When mounting a bench vise, where should i drill the holes?

[Sofia_L]

I’ve finally started assembling my new workbench, but I’m stuck on how to properly mount the vise. The instructions are vague, and I’m worried that if I drill the holes in the wrong spot on the apron, the whole thing will be wobbly or misaligned. Has anyone else run into this with their bench build?

[Emma94]

I spent a weekend staring at the vise and worrying I’d ruined the apron. I checked the marks with a straightedge from the front edge, and when the mounting holes finally lined up with the hardware, the wobble dropped a bit. I’m pretty sure the real fix was making sure the bench top was square, not just chasing perfect hole placement.

[Olivia_J]

I drilled, then found the apron wasn't perfectly flat. The misalignment was small, but enough to throw the mounts off. I ended up stuffing a thin shim behind one mounting point to even things out, which slowed me down and made me doubt myself.

[LukeJJ]

I know the feeling. I spent more time staring at it than actually working. The doubt sticks around, and I kept thinking I’d ruined it.

[Steven.W]

Could the real problem be the whole bench rather than those holes? I started by rechecking the bench feet and squaring the rails, and I still felt the same wobble. It wasn’t satisfying to admit, but maybe the issue isn’t where I thought.

[JackYL]

One afternoon I drifted into another task, tidied the shop, and when I came back I noticed the marks lined up a bit better after the board settled. It wasn’t a clean breakthrough, just a small improvement that reminded me to shake off tunnel vision.