picker77 Posted July 17, 2019 Share Posted July 17, 2019 Picked up a very nice little 4" Iron City post vise yesterday at a decent price for my area ($110), from a retired farmer about my age who recently moved to town for health reasons, but couldn't bear to leave some of his favorite tools behind for the auction vultures. Got it cleaned up a little this morning and I think it's going to be just the right size for what I need. It will probably spend most of it's life here outside, so I'll probably paint it. Threads are very good, vertical alignment is excellent, horizontal is off about 1/8" and I'm leaving it at that. The little SOB bit me before I even got it out of the truck, I suppose to show me right off the bat who's boss. Got away easy with only a small blood blister and a bit of language, excellent lesson learned. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
killbox21 Posted July 17, 2019 Share Posted July 17, 2019 I have the 6" version and use it almost daily. Great vise. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
picker77 Posted July 17, 2019 Author Share Posted July 17, 2019 I was happy to run across this one, killbox. I've never heard a discouraging word about Iron City vises, and I'm sure I'm going to like this one. Serious smiths generally prefer the bigger ones like yours, but I have no real need in the foreseeable future for a larger one. These things are basic engineering at its best. I love the simple, logical way post vises are designed, and the ease with which they can be disassembled. Two quick raps with a hammer, no wrench needed, and it's apart, but when assembled (again, two hammer raps to lock it together) it's solid as a little granite boulder. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted July 17, 2019 Share Posted July 17, 2019 Nice vise Picker, good score. Ahhh, bigger isn't necessarily better you only need as large as you need. Hmm? About mounting it, if you put it in the center of a table you won't be able to turn things vertically without hitting the table. If you mount it on the corner with the jaws parallel to the table edge and as close to the corner as you can get you'll be able to turn things, say a twisting wrench, scrolling fork, etc. and clear the table. It will also put your vise over the table leg for the most solidity. Same goes mounting it to a post or home built stand, you want to keep your working clearances in mind. Oh, it's also much easier to get a full swing in from the side so you can drive the work against the anchor jaw not sideways so the work slips. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
picker77 Posted July 17, 2019 Author Share Posted July 17, 2019 She’s in the paint shop right now, I will reveal her in glorious Technicolor tomorrow. Still mulling over mounting options, thanks for the tips. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris C Posted July 18, 2019 Share Posted July 18, 2019 Boy, Picker, you either have all the luck or all the money! Nice little vise. Would like to have one just like it in my shop. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrazyGoatLady Posted July 18, 2019 Share Posted July 18, 2019 Nice looking vise. I wouldn't be opposed to a bigger vise either, but my 4 1/2" Indian Chief does a fine job for what I do. It even came mounted on its own table. Your smithy is getting outfitted very nicely. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted July 18, 2019 Share Posted July 18, 2019 Got a bucket to put over it to keep the rain off? Hang a weight off the bail will keep it on for *most* winds. (I seem to have a bunch of sledge heads to hand for such uses, one of them is an iron city one!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
picker77 Posted July 18, 2019 Author Share Posted July 18, 2019 Neither, Chris. I just have an understanding wife, and I also don't mind selling a toy to get a different toy, lol. Yep, it's getting there, CGL, sure will be happy to get my hands on the little Diamondback Knifemaker forge, maybe next week if Diamondback & Fedex get off the dime. And TP, that's a fine idea. I'd hate to get this fine looking vise wet. Speaking of fine looking, the paint job is done, so put on your Shade 3's and hide the womenfolk and kids, because here it is: I never was one for muted colors... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted July 18, 2019 Share Posted July 18, 2019 Ah yes; quite identifiable! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted July 18, 2019 Share Posted July 18, 2019 That's a pretty unique color Picker, I think it's the first time I've seen a shade of green or blue I haven't found in the refrigerator. I like easily identifiable colors, especially ones you can see at a distance. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
picker77 Posted July 18, 2019 Author Share Posted July 18, 2019 Would have gone with neon green, but all the neon paint formulations I've seen fade rapidly, especially outside, and unfortunately neon green fades to something resembling baby poop yellow, which I always figured is where Caterpillar originally got the idea for their paint. P.S. You scared me with the photo posting thing, so I re-thunk. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
killbox21 Posted July 18, 2019 Share Posted July 18, 2019 Wow, I like it. Unique. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris C Posted July 18, 2019 Share Posted July 18, 2019 Wow! Urban Camouflage. I'm sure you could pick it out of a line-up of them at the police holding pen if it were stolen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrazyGoatLady Posted July 18, 2019 Share Posted July 18, 2019 I think it looks awesome. I would have never have thought about a color scheme like that Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
picker77 Posted August 17, 2019 Author Share Posted August 17, 2019 Finally hit the local junkyard and built a stand for this little post vise. The floor plate is a very heavy section of 1" hardened wear plate from a large bulldozer blade (you can see one corner was worn down) bolted to 6x8 I-beam with a 3/8" plate on top. The vise & stand total a bit over 200#. I might have to eventually weld on a couple of "wings" of 1/2" or so plate on both sides of the dozer blade section for horizontal stability, but it is currently still a little bottom heavy, so is reasonably stable as is unless I REALLY get to jerking around on it, which is unlikely. I keep a cart dedicated to moving both the anvil and the post vise around, most other things in the shop are either bench mounted or are on wheels. Although I feel fortunate to have a decent-sized shop, it's still very crowded when I pack it all in and lock up for the night, thus my constant emphasis on equipment mobility. I'd love to build a new 40 x 60 metal shop building, but probably not gonna happen at my age. A shelter for the tractor and implements would be nice, though. I wouldn't mind leaving the truck and tractor out as long as they are under some type of weather shelter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris C Posted August 17, 2019 Share Posted August 17, 2019 Dat dere's mighy purdy, Picker. Purdier than mine. Same beam, though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
picker77 Posted August 17, 2019 Author Share Posted August 17, 2019 Yep, they had a bunch of I-beam over there, we probably got them from the same area. I really wanted to come home with one of those BIG 3-ft tall coil springs but not sure what I'd do with one. I could easily cut one up, but forging the pieces out straight without a power hammer would be an exercise for sure. They were all at least 1", and a couple looked like they might be 1-1/4" or more. You could probably make 40 hammers out of just one of those things if you had the oomph to forge the pieces. Looked like they might have come from railroad cars, semi-trailers, earth-moving equipment, or something like that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris C Posted August 17, 2019 Share Posted August 17, 2019 Well as soon as I have access to a forge (mine, hopefully) I'm going to start poundin' on it. I've got two pieces cut and ready to throw in the fire. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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