What is the reason the the fixed leg of a post vice is so long? Does the extra length below the hinge have a function?

 

It provides suport for the innerjaw when you pound on stock in the anvil jaws. The hight was a comprimise to put it at a good work hight for forge work and filling. 

A filling vice beind set at about 42" and an anvil at about 30", some smiths set them farther into the floor or set them in raised sockets to adjust hight. Many 6" and larger vices have shorter legs to benifit hevy forging.

Aha, pretty obvious when you think about it. Thanks. Also thanks for the dimensions. I just bought an old one and now need to fit it to my workbench.

 

I'm 6'2" then 8 wear riding heals that add 2 more. My Dad is 6' so our bench is set at 3' wich is about where my post vise comes out, wile the machinest vise is about 8" tall on top of the bench. Now my heavy anvil is at 31" and my light anvil is at 33". my other anvils fall in from 30-32" to acomidate "smallfolk"

Its all about your personal ergonomics and work habits. 

My length is about the same as yours, and my workbench too. For now that'll be great, maybe I 'll find reasons to modify the height later.

 

 

If my memory serves me correctly, Abraham Lincoln was once asked how long his legs were.  His answer was, "long enough to reach the ground".  I guess he needed his legs to support him too. 

 

Glad to see you posting simi regularly again, Mr. Einhorn

Funny that the heavy postvise I'm installing this weekend is shorter than my light travel postvise.  Well not really as the heavy duty ones expected to be used for heavier work which you usually do lower to get a better hammer swing....  The typical post vise mount can be moved a bit up and down on the back shaft to adjust for a different height work bench---you might need to make another spring for it though.

I couldn't help myself. The title of this topic reminded me of the horse who walked into a bar and ordered a drink. The bartender says, "Why the long face?"

Hello Frank! Long time no read

Yeah, Frank, where ya been?

I'm 6'2" then 8 wear riding heals that add 2 more. My Dad is 6' so our bench is set at 3' wich is about where my post vise comes out, wile the machinest vise is about 8" tall on top of the bench. Now my heavy anvil is at 31" and my light anvil is at 33". my other anvils fall in from 30-32" to acomidate "smallfolk"

Its all about your personal ergonomics and work habits. 

Your anvil is at half your heigth. When I adjusted my anvil height to fit myself using the "hit the board" method I ended up at half my height also.

Göte

I typed in a couple of responses lately, and when I tried to post, I got the "Forbidden" sign, and all my typing was expunged.

Type short one or two lines, then post another two lines and let the system murge them. 

Here's a picture of my vise. Funny, it was owned by a church. It had been standing on a graveyard for ages. No idea what it was used for, and I don't think I want to know! It has been outside, but the rust was only superficial, so I guess it's made of wrought iron. I used some Hamerite to smarten it up a little bit.

 

umm... you're sure it wasn't meant to be a marker...?

Ha ha! From a deceased blacksmith you mean...

 

Yes I know of a couple of anvils used that way; unfortunately at least one has been stolen.  

i understand your concern. That would be very unfortunate indeed. According to the seller his grandfather was the bailiff of the church, also in charge of the graveyard, and he actually USED the vise. But I have no way to confirm his story.

If and when this really has been a fraud, then I can only hope the blacksmith aproves of the vise being used again.

 

 

Post vises were common maintenance tools back in the day.  It could have very well been used to tweak wrought iron railings or hold grass cutting tools for sharpening.

There certainly is no shortage of post vises yet. At any day I can find plenty of them on the Internet second hand lists. The first one I bought was really cheap but I failed to detect that the screw had rusted solidly together. Even after days of penetrating oil and applying heat it wouldn't budge. I think that one was fished out of the water.

 

Good Morning Seek,

I was talking to a friend the other day at work. They buy Molasses from the Feed Store, by the pail. They mix Molasses with water and put it in a large container (garbage can or larger). The put the rusty parts, body parts, fenders, doors, whatever in the Molasses mix, No electric current needed. Leave it alone for a few days, comes out Bare Steel. There is no problem if/when you have to dispose of the Molasses mix, it is not toxic.

You can do this in a Pail and put your vice upside down in the pail.

Neil

Thanks for the tip. But i don't think Molasses is a very regular staple overhere in Europe. I wouldn't know where to find it. But never mind. I have allready decided that the rusty vise is a lost case while I am enjoying the "new" one, pictured above, I only lost about 10 euros and it gives me a copious amount of scrap steel.

 

Molasses is a good rust converter because of the phosphoric acid in it.

Frosty The Lucky.

Often good old water got it in that condition, good old water will get it out. 

It softens the rust. The. For a bit of lubrication, good old glyserin loves water,so let it drip to damp and then soke it down with glycerin. The glyserin will folow the moisture in to the nooks and cranies. Used radiator coolant works fine for a combo soak, just be aware that most is toxic to animals. Especialy cats. But main lining 180 proff is the antidote...

Edited September 27, 201510 yr by Charles R. Stevens