A Handy Homemade Vise

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The homemade vise in use.  Note that the wedge pieces are beveled at both horizontal and vertical angles.
The homemade vise in use.  Note that the wedge pieces are beveled at both horizontal and vertical angles.
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Diagram shows top view of the vise's pieces.
Diagram shows top view of the vise's pieces.
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Diagram shows top view, side view, and dimensions of the wedge pieces.
Diagram shows top view, side view, and dimensions of the wedge pieces.
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Diagram shows method of cutting the wedge pieces if you table saw doesn't have a tapering attachment.
Diagram shows method of cutting the wedge pieces if you table saw doesn't have a tapering attachment.

Would you believe that when shopping for a workbench vise recently I discovered that the least expensive suitable unit was tagged at $38.95 plus tax? Well, that price not only jarred my sensibilities, it also jogged my memory to the point where I was able to recall a simple little do-it-yourself work holder I’d learned to make back in ninth grade.

The homemade vise I remembered isn’t the usual jaws-and-turnscrew gizmo you find on most workbenches. Instead, the basic vise consists of three pieces of wood: a 2 X 4 X 8″ end block–which is screwed securely in place–and two interlocking 2 X 8 sections, the larger of which is fixed to the same surface as and aligned a short distance from the end block, while the smaller component is used to wedge stock in place between the two stops. And as simple as the design is, it’s danged effective!

The secret to the gadget’s holding power is the fact that the movable chock and its partner are made by slicing an 8″ piece of 2 X 8 pine lengthwise (with the grain) but on a slant, while the saw blade itself is set at a slight tilt rather than straight up and down. This technique produces a pair of angular, trapezoid-shaped pieces, each with a beveled edge. When the two cut sides are forced together, they mesh perfectly–the free one slightly under the fixed one–and their opposing angles prevent the wedge and the stock it’s helping to grip from popping out.

In professional woodworking circles, the cut that I’m talking about is called a “compound rip bevel,” but I just call it “easy” if it’s done using a table saw that has a tapering jig. Simply set the blade at an angle of 35° to 40° and the jig at approximately 15°, and cut the 2 X 8. (Remember that the actual size of finished lumber is always smaller than its stated dimensions. Thus, a 2 X 8 in fact measures about 1 1/2″ X 7 1/4″. )

If your saw (or the one you’ve borrowed for the project) doesn’t have a tapering attachment, you can make your own by joining the ends of two 18″ lengths of 1 X 2 pine with a hinge. The right side of the contrivance can then follow your saw’s rip fence, while the left is used to adjust for whatever degree of taper you want. A rigid crosspiece attached between the two arms will lock the setting in place. It’s also a good idea to nail a block of scrap wood at a right angle to the lower end of the jig’s left extension, to give some support to the stock you’re cutting and to assure a square start.

  • Published on Jul 1, 1981
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