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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Dec 2018
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    Default Building a vise post

    I bought a half decent vise.
    Need to mount it, bench space is at a premium, so thinking I'll weld a post to an old truck drum brake I've got and mount it like that.

    The model I have has a swivel base design, with pipe clamp, and it also rotates to access that function.

    What height do people recommend? I've heard a few inches below elbow height. I want this to be a bit of a semi-mobile work station.

  2. #2
    Join Date
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    Murray Bridge S Aust.
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    Default

    I'd set the jaws of the vise at elbow height. If you find it too high, then you can always trim a bit off.
    I've set my vise on a piece of plate welded to 50mm RHS, that slides inside a piece of 65X65X6RHS, (similar to a Hayman Reese towbar setup), welded to the side of the bench. That way I can remove it if I need more bench space, or fit a bar bender, another grinder, leaving many options available.
    To grow old is mandatory, growing up is optional.

  3. #3
    BobL is offline Member: Blue and white apron brigade
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    Default

    Another alternative/option might be to make it height adjustable?

  4. #4
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    Default

    Knocked this up today.
    Used an old truck drum brake, some scrap 75x40x5mm RHS, and a few bits of plate I picked up from a scrapper in my travels.
    Overall height to the top face of the jaws is 1030mm. ie approx 40mm lower than my elbow height when bent 90 degrees.
    Works well! Great height for filing, and will interface as an extended surface off my work bench.

    IMG_0050.jpg

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Dec 2018
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    NSW
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    Default

    I was getting Keen building it over the weekend, and decided I'd drill and tap some M10 8.8 bolts into the plate to make her hold (and make removal a little easier).
    Something got lost in translation, and 2 of the 4 holes were off by a bit.

    So I welded up the offending holes, and re-drilled, however my HSS bits were not up to task. Had some good success with the Cobalt VIPR bits from Sutton. But had even better success with the Titanium nitride bit supplied in the Sutton handy packs containing a drill and matching tap.

    This justified a new tool purchase- transfer punches are on order. I have made this mistake way too many times now, when the drill bit wanders and I lose the game by a fraction of a mm.

  6. #6
    BobL is offline Member: Blue and white apron brigade
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    Love the dirt floor! Reminds me of Dad's shed.

    Quote Originally Posted by Commander_Keen View Post
    I was getting Keen building it over the weekend, and decided I'd drill and tap some M10 8.8 bolts into the plate to make her hold (and make removal a little easier).
    Something got lost in translation, and 2 of the 4 holes were off by a bit.
    What's your definition of "a bit? On a 10 m m hole, If its just mm or so I'd just make the hole larger. I assume a centre punch was used or was it a marking out problem?

  7. #7
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    Dec 2018
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    About 2mm out. I think this was a compound error as each hole wandered a little and it converged on the last hole to make it unworkable. I didn't want to file or drill out the vise base, and didn't want an oval hole to tap, although it probably would have been OK for a hack like me.

    My shed is a corrugated iron box. In summer temps of 50 are not uncommon. The dirt floor work area used to have a horrendous aviary on it, and while a dirt floor, has a bit of breeze and shade all around. I should really get around to cleaning up all the loose dirt and putting down something a bit more firm. Moving gas bottles over it is a right pain in the tuchus.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Nov 2008
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    North Brisbane. Qld. Australia
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    I have attached my vice to a length of PFC. This is shaped to fit on a 3" square pergola post via a 16mm bar through the post and another bar through the PFC to seat against the face of post. Two vertical slots for the 16mm bar in the sides of the PFC and holes through the PFC for the 12mm bar against the post. Just insert the 16mm bar, slide on the table and put the 12mm bar in. Quite sturdy but I would like to add maybe an over centre latch to lock it down firmly.
    Nev.

  9. #9
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    Default

    Gotta pic nev?

  10. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by Commander_Keen View Post
    Gotta pic nev?
    Will post a couple sometime this week.
    Nev.

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Nov 2008
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    Default

    Pics.
    Attached Images Attached Images
    Nev.

  12. #12
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    Sep 2012
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    York, North Yorkshire UK
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    Hi Nev,

    Very posh, looks nice !
    Best Regards:
    Baron J.

  13. #13
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    Default

    Is it just the angle of the slot that stops it dropping straight down?

  14. #14
    BobL is offline Member: Blue and white apron brigade
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    Nice job Nev.

    99% of the time the forces on a vice are across or down but sometimes it is upwards
    To counteract that and to tighten the vice onto the post what about something like this?
    Weld a steel tab with a threaded hole in it and add a bolt to lock the shebang to the post?

    Vice.JPG

  15. #15
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    Quote Originally Posted by Commander_Keen View Post
    Is it just the angle of the slot that stops it dropping straight down?
    Slot is vertical. Gravity holds the whole lot down and forces the bottom pin against the post.
    Nev.

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