Alan DuBoff Posted November 13, 2006 Share Posted November 13, 2006 no need for input here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stu in Tokyo Posted November 13, 2006 Share Posted November 13, 2006 Huh, that is cool, looks like an old time wooden leg vice. Nice get! :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sam Salvati Posted November 13, 2006 Share Posted November 13, 2006 Looks great, is it me or are the jaws bent? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted November 13, 2006 Share Posted November 13, 2006 Good score Alan. What is the size? Looks like you're going to get a little practice forging a spring eh? No problems, 5160 is pretty forgiving, just don't overheat it. Frosty Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan DuBoff Posted November 13, 2006 Author Share Posted November 13, 2006 Stu, similar as those wooden vises on benches, it's invaluable when working with hot metal. Apprentice, not sure yet, haven't seen it up close. They might not close tight, but should be fixable. Frosty, it's a honker, it's 7" jaws and 107 lbs. Yeah, I'll have a couple things to fix, like adding a spring and the mount is not clear to me, but looks like it might slide up and secure the square section at the top, I'm not certain. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan DuBoff Posted November 13, 2006 Author Share Posted November 13, 2006 no need for input here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan DuBoff Posted November 14, 2006 Author Share Posted November 14, 2006 no need for input here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stu in Tokyo Posted November 14, 2006 Share Posted November 14, 2006 Warning-Warning-Warning Stupid question time! OK, you have been warned, ah, why is this type of "Leg Vice" so much better than the typical steel bench vice? I would figure it is some what more flexible for a blacksmith, but being a total newbie, I'm not sure how that would be? I'm fairly sure I'll have a bear of a time finding one here in Japan. I've got one of these............. ..........in the bike garage, and I was figuring that if I mount it on a large block of wood, I could then secure that block of wood in my large Record woodworking vice...... But back to the leg vice, what are the advantages over the "modern" bench vice...? Cheers! :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted November 15, 2006 Share Posted November 15, 2006 First of all those "typical" vises are generally cast iron *not* steel. Cast iron is a brittle material and whanging on them with a hammer will generally result in a broken vise. Next note how it's mounted: when you hammer on a piece of hot steel in that vise it will try to tear itself out of the workbench---if it doesn't just break at the base first. The leg vise will generally be made from wrought iron or steel (some were ductile iron as well but not as common). It is mounted so that it's foot rests on a support on the floor so the force of your hammering is transferred there---the mounting bracket is actually a slip fit design so if your vise's foot digs a bit deeper it will follow it down. It is common to use a several pound hammer working steel in such a vise so it has to take the force! Finally back in OH the leg/post/blacksmith's vise was *cheaper* than a cast iron bench vise... Find out what Japanese smiths use for a vise... Thomas Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stu in Tokyo Posted November 15, 2006 Share Posted November 15, 2006 Domo Arigato :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stu in Tokyo Posted November 15, 2006 Share Posted November 15, 2006 Find out what Japanese smiths use for a vise... Thomas See the problem I'll look further..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan DuBoff Posted November 15, 2006 Author Share Posted November 15, 2006 no need for input here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stu in Tokyo Posted November 15, 2006 Share Posted November 15, 2006 I have a vice like the one I show, I've used it for years in my bike garage, but the thing that worries me is what was said abou the pounding, it IS cast iron, so it might not take the pounding, it very well might crack, then I'm screwed Cheers! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan DuBoff Posted November 15, 2006 Author Share Posted November 15, 2006 no need for input here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stu in Tokyo Posted November 15, 2006 Share Posted November 15, 2006 Thanks Alan, I have the vice, so I'll use it. Cheers! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted November 16, 2006 Share Posted November 16, 2006 No problem you just need thicker callouses...I'm sure they use something different for *hot* steel. Thomas Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan DuBoff Posted December 4, 2006 Author Share Posted December 4, 2006 no need for input here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan DuBoff Posted December 5, 2006 Author Share Posted December 5, 2006 That was an excellent find for you, no doubt. Sounds in good shape. I'll post some pics after I get this new one. The other one is out in the yard, it's pretty heavy. A 4" will do most of what I want, I 'spose. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shane Stegmeier Posted December 5, 2006 Share Posted December 5, 2006 You don't absolutely need a vice to twist stock, especially small items like S hooks and wrought iron, take two pair of tongs and twist. At the forging contest at Sofa this year (06;-) we did a dosey doe with two pair of tongs to get our twists into the S hooks we were forging;-) Leg vices get used for a lot of technics that require pounding: heading, right angle bends, forging a tight offset, hinge barrels, animal heads, hollow form chippendale legs;-) You use the tools you have, you can always use more tools;-) Some tools are better for somethings... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan DuBoff Posted December 5, 2006 Author Share Posted December 5, 2006 no need for input here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan DuBoff Posted December 7, 2006 Author Share Posted December 7, 2006 no need for input here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted December 7, 2006 Share Posted December 7, 2006 Whatzit #2 is used to dress the grinding wheels on a banch grinder. Thomas Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the_sandy_creek_forge Posted December 9, 2006 Share Posted December 9, 2006 Alan, I've found something that in my opinion is more useful than the traditional "swan neck shaped" hold down. I have a lag bolt screwed into my anvil stump about half-way up. I use this to attach my "hold-down" Hold-down: two pieces of 2"x 1/16" strapping with a three lengths of bicycle chain (or any flat chain for that matter) welded to one end of each piece of strapping. on one end i drilled a hole to fit over the lag-bolt, on the other end is a stirrup. To use: attach hold-down to lag screw and drape over the anvil so that the sections of chain are over the anvil face. I slide the hot steel to be cut/punch/whatever under the chain and then step down on the stirrup with my foot. The hot steel is held in place and both hands are free to work with the steel and tools. (one of these days i am gonna get pictures taken and posted here). I've also seen alternative forms of this tool made of motorcycle chain (the kind with multiple chains side by side) and a large *lead* ball for weight. and another that used cable instead of the strapping. I just used what was handy:) -Aaron @ the SCF Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the_sandy_creek_forge Posted December 9, 2006 Share Posted December 9, 2006 I'll try to get something up soon, cause i realize my description above didn't exactly make perfect sense... but maybe this will help. -Aaron @ the SCFholddown.txt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paragon Posted December 9, 2006 Share Posted December 9, 2006 See the problem I'll look further..... Love it! I was just wondering the other day what the purpose of a leg vise was.. now I know. Makes total sense to this engineer. Less force transmission through the bench. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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