Vise location confusion

[Dukester]

So I'm finishing my first real bench, and wondering about where to put the vises. I have one large 10" vise and a smaller cheapee 7" one.

I'm right handed, and my understanding is that the tail mounted vise should be on the right hand side, and the front mounted vise should be on the left hand side. The logic being that, when planing, a right hander planes from R to L, and you will be planing torwards the center of the bench (stopped by a bench dog) rather than the vise itself. But this doesn't jive with the front mounted vise being on the left - when jointing, a right hander will joint torwards the left (front) side mounted vise - torwards the end of the bench.

So what am I missing?

Cheers! Dukester

[Dave Jackson]

Your not missing anything. I'm also right handed, but could reverse the vises on my bench and it really wouldn't make a difference other than convienience. What's more important is that the vises hold the board firmly. My bench is set up with the tail vise on the right and front vise on the left. But, once the board is locked into place, it really doesn't matter where the vises are. My tail vise is used to face plane, generally from right to left. My front vice is used mainly for edge planing, again usually from right to left. Put the vises wherever your comfortable with them, just make sure they hold the board securely. --dave

[CW]

Having the front vise on the left (for a right handed person) gets the vise out of his way when jointing. The stroke ends at the vise. With it on the other end, you would have the vise between you and the workpiece. Also, when sawing pieces off the end of a board held in the vise, it allows you to keep the good piece past the end of the bench where you can see your mark and control the offcut with your left hand. How do I know this? I originally mounted my vise on the right (I'm right handed). Changed it to the left after a short time.

[charlie b]

Normally it's a good idea to have the vise hardware (and mounting instructions) BEFORE you build the bench. Things like having the outside/front of the "inside" jaw flush with the front of the bench apron is necessary to allow the stock your planing to be up agains the apron its whole length.

Think in terms of two different planing operations.

For edge joining, the edge to be planed will be up, the back face of the board against the outside face of the bench apron and the left end held in the vise, the right end supported by a "bench slave" or clamped to the apron. You join the edge by planing right to left or towards the vise.

For face joining the board is laying flat on the bench - one end stopped by a bench dog, the other end against a bench do in the moveable jaw of the end vise. The end vise squeezes the board between the dog in the bench and the dog in the moveable vise jaw. You plane right to left. | | ++ ++ | | | | | | | | +====+-------------------------++ ++ +------+ +------+

charlie b