Uploaded May 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 days ago
There’s no clamp I trust more than a bench vise. But even the best vises have their limits…and right now, I’m talking width. This vise opens to about 8 and a 1/2 inches... but what happens when your board is just a little wider, and you still need to work the surface?
Maybe you’re chopping a mortise, cleaning up a hinge recess, or just trying to whack your chisel without the board sinking. Yes, you can crank down harder. But most vises are only applying serious pressure in one small area, which is usually right where the screw is.
So instead of forcing the vise to do all the work, let’s build a vise…for our vise. You’ll need a scrap of plywood, a few strips of hardwood, and some wedges.
To make our wedges...they need to be dead straight and able to slide smoothly, so I’m using my tapering jig and skipping the bandsaw entirely.
Attach two strips to either side of the plywood. These strips, combined with the wedges…give us clamping force, much like the jaws of our vise.
Next, we'll need to attach a thicker strip underneath that the vise grips on.
What’s great about this strip is that you can place it wherever it makes the most sense.
If you plan on chopping or carving or other heavier bench work...mount it closer to the bottom so your work stays supported by the bench. But if you need the work hanging over the edge, move it in closer to the middle. Same jig, different possibilities.
Like step by step projects? Check out the second channel! → @makethingswithrob
Become a patron! → patreon.com/makethings ←
Huge thank you to my patrons that keep this thing going!
*MAKER TEAM*
Michelle B
Keith Current
Rich Lightfoot
Tutor the Barbarian
Aubrey G.
Nukebert
Sam W.
Aaron Knows DIY
G. Salazar
David B.
Marc B.
Richard B.
Ben. K
Bill Patterson
D. Lundman
Make Things
#MakeThings #mtbitesize
There’s no clamp I trust more than a bench vise. But even the best vises have their limits…and right now, I’m talking width. This vise opens to about 8 and a 1/2 inches... but what happens when your board is just a little wider, and you still need to work the surface?
Maybe you’re chopping a mortise, cleaning up a hinge recess, or just trying to whack your chisel without the board sinking. Yes, you can crank down harder. But most vises are only applying serious pressure in one small area, which is usually right where the screw is.
So instead of forcing the vise to do all the work, let’s build a vise…for our vise. You’ll need a scrap of plywood, a few strips of hardwood, and some wedges.
To make our wedges...they need to be dead straight and able to slide smoothly, so I’m using my tapering jig and skipping the bandsaw entirely.
Attach two strips to either side of the plywood. These strips, combined with the wedges…give us clamping force, much like the jaws of our vise.
Next, we'll need to attach a thicker strip underneath that the vise grips on.
What’s great about this strip is that you can place it wherever it makes the most sense.
If you plan on chopping or carving or other heavier bench work...mount it closer to the bottom so your work stays supported by the bench. But if you need the work hanging over the edge, move it in closer to the middle. Same jig, different possibilities.
Like step by step projects? Check out the second channel! → @makethingswithrob
Become a patron! → patreon.com/makethings ←
Huge thank you to my patrons that keep this thing going!
*MAKER TEAM*
Michelle B
Keith Current
Rich Lightfoot
Tutor the Barbarian
Aubrey G.
Nukebert
Sam W.
Aaron Knows DIY
G. Salazar
David B.
Marc B.
Richard B.
Ben. K
Bill Patterson
D. Lundman
Make Things
#MakeThings #mtbitesize
