To secure parts during processing, special clamps are needed. It’s not difficult to make a vice with your own hands in different sizes; you will need drawings with dimensions, as well as technological sequence performance of work.
U home handyman in the arsenal there are usually many of the most different instruments. However, it is difficult to overestimate the role of the vice. They are used to install parts different sizes, so one workshop may have fixing devices various types And design. In metalworking they are mainly used hardware, and are widely used for wood processing wooden devices. Some craftsmen equip their work tables with homemade bench vices. It happens that you need a special fastening tool.
Vise elements
The clamping fixture must have several basic elements:
- the sponge is motionless;
- movable sponge;
- screw mechanism;
- transverse corner;
- movable jaw bracket;
- slider;
- main support (longitudinal angle).
Diagram of a homemade vice
The design of the clamp may be different. Sometimes even ordinary pliers are used as starting materials.
The simplest designs
It is customary to determine the following types of vices based on the characteristics of the device:
- massive stationary. These are usually placed on one of the corners of the workbench. In forges it is customary to install it on a separate support mounted on a strong foundation;
- swivel can be used from several sides. If necessary, the location of the jaws is oriented in different directions;
- machine are intended for use on drilling machines. You can place similar products on milling tables, planing or slotting equipment, as well as on welding lines;
- wedge ones differ in that the design has a unique appearance. Such clamps make it possible to develop fairly large pressing forces on the parts being fastened;
- Moxon's parallel designs. Their peculiarity is the use of not one, but several screw clamps. Long parts in different parts are fixed in different points;
- vertical ones are used for processing products that have a large height. The support of such a vice can be located at the bottom, and the processing area is located at the top.
Vice design development
Drawing of a homemade vice
If you want to make your own design yourself, you need to prepare drawings (sketches). You can take rolled angles, channels, and I-beams as a basis. In industrial devices, cast iron is used. Small ones can be made from channel bars.
Do-it-yourselfers use different types wood or rolled metal.
Used in wood products metal elements:
- screw. Use studs with standard threads. If a jack is available, then the product being developed will use a rectangular thread;
- screw. It is selected to match the existing clamping screw;
- fasteners are used to provide rigidity.
According to the design of the device, it can be:
- stationary vices, placed constantly in one place;
- portable (easily removable) vice. They can be quickly removed and stored in vehicle to carry out work at the repair site.
Step-by-step technologies for making wooden vices at home
Workbench design
At home, a workbench vice is made in the following sequence.
 | Wide parallel vise made of wood. The width of the jaws is 600 mm. |
 | The end part is lined with steel plates 4 mm thick. |
 | Blanks are cut from birch boards. The choice of birch is explained by the fact that this wood is characterized by high strength and hardness. |
 | The surface of the boards must be brought to perfection. Are used grinding tools. Finishing is carried out using skins with grain size 120…180 units. |
 | A board is glued to the end, which will serve as a stationary sponge. |
 | Additionally, the board is secured with M5 screws and washers with a diameter of 20 mm. |
 | Guide bushings for the rods will be made from birch bars 100x150x50 mm. |
 | Holes with a diameter of 20 mm are drilled into them. The rods themselves will be made from Ø 20 tubes. |
 | M24 lead screw and guide rods. The length of the screw is 450 mm. |
 | Pre-assembly of guide units. |
 | To ensure that the movement is carried out strictly in a straight line, you need a long nut. But you can look for something like this for a long time. It's easier to do it differently. 1 – take a strip 180 mm long (width 33 mm, thickness 5 mm); 2 – screw two nuts onto the screw; 3 – set the distance between the nuts to 140 mm; 4 – weld two nuts to the strip. You will get a long support that will reliably move the moving part of the vice. |
 | During installation, the screw and guides are located under the table. In the photo you can see how the design of such a vice is assembled. |
 | The movable jaw rests on a metal support. |
 | In order for movement along the screw to occur, the washer must be welded. It will not allow the moving part to move along the screw surface. |
 | The handwheel is turned from a piece of wood. |
 | After turning, a fairly comfortable handle is obtained. |
 | A nut is pressed inside the flywheel. |
 | To fix the nut, it is filled with epoxy resin. |
 | To fix large parts, dowels with a diameter of 20 mm are machined. They can be installed on sponges as well as on a table. |
 | A Ø 16 mm hole is drilled in the handwheel. A wooden rod is inserted into it. This makes it more convenient to rotate and fix the parts. |
 | Finished design of a wooden vice. Several rows of holes for dowels are visible on the table. By rearranging the counter stops, you can fix workpieces of quite large width. |
Making a wooden benchtop vice
Another design is used in carpentry production. This type of fastener is installed on the table. They can be further strengthened using clamps.
