I am wondering what the advantages of a post vice over a machinist vice that is well mounted and of about the same weight?
Seems they are easier for me to find and would likely work but I have never used a post vice so I must ask the question.

Machinist or engineers' vice are made from cast iron, with parallel jaws and are not designed for impact or shock loads, they will crack,

post vices are made of suitable 'iron' to withstand shock, and do. They are the proper tool for the job

Edited August 7, 200817 yr by John B

Nate, drive up to the city and go to the farmers market antique shops your libel to find all sorts of stuff.

Yup a good day smithing at the vise will destroy a machinist vice and not even dent a post vise much.

Also in general a machinist vise the same weight as a post vice generally costs several times as much even used.

I'd suggest you start saving for the Salt Fork Hammer-in in OK this Oct and pick up a good post vise there. Note that pretty much everything on a postvise is easily made or repaired *BUT* the screw and screwbox so always check that our carefully---I talked a lady over the phone through checking that the screw was not very worn for a CraigsList postvise in ALBQ just recently.

If you hammer on a machinists vise all the force is transmitted to the ways and the screw. A blacksmith vise is constructed so that most of the force of the hammer blow is taken up by the fixed leg with very little on the hinge and none at all on the screw.

Thanks maddog for making that clear. I was a bit lost on the difference, as I used a machinists vise for the past year until I got my post-vise about a month ago.

-John

Modern post vices are forged steel (at least mine is) and that is about as strong as you get. On mine even the plates to anchor it to the bench are forgings so the whole thing is very resilient.

Many years ago when I was first getting started, I broke a HUGE Wilton machinist vise ago trying to bend a hot piece of 1/2" tool steel by hammering. I was whaling away and suddenly the movable jaw flew across the room - talk about a sick feeling...

You can use a standard bench/machinist vise, just don't do too much heavy hammering, if it is a good vise, say a Wilton, and it's a heavy one, it will hold up for a long time as long as you don't abuse it, but other than being easyier to find they are normally more money.
I got my first post vise at a auction for $30 and my 2nd one I got for free that I found in an old shed, it just needed cleaned up.
So if you keep an eye out and look around you'll find one.

welder19

Having said what I said above I have a couple of machinists vices for all the work that doesn't involve forging! I have them mounted exactly opposite each other so big work can be clamped in both.

My next project will be to get a second post vice but that will have to wait until I can afford it.

A note of warning to the machinists' vice user, particularly if working in a shop that can have an overnight drop in temperature.

If a vice is left with the jaws in the closed position, especially if you have been using it to hold hot metal, then with a temperature drop and the shrinkage involved, then there is a danger the moving jaw will fracture at its weakest point.

Thanks for the info, this is exactly why I ask the question! I would have never known until I broke the big stupid Ok so I am saving up for a new (to me) vice. I have been to the farmers market and the guy there, only one left that sells this kind of stuff, tells me his brother in Louisiana has a nice vice or 3 and 2-3 good anvils, he also thinks it is good of me to teach my kids "how to shoo horses" so I am not sure what kind of anvils he has. He has no idea what he will want for the equipment but he should be able to get it up here "by this time next year". So ... ya I am going to have to look for a vice some where else.

Will try to make the conference but I have an anniversary around that time to so... no idea.

If Standard Steel and Iron still has their scrap yard (east of 35 on Reno) I bought a real nice post vise as scrap from them for $5.00(several years ago). someone threw it out...

They do, and I have been a "regular" on Saturdays for about a month now. Not seen any tools except for a very large (pallet size) pile of ~5/8" allen wrenches, a pile of which I took to make punches and chisels out of.
This is the place where I have purchased my forklift forks that I am making my anvil from.

Man I miss that place sure wish there was one down here! at one time they had and old shed that the yard man put stuff outa site in ...thats where I found the vise...bought it on his day off.

Edited August 8, 200817 yr by jimbob

Nate, start asking every one you know, at church if you attend, put up a flyer at the hardware store/feedstore/grocery store/etc. Be surprised if it took you very long to find one that way and then you can start selling the rest to other folks looking for them!

(Jimbob; you're allowed to do this as well)

Edited August 8, 200817 yr by ThomasPowers

Jimbob, start asking every one you know, at church if you attend, put up a flyer at the hardware store/feedstore/grocery store/etc. Be surprised if it took you very long to find one that way and then you can start selling the rest to other folks looking for them!

You mean Nate

The origin of this thread was "Question reguarding vices" yet all the comments are about tools.......what about the vices??? :p

Tools *are* my major "Vice"; followed by books; the internet, etc...

Myself I'm ruinously into the etc.

Etc. Mmmmmmm.

Frosty

One thing to remember is to, hammer toward to back of vise. If you hammer toward the front or handle you cause more damage to the screw and ways. If you have material in the vise pulling toward you, to bent it dose the same thing. Also try to center your material in the jaws. I'm with the above posters try to locate a leg vise. In a leg vise, since the jaws are not as heavy you can make a tighter 180 degree bent around the jaws.

Larry

Larry....???

Don't forget to make a set of soft jaws by folding either some aluminiumn or lead so that it fits over the vice jaws to grip kork that would otherwise be spoilt.