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Hinged, flip/fold up vise idea for welding table? stable type

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9.1K views 19 replies 12 participants last post by  bent  
W
#1 ·
I'm looking at my welding table and wanting to relocate my huge Yost vise to it, but don't want it in the way most of the time.

Gents, I know about receiver mounted vice holders, and I installed two at work, but they tend to wobble around due to loose fit of typical receiver tube....I want to avoid as much wobble as possible.

PLUS, the BIG deal with this old man is I simply can't be lifting 60-80 lbs of vise on and off my table several times a day and trying to stab it in a receiver tube and havin it requiring a place to store it.

So I'm tinkering with the idea of locating the big vise on a hinged 1/2" flip up plate with locking-knee standoffs at one end of my table....I can clamp a long bar in the vise to enable me to fold it down and flip it up to use.

any one have same, or have design ideas?

Thanks! :)
 
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A
#3 ·
It's a little goofy, but what about a machine that holds the vise under the bench, but will swing up and lock in place when you want the vise? I've seen something similar with big kitchen mixers that are stored in cabinets. The mechanism uses springs or gas shocks to lighten the weight.

I'll see if I can find a picture of what I'm trying to describe and post the link here.
 
W
#5 · (Edited)
Thank you sincerely.....But I'm thinking I can avoid the complexities and expense of a factory made "machine" solution like employed with that mixer.

I'm so far thinking of a sorta "knee-lock" double diagonal brace that pivots/hinges on a rod that extends long nuff to allow me to sorta "slap" it upwards to unlock it to lower the vise and bed plate....where then just by lifting the vise up a little above level, the knee-lock braces will fall into place, then again lifting the vise a little will allow me to sorta slap the knee-lock upwards to disengage and allow the vise to fold down.

sorry for my goofy description...hoping some here had already done it and could offer pics.

Once vise is up in the battery position, it will be loaded with lots of materiasl weight and subjected to banging and bending and hammer forces.
 
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W
#7 · (Edited)
LOL, love your assortment of heavy vises and ESPECIALLY the one with handle bars!

But I got this thing going where I REALLY need a large vise swing-up mounted to the end of my welding table.

Friend, I got a set of Harley handle bars mounted just above the wall mirror next to the dance pole...Never fails the gals grab it while they dance so they can look at themselves....ain't no guy I know wants to see himself dance....Gals are diff......and they are a diff sort of flip-up vice.....Where us guys here talk vises, but they still manage to flip up as a vice.

If only they was as solid and stable as what I'm trying to construct, huh?

Oooops, got off-topic.....again ;)

The beers on the left are 10 oz Bud Light...the one on the right is a 12oz.....I usually buy the 10oz cans ;)...I know they Key Stone, but they should be Bud Light...Just sayin
 
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#8 ·
I follow what you're saying. You could lever the vise up or down just by locking a bar or pipe in the jaws of the vise and pushing on that.

But I'm picturing the vise hanging down from the edge of the bench when it's not being used, and sticking out way past the end of the table at the same time. I always bust my shins on the trailer ball if I leave it in the receiver on my truck. I'm picturing the same deal with your vise unless it's tucked underneath the bench-top somehow when you're not using it.

Might not be a problem if the hinge is mounted underneath the bench, well back from the edge of the benchtop. Then it wouldn't hang out where your knees and shins go when the vise isn't being used...
 
A
#9 ·
BD1, I like the mobile vise idea. Do you need any weight in the rims to keep the vise from moving if your pounding or levering on something in the vise jaws? I could see filling the rim with concrete, or setting sand bags in the rim for counterweight. The sand bags could come out for easier moving .

I think I'd still need a solid mount for a vise in the shop too though. I like use the vise to bend long stock some times and it takes some weight to counter the leverage you get with 6 or more feet of rod or bar.
 
T
#10 ·
A linear actuator comes to mine with some sort of locking mechanism when in the upright position. There are linear actuators I know out there that can handle that weight as many are used for marine boat/engine hatches.
 
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B
#11 ·
''Do you need any weight in the rims to keep the vise from moving if your pounding or levering on something in the vise jaws? ''

I have some 50 pound elevator weights that drop in that work great. The handle bar one is like a 2 wheel cart, it is heavy but moves easily on gravel or soil. There is a bar in a upside down '' U '' where the weights fit. The post vise has angle for the same reason but is hard to see in the photo.

As for the '' KEYSTONE LIGHT '' , that what I use for posting because of '' WELDERMIKE '' . It is his favorite ! He has better tastes for welding then choosing his beer. :laugh::laugh: To you MIKE ! :drinkup::drinkup:
 
C
#12 ·
You could just locate the hinge on the 1/2 mounting plate back under the table. Maybe 8in or so from the edge. Then it is out of the way when it is down. When you rotate it up the plate should come up tight to the table. Then you just need a way to clamp it to the table lip - weld a bolt to the hinged part that goes into a slot in the table and spin a nut on, a cam lock, etc. A small hook hanging loose on the edge of the table (or a spring loaded one on the plate) could be used to catch the plate and hold it while you setup the clamping mechanism.
 
B
#15 ·
What if you use a length of pipe fastened to the underside of the table and a smaller one fastened to a plate that the vise is mounted to. Weld the vise to the smaller pipe and slide it into the bigger pipe which you mount far enough in so the vise will slide far enough under the table to be out of the way where it will hang upside down. Then when you pull it out for use you will slip a pin into drilled holes to hold it upright then have a nut or 2 welded to the outer pipe with T handled bolts threaded in to snug up the fit. You could attach a small piece of pipe on the plate to which the vise is mounted for slipping a pipe "handle" into which will make it easy to rotate the vise upright and hold it there while you insert the pin. The pin could drop in from the top if you drill it thru the table into the pipe below, or you could reach underneath and slide it in. Kind of like the receiver tube idea but doesn't require removing the vise and lifting it back into position.

Just an idea, may need some refinement. I like the hinge idea too I just can't picture how to do it, will be watching this thread for more ideas.
 
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B
#16 ·
Actually a spring loaded pin would be better, just grab the vise, pull it out to a stop and rotate it around till it clicks in then tighten your "slop" T bolts. I think I am going to try it with some of the leftover rigid pipe I always end up with. Turns out the 2" fits nicely inside the 2.5" with no more slop than a receiver tube setup. Anyone see any fatal flaws with my idea?
 
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W
#19 ·
G Man!,

That's REAL close to what I'm thinking.

I was thinking pipe/rod hinges, but I like the welded/bolted drilled dogs you used better...Yeah, lots better.

As far as your flat bar diagonal brace....I'm thinking dual diagonals that are hinged in the middle to where if I lift the vise a little higher than level with the table top, they will "knee-break" over and fall into lock position with vise level with table top......Then, to drop the vise, I could lift it and then push the diagonals upwards where they hinge in the middle and just let it drop.
 
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#20 ·
The best joints I've seen for mounting a movable vise are hammer unions. If you use two of them at right angles you can put the vise at about any height or angle. I've got a couple of 3" saved for the project this winter. The first vise I saw this done just had 2" and they were very stout.
 
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