While building my second workbench, I decided to get a 6 1/2 inch Irwin Woodworking vise. In this article, I’ll give you a basic review as well as mounting and installation tips for the Irwin woodworking vise.
I got this Irwin vise from Amazon for about $22. It was the most affordable vise with so many great reviews. However, you may want to consider a larger Yost 10″ woodworking vise if you’re making a full-sized workbench.
It came in a cardboard box wrapped in plastic, and overall it was clean. There was a little bit or protective wax on the vise, which was absolutely necessary to prevent rust.
For $22, this Irwin woodworking vise is very well machined with no sharp edges and a smooth, solid thread. There are screw holes to mounth your own wooden cheecks (see the video below). The stainless steel vise handles also feel and work really good.
If you’re looking for poor machining, you’ll find a little bit upon closer inspection, but these won’t really matter. There were not defects in places that would effect the functionality of the vise itself.
Overall, I have no regrets getting this $22 Irwin woodworking vise. I highly recommend it. It doesn’t;t have the bells and whistles of more expensive vises, like a quick-release mechanism. In reality, I’ve found that a lot of these extras are really not that important.
Here’s how the Irwin woodworking vise looks like on my new mini home workbench, made from Southern Yellow Pine and Acacia. I’ve been using it for over a week now for hand planing, and I have not had any issues.
Irwin Vise Mounting & Installation
I’ve created a quick video that shows you the process of mounting & installation for this particular Irwin woodworking vise. If you have a slightly different vise, there should be some similarities but you’ll need to make changes where required.
First, I’ll show you how I made protective cheeks from Acacia and mounted them into the vise. You’ll also see how I made a simple but practical bench dog. Lastly, you’ll see how I eliminated gaps between the vise and my workbench, and how I mounted the Irwin vise.
If you’re thinking of making a DIY workbench, look at my article on the best woodworking workbench. These should give you some good ideas. You’ll also find some really affordable workbenches there that will help you save time.
