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Question: I am now re-working my workbench. I purchased and read “The Workbench Book” and have researched through four woodworking magazines for the last three years, without an answer to my question.
When installing a metal vise on the left side of a workbench, should the renewable wood rear jaw of a metal woodworking vise be flush with the bench or protruding? I see metal woodworking vises with their attached wood jaw protruding by the thickness of the rear jaw, whereas the wood vises with all wood parts have a rear jaw flush with the front vertical surface of the workbench.
My usage: I hand plane the edges of boards and hold drawers in the vise plus use the vise to hold the base of a metalworking vise mounted on another board.
– Paul Fallert
Answer: Definitely make the rear jaw flush with the front edge with your benchtop. It’s a critical feature for planing the edges of long boards because the boards are secured at one end in the face vise and at the other end by a sliding leg jack or a simple clamp.
By keeping the rear jaw flush with the front edge of the top, the boards that you secure in this manner will be much more stable and easier to work.
I know it’s extra work to let in the jaw into your top, but it is well worth the effort.
– Christopher Schwarz
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