 | Solid oak is used. It must be dried in a special mode, which includes more than just drying. The modes alternate with humidification. This will prevent the appearance of cracks. IN this design the upper part of the jaws is small in width (only 60 mm). |
 | The block is placed on the table and then marked. |
 | The block is planed. |
 | Individual parts are cut out. The best type of fastening is considered to be a dovetail. |
 | The fixed part is turned separately. |
 | On lathe The working screw is turned out. |
 | A rectangular thread is cut. |
 | A hole is drilled at the end into which the rod is inserted. It helps the screw rotate. |
 | A support plate is cut from a 6 mm thick strip. |
 | Large diameter holes are drilled, securing the part in the four-jaw chuck of the lathe. |
 | Finished plate with a hole Ø 20 mm. |
 | Making additional cuts. |
 | The finished product is used for fixing blanks when making small sculptures from soft wood. |
Simple wooden vice
 | Apple wood bars are used. |
 | The base is a board 30 mm thick, 100 mm wide and 200 mm long. |
 | Additionally, three more elements were sawn. They will serve as sponges and intermediate support. Their dimensions: width 100 mm; thickness 30 mm; height 40 mm. |
 | An eye bolt with M10 thread is used as a screw. |
 | Additionally, you will need M8x70 bolts with nuts. |
 | Holes for M8 bolts are drilled on two bars. |
 | Additionally, two bars are drilled for M10 threads. |
 | The nut is pressed in. Additionally, a plate is used to fix the screw. |
 | All that remains is to assemble the elements on the support board. |
 | M8 bolts are used to install bars. |
 | The fixed jaw can be installed in several positions. Therefore, parts of different widths can be fixed in a vice. |
 | The vice is ready. They can be used to work with wooden blanks. |
Making metal vices
Small Machine Vise
 | For manufacturing you need: a plate 8 mm thick. Its width is 80 mm and its length is 120 mm; 2 solid squares 20x20 mm; 2 isosceles corners with a shelf 20 mm; profile pipe 20X20x1.5 mm. |
 | The parts used are tried on the plate. |
 | The angles will serve as guides for the pusher in the vise. |
 | The length of the corners is 60 mm. The pipe has a length of 45 mm. |
 | An M10 nut must be installed inside the profile pipe. You will need to saw through the window; a nut will be installed in this window; the nut must be welded in place. |
 | To make wine, a Ø 10 mm rod was used, with an M10 thread cut into it. |
 | Secured in a vice profile pipe, make a cut for the nut. |
 | The nut is tried on in place. |
 | You need to file two corners of the nut, then it will fit into the formed groove. |
 | The nut is installed in place. It needs to be boiled. A hole is pre-drilled with reverse side, the back side of the nut will be welded through it. |
 | Welding is done from above. |
 | Then the reverse side is also boiled. |
 | The surface of all parts is sanded. |
 | A Ø 10 mm hole is drilled in a plate 50x30x6 mm. |
 | A notch is cut into the squares. It will fix the parts secured in a vice. |
 | The prepared parts are laid out on the workbench. The device will be assembled. |
 | The fixed jaw is welded. Having installed the profile pipe as the determining direction, the corners are welded. The stroke of the movable jaw will be 30 mm. |
 | A plate 20 mm wide needs to be welded on top. It will limit vertical movement. You will need to attach the profile pipe to the movable jaw. |
 | Part of the welding work has been completed. The movement of moving elements is checked. |
 | A nut is welded to the screw. It will not allow it to move along the axis. The plate is located at the back. It also must be rigidly fixed to the supporting surface of the vice. |
 | The parts are adjusted according to location. |
 | By welding the plate, a small vice is obtained. |
 | You can carry out a trial use by securing the vice on the table. |
 | The parts are secured securely. |
The presence of a vice allows you to expand the range of work and increase their efficiency. After all, securely fastened parts are easier to process and their quality is higher. Depending on the work being carried out and the characteristics of the objects being processed, a vice of certain sizes and parameters is selected. These can be small models that easily fit on a kitchen table, stool, or more massive ones for large parts. With a little ingenuity and hard work, you can make any of them yourself.
