The Tri Vice has eight grip ports, each of which is able to take a specific range of materials and sizes. To make it easier for you to know which grip port to use for your task, we have numbered each of the grip ports for quick reference, from 1-8.
Using the information given below, simply match your workpiece’s type to the numbered grip port.
Please note that these are recommendations only, and the types of material a grip port is able to take are not set in stone – for example, you may find that you can use grip port 2, designed for timber, to hold rectangular sections of pipe. If your workpiece is not covered below, simply try each grip port for size!
Are there minimum workpiece sizes that you can hold using a Tri Vice?
As a general rule, each grip port can be used with a workpiece slightly smaller than it. Aim for a sensible maximum of about 10mm clearance (gap) between the top edges of workpiece and grip port, and an absolute maximum clearance of 20mm.
The larger the clearance between workpiece and grip port, the more acute the plate-to-ground angle will have to be for the grip port to hold the workpiece. If using one grip port alone, the length of the workpiece also affects this angle – the shorter the workpiece, the more acute the angle of the plate vice will have to be to support it.
A very acute plate-to-ground angle puts more strain on the plate vice frame, and leaves the user less clearance between workpiece and ground.
What common material sizes can you hold using a Tri Vice?
For a guide to which grip ports can be used for various common material sizes, see the table below. For clarity, only material sizes with a suitable grip port have been included. If your material’s dimensions do not appear in this table, it may well still be suitable for use with the Tri Vice – simply try it in each grip port to find out.
