Best Lee Valley Benchcrafted HiVise

Adapted from a historical French vise design, this kit lets you build a versatile vise that can be positioned as needed on a benchtop and removed when not in use.

Helpful for shaping operations when you need access to the workpiece from various angles, it projects about 7″ above the benchtop, elevating stock to a comfortable height so you can apply upper body strength more effectively and make close cuts without stooping.

The kit supplies a 10 1/2″ long 3/4″ Acme-threaded screw that is precision machined for smooth operation, as well as all mounting hardware (you construct the wooden parts). It also comes with a Benchcrafted Crisscross, which has scissor-like arms to keep the jaws parallel throughout the range of travel, eliminating skewing and ensuring full contact with the work.

By supporting the jaws, the cast-iron Crisscross takes weight off the screw, reducing friction and risk of binding, and allowing the 1 lb 3 oz tommy bar to impart enough momentum that the vise glides closed with just a freehand spin. The kit also includes a 5 1/2″ × 8 1/2″ sheet of jaw liner material made from either suede leather or Crubber (a composite material made of natural cork and rubber), depending on supply.

The simplest way to mount the vise is to clamp its rear jaw in a tail vise. You can also construct a batten or cleat on the back of the vise’s leg, then fasten the batten to your bench with clamps or holdfasts, or secure the cleat in a tail vise. We also offer an optional mounting kit that lets you secure the vise on any benchtop up to 4 3/8″ thick, making it easy to reposition the vise or affix it to a sawbench or other work surface.

Made in USA. Mounting kit sold separately.