Where to mount a vise?

[JerryG]

If I am not mistaken, a friend of mine that does fabrication, told me that you can buy the tube without the seam in it. I know that he never does take out a seam when he makes suff for me. He just cuts off a piece and goes for it.

 

[Turfman]

Harv and Spencer, thanks for the idea. I think it will work for me. I can take the pipe vise with me and put in on the back of my truck for those hard to handle sprinkler jobs. Sure beats two pipe wrenches and trying to keep them both on the pipe and fitting while setting on the tailgate.

I knew the brain trust here would come through!

 

[ns_in_tex]

Turfman,
Last night, I debated showing you my table mount, quick change vise's. I built them before Harv educated me. I like his idea best because it is will work any where there is a receiver. My table vise's work great but won't mount anywhere else.

Now tonight you mention working on your tailgate & you ring my bell again. Harv may know a better way on this also, but here is mine, just in case.

16 gauge sheet metal on all of tailgate except where vise slide is, so you have a smooth work table. Be sure to turn up 1/2" at rear so parts don't roll off between bumper & truck.

Mount vise on 1/2" thick steel & make 2 part slide for it to move in. Drill hole to drop pin through if you need to lock it in place. The 2 part slide is mounted in pickup bed and on tail gate. Slide vise in & close tail gate. Open tail gate & slide vise out.

Note: I have 54" parts drawers in my bed which leaves just enough room for my vise.

 

[Turfman]

That is way cool. Thanks for sharing. I see some welding time in my future.

Thanks!

 

[ns_in_tex]

Another view.
Note springs from dishwasher door. One on either side. Adjusted so the tail gate will just barely stay down. If you open & close it 20 times a day, sure does help as well as offsets the added weight.

 

[DocHeb]

Are you running the 120v outlets from an inverter, or do you have an onboard generator?

 

[ns_in_tex]

They are running off a Tripp Lite PV1200FCA inverter purchased in 1997.

I recently found a Coleman PowerMate PMP1200 inverter which is much smaller, lighter & cheaper. 119.99. I think would do the same job.

PS:
I forgot to mention the Tripp Lite has remote control features which I don't think the Coleman has. I have a switch at tail gate & in cab to turn it on as needed. Unless I need more air than is in tank, I turn it on while driving down the road to refill the air compressor tank, so the batteries are not worked as hard.

 

[wroughtn_harv]

Darn Neal, I think we must be related!!!!

I've been a fan and used the drawers on the bed of the pickemups and floors of vans for years. A good source for those btw is surplus telephone trucks. They're also a good source for oxygen tank racks and rollers.

Sometimes I wonder if everyone feels that same good feeling when they make something that works better or just doing something that's done right.

Yesterday I was head down getting after it because the storm was due in. The fartherest from the road section had the most welding and fitting to do and I wanted to get it done while I the truck was nice and close. It was a good day. The cuts and fits just seemed to work out right. The welds almost made themselves. And the rain didn't come in until I had that section complete.

But as I was just getting it on my mind wandered and wondered if I'm different or if anyone else gets the warm fuzzies when something just comes together right. You came to mind.

 

[Bird]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( A good source for those btw is surplus telephone trucks )</font>

Harv, about 25 years ago, my dad found a '67 Chev. half ton former telephone service truck sitting in a pasture in Oklahoma. He bought it cheap for a fishing wagon to use at Port Aransas. It actually took very little to get it into decent running condition, then I spent my spare time and weekends for two or three weeks sandblasting, sanding, and painting and for several years then Dad had the biggest portable tackle box on the Texas coast. /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

 

[wroughtn_harv]

Evening Bird, them old telephone truck beds are like Swiss Army knives. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

When I had my jeep back in the early seventies I wanted real bad to find one of them fifty something installer truck beds. I figured I could make the handiest camp trailer that would follow that jeep anywhere. You know the one I'm talking about. Not any longer than it was wide and it wasn't much wide. But it was all compartments, it would've been neater'n a pocket on a shirt.