Hey guys, recently bought a 95lb Columbian leg vise. Spring is still there but over the years, the mounting bracket got lost. I am planning to mount the vise on a section of log. I haven't the right sized bolts to attach it right now, so I was thinking of making a kind of tapered U-shaped bracket to drive into the wood around the post. Would this be a strong enough hold, or should I just invest in the right sized bolts?

bolts are cheap, post pictures of the vise we can help.

The weight isn't as much of a factor as jaw width for vises. I think guys started classifying vises by the same scale as anvils and they're two very different tools. Still, it's becoming a common way to classify vises.

 

I have a 4" Columbian I don't know what it weighs but I've made a bit of the mounting hardware for it. Shoot a pic or two and we'll give you some ideas.

 

Frosty The Lucky.

I was mounting my post vise to a piece of rail road track I cemented into the ground the standard bracket it came with would not work so I made this little setup out of 1/8th inch thick 2 inch wide mild steel. Its not the prettiest work I have done but it does hold the vise well. I just drilled the holes and bolted the bracked straight to the rail road track.

Here is a vise I found that had the bracket missing. I just forged a little u bracket and lag bolted it to a walnut post set in the ground. Do far it has worked.

Here is a vise I found that had the bracket missing. I just forged a little u bracket and lag bolted it to a walnut post set in the ground. Do far it has worked.

I would recommend you forge it to be more close fitting so the spring can exert full force upon the front jaw.  Also make the strap longer so you can use more than two lag bolts, it may work loose over time or the bolts may pull out when the you really exert force on the vise.  It is good enough for occasional light work but it probably wont hold up over time.

My leg vise also had the bracket missing, Glen, who sold it to me made another using a u bolt and about a 6" long pc of 3/8 plate, or flat that is a little wider that the the leg of you vise. You want to mark and drill holes at one end to accpet a u bolt which will fit around the leg of the vise (you could also make the u bolt if needed. Then heat and bend the end at 90 degrees, kind of like a L shape. The bracket can now be secured to the vise with the u bolt and you have a horizontal area to mount to the log, etc. Drill holes for the desired bolt size and mount. The bracket can be left squared or shaped to be alittle more pleasing the eye.

Here's a pic of my bracket.