bench Vice used in Engineering Workshop: A bench Vice is a holding tool which is used to hold the specimen or the workpiece in between the two jaws. Out of the two jaws, one jaw is fixed and the other is movable.

A bench vice has two parallel jaws which work together to firmly clamp an object and hold it in place. A threaded screw, which is connected to the jaws, runs through the body of the vice, and its movement is controlled by a handle, which is located on the outer end of a vice.

Metal bench Vise is used to clamp metal instead of wood. It is used to hold metal when filing or cutting. It is sometimes made of cast steel or malleable cast iron, but most are made ofcast iron. However, most heavy duty vises are 55,000 psi cast steel or 65,000 psi ductile iron. Some vises have a cast iron body but a steel channel bar. Cast iron is popular because it is typically 30,000 psi grey iron which is rigid, strong and inexpensive. The jaws are often separate and replaceable, usually engraved with serrated or diamond teeth. Soft jaw covers made of aluminium, copper, wood (for woodworking) or plastic may be used to protect delicate work. The jaw opening of an engineer’s vise is almost always the same size as the jaw width, if not bigger.

An metal bench vise is bolted onto the top surface of a workbench,with the face of the fixed jaws just forward of its front edge. The vise may include other features such as a small anvil on the back of its body. Most bench vises have a swivel base.