Post vice?

[Chris Barry]

I once had a little vice with what they called an "anvil" on the back obviously after a little pounding on it, it was no more. Then I discovered that a vice specifically designed for this purpose exists.
A Post vice
http://livelyknives.com/images/postvise.jpg

Can they be bought or found in the UK these days, are they even called post vices?

[PS_Bond]

Yes, and yes.

The problem with most engineers' vices is that they are made of cast iron, so all of the force is transmitted to the rack - and it fractures. As you'll have no doubt read, the force on a post vice is transmitted through the leg and into whatever it is mounted on/on top of.

Places to look: 2nd hand ads (often as garden ornaments - gah), EBay, scrap places, farm auctions.

[Kevin]

Yes, and yes.

The problem with most engineers' vices is that they are made of cast iron, so all of the force is transmitted to the rack - and it fractures. As you'll have no doubt read, the force on a post vice is transmitted through the leg and into whatever it is mounted on/on top of.

Places to look: 2nd hand ads (often as garden ornaments - gah), EBay, scrap places, farm auctions.


They still manufacture and sell them in the US...Would have thought there is an outlet in the blacksmith community somewhere in the UK.

[PS_Bond]

New - http://www.lakesforge.co.uk/cat131_1.htm :(

Read 'em and weep. I paid £25 for one of mine, Colin paid less than that for a pair.

[Chris Barry]

Where did you get yours from??? That is far better than the approx. £450 or £670 that they are asking for.

[Colin KC]

Chris, I got mine from Ebay, thanks to Peter, who got the big one;) for £16.00 (twenty miles away, so I picked 'em up:D)

[David Morgan]

If you do resort to buying new, check out Vaughans. (google "vaughans" or "hope works") Ask for their catologue/brochure. From what I've seen most of the blacksmiths kit on sale in the UK comes from them anyway, so you may as well buy direct and avoid the retailers mark-up (I have bought a hammer and tongs from them, I'm still thinking about the saw-maker's anvil... they look nice).

[Chris Barry]

Talking about anvils what's wrong with.

http://www.kohlswagjuteri.se/frameset.asp

you can switch to english by clicking in the top right corner on the Union jack and then look under products, anvils.

[David Morgan]

Thanks for the link Chris.

[Chris Barry]

I now have a post vice. Any suggestions as how to mount it? I was thinking of a a length of sleeper partly buried in the ground, and attaching the top of the vice to that.

Any other ideas?

[Kevin]

I now have a post vice. Any suggestions as how to mount it? I was thinking of a a length of sleeper partly buried in the ground, and attaching the top of the vice to that.

Any other ideas?

If its gonna be a permanant fixture then thats a good way...Some use old tree stumps cut to the right height and half buried in the ground...

I recently saw one mounted on a home made three legged tripod...movable, which was pretty good.

[Colin KC]

Use a 45 gallon drum & weld/bolt some angle inside & out for support

Make a base from some sheet (1/8th") & a "cup" for the "leg" to sit in.

Add a tap at the bottom for drainiage & you have a slack tub/ post vice combo;)


*stolen from one of my many copies of the Anvils Ring, an American publication that has a huuuuuge amount of info in just the ten copies I have:D

[imagedude]

Post vice.

More often called a leg vice in the UK. I've bought 2 of Ebay. You can't have enough of them. Make sure the screw is in good condition it's about the only piece you can't repair.
I don't think Kohlswa have a distributer in the UK, they tend to be very hard anvils, the edges are perhaps too brittle for many users liking.
Leg vices need to be firmly atached to the floor so any shock travels down the leg to the floor. It is useful to mount them in the centre of your shop so that you can work 360 degrees round them.

http://www.homeandworkshop.co.uk/legvice.jpg