All categories
Featured selections
Trade Assurance
Buyer Central
Help Center
Get the app
Become a supplier
(425 products available)
Used bench vises, like new ones, come in a world of types for different trades. Each vise's unique design and features make it easier to carry out certain tasks. Understanding these differences helps one to choose the right hand tools for sale to meet the clients' needs. Here are some of the main types of bench vises.
A pipe vise is meant for holding pipes and cylindrical objects. They usually have jaws that are shaped like a V to grip the rounded surfaces of pipes. Most of these vises are made of strong materials like cast iron to withstand heavy work. They also come with jaw inserts that protect the pipe from damage when clamping it tightly. Manual pipe vises require hand cranking to adjust, while some newer ones have pneumatic or hydraulic assistance for easier adjustments.
A utility vise is an all-around tool used for general clamping tasks in workshops. Unlike specialized vises, utility vises have flat jaws that are good for gripping different workpiece shapes. Their versatility allows them to handle light to medium loads. Most have a simple screw mechanism to open and close the jaws but do not have the strength required for heavy-duty tasks. Utility vises are most helpful for light fabrication, assembly, and repair work.
A machinist vise is widely used by professionals and serious hobbyists. They are very accurate vises, so there is no play between the jaws. Their metal jaws provide a flat gripping surface to hold parts firmly while machine tools shape them. Also, they have a strong, rigid construction from cast iron or steel that maintains their precise alignment even under heavy industrial usage. Other features include a wide opening, a quick-release mechanism, and distinct jaw serrations that keep the clamped object in the right position during machining.
This vise has a base that allows it to rotate and lock into various angles. So, it is suitable for this type of vise when needing to work on a surface from a different position without having to readjust the workpiece. The swiveling action gives great flexibility, and the base can be locked securely in any desired position. Because of this unique feature, the vise is mainly applied in fields where different angling is required, such as welding, soldering, and any type of fabrication.
All these types of vises have certain benefits that make them very important in various applications. Knowing them, therefore, is very critical to help make the right investment decision.
A bench vise is one of those tools every workshop should have. It comes in handy for many tasks, whether for home or industrial use. Here are some common ways a bench vise is used in various industries.
In turning, stable clamping is important for accurately rotating workpieces on a lathe. A bench vise securely grasps the material while it is machined. This lets tools cut the material into the desired shape without the item moving around. An automotive machine shop, for example, turns many metal and other material parts for car manufacturers. They rely on vises to help them make each part precisely fit its place in the engine, transmission, or other car assemblies.
General engineering is a broad category that includes any kind of mechanical work done to design, build, or repair machines, structures, and other systems. Vises help grip parts so they can be accurately cut, drilled, shaped, welded, or installed. Large engineering firms do complex work on trains, airplanes, ships, and industrial machinery. With all the different-sized parts involved, they need specialized vises that can open wide or hold really tight.
When big machines like lathes and mills chew up metal blocks, a vise holds that raw material steady. A machining workshop, for instance, creates many precise flat parts used in technology devices like phones and computers. They rely on vises to help the milling machine cutter carve each piece exactly right. Even small maker shops that hand-make custom metal products use bench vises to make their detailed work easier.
A major task common in many industrial sectors is the drilling of materials. It is done to create holes for screws, bolts, and such fasteners while making the workpiece stable. Thus, a bench vise will grip the material firmly to ensure it does not move as a drill bit cuts into it. In construction, for instance, there is a need to drill metal frames and beams, so a huge number of holes are made each day. There are industrial vises sold that can clamp down very fast in this high-speed drilling environment.
Fabrication entails adjusting work materials to make different structures. A bench vise is used to hold metal flat while it is cut, bent, welded, and assembled into products like frames, brackets, and enclosures. This is even more critical, especially when dealing with thick metal stocks that require heavy-duty clamping force. In shipbuilding, automobile manufacturing, and factory construction, big job shops take on massive assembly work requiring great numbers of complex fabricated pieces.
Bench vises have several important features that make them suitable for heavy-duty industrial work. These include strong jaws, a solid body, and a base that can swivel. The following is a list of such key features.
This is a very important factor when it comes to clamping different workpieces with a vise. The width between the jaws of a vise determines the size of the material it is able to hold. Larger jaws are needed for big blocks or sheets in an industrial setting, while smaller ones are fine for little parts. The jaws of heavy vises tend to be much wider than light-duty ones to handle big loads and provide great support to prevent material from bending when undergoing intense work.
They are super strong tools made from tough, impact-resistant materials like steel or iron. This ensures vises withstand the rigorous conditions and high demands required for industrial applications. These specifically include machining, metalworking, and heavy fabrication. In such high-stakes environments, even small equipment malfunctions result in a loss of productivity, leading to costly repair bills. Therefore, durability becomes key in preventing breakdowns.
Tighter tolerances are vital for ensuring greater accuracy in applications such as CNC machining, Aerospace manufacturing, or precision instrument production. In these cases, the workpiece must perfectly match its design specifications. Any small movement or misalignment by the vise during clamping will result in defective parts. This is why the jaws of industrial vises have no play between them to maintain exact alignment under pressure.
Most models come with a base that allows them to position the vise at any angle, then lock it down tight to prevent any shifting. This proves incredibly beneficial when welding or soldering components that need to go together at a specific angle. It saves the trouble of having to adjust the workpiece itself each time an angle change is required. Instead, the vise can easily be rotated to the desired position.
Some key factors influence the type of vise most appropriate for a given need. Below are these factors.
This refers to the size and type of projects one typically does, as well as the materials used. A machining shop that works with small parts will not need such a large vise as a fabrication factory that handles big metal blocks. It is also essential to consider the material of the items to be clamped. For example, softer materials will need a vise with marked cushioning surfaces so that the material will not get indented, while hard materials require a vise with hard and tough jaws.
When purchasing a bench vise, look for one with wide, smooth, flat, or grooved jaws made from hardened steel or cast iron. Jaws too wide will make it difficult to apply force; too narrow jaws will mean potentially crushing that which needs to be held. Also, grooved jaws help grip cylindrical objects like pipes. Then, smooth jaws are suited for flat items where one does not wish to mar the surface.
This is all about how well—and how easily—the vise can handle different sizes of workpieces. It does so by allowing the user to adjust the spacing between the jaws. A vise with a wide jaw opening range provides great flexibility for clamping all sorts of materials, from small blocks to large beams. This proves especially useful in busy workshops where one tackles such a wide variety of projects daily. Additionally, quick-release mechanisms on industrial vises make it easier to switch between different clamped items.
Here, the main factor refers to the placement of the vise. A vise mounted to a bench provides stable, solid support from which to work. Yet it must be securely fastened using heavy-duty bolts that hold up under the strains and forces exerted during intense industrial clamping. The mount must also feature pre-drilled holes in concrete with long-lengths-needed mounting screws for anchoring a heavy-duty vise into a permanent industrial base.
A1: A machinist vise has extremely high accuracy, while a regular bench vise is less so.
A2: Yes, it allows the user to easily reposition the workpiece without having to readjust the vise itself.
A3: It allows the user to adjust the spacing between the jaws to fit different sized workpieces.
A4: A soft metal, such as lead or aluminum, is attached to the jaws so that any pressure applied is taken by the metal and not the workpiece.
A5: It is designed to withstand the demands of industrial applications and most are constructed using premium materials and offer superior clamping force and stability.
