CurlyGeorge Posted December 15, 2010 Share Posted December 15, 2010 BP I had a customer came to me and asked if I could locate a mounting bracket for his 6" leg vice, and make a spring, too. The vice used to be his grandfathers and he can't locate the bracket or the spring. I checked Ebay, Craigs list and asked around our area. But nobody knew where to find a bracket. I have a 6" vice that I use in my shop. But the one that he has is a bit beefier than mine. So I got some 1/2" plate and had a local man that has an O/A torch cut out a bracket that I made a template for. I made it a little bigger than mine. I also had some 1 1/2" square bar. So I cut it, drilled a series of holes down the center (for the wedges) and cleaned the inside with a file. It came out a lot better than I expected. Now I have to clean up the not so great cut around the outside of the plate and weld the wedge block on. Here's a couple of pics of what I have so far. I'll post the finished pics in a couple of days. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timothy Miller Posted December 15, 2010 Share Posted December 15, 2010 Having done it my self its actually not that hard of a part to forge. Not much harder than forging a hammer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CurlyGeorge Posted December 15, 2010 Author Share Posted December 15, 2010 Nice. I hadn't thought of forging one like that. But that certainly would have been doable. Thanks for the posting. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CurlyGeorge Posted December 16, 2010 Author Share Posted December 16, 2010 OK. I got the bracket cleaned up and welded together. Tripple pass welds all the way around. Beveled down each side, first. I think that the guy will be happy with it. I am. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clinton Posted December 17, 2010 Share Posted December 17, 2010 Yes it is doable but I would advise the help of a striker I did mine myself by hand for the slit and drift was quite a work out, I was able to use the powerhammer to flatten the end. not as nice as southshoresmith's but I can say that I forged it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nakedanvil - Grant Sarver Posted December 17, 2010 Share Posted December 17, 2010 Thought you might like this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Judson Yaggy Posted December 17, 2010 Share Posted December 17, 2010 Very nice Grant! IIRC Richardson or one of the other older texts shows a way of making these out of plate- cut or forge the back end to shape, and draw a long flat tang on the end that will get the wedges. Fold the tang back on itself for a short way and forgeweld. Fold the tang back again and weld where the doubled section meets the mounting plate, leaving a gap for the wedges. Easier to draw than explain, it really is pretty simple. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CurlyGeorge Posted December 17, 2010 Author Share Posted December 17, 2010 WOW!! Thanks for that picture, Grant. That is really a cool looking mounting bracket. I have never seen one that Neat!! :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zampilot Posted December 17, 2010 Share Posted December 17, 2010 That's my first project when the weather warms up, repairing/making a spring, mount and bracket parts for a orphan 5" post vise. Maybe I'll use the propane forge and get at it earlier! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CurlyGeorge Posted December 19, 2010 Author Share Posted December 19, 2010 Got everything done, including making up the new spring. Everything is tight, when I drove in the wedge. He's supposed to come and pick it up in the next day or two. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CurlyGeorge Posted December 19, 2010 Author Share Posted December 19, 2010 Just noticed on the picture that it looks like the spring is coiled into a complete circle at the top. It is not. That is an optical illusion. That is the air intake tube on my portable forge, setting behind the vice. :rolleyes: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kenny O Posted December 28, 2010 Share Posted December 28, 2010 Nice beak Grant, thanks for sharing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dodge Posted December 29, 2010 Share Posted December 29, 2010 Who need a machine shop!?! Nice Job Curly!! Grant; cool beak! :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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