# Mounting a Bench Vise



## pennstater2005 (Jul 17, 2017)

I bought a 3" Wen vise for light work. The mounting holes are 12mm. Is that a 1/2" bolt then? Also, any recommendations as to certain types of washers for this application? I've seen an additional piece of wood to bolt to underneath as well. Not sure of that is needed.

Any ideas would be appreciated.

Lastly, lag screws or carriage bolts?


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## pennstater2005 (Jul 17, 2017)

Hurry, I'm going to Home Depot in like 10' :lol:


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## Ware (Jan 28, 2017)

I drilled and bolted through the table with flat washers on both sides. The ones on the bottom are larger fender washers.


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## Gilley11 (Nov 3, 2019)

Bolts, washers and nuts. No lags!!


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## bosox_5 (Jun 20, 2018)

Ware said:


> I drilled and bolted through the table with flat washers on both sides. The ones on the bottom are larger fender washers.


I did the same


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## pennstater2005 (Jul 17, 2017)

Thank you!! Im buying right now.


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## pennstater2005 (Jul 17, 2017)

Went with 3.5'' bolts, flat washers, and nuts. Got a few 1/2" locking nuts as the manual calls for. Might use em.


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## Ware (Jan 28, 2017)

pennstater2005 said:


> ...Got a few 1/2" locking nuts as the manual calls for. Might use em.


Yeah, probably unnecessary, but I checked and I used the nylon insert locking nuts on mine.


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## FlowRider (Apr 7, 2019)

pennstater2005 said:


> Went with 3.5'' bolts, flat washers, and nuts. Got a few 1/2" locking nuts as the manual calls for. Might use em.


Definitely better to throughbolt a bench vise. Much stronger, especially if you pound on the anvil, or have to raunch down on something.

I built a dedicated wooden bench from #1 heart pine wood I bought to build staircases in my house. I used the leftover wood to make benches I could sit on for filing, grinding, sawing or polishing.

I put a second 2" (okay, 1 1/2") board underneath the vise, screwed it down to hold it, then drilled and throughbolted the vise to the doubled up boards. Stainless steel hardware if memory serves. It was so long ago that I built this (1992) that I don't remember (the Phillips head galvanized screws give it away) but it has never budged and I pound on this a lot, and it has held a lot of metal and pipe over the years.

I mounted the second board on top because it gives your hands some clearance when swiveling and tightening. And it gets the work up higher when you are filing or grinding, easier to bear down on your work....

But more than one road to Rome...!


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## pennstater2005 (Jul 17, 2017)

@FlowRider I'm thinking about the board on the bottom as well for some added stability. I thought the 1/2" bolts would fit the 12mm mounting holes. I guess not.


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## FlowRider (Apr 7, 2019)

pennstater2005 said:


> @FlowRider I'm thinking about the board on the bottom as well for some added stability. I thought the 1/2" bolts would fit the 12mm mounting holes. I guess not.


I would strongly recommend you reinforce the area where you mount the vise. It will prevent it from tearing out if you are using it for holding something heavy, or bending something, or bearing down....

On my bench, I sit on it, straddling the bench, and then file, grind, saw, polish, hammer, cut, whatever.

That is why I raised mine up - it gets the object you are working on up higher. If this is a tabletop bench, it may not be necessary to do that.

But for me, it being elevated puts my work object right there in my wheelhouse, so to speak....


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## bp2878 (Feb 13, 2019)

Mine used 7/16 bolts to mount. Make sure to hang the jaws over the edge of the table, just as ware did.


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## pennstater2005 (Jul 17, 2017)

bp2878 said:


> Mine used 7/16 bolts to mount. Make sure to hang the jaws over the edge of the table, just as ware did.


7/16 seems to be right. Gotta return everything and get correct sizes. Thanks for the advice.


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