New bench & vise; need ideas for small bench and good vise

Build your own bench....MUCH cheaper and more durable and exactly the way you want it...like for height. Some folks need higher or lower to make standing work less tiring on the back. A pattern maker's vise is a MUST. They can position the work precisely where you want it and the silicone pads grip stuff without marring at all kinds of odd angles. A magnetic tool strip (harbor freight) along the back or on the wall is great for keeping chisels, screwdrivers, rules, files, etc, at easy reach.

I have a parrot vise that I have used for 17 years, swivels back and forth and with a piece of water pipe on the base and mounted on the side of that it swivels left and right and it was MUCH cheaper that the pattern makers vise, you need to ask yourself how many guns are you going to build? I also agree about building your own bench!

bajabuc said:

check this guy out. "The Next Project"

as a gun bench it doesn't need to be as wide...consider fewer 2x4's

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This video is great! Just what I was looking for.
Much appreciated.

A couple of thoughts on work benches and vises:
The workbench is a very personal thing that is based on the type of work, space available, physical stature (ht) of individual, and numerous other characteristics that make it difficult to provide a perfect answer to the OP. I would say that broadly, if the only singular use for the bench is the building of a Kibler longrifle, the bench requirements can be fairly spartan and a small, narrow bench will suffice. Even a prebuilt, purchase wood working table may be good (search Sjoberg bench:
https://sjobergs.se/en/product/sjobergs-nordic-1450-storage-module-0042-35011/).

With respect to the vise, two thoughts come to mind. First, don't forget the other end of the long rifle needs to be supported in some way at the opposite end from the vise. The PA longrifle stocks are long, thin and fragile. Even vigorous sanding can be risky if not properly supported. This may require some sort of outrigger opposite the vise.
The vise itself can be of many configurations. When I started building, I fit homemade wooden jaws between the jaws of a Columbian machinist vise (C44). It worked fine for years. Then I decided I needed a pattern maker vise, and found the parrot model to be within my price range.
What I found is that the parrot style uses the same torque to control the swivel mechanism as to tighten the jaws. That is to say, if you want a tight, nonswivelling vise, you must add more torque to the jaws via the main screw. This has always made me nervous especially when clamping the fragile lock mortise area. But, they are handy and can easily adjust to nonparallel faces.

Parrot type vise:

https://www.amazon.com/HFS-Parrot-V...efd16e931dd6fc2cf697c35&qid=1733095838&sr=8-3

Pattern maker vise:

https://www.amazon.com/WoodRiver-Pa...fd16e931dd6fc2cf697c35&qid=1733095838&sr=8-11


So I am thinking the true pattern maker vise is probably better, but way more expensive.
I hope this is helpful. I am including some pictures of my traditional woodworking bench which I use for my builds, but is likely over kill for most needs. Picture three is an example of an outrigger for supporting long workpieces.
Cheers, Rick.

I bought this Husky portable bench (46x24) from Home Depot that can be cranked up or down for better working height. Also Harbor Freight has some small benches at a reasonable price.

If I tried to mount a bench in my wife's kitchen the height would be the least of my problems I use an adjustable table in the garage to move the working area up and down and use this to the best suited task ,I also mount a large vise with clamps as needed attached to a 6x2

KH said:

This video is great! Just what I was looking for.
Much appreciated.

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Mine is a NEW maple jewelers bench bought at an auction for 50 bucks...it's too small and too light...but it works.

KH said:

I just received a Kibler Woodsrunner kit and am looking forward to the build, but first, I need to build a new bench.
Since moving and downsizing recently to Arizona, I need to build a new bench. Garage isn’t huge, so the bench needs to be modest in size, heavy, sturdy, on casters and has a good vice. Multi purpose really.
Any thoughts and photos would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you gents.

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I bought a pair of Dunlap 5239 vises and set them on either end of a long pine board clamped to a sturdy pine low bench I made years ago. One is on an end so it can be swiveled to face either side or direction. The other one was where it was convenient to prop up a long rifle stock or barrel. Be sure to get a set of wide rubber/magnetic jaw liners.

This is a down and dirty set up with a standard vise for gun work on a standard workbench height bench.
I bought this pattern makers vise but it was too high on the workbench I had to build an attachment to the workbench to use it. I use it mainly to carve decoys but the point is it required a bench lower to work on the vise.

reddogge said:

This is a down and dirty set up with a standard vise for gun work on a standard workbench height bench. View attachment 368163
I bought this pattern makers vise but it was too high on the workbench I had to build an attachment to the workbench to use it. I use it mainly to carve decoys but the point is it required a bench lower to work on the vise.
View attachment 368165View attachment 368166

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reddogge said:

This is a down and dirty set up with a standard vise for gun work on a standard workbench height bench. View attachment 368163
I bought this pattern makers vise but it was too high on the workbench I had to build an attachment to the workbench to use it. I use it mainly to carve decoys but the point is it required a bench lower to work on the vise.
View attachment 368165View attachment 368166

Click to expand...

Wow, great point that I had not considered. I think that pattern makers vice is one type I would like but will likely need to do a lower addition like you did. Good thinking.