trevarthan Posted November 5, 2013 Share Posted November 5, 2013 I bought a post vise this weekend. It's missing a bracket for mounting, and a spring. It came with a 1/4" thick strip of plate, bent into a strap, so I'm using that, lag bolted to a 4x4 piece of lumber, horizontally. I'm using a wood wedge between the vise and 4x4 to tighten everything up. Here's a photo: This is a pretty crappy setup. It works in a pinch, but it's impossible to get enough clamping force from soft pine lumber, across grain like this. The wood just crushes and eventually the vise loosens up. I read about the various types of clamps these vises came with, originally, and I think I'd like to fabricate a u-bolt style clamp. Anyone have any idea where I can get some appropriately sized u-bolts? Also, if anyone is selling an original mounting bracket, I'm interested. I tried a first attempt at forging my own replacement spring this past weekend from mild steel. It's not great, but I think it'll do for now. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob S Posted November 5, 2013 Share Posted November 5, 2013 Anyone have any idea where I can get some appropriately sized u-bolts? go to your hardware store and get a piece of threaded rod. I would get 1/2". Now you can bend up any size U-bolt you want. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DSW Posted November 5, 2013 Share Posted November 5, 2013 If you don't want it all threaded, get some plain rod and thread the tends yourself with a die. before you bend it. One other option would be to see a muffler shop or spring shop. Spring shops usually have axle bolts on hand or can bend you one up pretty quick ( also doesn't hurt to know these guys in case you need spring material later on...) The clamps muffler shops stock are pretty limited in size but they might work depending on what you need. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted November 5, 2013 Share Posted November 5, 2013 Get a U bolt; remove plating with acid soak, heat bend in forge and form to vise leg.Take angle iron and drill appropriate holes, done. Now you can also do it with 2 straight bolts and bend a strap around your viseleg with the ends bent out 90 deg and drilled for the bolts Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trevarthan Posted November 5, 2013 Author Share Posted November 5, 2013 Self threading with a die sounds good. Where would I pick up a die? I was also thinking I could just make the clamp assembly in the forge without threads and use metal wedges to take up the slack. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geoff Keyes Posted November 5, 2013 Share Posted November 5, 2013 My local hardware store has "U" bolts from little bitty to 6 or 8 inches across. They are usually in the gates and fencing area. However, A piece of flat plate, drill 4 holes, a piece of heavy angle, same 4 holes. 4 bolts. The plate goes on the inside, the angle iron on the outside, bolt it up tight. The angle iron is your mount, so drill a couple of holes in the other side of the angle as well. There you go. The spring can just be a piece of mild. One end goes under the clamp you just built, the opposite ends needs a couple of ears that rest outside of the floating leg. Put just enough of a bend in the spring to hold the legs apart. All done. Geoff Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trevarthan Posted November 5, 2013 Author Share Posted November 5, 2013 I notice my post is bent. Can I just heat that up over the forge and straighten it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted November 5, 2013 Share Posted November 5, 2013 Yes; if it's real wrought iron you probably want to be in the high yellow range Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trevarthan Posted November 5, 2013 Author Share Posted November 5, 2013 What would it be if it's not real wrought iron? I was under the impression that these were all forged steel. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Coke Posted November 5, 2013 Share Posted November 5, 2013 Greetings Trev, I don't see your post leg bent enough to worry about... First I would make up the spring so that it has tension on the movable part at about 4 inches open .. More than that will be a problem and hard to work with... If you want it original looking you have 4 more parts to make... Look up under vices in the vise section . This would be a good exercise in blacksmithing... Nice find and I wish you well. Forge on and make beautiful things.. Jim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trevarthan Posted November 5, 2013 Author Share Posted November 5, 2013 I forged a new spring last night from mild steel 1/2" round bar. I don't think I did a great job, but it's probably good enough for now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stephen Olivo Posted November 5, 2013 Share Posted November 5, 2013 Nice job on the spring. I prefer the wedge connection that are on three of the four post vices that are at my house right now. Simple to take off to move. http://ipneto.deviantart.com/art/vice-spring-277231859 http://ipneto.deviantart.com/art/vice-wedges-277231611 The half around the leg is simple to make and the other could just be a piece of flat stock folded over and bolted down onto the bench with enough room for the wedges to pull the two pieces together. If you can forge weld or weld you could make it nicer looking but not necessary. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted November 6, 2013 Share Posted November 6, 2013 Nothing worth straightening on that leg, better than mine and I'm just using my vises. Plenty good job on the spring, mild steel is plenty good enough. I made mine from spring steel and I did WAY too much work for the job it does. Search around the site for leg vise pics, you'll see so many different ways to mount the things you may have trouble deciding which is easiest for you. Personally I prefer the easiest operation (whatever I'm doing) that does the job with a reasonable safety factor. