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Thread: Mounting several alternate vises - a reasonable solution

  1. #1

    Mounting several alternate vises - a reasonable solution

    So I got a stewmac version of a guitar repair/gunstock vise today and plan on adding it to my bench (I neither repair guitars nor gunstocks - just a handy vise). I don't really want to clutter up the bench permanently, so I came up with a plan and figured I'd share in case anyone has a similar conundrum. I also have a machinists vise, saw vise, and common shop vise that I would like to leverage the stability of my bench while using.

    I am going to get a hitch receiver tube and have it welded to a plate that is lag screwed under the table (you can see where this is going). Each vise will have a plate welded to a 2" drawbar at the appropriate height. Bolt on the vise. Any wiggle is removed by tapping a couple of 3/8" bolt holes on the side and bottom of the receiver to run up against the inserted square tubing.

    Pre-fab receiver and bars can be gotten at any trailer supply unfinished for welding. If you don't have a welder, these are simple and cheap for a shop/friend to do.

    For off-use storage, I can just put a few 2 x 2 holes in a block of wood mounted to the wall for handy access to the vises. Or, I can just put them in a cluttered heap in some corner (more likely).

    If anyone has a better idea, I am game.
    Last edited by Noah Magnuson; 06-18-2017 at 8:23 AM.

  2. #2
    Join Date
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    Quote Originally Posted by Noah Magnuson View Post
    ...If anyone has a better idea, I am game.
    Simply mount the vises you actually need.
    "Anything seems possible when you don't know what you're doing."

  3. #3
    I like the hitch idea, but as you mentioned, the play needs to be addressed.

    Our solution in a multi-bench build/repair luthier's shop was to mount a platform off the ends of several of our benches. The offset mounting platform is just 2x8 and plywood...the vise mounts with an Acme threaded shaft and spinner (already supplied with the vise). At least for luthiery work, it's much better to have the vise clear of the main bench to allow the assembled guitar sides to rest below the bench surface for work on the neck or tail block. Each of the repair benches - just Simpson Strong-Tie connectors, dimensional lumber, and plywood (guitar-sized storage drawers under for instruments being set up and prepped for delivery) - gets a vise mount. We have a couple other vises that were modified for mounting on the platforms, but with a dedicated metalworking area in the shop, the repair vises have stayed mounted on a pretty much continuous basis. A 3/4" bolt welded to a sheet of 1/4" mild steel and a spinner nut was our approach to other vises, with an indexing pin welded to the underside of the plate to fix rotation...worked well, but a permanently-mounted vise was more convenient.

    We don't, but you could gussy it up with some nice wood and attractive joinery.

    Vise-Mount-Step-3.jpg

  4. #4
    Quote Originally Posted by andy bessette View Post
    Simply mount the vises you actually need.
    Well, I need them all at one time or another and my workbench is by far the sturdiest and most convenient thing around. Thanks for the feedback though.
    Last edited by Noah Magnuson; 06-18-2017 at 10:13 AM.

  5. #5
    The other consideration here is that deflection of a cantilevered beam (think bench top beyond the leg) is proportional to the cube of the distance between the support (the leg) and the load (the vise)...in other words, double the distance from leg to where the vise is mounted and the deflection increases by a factor of 8. So the closer the vise can be mounted to a leg, the less deflection will be generated by a given load.

    Running a support from the underside of the add-on vise to the floor will reduce deflection versus a mount which simply extends the bench top (i.e., a cantilever). Another way to reduce deflection is an angled brace (think gusset or corbel as well) between the vise mount and the nearest leg...this supports the end of the beam (the vise mount) and will reduce deflection markedly versus a pure cantilever.