Assembly features of clamping devices
Vices are used to hold various parts in a given position, which facilitates and increases the accuracy of their processing. All of them are divided into two groups: carpentry and metalworking. The latter are intended primarily for working with soft materials: wood, plastic, etc. Machine tools are used to work with hard materials, so the clamping jaws have a lower protrusion height for ease of processing products.
When making a vice at home, in order to optimally adapt it to your needs, you can make any changes to the design of the standard model. For example, to process small parts provide a rotating mechanism. When planning to make a vice with your own hands, pay attention to the following nuances:
- Material. To increase the reliability and durability of the product, high-quality steel is chosen.
- Product size. If you have to process mainly small parts, then it is better to make a compact model.
- Thread pitch. Fine threads ensure efficient clamping and smooth operation.
- Sponges. Their size and shape are chosen taking into account the material and type of workpiece. Flat jaws are less damaging to soft materials.
Tubular vice design
Homemade clamps can be made from any available materials. For example, a fairly simple and effective design is made from metal pipes. To do this, it is necessary to select pipes in such a way that one of them fits tightly into the other. Productsmust be seamless without internal welding seam. The size is arbitrary, as it is selected based on the purpose clamping device and characteristics of the processed parts.
The manufacturing procedure will be as follows:
- Supports are welded to the bottom of a larger diameter pipe, which will serve as the basis of the structure. On the back side - back wall from steel sheet 3-5 mm thick, with pre- drilled hole and a welded running nut. Opposite the front support, a rear fixed jaw is welded at the top point.
- On outside another steel plug 3-5 mm thick is welded onto the moving pipe. To move it, a fastener is made from a stud, lock nuts and thrust washers. At the protruding end of the stud, an eye is welded for inserting a knob. The front jaw is attached to the top point of the movable pipe.
- At the final stage, hardened steel plates with pre-applied notches are screwed onto the jaws. Their presence will increase the clamping area and ensure reliable fixation of the objects being processed.
To facilitate movement on all moving parts: surface inner pipe, stud threads - apply a grease that has low fluidity.
Clamps are made from a square or rectangular profile in a similar way. Their main advantage is the longitudinal movement of the moving part in the complete absence of rotation, which is typical for a tubular structure.
Corner vise
A simple bench vice can be made from metal corners any size. In addition to them you will need following materials and tools:
- metal rod with a diameter of 20 mm for making a lead screw;
- pins for guides in the amount of two units, but in a simpler design they are not used;
- bolts, nuts, washers;
- electric drill, welding machine, hammer, file, hacksaw.
The sequence of actions will be as follows:
- The lead screw is made from a rod. Since it is difficult to make a screw of the required characteristics at home, it is better to entrust this operation to specialists.
- A base is created from two longitudinal and transverse corners; in the lower part, plates with ready-made holes are welded through which machine vice will be attached to any stable surface.
- The fixed jaw is already welded and is part of the base. Therefore, having drilled a hole in it required size(equal to the diameter of the screw), weld a nut under the lead screw. The thread can be cut directly into the body of the angle, but a nut is a more reliable option.
- The movable jaw is made separately, always providing for a fastening mechanism. To do this, a U-shaped plate is welded on the reverse side. A hole is drilled at the end of the screw for a pin, which is used to secure the pre-inserted washer.
- Guide pins are attached to the sides of the jaws, but their presence is not a prerequisite.
On last stage Having secured the finished product to the working base, check the operation of all mechanisms.
Vice is one of the most important tools in any workshop. It allows you to expand the range of work and increase efficiency: thanks to them, the master’s hands are free, and the processing of parts is carried out on high level, and without outside help. Few know that enough is enough quality vices you can make it yourself. You just need to show some ingenuity, skills and attentiveness. Next, about the intricacies of the process of creating a tool.
Vices are widely used in construction work as an element-holding tool for various parts. The product in question is presented in the form of a base (body) with two clamping tubes, which allow you to firmly hold the part during milling, planing or drilling.
