I thought I'd post some pictures of this, maybe someone can use the idea. Mark-B set me up with this monster old Chas. Parker vise. (Thanks again, Mark!) It has tall jaws with recesses built in for accepting vee-jaws for gripping round stock. I used this void to make a fixture for holding the carving block steady whilst making animal heads. It seems like I always waste the first few seconds of fresh heat fumbling to get the carving block in the right place to tighten the vise. I like using 2 x 3 inch angle iron to make the carving block, so I can get 2 different attack angles to the work. That's why the block has two different bushings, one for each side. Being pinned in, the block stays where it's supposed to,works great, and changes position in seconds.
Another thing that came out real good is the base plate. (5/8 x 24 x 24 inch). I had the waterjet guy cut 8 inch radius' on the corners so I can roll the set up around the shop. I also had him cut a square hole so the 4 inch upright tubing fits inside. I shimmed it 1/4 inch above flush on the bottom and tack welded the corners on the top once it was fair and plumb. I did all the heavy stick welding from the underside, and the weld-warp made the plate cup slightly down, instead of cupping up if I had welded from the top.. The result is, the vise sits along the outer edge of the plate, and is less affected by scale and bits on the floor, minimizing the wobbling that can accompany a portable base. The other good thing about this vise is I can place it just off the forge, but where I can walk all the way around it unencumbered to do the same chiseling from each side.
Questions, comments, etc
mike

Mike,
That looks great - will you bring it to the Weaverville hammer-in in March?

We (read you and Mike L) can demo some bear's heads and get people interested in Darryls visit in 2010.

Maybe do some tool making in readiness... I'll get some 3/4 sucker rod there.

Ingenious design and excellent workmanship.

I bet you have more ideas for other attachments?
Mark

That look like a beary nice jig! Hehe! What is the thickness of the angle iron?

Mark A: Sure I'll bring it to Weaverville. I think we're advertised to make hinges at the hammer-in(still working on what, nothing like a public demo to bring out the knotty details), but I bet we can squeeze out a single-malt derived bear head on Saturday night. I'm sort of proud of the chisel set I made after the class w/ Darryl Nelson, Perhaps folks can have the set made by the time he demo's....
Mark B: You bet! there's plenty of room for things to do with that simple pinhole, I just ain't thought of them yet....More to come as this current bottle empties..

Creek, the angle iron is 2 x 3 x 3/16 US inches. It doesn't matter what it is if it holds up to your whacking schedule..

Edited January 15, 200917 yr by mike-hr
spelling

Great Idea! I am going to have to make me one. Thanks.
Mike

Mark, I just love how "we" get volunteered... Egads... I haven't even made my own set of chisels yet. Still haven't decided what to make them out of... S7, S2, H13... I have some H13 so maybe I should make them out of that, but seems like Darrel preffered S1 or S2. Anyway, it'll be good to see the gang in Weaverville. Mike-hr, we (read, you and me) better get crackin' on practicing some hinges! I do have that really nice bottle of Tequilla that you brought me from Mexico. Maybe that would stand in for a bottle of single malt?

Mark, I just love how "we" get volunteered... Egads... I

One volunteer is better than 10 pressed men!
I'll be there to get ice, band-aids etc.

Our best men with the latest skills....you can see how this would go!

Pity the photos for this don’t still exist it sounds very interesting.

And unfortunately, the Wayback Machine didn't capture that particular URL.