There are several pros and cons to using a homemade vise, ranging from cost to clamping force. There are typically several uses for a vise that may or may not be accomplished by using a homemade vise. From damaging a work piece that slips from the lack of holding power to injuring a body part when the home-built clamping tool malfunctions, these are a couple of cons commonly associated with the lack of a store-bought vice. The ability to create a tool and designing a working prototype that will amaze friends are just two of the pros linked to creating and using a homemade vise.
In the quest to perform a procedure or finish a project that can not otherwise be finished, a craftsman will often build his or her own version of a particular tool. While the pros to completing such a project as the manufacture of a homemade vise can vary from the amount of money saved to the successful operation of the tool, the ultimate test of the tool is often a repeatable outcome. After all, a tool that will not work twice is a definite con after taking the time and energy to create such a tool. Bragging rights for successfully creating a homemade vise and a sense of pride and accomplishment are often considered pros by many home-built tool engineers.
Occasionally, the only pro that really matters is the completion of a project that would not have otherwise been finished without the creation of a homemade vise. Cons to such an attempt can be plentiful and sometimes painful if the homemade tool does not function as intended and damages not only the workpiece, but the craftsman as well. In the matter of a homemade vise, the ability to clamp a project securely and permanently is the only true successful outcome. Often, such a device will initially appear to be working, only to let go shortly into the next procedure. This can lead to cons such as the damaging of the project or the potential destruction of the piece if the vice should fail at the right time and the piece crashes to the floor.
Other cons to producing a homemade vise can be the time wasted in such an attempt or the injury of a child who attempts to use the homemade device unsuccessfully. Creating a tool often requires the ability to embrace success and withstand failure. The laughter of friends who look upon the remains of a broken homemade vise or project is commonly the biggest con of all.