A vice is considered one of the main metalworking tools, because the quality of their final processing will depend on the strength of fastening of parts. In addition, such a product frees both hands, thus allowing you to carry out certain processes as accurately as possible.
Depending on the operational features, vices are divided into two categories: carpentry and metalworking. The latter, in turn, are divided into rotary and static. Static bench vices come in chair and parallel vices. The former do not have elements for permanent fastening and are easier to install/dismantle. The second ones differ more overall dimensions and are attached to work surface thoroughly.
Bench vices are designed primarily for working with fairly soft materials: plastic, wood, etc. They have high clamping jaws that are either statically fixed or rotated on the base.
Machine tools are designed to work with hard materials, for example, metal. Their clamping jaws are less high for greater convenience and efficiency.
Making an instrument at home
To make a vice with your own hands, you need to prepare a certain set of materials and tools:
- Metal plates;
- Pins;
- Boards;
- Metal rod with a diameter of about 2 mm;
- Fasteners.
The minimum tools you will need are an electric drill, a sledgehammer, a file and a hacksaw. The easiest way to make a bench vise with your own hands is therefore presented below. step-by-step instruction to create just such a tool:
Advice. Vises made at home can be more effective and convenient due to the fact that it is quite possible to adapt them to carry out any specific operations.
If you plan to make a vice with your own hands, you should take into account some nuances that will determine the strength and service life of the tool:
- Material. Steel is most often used to create the product. It is advisable to choose a quality one, since the reliability and durability of the product, as well as its ability to firmly hold the part during processing, largely depend on this.
- Product size. If you plan to work primarily with small parts, it is better to give preference to a compact model: it will be more convenient and easier to work with.
- Thread pitch. Important point, which many often miss. The thread must be clear and small if spot work is planned.
- Sponges. It is important to pay attention to the size and shape of this element. The first indicator depends on the type of products that will be processed, the second - on the materials of the workpieces. If you plan to work only (mostly) with soft materials, it is better to make the jaws flat.
Advice. Since you are making your own vise, you can go beyond the standard model by making optimal tool exactly for your needs. Remember that with the help of an additional option you can make the vice more efficient in operation. For example, the presence of a rotating mechanism in the product will allow you to work with small parts.
That's all the subtleties that you should know about creating such a tool as a vice with your own hands. As you can see, this process is quite simple, and the result of the work will please even experienced craftsman. Good luck!
How to make a vice with your own hands: video
Bench vices are necessary equipment in the workshop of any man, without whom it is difficult to do in one form or another of work.
It is not at all necessary to place them in the garage; you can set up a corner for a vice at home, for example, using a table or an ordinary stool.
Review Contents:
- Why do you need a bench vise?
- Main types of bench vices
- Work on making a bench vice at home
- Classic homemade vice
- DIY vise photo
Why do you need a bench vise?
When processing or sharpening any part, it is necessary to fix it firmly and reliably, that is, to hold it in a certain position. The photo of the vice shows the operating principle of this equipment.
The parameters and dimensions of the vice are determined depending on what type of tool needs to be firmly held.
The design of a carpenter's vice includes:
- chassis screw;
- handle;
- movable and fixed sponge;
- base plate.
Main types of bench vices
Before making a vice with your own hands, you need to decide on the choice of work associated with it.
All types of vices are divided into two types:
- non-rotary have more simple design and they are easiest to make yourself. The part is fixed strictly in one position.
- Rotary vices are most often adapted for drilling on a machine. During operation, it is possible to rotate the workpiece without unclenching it.
The material of the vice body is most often made of durable cast iron. It is important to know that cast iron is not intended to be exposed to high temperatures, steel metal is suitable for these purposes.
If the work will be carried out with small-sized parts, you should not increase financial costs and make compact small vices.
A small vice with a ball joint base is useful on the farm for processing very small parts that can be secured individually. These are mini-vises with suction cups, mounted on a glass or well-polished surface. But they are suitable for rare non-serious work.
Please note that it is wise to install soft attachments on the fastening part for working with soft parts, so as not to cause damage to them. A vice with the least amount of play when the jaws are fully extended is the ideal option.
A vice without a rotating mechanism will save a lot of money, unless, of course, it is needed in the work.
Work on making a bench vice at home
Carpenter's vices, made independently at home, will save significantly family budget than their store-bought ready-made “brothers”. And a huge plus is that the product can be made according to personal preferences and for certain individual types of work. 
