Ajay Posted October 12, 2023 Share Posted October 12, 2023 Hi all. I m new here nd from Hampshire UK. I recently acquired a leg vise that I am in the process of restoring, it appear to be pretty much original apart from the thrust washer, As can be seen in the photo there appears to have been an extension piece welded on. Also the extension and the thrust washer have different I.D’s so my thinking is to make a Top Hat bushing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted October 12, 2023 Share Posted October 12, 2023 Welcome aboard Ajay, glad to have you. I'm no leg vise guru but can give a thought about what you show in the pics. It's pretty obviously a home/shop made replacement for the original. I'm not going to speculate from what little I know and confuse things when someone knowledgeable speaks up. Like puns? Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ajay Posted October 12, 2023 Author Share Posted October 12, 2023 Thanks Frosty Here are some pics of the complete vise Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted October 12, 2023 Share Posted October 12, 2023 How wide are the jaws? Remember these old tools were made to be rebuilt in the smithy so there's plenty of tolerances to play with. Are you going to clean and paint it? Mine is my shop colors. This stand is made to fold for transport but it's too shaky to be very good. I haven't gotten around to building better yet. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ajay Posted October 12, 2023 Author Share Posted October 12, 2023 Hi Frosty. Jaws are 5" No my plan is to oil it now it is wire brushed. I have just been looking at the "Show us your vise stand thread" looking for ideas Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted October 12, 2023 Share Posted October 12, 2023 My next one will be a 1/2" or less x 36" dia. steel disk for the foot with a square receiver tube socket welded in the center. The vise will mount to a square tube that wedges in the receiver. To move around the shop I'll just tip it up and roll it like a fuel / oil drum. It will knock down easily for storage or loading. One thought I haven't debugged is to have an extension of the mounting pose extend below the plate so it can be locked into one of the many "gozintas" in my shop floor. I also use them as anchors for hydraulic cylinders to bend or straighten steel shapes they're all welded into the rebar grid so I can ground my welder to the grid and eliminate ground cables as a trip hazard. AND they're an in floor exhaust system. They penetrate the 6" concrete floor and connect to a 4" ABS pipe grid that connects to an electric blower to suck air out of the shop from the floor or table tops. It removes smoke or other fumes without my having to suck all the warm room air from the ceiling. Smoke, etc. almost never gets loose in the shop. Gozintas are square receiver tube inset flush with the surface of the shop floor that I can use to anchor or use as solid bases, one of my bench grinders is mounted on a square tube so I can move it easily where I need it without it having the trip hazard of it's own foot. Wheel rims are popular post tool feet I won't have in my shop. They're called Gozintas because stuff "goes inta" them. The section about mounting leg vises on Iforge is a good read, lots of ideas to tweak to suit you. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ajay Posted October 12, 2023 Author Share Posted October 12, 2023 My vise measure 26 inches from bottom of the leg to bottom of the clover leaf mounting plate which seems a little on the short side. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted October 12, 2023 Share Posted October 12, 2023 The measurement that counts is from the ground to the desired working height. If you're going to use it for heavy hammer work it should be pretty close to anvil face height. If it's for finish work, file, chasing, etc. work bench height is more suitable. Hmmm? You can just weld an extension to the leg. Or make a pipe sleave with set screw locks and a round rod foot for an adjustable leg. Adjustable doesn't make as much sense except for a portable stand like a trailer hitch stand you mount directly to your pickup truck, UT, etc. Being adjustable will accommodate uneven ground more easily. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted October 12, 2023 Share Posted October 12, 2023 Darned site won't let me edit AGAIN. The above should have read, "The measurement that counts is from the ground to the desired working height of the top of the jaws. The mounting plate height only counts for making the stand." Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George N. M. Posted October 12, 2023 Share Posted October 12, 2023 The traditional mounting measurement for a machinist's vise is elbow height because that allows you to file with your forearm horizontal. If you are doing a lot of filing or similar work that is a good level. However, if you think you are going to do a lot of hammering on work in the vise a level closer to wrist height is better. I mounted my post vise at elbow level and it generally works well for me but it seems high for hammer work, particuoarly for heavy/hard work (something lighter like making a rivet head is OK). If I were to remount it I would put it at a level about the middle of my forearm (while standing) as a compromise. Because I am taller (about 6'2") I had to insert about an 8" piece of 4"x4" under the bottom of the post to get the jaws up to elbow level. "By hammer and hand all arts do stand." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ajay Posted October 13, 2023 Author Share Posted October 13, 2023 Thanks George Yes my bench vise is at elbow height. I was just curious about the measurement for this leg vise. But yes lower for heavy pounding makes a lot of sense. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ajay Posted October 13, 2023 Author Share Posted October 13, 2023 Well this is my drawing for a carrier for the thrust bearing. (I am no draughtsman) I welcome all comments good or bad. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ajay Posted November 8, 2023 Author Share Posted November 8, 2023 Well I have the new thrust washer carrier made and installed, and yeah I know it is not original but this will be a working vise not a show piece. My friend only had a piece of stainless steel on hand but it sure looks better than the original. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShoreB Posted November 8, 2023 Share Posted November 8, 2023 Looks good and functional! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ajay Posted November 8, 2023 Author Share Posted November 8, 2023 Thanks Now I need to make a stand for it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ajay Posted November 9, 2023 Author Share Posted November 9, 2023 I have a flywheel off of a truck engine I plan to use as the base, a 4X4 steel tube for the upright and 12mm plates top and bottom, the bottom one will bolt to the flywheel. critques welcome before I start cutting steel Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gewoon ik Posted November 9, 2023 Share Posted November 9, 2023 I thing irondragonforge also use a flywheel as a base. I have a square tube 100x100x1,5 mm on an octagon steel plate (diameter 800mm, thickness 8mm), placed offcenter so i can stand on the plate. Filled the tube with sand/dirt/floor sweepings because it moved a bit to much to my liking. The extra weight helped. My floor is not flat so yeah. Can be wobly from time to time ( and spot to spot) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irondragon Forge ClayWorks Posted November 10, 2023 Share Posted November 10, 2023 Yep... here it is. I can't control the wind, all I can do is adjust my sail’s. Semper Paratus Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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