Jump to content
I Forge Iron

Found cheap leg vise. Worth buying?


HumanAfterAll

Recommended Posts

  • Replies 68
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

I've cleaned all the smaller parts and the real color is showing up!

Along with the face mask, I've ordered a grinder 100mm cup twisted wire brush to clean the two big parts.

Many pieces are certainly not original, but it'll work fine for a long time! =)

 

IMG_20200520_205443685.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 5/17/2020 at 6:30 PM, HumanAfterAll said:

Didn't think powered wired brushes were so dangerous.

A fellow in our club didn't either. He was wire brushing a knife blade on a bench mounted wire wheel. A neighbor said high on his way on an errand upon returning a short time later he noticed the wire wheel still running but no sign of Gordon, he shouted, got no response and stuck his head in the garage. Gordon was laying on the floor in front of the wire wheel with the knife blade through his heart. The coroner's report said he was dead before he started to fall. I don't know if it was that quick but he didn't suffer more than a bare moment of surprise.

The wire wheel grabbed the blade.

Wire wheel and buffing wheels are probably the MOST dangerous power tool in your shop. 

Frosty The Lucky.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Frosty.  That's not a very enlightening story. 

I was using my r-angle grinder with a cup brush on it when I cleaned up my leg vise and it got tangled in my cheapo Harbor Freight leather apron.  Wrapped it up pretty quick.  Luckily all it did was break the waist strap and ripped the side of the apron.  Could have done a lot of damage.  I've been ever mindful since when using it.  Ive considered replacing the on-off switch with a momentary one.  Wouldn't have been quite the problem if I'd just been able to let go of the switch.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I didn't witness the accident, just read the obit and a little more from a mutual friend. It took place at his winter home in Utah, he and the missus were snowbirds, summer in AK winter in Utah. 

Gordon was never known for common sense I can only surmise he allowed the blade to contact the wire wheel on a leading edge the brush grabbed the blade and threw it into his chest about 2/3 of a revolution later at 1728 RPM.  It wasn't a right angle disk grinder or a drill motor with a brush, it was probably a 6" wire wheel on a bench grinder.  I know he had one, he talked about it. 

How the blade came all the way around is a mystery to me but knowing the guy he may have been holding the blade on top of the wheel. I've seen him do some pretty loopy stuff. I even threatened to 86 him from my shop one time though I don't recall what crazy dangerous thing he was doing. 

All I know are the bare details, what he was doing and how he died. Wire wheeling a blade, found with the blade in his heart, wire wheel still running on the bench above him. 

Powered brushes and buffs scare me, have since jr high school shop class. Probably why I've never been caught by one, lots of wire holes poked in my hide but no injuries beyond a little brush rash to fingers. 

Frosty The Lucky.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Naw.................go ahead and use an angle grinder with a cup brush on it.  Just be mindful it's a very dangerous tool, as is most any tool that you use in a shop.  Make sure what you are using it on is firmly attached to something immobile.  Make sure you don't get your loose clothing near it.  (as I did)  Make sure you keep your bare skin away from it. (like Frosty said, he's poked some holes in his hide)  The right angle grinder is a wonderful tool.  It can speed up a lot of the processes you need to do with steel.  No sense going back to a hack saw.............or a hand held wire brush.  Treat it with respect and it will serve you well.  Don't ever forget...........even for a minute..........what it is designed to do to steel it can do to you in a heart beat.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I didn't mean to scare you off of using a very valuable tool, they're just more dangerous than most. As Chris says stay aware all the time. NO loose clothing and double up on eye protection. While I say they scare me I still use them and frequently I'm just very alert when I do.

It's a subject I get carried away talking about. I know too many new guys who use them without knowing what they're doing. 

You'll be okay if you're careful. 

Frosty The Lucky.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yeah Frosty, I find myself having to use the big (for me) bad boys more often than I would like. Even the 3" cup on my 4" commands repsect. Users must be on top of their game, and not distracted when using these very useful tools.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I use the most dangerous tool I own nearly every day---it's called a car/vehicle/pickup.  Kills thousands of people every year just in the USA.  Many people don't give a second thought using it.  Using proper safequards and techniques even tools as dangerous as a car can be safely used! (I try to stay out of the throw paths of wire wheels and buffers and ALWAYS PPE!)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm very mindful of other people's experience and Am always trying to "learn by osmosis". This got me very far on a lot of subjects, including my current profession as software development engineer (fancy name for "programmer"). 

All of your warnings are very welcome and I thank you all a lot for them! :)

2 hours ago, ThomasPowers said:

I use the most dangerous tool I own nearly every day---it's called a car/vehicle/pickup.

'nuff said

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hey guys!

Back with some news. The face mask and two brushes arrived (though I only used the cup). I understand now why all the warnings - could hear many "splinters" flying around and two or three hit my face mask. Thanks again, guys.

Ebpp73SnV1Nx7pppiXavyh3iAsn3I2Bu0aIs31ju4Fq5vabN9TQ4cWJZ_w8btVcq1LtuM4Zvevd7AfWx-GQqkTmYy-sfFvVIoUtz_UCEysYrQrLP5H3DD4oSY_6HjyflQNoHlNQiVxUSxBbDbH7p39O7F-F1OrQLHiXC7iRAvNKOHZwL8hVa_eWv5O9d8mRwPXVwX-bVcKef1ztg88SLb51XAOIklXGZ_zFfvL6hw6rjFK1Lp2gvFwvzNVJOnQk3R_9l-MMpxzFyjT-Ym2UZSI19ZIkf_aIKyDkMsiyU379Uk06qQJyCptWD6pj-6XXnd_IyQxkctQdrYfMeaQxKOlcbP_3mg5PFnDIBxuyYArYcJHYk0W5ijM4xqLRrXdZ6c_BOPwECjsCw_Raoa4DRKPSNXQlT4kOyGiIobVwH7IETF32M00qc75tu_G1kemlcnmH35HTCZvFNQ5HnxwcX0u24qbKjt4uokNG0WMcG7-Yezvv0LtkH59rLa-_e4cFRiVPmQsHR3KGq9C0Dhw5usz__aquesK36BJmOYITuxcBctNMX4jL1GHVKZBaIjPCzSfm3RExrjgiEveTFx3QYBl6Ubv4w21OCdmMbtC36nz9kSsiq3wNW5PKK6kIO7KbAnW2L8t-miN-GMKRh_HkJM9wK7YZKtW-54YkutJUaiEXW3kEjPo4hfzTpQ7Fx6XI=w524-h929-no?authuser=0

I found the brush extremely unbalanced - lot's of vibration going on... And I find my grinder pretty stable whenever I'm using any other tool. I wonder if the brand of the cup I bought is not that good or if that much vibration is acceptable for cup brushes.

Also, cleaned up good the large pieces. Found some writings like an "A", a "15", an "8" and some other numbers/letters that I could not identify.

I plan to clean the crank and screw tomorrow so I can start reassembling it.

Oh, Frosty, I cannot fit the large pieces on my oven to heat them up and use the carnaúba wax. Any other idea?

Will share more photos as I move forward.

Cheers all!

 

IMG_20200526_222056833.jpg

IMG_20200526_221132367.jpg

IMG_20200526_221138254.jpg

IMG_20200526_221156372.jpg

IMG_20200526_221515282.jpg

IMG_20200526_221520594.jpg

IMG_20200526_221638330.jpg

IMG_20200526_221718048.jpg

IMG_20200526_221725475.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...
  • 1 month later...

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.


×
×
  • Create New...