It is absolutely not difficult to find material for the structure; it could be: a piece of technical pipe, a used jack, old lathes, presses, etc.
And if you go to a metal collection point, there will undoubtedly be a suitable part for a vice that will cost you a penny.
Classic homemade vice
There are many types of vices, but the most popular and traditional is the type with steel material. Such a vice will be much more reliable than a factory-made one.
The design consists of: Please note!
- a steel plate of at least 3 mm, but it can be much thicker;
- external and internal channel (120 and 100 mm);
- steel lugs;
- turning cutters 2 pieces;
- a small piece of reinforcement (rod for a gate);
- a nut (2 pieces), a pin or a screw of a certain diameter that corresponds to the rod;
- washer (2 pieces) of the same diameter with the lead screw;
- screw pair 335 mm;
- To secure the propeller chassis, a thick plate is needed.
It is necessary to separate the lead screw with washers on both sides of the plate. One of the two washers must be secured with a cotter pin or a locking ring, so that the part is completely removable; you must first weld the screw thread to it.
The handle should also be collapsible on one side, and welded on the other side using a nut. It is necessary to weld a nut with a channel from the screws flush to the plate. To make the channel inside with the screw move easier while moving, it is recommended to lightly process it with a file.
Sponges are welded to the so-called ears, made from turning cutters. They are placed on Right place When the lead screw is screwed in, the ears stand at the perfect distance from each other.
But you can also connect them with wire for greater convenience, so in the future it will be more convenient to fix uneven parts, the shape of which is expanded towards the bottom.
These homemade vices allow you to process larger parts. Note!
To perform work in a home workshop, it is recommended to choose the simplest fixed vice for the machine.
It’s not at all difficult to make them yourself, you just have to watch the video and recommendations, which without special labor can be found on the Internet and drawn up correctly in advance.
DIY vise photo
It is unlikely that in a home workshop there will be more required device than a bench vise. Even if you mostly work with wood, sometimes you won't be able to do without a vice. And if you don’t have a workshop, a garage or a corner in your apartment where you can repair simple household utensils, having a small benchtop bench vise can be a great help in many situations, turning kitchen table or even a stool for a mini-workshop.
First of all, about the purpose. The purpose of a vice is to securely fasten and hold a part or workpiece when processing it with various tools. Depending on what objects primarily need to be secured in a vice and what tools will be used to work with them, the design parameters of the vice vary. But the most universal and most common look like this:
The basis of any vice is a screw pair. In most cases, the screw is fixed in the movable part of the vice body, and the nut is fixed in the stationary part, which is either directly or through swivel mechanism attached to mechanic's workbench or a special stand that ensures the immobility of the vice during any operations with the part fixed in it.
Types of bench vices
In addition to reliable support, you must clearly understand what types of work you will be doing and relate the choice of bench vise to them. First of all, this concerns the material of the case. In the post-Soviet space, it is often cast iron.
This material is hard, wear-resistant, but quite fragile. Therefore, if you are not going to bend thick steel billets without seriously preheating them, then feel free to take such a vice, and if you are going to do so, then it’s better to look for a steel one.
If you need to regularly fasten cylindrical workpieces in such a table vise, then it is advisable to make a jaw cover with a triangular cutout. And if such operations are quite frequent, then we advise you to consider options for the design of a bench vice that are somewhat different from the standard ones.
In general, if we talk about the functionality of a bench vice, then first of all you should think about the size. If you know for sure that you will not have to work with large parts, then do not pay for extra metal, and perhaps even consider a compact machine vice.
Or vice versa - it is possible to work with large-sized parts, but without special effort when processing them. Then you can consider the option of a vice with the ability to pre-expand the jaws without using a lead screw.
If you do not have a workbench, and the list of works also includes more operations that do not require the application of brute physical force to the parts being processed, then the option with a table vice, secured with various clamps, is yours.
True, the latter are mini-tise, it is better to have them on the farm as additional ones. Large details You can’t clamp it in them, and you can’t put any serious effort into the workpiece being processed - there’s not enough pressure on the clamp to hold the vices themselves, but making a key for a lock based on a sample is just the thing.
In addition, such vices are sometimes indispensable if you need to unscrew a stuck nut, when you can use them as hand tools. Despite their miniature size, their jaw pressure is very good.
