post vise

[JMJones]

I am planning on mounting an extra post vice to a 4x4 wooden post outside my shop. How deep and what method would you use to set the wooden post in the ground so that it is solid, and the vise can be mounted to it?

 

[Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith]

Set the post about 24" deep and make the hole around it 12" wide. That will provide a solid base and enough concrete around the post for the post vice's "foot" to have a seat. With some planning, you could even put a piece of pipe in the right place for the foot to seat in.

 

[grizzled gizzard]

How big is the vise? What are you going to use it for?

Wooden 4x4s are not very strong, and don't usually lend themselves to mounting things very sturdily on their ends.

I would at least weld a steel plate to the top of a steel 4x4, and mount a vice to that in all but the most minimal structural criteria.

Soil composition is another thing to consider when talking about rigidity. Sandy soil doesn't act at all like clay soil.

I've built miles and miles of fence and corral, and many pole buildings.

You'll never know if you built it too strong, and doing it twice sucks.

 

[whistlepig]

Don't encase your post in concrete, even if its pressure treated. The wood will shrink allowing water to enter the footing, which will weaken and eventually rot your post.
If I have to set a post below grade I do it on a tamped gravel base and tamp granite dust or sand & small gravel around the post.

 

[JMJones]

The vise is about 70 lbs. I will be using it mostly to hold on to stock when I grind scale off and to hold bars of damascus during twisting. maybe some forging on it too. Yea looked at some 4x4 and it looks too small.

Anyone know of using section of telephone pole and where to pick one up?

 

[Broomhead]

Why not a 6x6 or 8x8? Either of those should be large enough. I'm planning on doing mine with a 6x6 eventually.

 

[Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith]

I second a larger post. You also could use a piece of I-beam or a piece of 4" pipe with a top plate welded on.

 

[grizzled gizzard]

Railroad ties are easy to find. They last at least as long as telephone poles, which are harder for me to find. You could get treated 6x6" from most lumberyards.

Nothing works like steel though. Especially when it comes to mounting something on it. The end grain of wood just doesn't have the kind of holding power I'd be looking for. Bolting through a small piece of 5/8-3/4" plate, welded to the 4x4 square tubing (I'd use 1/4" thick tubing. It's not that much more expensive to get a better weld), will never let you down.

Nothing is more water/rot proof either. Haven't you ever seen chain link fence poles mounted in concrete? When they are pulled out, the concrete comes with it, and that's just thin wall tubing!

You pretty much have to have the post of the vice on a significant chunk of concrete if you're forging on it too. That's what the post on the vice is for.

 

[wdtorque]

I don't know squat about Bangor weather. But down here, wood usually outlast steel. Stainless rust.
I would agree, bigger is better with whatever works in your area. Power companies often have some "shorts" laying around.

 

[Hengelo_77]

I build a post out of bricks on there narrow side.
I build a hollow square tube with alltread (with nuts and washers around it) in it to have it reinforced and filled it with concrete as I build it.
It´s strong