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DSW Posted November 6, 2013 Share Posted November 6, 2013 Self threading with a die sounds good. Where would I pick up a die? Most home centers, Sears, auto parts stores as well as industrial supply houses carry dies. You can buy sets or individual ones. Given a choice, you want to get ones that are high speed steel vs the cheaper carbon steel dies. They will last longer. The dies come in standard threading sizes. In the US most are National Course, but some are National Fine. Most typical nuts and bolts are course threaded. They also sell pipe dies as well that are tapered. They are usually marked say 1/2" NPT for National Pipe Taper. I picked up tow full sets from Sears years ago. One set in standard that has both course and fine threaded taps and dies as well as a metric thread set. Then I've got a bunch of individual dies and taps I've bought over the years. Along with the die you will probably want to get a matching wrench designed to be used with the die. Some cheap ones are round and you pretty much must have the wrench to use them. Others are hex shaped on the outside and you can turn them with a standard wrench of the correct size. The die wrenches though have handles on each side and that makes it a lot easier to keep the dies straight on the work as you run them down. These videos may help you understand this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
windancer Posted November 6, 2013 Share Posted November 6, 2013 My giant work-horse post vice [8 inch jaws] came with a bent mount that would not tighten up. Took it to a good friends shop and he cut me out a one-piece mount in the shape of a crow's head. Welded on a 90 degree mount after drilling and went to the local nut and bolt place and bought a u bolt the size I needed and put everything back together. Works great and I smile every time I see that old crow there. Be a little creative- have some fun- get your vice working! Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trevarthan Posted November 6, 2013 Author Share Posted November 6, 2013 Nice job on the spring. I prefer the wedge connection that are on three of the four post vices that are at my house right now. Simple to take off to move. http://ipneto.deviantart.com/art/vice-spring-277231859http://ipneto.deviantart.com/art/vice-wedges-277231611 The half around the leg is simple to make and the other could just be a piece of flat stock folded over and bolted down onto the bench with enough room for the wedges to pull the two pieces together. If you can forge weld or weld you could make it nicer looking but not necessary.That combination wedge/tenon is really cool. I also appreciate the close view of the spring. All the photos I've seen to date were smaller and less clear. I like the 90 degree bend at the top. Looks like it makes it easier to assemble. The smooth curve is nice too.Here's a straightened photo of my spring. It didn't show up on it's side when I posted it from my ipad last night, but it's on it's side on the laptop this morning. I'd edit the post, but it looks like I can't edit posts from yesterday or something. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stephen Olivo Posted November 6, 2013 Share Posted November 6, 2013 Your welcome. The nice thing is if you put a piece of 2 by 4 in between the legs just under the spring box and close the jaws you can knock out the wedges and remove the vice without fiddling with stuff. Then put it all back together by just tapping in the wedges when you get where your going. I do this all the time and have grown to love this connection for that and many other reasons. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trevarthan Posted November 10, 2013 Author Share Posted November 10, 2013 Stephen, the part the wraps the vise looks like a rectangular 1/2" steel plate, folded around something square, with slots drilled or drifted in the ends (not necessarily in that order). I think I can make that. What about the mounting plate? 1" steel bar, flattened on one end? I'm not sure I can heat 1" steel bar sufficiently in my small brake drum forge. It would be an interesting experiment though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timothy Miller Posted November 11, 2013 Share Posted November 11, 2013 This is about as simple as a mount can get and still have it do good job at holding the vice rigidly in place so you can work efficiently. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trevarthan Posted November 11, 2013 Author Share Posted November 11, 2013 Yeah. Looks simple. Just not easy to remove. My vise is out in the open, so I like to bring it in from the rain when the day is done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted November 11, 2013 Share Posted November 11, 2013 5 gallon plastic bucket with a slot hacksawed down the side to fit around the bracket. Or mount the bracket to a piece of wood (or steel) and have *that* piece be easily demountable from the stable base. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DSW Posted November 12, 2013 Share Posted November 12, 2013 Probably not all that hard to remove, you just need to rethink a few things. Instead of bolts, go with threaded studs and nuts to secure the bracket to the post. When done, simply spin off the 3 nuts and lift the vise off the studs and you are done. A cordless drill with an adapter and socket will make short work of spinning out the nuts. You could probably also use knurled knobs to do the same thing, My portable leg vise right now is a 6x6 post attached to a large piece of 5/8" plate at the bottom. To attach the bracket to the post, I simply use my inmpact driver to zing down 3 lag bolts in the holes and back them out when done. It's probably taken me 5 times longer to type this than it does to pull the vise off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stephen Olivo Posted November 12, 2013 Share Posted November 12, 2013 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trevarthan Posted November 13, 2013 Author Share Posted November 13, 2013 I can't see the facebook photos for some reason, but the google plus photos are nice. It took me a while to realize the numeric markings are 10s of millimeters, but after that it made sense. Looks like 1/2" plate, 1 1/2" wide for the part that holds the vise. Hard to say how long it is, but I can guesstimate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stephen Olivo Posted November 13, 2013 Share Posted November 13, 2013 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.