It is also worth mentioning a small vice on a ball joint, which serves for the convenience of processing very small parts of complex configurations, allowing for processing various surfaces parts from one fastening.
It is clear that the clamping force of the ball joint is not enough for serious physical exercise, so such a vice is suitable for quite specific types of work. The same, in our opinion not very serious, will be vices with fastening using a suction cup.
To secure them more or less securely, you need either a well-polished surface or glass. It is unlikely that they will be securely attached to other surfaces. And their functionality is also limited.
For all types of bench vices, you will obviously need additional pads to secure parts made from soft materials.
Some table vices have a pneumatic drive, which greatly facilitates the process of securing the workpiece.
But if you don’t have a mini plumbing workshop at home, then you are unlikely to need such a vice.
What else is important to know when choosing a bench vise? There are quite a lot of complaints from users about Chinese vices with cast iron bodies, equipped with clamps for fastening - they often break off, so if you want a cheap vice from the Middle Kingdom, it is better to choose one made of steel.
Choose a vice that has the least amount of play between the body parts when the jaws are set as far apart as possible. Also, if you do not need a rotating mechanism at the base of the vice for work, choose a model without it: you will save money and the structure is more rigid.
How to make a bench vise with your own hands
The question arises: why, with such an abundance of sizes, shapes and configurations of bench vices offered by the retail chain, bother with them? independent execution. When making a bench vice with your own hands, you can save up to 10 times in cost, and also make a device with the specified parameters.
And this is absolutely real, because almost everything that can be useful for making a table vice can be found at scrap metal collection points for mere pennies.
This is especially noticeable in the photograph, in which the quality screw pair parts of a sanitary pipe valve with a flywheel are used.
You can also take a screw pair from an old vertical jack. Even if part of the thread has already worn slightly, then, as a rule, this is a small area from the edge of the screw, which will still need to be trimmed to shorten it. The lead screws of old lathes, screw presses, etc. are also very durable.
At worst, for very little money you can order a turner at the nearest vocational school such a pair with a wide nut, with a regular metric thread. Just make the diameter larger and the nut wider. In this case, the clamping force will be redistributed sufficiently large area due to the diameter of the screw and the number of turns.
As a last resort, just buy a stud with a larger diameter from a store that sells hardware, and a tall nut for it, or 3 regular ones, which you then weld in series, screwed onto the stud.
The classic version of a homemade bench vise
The photograph clearly shows the steel parts, which can almost always be picked up without much difficulty at the nearest metal shop:
- steel plate 200 x 200, thickness 3 – 6 mm (thicker is possible);
- 2 channels (120 mm - external, 100 mm - internal) with a length of 160 mm and 300 mm, respectively; in your case, the dimensions may be different depending on the length of the lead screw;
- steel ears from some large container;
- 2 worn turning tools;
- rod for the wrench, in in this case piece of reinforcement;
- a screw or pin corresponding to the diameter of the rod, and 2 nuts;
- 2 washers, with a diameter corresponding to the diameter of the lead screw;
- screw pair - any of those described (in this case - ordered by a turner), 335 mm long;
- powerful plate for fastening the lead screw.
The lead screw on both sides of the plate is separated by washers, one of which, on the side of the threaded part, is welded to it, although with this diameter it can be secured with a cotter pin or retaining ring. Then this unit will be completely dismountable, which is clearly better for reasons of maintainability.
The handle on one side is sealed with a welded nut, and on the other side it is made collapsible after welding the thread from a screw of the appropriate diameter to it.
The nut from the screw pair is welded to the base plate flush with the 120 channel.
For normal fit of the inner channel with the lead screw attached to it, its ribs need to be lightly processed with a file.
The ears with jaws welded to them, made from cut turning tools, must be positioned with the lead screw screwed in. This way they will take the exact place. You can even twist the jaws together with soft wire, ensuring their ideal position.
You can also first apply a notch to them using an angle grinder with a metal cutting disc.
Due to this type of fastening of the jaws, namely the shape of the hooks and the distance between them, non-standard parts that are widened towards the bottom can be fastened in such a vice.
And the maximum thickness of workpieces processed in these vices is quite impressive. And there is no need to talk about the maintainability of such equipment - you can see for yourself.
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