Front/face vises

[packerguy®]

Looking at getting one for a new bench. Not a huge handtool guy but have a use for a front vise to hold boards. I have the Jorgy 41012 on a bench right now and like it but would like something larger since I am building a second bench. 

I am almost ready to pull the trigger on one of the Lie-Nielsen chain drive ones....but is it really worth the $200 more than lets say the woodriver front vise. I know quality is probably much better, and you can fit a board through since there isn't the guide rails and the acme screw like the typical front vises. 

I know everything I have read is they don't rack, at all, and people can only write great things about them. 

What does the mind trust here say.

[Hank Knight]

You may be able to cut corners and save a few bucks building your new bench, but don't do it on the vise. Nothing is more aggrivating than trying to deal with a balky, poorly machined vise when you're focused on working on your project. A well built, finely machined, smooth operating vise is well worth the extra expense and will help you maintain your composure when you're in the shop

[Bibliophile 13]

I'm going to give you the opposite advice. A mid-grade vise will hold your work just fine, so long as the chop is solid. It really helps to line the jaws with leather or some other grippy substance. A little racking in the vise is really not a problem. You can even sometimes use slight racking to your advantage. Placing a small workpiece on one side or the other creates a kind of bird's-mouth grip, so it's impossible for the workpiece to slip in one direction.

I'm not saying you should go out and buy the cheapest HF vise you can find. Jorgy, Groz, and others make a perfectly serviceable vise. I've had a Groz and some no-name face vise hardware from Highland on my workbench for years, and both have held up well. But I think if I had a wad of cash to drop on a new vise, I'd probably get a Benchcrafted.

[Philip1231]

I have been using the LN vise for a couple of years now and it is a very nice vise.  

Looking at getting one for a new bench. Not a huge handtool guy but have a use for a front vise to hold boards. I have the Jorgy 41012 on a bench right now and like it but would like something larger since I am building a second bench. 

I am almost ready to pull the trigger on one of the Lie-Nielsen chain drive ones....but is it really worth the $200 more than lets say the woodriver front vise. I know quality is probably much better, and you can fit a board through since there isn't the guide rails and the acme screw like the typical front vises. 

I know everything I have read is they don't rack, at all, and people can only write great things about them. 

What does the mind trust here say.

[bandit571]

Mine was from a  Sears store...long ago.    Now it is my end vise.    Bought it for..$10....at a flea market type of seller.  I do have an old Monarch Machinist vise I used to use......still have it for metal working.  It was inherited.
 

I don't really work from the side of the bench.....most of my work is from the end of the bench.   A leg vise, a Crochet, and a few bessy clamps help holds things along the side. 

YMMV