Portable Vice

[bx24]

I have always envied those of you who had room for welding tables. For the rest of us, I would strongly recommend you build one of these.

This setup is portable, heavy duty and flexible. The base is made from a semi brake drum (free) and the vice is from Harbor Freight ($30). I made the top "flippable" so that it could be used both ways.

 

[Bird]

Very nice setup, but since not even the moderators can change the title of a thread, I just wish you'd named it properly as a "Portable Vise" instead of "Portable Vice".

 

[Mighty Dodge]

Excellent idea and workmanship. I may have to build one of those myself.

M.D.

 

[bx24]

Good catch Bird (you stink!) .... I actually meant this as a pun (actually not) because I spend so much time tinkering .....

 

[sandman2234]

That is nice, but it has one drawback. It is only as strong as the weight that you put in the brake drum. So, in order to fix that, for the times you have to really torque down on something, make a hitch adapter to fit your Reese Hitch on your tow vehicle. If that nice stand won't handle it, pop it off, stick it in the Reese Hitch on the back of your truck and twist all you want.
David from jax

(But it is still a nice vice!)

 

[bx24]

Sandman-

Your right about the weight issue. I have some flexibility to crank on things depending on how it is positioned, but your point is well taken. I should have titled this better (besides the spelling) and mentioned in the title about welding. I almost exclusively use this for fabrication (cutting with a torch or plasma cutter,or to hold items while the are being welded or ground with the grinder. For grinding it works especially well because I can spin it out by the grass and let the metal chips oxidize in the grass instead of on my garage floor.

I would recommend this to anyone who needs these properties but to your point, look elsewhere for high torque applications

 

[sandman2234]

My father in law got a grinder and a vice for Christmas about 10 years ago, and on Christmas day I got a friend to go out in his junkyard and get me two brake drums that I built a simpler version of yours for him. They worked extremely well for him, but he didn't use them for some of the heavier stuff that I use them for. Heck, sometimes mine mounted to a 1500 pound table isn't weighted enough, lol!!
Everything in his shop was on a roller cart, so the brake drums worked right into his decor.
David from jax

 

[Mith]

I've got something similar, mounted on an old flywheel. Definately to be used in addition to a solid bench mounted vise rather than instead of one.

You cant beat them for welding and grinding on though!

Yours is much nicer looking than mine

 

[bx24]

Mith-

I have the same problem with the 4-wheeler behind it .... Just enough time to work on the quad (or build small projects) but neither the time or space to tackle big projects .... too much going on.

Hopefully in the next 6 months or so I with be finished up with a larger space to Frankenstein things. I think my tractor is starting to get nervous because the plasma cutter is getting closer and closer to the FEL (My first big project in the new shop will be to transform FEL's to a quick connect bucket)

 

[Mith]

I guess I might have the opposite problem, I have one big project, and all the others just arent getting started/finished!

If I had a quad like that I dont think I would work on anything else either though... They are just too much fun!