Handscrew Clamp Stands In for Vise

I occasionally need an extra bench vise to gain more holding power. For a quick and easy solution, I position and clamp a handscrew clamp along the edge of my bench-top, then drill two ⁵⁄₁₆ " countersunk holes through the clamp and the benchtop.

Then, I install T-nuts on the underside of the benchtop. Flathead machine screws hold my new "vise" in place. By countersinking the holes on both sides of the clamp, I can flip it over so the jaws open in the opposite direction. With a pair of them mounted, I can clamp long workpieces.
—Mike Reed, Woodbury, Tenn.