My new bench vise that I built

[mbsilvia]

Tool of the week! Tool of the week!

[Jon]

Congratulations CharlesWaugh - your Vise is the Homemade Tool of the Week!

Yet another big week around here, but - a rarity - a clear winner this week.

Some more nice picks from this week:

Anti-Backlash Nuts by Max Maker
Gantry Crane by BrianGreul
Bandsaw by Sam's Workshop Diary
Sheetmetal Brake by BrianGreul
Ruler Case by Max Maker
Metal Chuck Faceplate by Christophe Mineau
Bead Roller Speed Controller by curte
Wooden Hand Plane by R-Fabrication
Tape Dispenser by rgsparber
Manual Edge Burnisher by Christophe Mineau
Shrinker/Stretcher Stands by jwitkowski
Large Mechanical Edge Burnisher by Christophe Mineau
Portable Storage Drawers by Christophe Mineau
Marking Gauge by Make Things
Slitting Chisel by Frontier Forge
Digital Caliper Testing Method by Lahis

CharlesWaugh - we've added your tool entry to our All Homemade Tool of the Week winners post. And, you'll now notice the wrench-on-pedestal award in the awards showcase in your postbit, visible beneath your username:



You'll be receiving a $25 online gift card, in your choice of Amazon, PayPal, or bitcoin. Please PM me your current email address and gift card choice and I'll get it sent over right away.

Nice work!

[CharlesWaugh]

All parts are mild steel.
I'm glad I found a mag base drill on craigslist for $75 - it makes poking holes, reaming them, and even tapping them much more fun.
:-)

I want to make V-plates for the jaws, yes. They are on my list.

[TheElderBrother]

Fair warning. I am totally going to rob your house. (Damn!)

[rdkeng]

Great job, very versatile.

[Ralphxyz]

Is that welding table a solid 1-1/2" piece?

How did you embed the 1/2" thread?

[johnds]

Thank you Great idea

[stillldoinit]

Probably took you all weekend to build that vise, and the week before built that table. That is one beautiful and very well thought out setup. Were the holes done on a CNC? That looks like about 2,000 pounds. Excellent build!

[CharlesWaugh]

To answer some questions that have come up:

The top that the vise is attached to is two 1-1/2" x 12" x48" 'bolster plates' from a onster stamping press.
I got them at auction for $10.
: - )
I tack-welded the tops together so I can break them apart someday if I want to.

The two tops together weigh 1-1/2 * 12 * 48 * 2 *.28lbs/cu-inch = 483 lbs (less the holes!).
The vice adds probably around 125 lbs.
The rest of the bench probably weighs 400 lbs by itself.
And, of course, it is bolted to the floor with expanding anchors.

The bolster plates had almost all of the 1/2-13 tapped holes in them already, though I added more myself.

To add the extras, I used a magnetic base drill that I got off of Craigslist for $75. It's an older Hougen with a 1/2" chuck.
I thru-drilled at 27/64" then ran a gun tap (forward chip-ejecting) right through using the Hougen drill and Acculube lubricant (it's a vegetable oil base stuff and is wonderful!).

I also drilled all of the of 1/2" holes, which I have now drilled out to 5/8" because I changed the pin-bases on my quick-clamps.