- Joined
- Feb 3, 2020
- Messages
- 91
With the current thread discussing the merits of building a knife makers vise vs. buying one I figured I would post my version of a DIY vise. I currently don’t have a welder so I had to go a bit non-traditional. I got the idea for the pipe portion, with the threaded knobs, from Walter Sorrells’ youtube channel. I originally tried just using it in my bench vise but it was a bit clunky. I ran several through several design iterations of how I could create a base that allows freedom of rotation in both the X and Z axis. Below is what I settled on:
I first had created the pipe vise with a 2” pipe nipple (see Walter Sorrells’ tutorial on this). Next I took a 4x4 and drilled a 2 ½” hole through it. Then I drilled 3/8” holes about ¾ of the way through the block on each side of the large hole. These holes would serve the 5/16” winged screws that would clamp the pipe into the block. I then split the block with my table saw. The side of the block with the 3/8” holes that only partially penetrated it became the bottom. I then threaded some 5/16”-18 brass inserts into those two holes. After that I aligned the two pieces of the block and inserted my 5/16” winged screws through the top piece, into the threaded inserts in the bottom piece. Now upon loosening the winged screws I had a clamp for my pipe that would allow unlimited rotation along the Z axis.
For the X axis I took some spare L4x4 and cut a couple pieces that would serve as brackets to hold the whole assembly to the 2x8 wooden base. I then cut some L1 ¼ x 1 ¼ to match the length of the L4x4. I then mated one large angle to one small angle and drilled a pilot hole through both pieces. I then threaded the smaller angle for a ¼” knob. Then I drilled out the hole in the L4x4 so the knob could free spin in that piece. Then I screwed the large angles to the wooden base and the small angles to the bottom of the block. The result is now if I loosen the knobs on the angles I can rotate the vise about the X axis.
Overall, I am pretty happy with the result. I just finished my first knife with it and it certainly made life easier! It was very inexpensive as I had a lot of scrap around. I just had to purchase the pipe and hardware. It might not be as nice as a $300 vise but it gets the job done.
I have included a couple pictures and the post here - https://imgur.com/a/UT2kInh - has several more that I hope show the functionality plus give more insight to the construction.
Notes:
• The 2” nipple has an O.D. of 2 3/8” so I just wrapped it in duct tape until it fit securely in my 2 ½” hole.
• I ripped the 4x4 to 3” in the dimension of the pipe to make drilling the 2 ½” hole easier. It also gave me a nice flat surface that squared up to my drill press table since my 4x4 was a bit warped (wood warps??).
• I don’t have it mounted to the work bench. I just clamp it down when in use.
I first had created the pipe vise with a 2” pipe nipple (see Walter Sorrells’ tutorial on this). Next I took a 4x4 and drilled a 2 ½” hole through it. Then I drilled 3/8” holes about ¾ of the way through the block on each side of the large hole. These holes would serve the 5/16” winged screws that would clamp the pipe into the block. I then split the block with my table saw. The side of the block with the 3/8” holes that only partially penetrated it became the bottom. I then threaded some 5/16”-18 brass inserts into those two holes. After that I aligned the two pieces of the block and inserted my 5/16” winged screws through the top piece, into the threaded inserts in the bottom piece. Now upon loosening the winged screws I had a clamp for my pipe that would allow unlimited rotation along the Z axis.
For the X axis I took some spare L4x4 and cut a couple pieces that would serve as brackets to hold the whole assembly to the 2x8 wooden base. I then cut some L1 ¼ x 1 ¼ to match the length of the L4x4. I then mated one large angle to one small angle and drilled a pilot hole through both pieces. I then threaded the smaller angle for a ¼” knob. Then I drilled out the hole in the L4x4 so the knob could free spin in that piece. Then I screwed the large angles to the wooden base and the small angles to the bottom of the block. The result is now if I loosen the knobs on the angles I can rotate the vise about the X axis.
Overall, I am pretty happy with the result. I just finished my first knife with it and it certainly made life easier! It was very inexpensive as I had a lot of scrap around. I just had to purchase the pipe and hardware. It might not be as nice as a $300 vise but it gets the job done.
I have included a couple pictures and the post here - https://imgur.com/a/UT2kInh - has several more that I hope show the functionality plus give more insight to the construction.
Notes:
• The 2” nipple has an O.D. of 2 3/8” so I just wrapped it in duct tape until it fit securely in my 2 ½” hole.
• I ripped the 4x4 to 3” in the dimension of the pipe to make drilling the 2 ½” hole easier. It also gave me a nice flat surface that squared up to my drill press table since my 4x4 was a bit warped (wood warps??).
• I don’t have it mounted to the work bench. I just clamp it down when in use.
