Blacksmith Vice

[engineer1984]

Hi guys,

A long time ago I purchased a blacksmith vice because I thought it was cool and I needed a vice in my garage. I'm starting to use my vice more and more and I'm not sure what to do with it. I like the idea of having a modern vice that bolts onto a plate that can be put into a trailer hitch on your workbench. But this one can't really do that.

Here is a blacksmith vice very similar to mine: http://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedi...old-blacksmith

Does anyone have one of these mounted up on their workbenches? Can you share with me? I'm going to be building a welding table soon and I wanted to get some ideas. It is a cool old tool, but it has its drawbacks. It really needs to be supported at the bottom, both to help take the vertical load but also to stop it from twisting side to side when you are pushing or pulling on something. Just curious if you guys have ideas.

Cheers in advance,

Andy

[billsss]

Your right, the leg needs to be in contact with the floor and once it is mounted that's where it's staying. I have one I mounted on a stand much like a grinder stand (except much stouter) that can be moved around and I have several bench vices attached to various work benches too. They each have their specific uses and benefits. If that one is no longer needed you may consider selling it they are usually worth decent $. They are great old vices and the leg helps transmit force to the ground when hammering.

[Skeluhtor]

I use one. I bolted it to a table top on the end near the leg and use a C clamp to hold the bottom to the leg of the table.

[WyoRoy]

Here's my version. The vise had no mounting hardware included with it, so fabbed up a mount and made it removable. No spring as well, so I cut down a spring and added a shim to keep it in tension.

[Zebadiah]

super handy item.

You can hammer on those forged jaws all day and not have to worry about picking them up off the floor like your cast machinist style vice.

Zeb

[Ayers Garage]

That's called a leg vise. You could certainly sell it to a budding blacksmith for enough money to get yourself a normal machinist vise for your workbench.

[WyoRoy]

Sell it? Blasphemy! Utilize it!!! Nothing better than a leg vise to wail on a piece of metal!!! The first time one busts a standard vise from less than cordial use, you'll know you shouldn't have 86ed the leg vise.

[Sandy]

Originally Posted by WyoRoy

Sell it? Blasphemy! Utilize it!!! Nothing better than a leg vise to wail on a piece of metal!!! The first time one busts a standard vise from less than cordial use, you'll know you shouldn't have 86ed the leg vise.

Yep I'm on my 3rd cheap cast vise from heavy handed hammering. I can blame the breakage in part on the "cheap" factor but the rest is abuse by me. Problem is you don't know what is too much till the jaw hits the floor.

My old post vise is double Timex tough and that's where I have learned to take stuff that needs to be tought a lesson. You don't have to use one often to get get a real appreciation for those old post vises.



I'll add a pic of mine just after I got it mounted up. You can see the broken vise in tha background that was my final motivation to get 'er done. Got the old post vise out of the storage pile and into use.

[WyoRoy]

Happiness is a post vise and a BFH!!!

[engineer1984]

I like the setup Wyo. I especially like your replacement of the U-bolt that is currently holding my spring and static jaw. I'm having a problem with that area right now. It wiggles back and forth.

Good show.

[WyoRoy]

Originally Posted by engineer1984

I like the setup Wyo. I especially like your replacement of the U-bolt that is currently holding my spring and static jaw. I'm having a problem with that area right now. It wiggles back and forth.

Good show.

Just milled up a chunk of 3/4" or 1" plate to hold the vise, spring and eared spacer...have to look as I just figured the dimension where it would be even with the table top from the receiver hitch mount. Spring was a section off a springtooth harrow from the scrapyard.

If you wish, shot me a PM with your dimensions and I'll fab you one up for the price of shipping. Be advised though...I work slow and currently my shop is snowed shut from street access.