  6. #6
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    Interesting idea - depending on how heavy the work will be (are you hammering on something or just planning/ shaping?) you may want to make the "draw bar" for some of the vises go all the way to the floor, like a blacksmith's post vise. You could have a socket there to hold it steady, if you're going to be energetic. the set screws in the socket won't have much wall thickness to purchase you may want to weld nuts over holes in the tubing- and of course, cool- looking ram's horn wing bolts to tighten it. and finally, trying to put a square peg in a square hole while holding a heavy unwieldy vise putting it way may be a pain(thus the pile in the corner). I the posts are hollow tubing, put a hang hole near the end and hang them upside-down on a heavy duty coat rack kind of thing with 20d nails. If they are solid, weld a ring on the end.
    That's all I came up with- have fun
    Karl

  7. #7
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    Another idea for you is to mount your various vices to 3/4" plywood. These would sit on the bench, probably near / over a corner. Each plywood base would either register to the bench using dog holes or the edge of the bench itself via a cleat on the bottom. A clamp would hold it in place on the bench top. I did this with my metal working vice. I actually use my end vise to clamp the plywood base in place by means of a 1 x 2 cleat on the bottom of the plywood base. This makes it easy to use and easy to remove.

  8. #8
    Can you keep the face vise attached permanently, and then bolt your guitar vise to a bench hook and clamp that in the face vise? This has the added benefit of raising it up off the bench to an ergonomic position.

    Or you can just get the Stewmac stand and bolt it to your floor!

    P

  9. #9
    Quote Originally Posted by Pat Barry View Post
    Another idea for you is to mount your various vices to 3/4" plywood. These would sit on the bench, probably near / over a corner. Each plywood base would either register to the bench using dog holes or the edge of the bench itself via a cleat on the bottom. A clamp would hold it in place on the bench top. I did this with my metal working vice. I actually use my end vise to clamp the plywood base in place by means of a 1 x 2 cleat on the bottom of the plywood base. This makes it easy to use and easy to remove.
    Quote Originally Posted by Prashun Patel View Post
    Can you keep the face vise attached permanently, and then bolt your guitar vise to a bench hook and clamp that in the face vise? This has the added benefit of raising it up off the bench to an ergonomic position.

    Or you can just get the Stewmac stand and bolt it to your floor!

    P
    A combination of these sounds like the cheaper and easier answer. Thanks. The bench hook type base with enough real estate for a holdfast would suffice for most of the vises and a very short dog 'nub' to keep it from slipping around.

  10. #10
    The SM vise is def not going to mount flat - that pesky threaded shaft with spinner needs to be available for adjustment, so close to/in/outside of an apron... maybe a holdfast hole on the corner of an apron might answer. If using the vise for instrument work, you'll want to install the safety strap and the foam bumper...DAMHIKT. A thick leather or 1/4" fiberboard pad between the cast or stamped base and bench should prevent any cosmetic damage. If there's a tail vise, maybe a box-style mount that indexes to the top of the bench...sort of like the saw vise mount rotated 90 degrees.

    IMG_6081.JPGIMG_6083.JPGIMG_6080.JPG
    Last edited by Todd Stock; 06-19-2017 at 2:06 PM.

  11. #11
    I assumed i could just drop it through a dog-hole. Maybe I am misunderstanding.

  12. #12
    I checked both the Woodcraft and StewMac versions in my dog slots (which are pretty well angled), and you should be good assuming full depth dog strip construction on your bench. Only issue will be clearance for stuff hung under the vise, where getting out to a corner of the bench or off the end can be useful (e.g., something like hanging a rim for work on neck or tail block).

  13. #13
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    I mount my similar vise in a hole drilled near my tail vise. I use that SM type vise more than any other. But,It is easily unscrewed when needed out of the way.

    Stewart M. offers a heavily made pipe stand for their vise. I think it is pretty reasonable as I'm sure they have to pretty much hand fabricate them as they probably don't sell huge numbers of them. I'm sure you're aware of these floor mounts. You have to bolt it to the floor. My floor is 6" concrete. I've refrained so far. But the floor mount would be a nice thing to have. I just have a space problem around my bench.

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