Vise Recommendations

[cmort666]

In the future, I'd like to be able to do some like metal work at home, mostly making or modifying small photography accessories for myself. I'll be doing things like drilling holes in 1/4" or thinner aluminum and steel pieces and cutting slots in them to make things like flash mounts.

I need a means of holding the work in place. I don't currently have a substantial vise in which I can mount something to drill a hole in it.

A friend has a vise mounted onto a large piece of pipe, which is in turn mounted onto a truck wheel. I figure I could do something similar, only using plumbing fixtures and thick plywood on which to bolt the vise and pipe flanges.

An alternatie would be to bolt the vise to a thick piece of plywood which could be clamped to an old style kitchen table which I have. I already have the plywood, which I use to cut holster leather, among other things.

Harbor Freight sells a vice with a suction cup on the bottom, but that seems kind of iffy to me.

As I said, this is for relatively small and thin parts (6" long or less, and maybe 1/4" thick).

Any suggestions?

 

[6518John]

Youst and Wilton were the quality USA brands. I think all the Wilton are foregin made now. I would go with Youst:

American Made Vises | Made in USA Vises

(They are expensive, but you don't need an industrial monster. I would get a small bench vise).

If you have time you can find some great deals on old industrial/shop vises. Scrap value pricing. I am sure they can break down, but I have seen Wilton and Youst products that were decades old, filthy, greasy, back corner of the machine shop ugly, that work as good as new.

 

[H Richard]

For a home shop vice, a 3 1/2" or 4" seems to have given me whatever I have needed. I bought a Craftsman from Sears back about 45 years ago and it still handles everything I need to do.

 

[Bekeart]

I already have a vice; now I want wench.

I could have resisted, but I didn't try very hard.

Bekeart

 

[arjay]

I have a small one where the base is designed like a C clamp and I just fasten it to my work bench when needed.Its surprisingly sturdy.I think I got it at H Depot.

 

[Amp]

Bench vices come in many size and qualities.
I recommend one that bolts or lags to a solid surface.
You should fine what you are describing in any home or hardware store.
Some have options to hold pipe or protect surfaces from damage from clamping.

 

[ACORN]

http://www.harborfreight.com/media/...b33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/i/m/image_13135.jpg

Not a heavy duty vise, but I bought one for holding my model 64 while I polished out some scars on the top strap. It has removable jaws so you can fabricate wood or nylon jaws to avoid marring. It's regularly $23. They have a 25% off coupon for this Sun. and Mon. if you have one close by. Like I said not for a steam fitter but for light hobby work it ain't bad.

 

[HOUSTON RICK]

Oh, I thought that you meant "Vice Recommendations". Never mind.

 

[DeathGrip]

For a home shop vice, a 3 1/2" or 4" seems to have given me whatever I have needed. I bought a Craftsman from Sears back about 45 years ago and it still handles everything I need to do.

I thought I was gonna score when I got a busted Craftsman from a deal. I went to sears and they didn't have a comparable one. Not even comparable. So I got their next best thing.

Made in China I'm sure but it's held up well.

Mostly because I don't use it. I have much better.

Good vices are out there. (I could make a joke)

Bad ones are too. (It's a joke now )

Check your local craigslist.

 

[JSR III]

I was gonna recommend whiskey, women and poker until I noticed how you were spelling it.

 

[cmort666]

http://www.harborfreight.com/media/...b33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/i/m/image_13135.jpg

Not a heavy duty vise, but I bought one for holding my model 64 while I polished out some scars on the top strap. It has removable jaws so you can fabricate wood or nylon jaws to avoid marring. It's regularly $23. They have a 25% off coupon for this Sun. and Mon. if you have one close by. Like I said not for a steam fitter but for light hobby work it ain't bad.

I saw that one last week when I was in Harbor Freight to pick up a cheap tap and die set.

I'll probably go with this one.

Thanks.

 

[eveled]

Another option is to mount it to a 2 inch square tube. Then it will fit into a 2 inch receiver hitch. This way you can mount it to a bench or your truck, Plus you can spin it for verticle or horizontal.

 

[Tom S.]

Like any tool, a good vice will last a lifetime if not abused. Check out Craigslist, as I've seen them on there often and you can save a lot of money over buying new.

 

[ChattanoogaPhil]

Sounds like the criteria is....
Budget
Kitchen table friendly
Easy to put up

I'd mount something like my 3.5 inch Sears light duty bench vise to a scrap piece of 2X4. Countersink holes and bolt the vise to the 2X4. Clamp to kitchen table. I do something similar mounting powder measures to a board then clamping to my reloading bench for use.

There are also vises like this that may work for light duty kitchen table top needs. Can't get much simpler and budget friendly. Craftsman Light Duty Clamp-On Vise (00945263) - Clamps & Vises - Ace Hardware

 

[cmort666]

I'd mount something like my 3.5 inch Sears light duty bench vise to a scrap piece of 2X4. Countersink holes and bolt the vise to the 2X4. Clamp to kitchen table. I do something similar mounting powder measures to a board then clamping to my reloading bench for use.

I've mounted an RCBS Jr. press to a dorm room desk and a BOQ room dresser that way. It worked very well.

 

[bearfoot]

my 1 cts. harbor freight vises, bad castings. jaws don't line up. bought 2 vises from home depot, 1 was on sale for $14. suggestion for set up-- solid table, used a 24" scale for set up, but a 2 x 4 if longer distance wanted, clamp scale in both vise jaws, align on table, drill tight bolt holes in 1st. vise location, bolt 1st. vise tight, release tension on scale on 2ed. vise, retighten 2ed. vise jaw, drill holes tight. so set up w/ jobs. a leveled 2 x4,or cut plwood to fit jaws, leveled, has many setups. on 3/4 " plywood cut out to fit the jaws set up Kreg jigs, amazeing how w/ a solid setup how many good holes drilled, time saved, more time to build. the vises seem to get knocked out sometime, so I drilled/ tapped/ bolted 1st. vise, other doesn't seem to put strain on second vise. long version, but i'm sure someone will still critique my setup.

 

[rburg]

Vices. Kind of an unhappy story that is now happy. Long ago, like before I retired, I was wandering around the rear of the plant. In the machine shop, we had tons of garbage. One area near the fence/gate was a gaylord box. Just a pallet with a bin on it. And there, destined for the scrap yard, was a big ole vise. I think it was 7" jaw model. It was being scrapped because one foot was broken off. Nothing I would do at home would stress it with only 3 feet, so I stolt it (that's past tense of stole, I live in KY.) I got it home and out of the back of my jeep and on the floor. Then I used my 2 wheeler to move it to the deepest darkest corner. There it sat, wasting away. Then about 2009 I had some heart surgery.

Whilst (again a KY term) I was in the recovery, my wife decided to spring on me that she wanted to tear down the house and build a new one on the same site. I figured OK, I'm a dead man anyhow. So I put out word to my buddies that I was a cripple and couldn't lift anything, but anything still here was going to the dump. Having a long standing reputation as a scrounger and hoarder of excellent junk, friends came out of the woodwork. So one buddy liked the vise and realized 3 feet are nearly as good as 4.

Time passed. And last year another friend took mercy on me and asked if I wanted a big vise. He was tired of stumbling over it in his garage. Better still, this one had all 4 feet. So home it came, along with my oldest to lift it. So now I have 3 vices, not counting the moral ones. And I've realized that you never mount a really big vise until you need it. Its here, its mine, and I don't really need it but its too nice to give away or scrap.

 

[JJEH]

I got a Wilton and can't say anything bad.

http://smith-wessonforum.com/lounge/476010-got-new-bench-vise.html