pinetar Posted October 21, 2009 Share Posted October 21, 2009 That is right, vice, not vise. I don't recall ever using it, someone must have donated it. Will clean it up in anticipation of having a forge some day. With a vise like this, I would not need a leg vise, correct? iPhone pic. gary/n. ohio Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bad Creek Blacksmith Posted October 21, 2009 Share Posted October 21, 2009 Welcome Pinetar, You would still want a post vise, they are constructed to take the energy of the hammer blows down the leg and spreads out from there. Besides the way a post vise is made you can clamp longer material verticially in it. Most blacksmiths have more than one post vise, depending on the room they have. In your area you have the Western Reserve Blacksmiths a very good group of people. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigfootnampa Posted October 21, 2009 Share Posted October 21, 2009 Certainly you can make use of this vise... you'll still want a post vise (or several) one day, but as you are just starting out this will do you for now. I have a big old chinese machinist type vise that is pretty useful in my shop... it is a low quality vise but it's size and weight make it reasonably useful anyway. In any case a vise is not one of the most ESSENTIAL needs for you at this stage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Einhorn Posted October 21, 2009 Share Posted October 21, 2009 As usual, the answer is "it depends". Depending on what you are doing, the processes you are applying to a piece, as well as the size of the item you are making, different tools for different processes. In general a large leg vise can do pretty much anything you need because of its size and being designed to absorb hammer blows better than a bench mounted vice. On the other hand portable military equipment during the US War Between the States used legless vises because that was what was practical to transport. So yes you can do most stuff with that machinist vise, however some heavy hammering might damage the vise and/or put it out of commission. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pinetar Posted October 21, 2009 Author Share Posted October 21, 2009 Good point on holding long stock in a leg vise. I told my wife last night that I was interested in smithing and the price of a Trip Hammer. She gave me an evil eye and said "no one does that anymore". See you all at the next quilting B. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted October 21, 2009 Share Posted October 21, 2009 Since post vises are so cheap compared to heavy duty bench vises, (especially in Ohio!) I fail to see why one would want to abuse such a nice vise over spending a couple of bucks for a postvise that thrives on abuse. Vice = Vise, english spelling and it's an english vice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CurlyGeorge Posted October 21, 2009 Share Posted October 21, 2009 Gary, Have your wife check out this site (IFI), and also send her to this one: Lorelei Sims - Artist Blacksmith / Welcome to the Vortex of Hot Metal. That site belongs to Lorelei Sims. Have your wife take a look at some of her work. Then invite her out to "the shop" to start smithing. LOL :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bentiron1946 Posted October 21, 2009 Share Posted October 21, 2009 Was that vise in a fire? Looks scorched. When I was actively smithing I had a leg vise and two heavy machinist vises. One machinist vise got a lot of heat and beating and the other none, it was my "clean" vise. The leg vise got a lot of beating and heating and other abuse. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pinetar Posted October 22, 2009 Author Share Posted October 22, 2009 Gary, Have your wife check out this site (IFI), and also send her to this one: Lorelei Sims - Artist Blacksmith / Welcome to the Vortex of Hot Metal. That site belongs to Lorelei Sims. Have your wife take a look at some of her work. Then invite her out to "the shop" to start smithing. LOL I bought her book last week. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dragons lair Posted October 22, 2009 Share Posted October 22, 2009 Gary, Show the other half all the new folks joining every week, Thats who. Thankfully mine understands. I have 4 anvils in the shop. Came home tonight with a 174lb Trenton on an old stump in the truck $300 not a blink. Ken Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trollkeep Posted October 22, 2009 Share Posted October 22, 2009 Does anyone know if that odd jaw face is intentional or have I just seen a bunch of abused vises recently. Dave Childress, Trollkeep in IN. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dragons lair Posted October 23, 2009 Share Posted October 23, 2009 Looks like one jaw insert is missing. Ken Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted October 23, 2009 Share Posted October 23, 2009 You can see the bolt holes for the missing jaw insert in one of the pictures Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndrewOC Posted October 24, 2009 Share Posted October 24, 2009 re missing jaw face. Yeah, great forging exercise. Draw out some tough alloy steel to match the remaining jaw, anneal, drill holes and voila! you fixed what many don't! Andrew O'C Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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