Wood Working Vices

About Wood Working Vices

A woodworking vice is an essential piece of workshop equipment that securely holds timber and wood-based materials during cutting, planing, chiselling, routing, and assembly operations. MyToolShed.co.uk stocks a comprehensive range of woodworking vices from trusted brands including Record, Faithfull, Draper, Sealey, and Stanley, suitable for both professional joiners and dedicated DIY woodworkers.

Our selection includes quick-release woodworking vices for rapid repositioning, plain screw vices for traditional workshops, clamp-mount options for portable workbenches, and specialist woodcraft vices with adjustable front stops and bench dogs. Whether you're fitting out a professional joinery workshop or upgrading your home workspace, MyToolShed offers woodworking vices in various jaw widths and clamping capacities to suit different project scales and bench configurations.

Applications

Woodworking vices are used across numerous trades and applications:

• Joiners and carpenters – holding workpieces during mortising, tenoning, and detailed joinery work
• Cabinet makers – securing components during assembly, edge finishing, and detail work
• Furniture makers – clamping table legs, chair components, and panels during construction
• Wood turners – preparing blanks and finishing turned pieces
• General woodworking – sawing, planing, sanding, routing, and edge treatments
• DIY enthusiasts – home furniture projects, repairs, and restoration work
• Educational workshops – schools, colleges, and training centres teaching woodworking skills

Choosing The Right Wood Working Vices

When selecting a woodworking vice from MyToolShed.co.uk, consider these key factors:

• Jaw width: Ranges from 150mm for light hobby work to 265mm+ for professional applications. Wider jaws provide better work support for larger timber sections.
• Opening capacity: Determines the maximum workpiece thickness the vice can accommodate, typically between 75mm and 280mm.
• Quick-release mechanism: Enables rapid opening and closing without constant screw threading, significantly improving workflow efficiency.
• Mounting style: Choose between permanent bolted bench mounting or portable clamp-mount options for temporary workstation setups.
• Front stop and dog holes: Essential features for holding long boards horizontally across the bench surface during edge planing and routing.
• Construction quality: Cast iron bodies with hardened steel screws provide longevity under regular professional use, whilst engineered options suit lighter-duty applications.
• Jaw protection: Wooden jaw liners prevent marking and damage to finished workpieces.

Frequently Asked Questions

What's the difference between a woodworking vice and an engineer's vice?

Woodworking vices feature wider, shallow jaws designed to grip timber without crushing it, and typically include wooden jaw liners to prevent marking. Engineer's vices have narrower, deeper serrated jaws for gripping metal components and apply much greater clamping force.

Do I need a quick-release mechanism on my woodworking vice?

Quick-release mechanisms significantly speed up workflow by allowing the jaw to slide open and closed freely until you engage the screw for final tightening. This feature is particularly beneficial for professional tradespeople and anyone undertaking repetitive clamping operations.

What jaw width should I choose for general woodworking?

For general-purpose woodworking and DIY projects, a vice with 175-230mm jaw width provides excellent versatility. Professional joiners working with larger timber sections may prefer 250mm+ jaw widths for increased workpiece support.