Steel or Cast Iron Bench Vice? Size, Base and Repairs Sorted

A vice that is too small, marks the work or won't tighten holds up every job. Size it to your largest work, choose the body and base for how hard you'll use it, and check what can be replaced before you scrap an old one.

The vice range at PartsForMachines has more than 60 vices from Sealey, Draper, Sykes Pickavant and SIP, from 50mm hobby vices to 300mm all-steel bench vices, plus drill, machine, cross, pipe and woodworking vices.

Cast Iron, SG Iron or Steel: Does the Vice Body Matter?

It matters, but the maker's rating matters more. Grey cast iron is brittle and can crack under a sharp knock, while SG (spheroidal graphite, or ductile) iron is far tougher and takes impact much better.

Sealey rates the ASV150 all-steel vice at 4000 kg/m² and 12.7kg, with five years' cover against breakage, and the cast iron CV150XT at 2000 kg/m², 23kg and two years' cover.

Steel isn't automatically stronger, though. A 150mm steel-fabricated vice such as the S01083 is rated at 2400 kg/m², below the 3000 kg/m² of the cast iron QAV150. Compare clamping force, weight and breakage cover, not the material alone.

Is a 6-Inch Vice Too Big? Sizing Jaw Width and Opening

Not if your work needs it: size the vice to the largest part you'll hold, then check it suits your bench. Look at three figures: jaw width (the width of the faces), jaw opening (how far they part) and throat depth (how far down the work can sit).

The 53320600 6-inch bench vice has 153mm jaws opening to 206mm, with a 95mm throat. The 4-inch 53320400 has 102mm jaws, a 132mm opening and a 74mm throat.

Opening doesn't always follow width: the 150mm MFV150 opens to only 125mm. Weight climbs quickly too, from 9kg for the 100mm CV100XT to 35kg for the 200mm CV200XT.

Swivel or Fixed Base: Which Should I Choose?

Choose a swivel base if you often need to turn the work for better access; otherwise a fixed base is simpler, and some fixed vices can take a swivel later.

The ASV150, for example, takes the optional VSB6 swivel adaptor. Swivel bases are also made for Sykes Pickavant 4, 6 and 8-inch vices; they turn through 360° and lock at the angle you choose.

Other vices have the swivel built in, such as the SGV150 SG iron swivel-base vice and the QAV150 and QAV200 quick-action vices. Tighten the swivel lock nuts by hand, never with a pipe or bar.

Why Won't My Vice Tighten, and Can It Be Repaired?

Start by checking the main nut, screw and slide for wear; on some vices the nut can be bought as a spare. Don't force the handle with a pipe or a hammer to make up for it: that strains the screw and nut and can damage the vice.

Worn jaws are the easiest fix. The CV150XT has replaceable serrated steel jaws, the 45232 takes interchangeable jaws of hardened carbon steel, and Sykes Pickavant offers jaws and handles as spares, such as 533206-01 for the 6-inch vice. For a screw or nut, ask us with your vice's part number.

What Should I Check Before I Buy a Vice?

• the body material and clamping force, where the maker gives one
• jaw width, jaw opening and throat depth against your largest work
• fixed or swivel base, and whether a swivel adaptor is offered
• replaceable jaws and soft jaw options
• the vice's weight against your bench, and the warranty or breakage cover

Browse the vice range, or contact the PartsForMachines team by WhatsApp, telephone or email with the work you need to hold and, for spares, your vice's part number.

Product options, delivery options and returns terms are shown on each product page. A 30-day return policy applies to eligible items.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I hammer on my vice?

Lightly, and on the anvil: on vices such as the CV150E, CV200XT and ASV200 the anvil is meant for light striking. Don't hammer the handle to tighten it.

How do I stop a vice marking delicate work?

Fit soft jaws. Many Sealey vices take optional VSJ soft jaws, such as the VSJ150 for the CV150XT, and Sykes Pickavant magnetic jaws suit any vice of the matching size.

What holds pipe and odd shapes best?

Specialist jaws. The QAV150 comes with pipe clamping jaws, the MFV150 takes pipe or V-jaws, and rubber-covered magnetic jaws suit irregular shapes, thin-walled tube and delicate items. Their magnet holds only to the vice jaws, so filings aren't drawn onto the clamping face.

Where should a vice sit on the bench?

With the fixed jaw just past the bench edge, so long work can hang down clear of the bench. Check the hole positions in the base before you drill, and that the bench can take the vice's weight.

Can I use a vice without bolting it down?

Yes, with the right vice. The WV150CM woodworking vice clamps on and off a bench, the CV50 hobby vice fixes with a bench clamp, and the 45245 vacuum vice holds to a smooth surface.

What does a vice warranty cover?

It varies, so read it. Some cover breakage for two or five years, some cover manufacturing defects for life, and on the 53320400 and 53320600 the lifetime warranty covers the body but not the handle or jaws.

Should I buy a secondhand vice?

It can be worth it if the vice is sound. Look for cracks in the body, and don't use a cracked vice. A bent handle or worn jaws can be replaced, so check spares are available for that model.

When do I need a cross, machine or pipe vice?

When the job is drilling, milling or pipe work. The CV6P cross vice moves the work on two axes with scales accurate to ±0.05mm, machine vices such as the 01727 suit pillar drills, and the PV63B pipe vice takes 10–85mm pipe.

How do I free and look after a stiff old vice?

Strip it, clean off chips, dirt and old grease, then grease the main screw and oil the slide; a stiff vice may simply have clogged threads or too little lubrication.

Is a quick-action vice worth it?

If you reposition work often, yes. On the QAV150 quick-action vice a side lever releases the main clamp, so the jaw slides to the work without winding.