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All - design bench vises — the heavy cast - iron variety your grandad might have had mounted on a bench in his service department — are ready to hand for holding point such as parallel bars , piping , and axes . They are often used to grip such objects for welding , focalise , and a innkeeper of other task , but they ’re not great for woodworking since their serrate iron jaws tend to leave imprint in wood .
For furniture maker and DIY woodsman , a designated woodworking vise is necessary because it holds boards and planks without leaving imprint . I late tested theYost Woodworking Visealong with several other types of bench vises . It perform well enough to earn a spot in ourbest workbench viselineup , and it deserves a more in - depth review here .
Photo: Glenda Taylor
The Yost Woodworking Vise: At a Glance
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Photo: Glenda Taylor
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What is the Yost Woodworking Vise?
TheYost woodworking viseis a legato - jaw bench vise designed for mounting to a workbench ’s front edge ( human face ) to firmly hold circuit board while the user is cut , sanding , or rout . Like most bench vise , it boast two jaws that tighten via a screw handgrip . Its place at the front of the workbench allows users to perform woodworking task well — no demand to strain or incline over the bench to get to the circuit board .
The Yost woodworking bench vise is a 9 - inch bench vise , meaning the width of its steel jaw plates measures 9 in from side to side . It opens to a max of 10.25 inches , making it well suited for hold large boards . In addition to adjusting the jaws with the screw handle , I apprize the bench vise ’s quick - discharge lever , which permit me to rapidly pull the jaws apart or push them together . This is a meter - saver . I used the lever to move the jaw to the approximate spot — and then it accept just one or two turn of the shag plow to all right - line the jaw position .
What is involved in installing the vise?
The bench vise did n’t come with bolt , which is to be expected because manufacturers do n’t know the heaviness of the work bench drug user will be bolt the bench vise to — and some users may prefer specific bolt . I select 5/16 - inch carriage bolts because I did n’t want the head of the bolts to stick up above the workbench ’s surface . go-cart bolts are designed for countersinking , so they ’re a practiced alternative to prevent obstructions on the Earth’s surface of the bench .
It was n’t unmanageable to set up theYost vise — it take just four bolt to secure the bench vise ’s gaoler chemical mechanism to the underside of the bench . I turned the vise upside down in the billet where I want to mount it , marked the four holes with a pencil , and then drill top - down hole . This is the simplest manner to climb the bench vise , and it works great . The alternative — seek to hold the vise on the underside of the bench and drill from the bottom — is much more complicated , and it ’s unnecessary .
I then inserted the posture bolts down through the kettle of fish and positioned the vise on the underside of the workbench . The bolts gibe perfectly . I twisted ball on the bolts and fasten them with a socket spanner . The tighten outgrowth draw the heads of the stroller bolts downwards so they do n’t extend above the workbench surface . After it was installed , the vise was ready to set out examination .
Photo: Glenda Taylor
Will the Yost vise leave imprints on wood?
The difference between an all - purpose bench vise and the Yost carpentry vise lie in the design of its jaw plates . Unlike an all - role bench vise that feature film serrated jaw for grip pipe and steel item , a carpentry bench vise come with politic jaw that are less likely to harm boards .
I tightened several long and short oak , pine , and cedar boards in the vise . I cranked heavily on the gaoler grip to put as much press as possible on the boards — more force than I would typically apply to hold them for rootle or cutting . When I released the jaws , the only board that came out with a very faint embossment was the cedarwood board , which is a pretty soft Ellen Price Wood . The oak and pine boards did not show any imprinting .
The Yost ’s intention provides spare insurance against form — it comes with maw inside its jaw plate for bind custom jaw liners . I fabricated my own stage set of jaw liners from 16 - column inch - long cedarwood boards . Then , using bolts , I attached one inside each jaw . With my jaw liners in place , I put another cedar board in the bench vise and tighten it as much as possible . When I bring out the jaw , there were no imprints at all . clear your own jaw liners is optional , but most professional woodworker apply them because they add another grade of protection for the Mrs. Henry Wood .
Photo: Glenda Taylor
Is the Yost vise suitable for uses other than woodworking?
TheYost terrace visecan be used in a pinch to hold other material as long as the materials have flat side . I used it to clamp a section of square metallic element railing , and the vise held house as I drill fix in the alloy .
I would avoid trying to clamp atypical - size items , such as round tube that could damage the jaw ’s smooth airfoil if the vise is overtightened . In our moreextensive bench vise tests , we used several all - purpose bench vise to carry pipes while we twisted off deposit - on fittings with a wrench . That ’s probably too belligerent a purpose for this woodworking vise .
But I would n’t waffle to use it for light - tariff gripping , such as holding other flat objects like flat solid metallic element , dry wall , or charge plate panels for cutting or shaping .
Photo: Glenda Taylor
Is the Yost woodworking vise suitable for larger projects?
The Yost bench vise is n’t plan for heavy - duty use , so do n’t carry it to maintain enceinte timber . However , user can secure boards wider than the maximal jaw opening by using the adjustable bounder in the bench vise ’s out jaw . A “ cad ” is woodworker patois for something extra that helps fasten the display panel in position . On the Yost vise , the dog is an adjustable steel bar that extends upward . It ’s designed to be used with a bench stop ( not include ) .
I build up a simple bench layover by screwing down a block of wood to the center of my workbench , and then I positioned a wide , flat circuit card between the bench plosive speech sound and the dog . With a few cranks of the vise ’s handle screw , I could snug the panel securely between the dog and the check while I spreadeagle the table ’s sharpness and sanded it .
Is the Yost woodworking vise right for you?
Those bet for a vise for a woodwind instrument shop will in all likelihood be quenched with theYost woodworking bench vise . I happen it sturdy , perdurable , and various enough to fulfill most of the utilisation I have for a woodworking vise . It ’s not a automobile mechanic ’s vise , so do n’t expect it to do dual duty . Its lastingness lies in holding most types of Sir Henry Wood while prevent them free from unwanted imprint and marring .
The ability to add custom - fabricated woods jaw liners lay it over the top and flex it into a professional woodman ’s tool , and the flying - firing lever is a boon for write metre . For me , the most versatile plus was Yost ’s adjustable dog , which appropriate me to go for wide boards steadfastly between the dog and the bench stop .
Where to Buy the Yost Woodworking Bench Vise
Meet the Tester
Glenda Taylor is a product examiner and writer specify in the construction , remodeling , and real estate industry . She and her husband own a worldwide contracting troupe , and Taylor is experience in both residential and commercial construction applications . She tests a wide range of power tools as well as other home improvement , household , and lawn - and - garden mathematical product .
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