bench vise/third hand

Here's what I use: 

It's the standard PanaVise head with the clamp base. It's a great tool; I particularly like the fine-thread adjustment on the clamp and the soft-rubber jaws. I did, however, add a couple of loops of blue tape to the clamp-adjustment arm to keep it centered. I'm not a fan of the wood-bench-style sliding-arm tightener; the tape keeps the arm centered so I can spin the vise open or closed fairly easily with one finger.

Beware of the ball-and-socket joint in the base, too. Loosen it up too much and the whole top can drop over on its side. Again, there's probably a way for me to adapt the base to avoid this problem (like being more careful, or not adjusting the base with a model in the clamp). The tool is fantastically adaptable.

The company makes lots of head/base/ect. combinations: www.panavise.com.

 Best of luck,

 Matt Usher

Editor, FineScale Modeler 

my hemostats work awesome for holding parts but when they're clamped down they leave marks. i bought cross-action tweezers from Squadron tht i've used a few times to hold tiny things for pinting but they don't hold anything hard enough for filing or sanding. i will definitely order one of those vises here soon...and 'll post here how it works out.

I'm glad I could help DA6!  I hope it works for you.

Grizz, I've got a pair of locking tweezers that came with rubber covers for the tips.  I often use it to hold parts, but if I apply too much pressure while filing or adzing, the part always moves. :(  Perhaps it would work better with hemos, like you suggested.

m@

those Panavises look perfect! i think i might buy the 201 PV Jr. Vise w/ neoprene pads and the weighted base.

 

thanks for the link!

I've got one of these PANAVICEs at work; it has soft plastic covers over the teeth of the vice.  I've never put a model into one, but it could work.  I've seen, forum member, chukw put soft sponges in a vice to protect model parts, too.

Link

We use the model 301 and a model 311 base.

m@