Archives December 2008 : Tool of the Month

Tool of the Month :
PROXXON Bench Vise

I have about five or six vises. Please note: vises, not vices! There are different sizes and kinds of vises allowing for various tasks. My 4” industrial vise, is great for forging, holding my drawplate, and other heavy duty jobs. I have two small hand vises that provide a stronger grip than pliers for working with small items. I have about 3 small bench vises, these are good for everyday use. Of all of my bench vises, I use my PROXXON bench vise the most. It has a ball and socket joint at the base, providing endless ways to position, rotate, swivel and angle the vise.

For 30 years, Germany-based PROXXON has been supplying high-quality power tools on a smaller scale for precision work. PROXXON tools are priced economically and are recognized by their olive green and yellow color.

The PROXXON vise comes with a removable C-Clamp. With the clamp you can quickly and securely attach the vise to workbenches and tabletops up to 2 5/16" (60 mm) thick. The base of the vise has drilled and tapped holes in order to screw the vise permanently to the workbench. This provides you with the option of either clamping the vise on your workbench as you need it or bolting it permanently with two screws. Personally, I use the c-clamp with my vise because I have limited bench space.

The vise opens to a maximum of 2 3/4” (70 mm) wide. Its steel jaws are 3” (75 mm) wide with horizontal and vertical v-grooves for holding round items. Rubber protective jaw covers slide easily on and off and are included. The jaws also have accessible screws to replace the jaw plates over time.

The downside to this vise, is that the ball and socket joint creates a weak point for forging or any hammering on this vise. However, PROXXON has developed this vise with versatility in mind. The endless positioning angles provides ergonomics. No matter how your bench is set up, you can position the vise to the way it is comfortable for you.

The PROXXON vise is $46.10*.

*prices may change without notice