August 19, 201510 yr I love seeing how folks adapt and improvise to get the job done. Whoever came up with this contraption definitely thought outside the box!I'm guessing that this was only used for one task. The little iron rod appears like it would be used to lock the vise shut, jamming against the stump, so the smith could move around and not have to keep his foot on the pedal. Not entirely clear on why he'd put that piece of wood over the leg of the vise, though. If he was worried about it moving around, he could easily have forged a few staples or straps to hold it to the stump. Edited August 19, 201510 yr by VaughnT
August 20, 201510 yr That's very cool. Thanks for showing, that guy was resourceful! Bet he swore a bit when the work piece was too small and it camed closed past TDC.
August 20, 201510 yr I looked at this post and thought about how cool it was but wasn't gonna comment. I changed my mind when I see the very same pictures listed on eBay from a guy in Maine. That's not you is it?
August 20, 201510 yr If one still had the screw and box one could set it up to be adjustable by turning the screw and that'd even more cool...or just add more pivot points. Edited August 20, 201510 yr by FoxFire
August 20, 201510 yr Author ...same pictures listed on eBay...Nope, I just downloaded the photos for future reference since I'd never seen such a critter before.If one still had the screw and box one could set it up to be adjustable by turning the screw and that'd even more cool...or just add more pivot points.At first glance, I thought it was adjustable. It looks like the large blob on the back of the "screw" could be a nut of some kind. Or, at least, it could have been a nut if the smith needed a little adjustability. The cam looks like it doesn't have far to travel before popping over TDC and a little adjustability would make the vise just that much handier. Of course, if the guy was doing a lot of "just one thing", it might be perfectly set up as is. Like that wood plank over the leg, we'll just never know exactly what was going on.
August 20, 201510 yr One could cut a thread in the "pulling bar" Put on a nut and presto you have an adjustable quick acting vise.Göte
August 20, 201510 yr Nope, I just downloaded the photos for future reference since I'd never seen such a critter before.Gotcha, I do the same thing regularly when looking at stuff online.
August 20, 201510 yr You see the piece of wood provides the pivot for the foot pedal! The wedge at the top of the wood can be exchanged to allow for adjustment for different sizes of workpieces! Cleverer than you realized, eh?
August 20, 201510 yr you could use a turnbuckle for the rod that comes up off the foot peddle to the cam arm.
August 20, 201510 yr You see the piece of wood provides the pivot for the foot pedal! The wedge at the top of the wood can be exchanged to allow for adjustment for different sizes of workpieces! Cleverer than you realized, eh?I don't think so. As far as I can see the foot pedal pivot is provided by the two metal flanges coming off the leg.I would say that the wood was there to hold the leg against the support post and spread the load of the hammer blows onto the floor surface. The vice leg looks like it does not project beyond the wood "feet" in one of the images.The main support post has been sawn off just above ground level which sort of indicates a packed earth floor. The wedge would then be to take up any height difference caused by compaction of the floor.Alan
August 20, 201510 yr Looks to me like the extra piece of wood is for vertical support and the wedge is just a height adjustment. This due to the leg not setting on a solid base. Also the foot peddle hinge is welded to the leg. If I ever run across another vice missing a screw and box............. Dave
August 25, 201510 yr you guys are over thinking things. several different length connecting rods is all you need to adjust for different sized pieces. the hooks are open plenty for it to be a quick disconnect/connect set up. Done. Don't need to fuss with threads, or nuts that can loosen or strip. Don't need to have to grease or clean anything. Just swap out the rod with another and you're good to go.
August 27, 201510 yr you guys are over thinking things. several different length connecting rods is all you need to adjust for different sized pieces. the hooks are open plenty for it to be a quick disconnect/connect set up. Done. Don't need to fuss with threads, or nuts that can loosen or strip. Don't need to have to grease or clean anything. Just swap out the rod with another and you're good to go.Over thinking? I think you ought to think it over some more.The relationship between the jaw opening and the cam range from max to minimum is not affected by changing the length of the connecting rod. The only thing that would do is alter the height of the foot treadle relative to any given jaw opening.The length of the pin through the jaws however does affect the opening range that the cam would operate over. If you had a long enough pin to give you maximum opening, you could then have some U shaped spacers which dropped in between the pin head and the fixed jaw to give various cam/jaw opening ranges.Alan Edited August 27, 201510 yr by Alan Evans
August 27, 201510 yr length of the rod would affect where the cam cycle hits. but I like your method better yet still. shims of the same size would make incremental size changes easy. 1/8", 1/4", 1/2" & 1" and combine them to meet the need.
September 11, 201510 yr think I found the perfect candidate for this project. Picked up today for $15.....Anyone need a wood handle for a post vise ? Dave
September 11, 201510 yr I think I'll do the same if I ever come across another vise without a screw, or with a messed up screw.
September 12, 201510 yr Picked this threaded rod up today in "iron in the hat"............life is good! Dave
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