Face vise inboard or outboard of legs?

[JimBelair]

Getting ready to build a new bench. I see designs with the face vise on either side of the legs. Seems to me a wider stance is preferred for stability so inboard would be preferable. What am I missing?

[Boatman53]

I see advantages to both. I have a leg vise so it is right on the leg. If I had a face vise I think it would be outboard of the leg. At least that free's up the space between the legs for storage.
Jim

[bgeva]

My face vise is just outside of the leg and the chop is all the way to the end of the bench. Provides good space for everything I do. Pretty much the standard solution. I've seen double face vises mounted similar way, but since they are much wider, they extend both sides of the leg.

PS: I am planning to retrofit my bench with a leg wise. After trying some I am convinced it is superior to the simple front one. Having pretty elaborate bench with the tool cabinet beneath I am sure it will be a strange look, but I am after function, not so much a look...

BG

[Anji12305]

I've never had a vise located between the legs of a bench.
Unless your bench is terribly long, leaving it cantilevered is stable.

I prefer to have a wide expanse of open benchtop for most steps,
and use bench dogs or holdfasts to keep things in place.

Not many operations are done, in the vise, in my method.

If you do more work in the vise, it makes sense to have easy access.
That said, having a vise in a position where you're working around it, getting snagged on it, etc. is to be avoided.

Have a look at The Logan Cabinet shoppe podcast to view how a vise
is an accessory, rather than a necessity.