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Realized I was using my bench vise totally wrong after 8 years
I was at a friend's house last Saturday helping him build a new workbench and he asked why I mounted my vise on the right side of my bench. I told him that's just how I always did it and he gave me this weird look. He showed me how he keeps his on the left so he can still use his tape measure and pencil in his right hand without reaching across the vise. I felt like an idiot because I've been fighting with that awkward reach for years and never thought to switch it. He also pointed out that my vise jaws were both flat on top with no texture, so small round things kept slipping out. He showed me he glued a strip of old bicycle inner tube to one jaw and it holds pipes better than anything I've tried. Has anyone else moved their vise to a different spot and realized how much easier things get?
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jennifer_mitchell533d ago
Man, that vise placement thing is one of those little details that makes a huge difference. I actually read somewhere that most workbench designs from the old school favor the left side for the same reason your buddy mentioned, so you're not alone in figuring it out late. And yeah, @maryh96, that inner tube trick is a lifesaver. I heard about it from a guy at the hardware store who said he glued an old bike tube to his vise decades ago and it still holds better than any new pad. Funny how the simplest stuff is the stuff you never think to try.
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