mounting vise to bench

[mendozer]

After some recent difficulty with trying to remove the sights from my S&W 5906 (still haven't gotten it off) I decided I need a vise. CL has a few good used ones (USA made Wiltons, Parkers, etc). Do I really need a solid machinist or mechanics style vise or will a simple wood vise work ? I'd rather have something with more travel anyhow, and if I cam mount it into the base of my bench (vertical 2x4 under a horizontal 2x6 and hardboard surface) then that would be better IMO than a big old lug of metal on top the bench.

I figure as long as it holds things firmly, it should be ok for a cheaper wood vise right? And I'm talking about holding slides, frames, etc while doing little work. I already have a MTM gunsmith vise for cleaning shotguns/rifles so this would be for small pistol jobs.

 

[Mavrick79]

In my opinion the jaws don't really matter because your going to be putting something between the jaws and the slide anyways. What matters is that the vise and bench are solid and do not move when you tap the sights out. If there's any flex it will make it more difficult more difficult to tap the sight out because that movement will act like a shock and absorb the impact on the sight.

 

[mendozer]

so then how do you mount these wood vises to the bench? Attach the inner jaw behind the wood?

 

[Roughedge]

I use this one from midway http://www.midwayusa.com/product/511694/shop-fox-gunsmith-vise?cm_vc=ProductFinding . Its good for a china vise although I wear one out in a year or two. I'm a gunsmith so I use it everyday and crank it down hard sometimes . I buy two at a time so I have a spare but if you use it now and then it should last you a lifetime.

 

[Nlight1]

I have an undermount unit

 

[Clark]

Bolt or screw the press to a 2x4 or 2x6 that is a long as the bench is deep, probably 24".

Clamp the press to the bench with one of these
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001VND4X0/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

This makes it easy to reload in the living room, the car, the tail gate, the bench at the range, etc.

And you can use that clamp for woodworking.