off, I drilled a 27mm hole in some hard wood and the rod. This will help strengthen the bond. plywood, drilled two small holes in each end of the handle, and screwed them in. After that, I quickly mixed up some new Epoxy (stronger), and pushed the rod inside. Don't forget to I let everything cure for a few hours inside the holes add the 2mm strengthening rod! of my second Homemade wooden vise ;) After after about an hour, I came back, and drilled a How to Make a Wooden 6" Bench-Vise: Page 8 How to Make a Wooden 6" Bench-Vise: Page 9 How to Make a Wooden 6" Bench-Vise: Page 10 Step 9: Sand Everything Since this is reclaimed wood, a small part was actually sanded and finished, the most, however, was not. I started by sanding the wood with steel wool, and then finished it with 200 grit sandpaper. Step 10: Cut & Grind Off the Rods The rods were a bit longer than I wanted, so I cut part of them off. I'll use the leftover piece for a future vise. I also used my mini Bench Grinder to remove some of the sharp edges. Handheld this time! How to Make a Wooden 6" Bench-Vise: Page 11 Step 11: Varnish I applied a coat of varnish. 2 Hours later, I came back. I sanded the whole vise again, and applied another coat of varnish. I hope this will make it waterproof. How to Make a Wooden 6" Bench-Vise: Page 12 Step 12: Grease the Rods Greasing the rods- I've said it a lot, and I'll say it again. This lowered the amount of friction probably to a fifth. I suppose I'll have to do this again every once in awhile... How to Make a Wooden 6" Bench-Vise: Page 13 Step 13: Use It! Congrats! You've built your own Wooden Bench-Vise! If you liked the Instructable, please consider clicking the orange vote button (in the top right corner), and I don't need to explain how useful this will be. You'll sharing it on social media. At no cost for you, this see this in MANY more of my upcoming Instructables! supports my projects, Instructables, and me, since DIY isn't always cheap :) ------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------- I read and answer ALL comments, so make sure to Don't forget to Follow me on Instructables, I have leave your suggestions, upgrades and improvements over 80 Instructables that I'm sure you'd like! in the comments below! DON'T BE SHY! Liked it? Let me know! Didn't like it? Let me know why! 1 1 1. THE ATTACK OF THE LIVING, FINGER EATING, 1. Vises are allowed to be hungry BENCH-VISE! ;) HUGE Giveaway? YES! Want to help me save YOU over a million dollars? Share this Instructable on social media! You can win 5 free PRO memberships to Instructables by ONLY sharing this on four social media websites. This can take you less than 2 minutes. 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