Portable vise for hand tool use

S

ScottEnglish

Joined
Apr 11, 2020
Messages
59
I read online that someone clamped a bench vise in to a Triton SuperJaws or Rockwell Jawhorse. Has anyone tried this combination when working with a hacksaw and files? Is it stable?

A thought: If the bench vise was mounted to a block of wood that extended beyond the rear of the vise then it could also be mounted so that the jaws opened and closed vertically.

Thanks.
 
Your idea is good. Use a large and solid board. A piece of 2X12 or such would be fine.
I haven't used one myself, but I'm not sure the three-legged Triton and Rockwell benches would be sturdy enough. A Black and Decker Workmate or similar might be better.

I have a vise that I welded a 3/4" square bar on the bottom. It drops in the hardy hole on my anvil. Super solid for twisting and bending.
I have another on a large block of oak. It is used for holding large wood carvings mostly. Easy to work on all sides.

I saw a photo of a fellow who put a piece of square stock in the ground with concrete. Looked like about 2X2". He welded square tubing that fit over the upright bar on the bottom of his small anvil, a big vise, and a large plate of metal he used as a welding table. He would drop them on the upright post as needed. IIRC, when not in use he had a birdbath on the post.
 
I am about to give this a try with a Rockwell. I've been "volunteered" to do some blacksmithing at a covered bridge festival that happens in a couple weeks. I'm scrambling to cobble together a portable anvil stand and vise without investing a lot of money!

At a event I saw a blacksmith had pounded a 4x4 into the ground (I assume he used a posthole digger!) and topped it with a board to make a stand. I won't have that option unfortunately so the Jawhorse will have to do. I intend to test it this weekend, I'll let you know how it goes.
 
Hey Scott,

Sorry for the delay, it has been a busy few weeks. I did indeed use a Jawhorse for holding my 4.5 inch vise. It worked pretty well, especially since the Jawhorse has holes in the feet that let you stake it down.
I mounted the vise on a piece of plywood, and then beefed that up with a crosspiece of 2x4 screwed & glued to the bottom. That gave the jaws plenty of surface area to grab onto.
I was able to do pretty much everything I needed to, including twisting 1/2" bar stock and railroad spikes.

https://flic.kr/p/2nVKVQe
https://flic.kr/p/2nVHMhH
https://flic.kr/p/2nVEXqf
 
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Thanks for the reply dwaterfield. I'm pleased the portable vise idea worked. I hope you enjoyed your day.

After much thought I decided not to go the route of a portable vise but to be thrifty and use my existing workbench instead. I needed to abut the workbench against a wall to make it steady. Rather than buy a vise, the one I'd like is forged steel and I can't justify the cost when I'm only at the stage of making a pattern for my first knife, I paid the local blacksmith to make me a vice substitute. Below is a photo of it:
https://imgur.com/a/t7zh0z2
 
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Interesting. So the idea is that the base will get bolted down, then use clamps to secure the knife to the crosspiece? Should work pretty nicely.
 
That's it dwaterfield. Bolts and wingnuts to temporarily secure the vice substitute to my workbench and two pairs of long-nose locking pliers for securing the workpiece.
 
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