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Adding a second vise in a small shop

#1

I would like to pass along a tip for adding another vise if you are
cramped for space in your shop.

I recently took a class with Betty Helen Longhi and she taught us to
use a piece of soft pine 2x4 about 8" long held in a vise to form a
dimensional shape using a hammer. I had a vise in my shop that was
anchored to my workbench but it was too high to use in this way
unless I stood on a stool.

My son who is a motorcycle lover suggested to me to get a motorcycle
stand for the second vise. The stand is used to mount a motorcycle
to it so it can be elevated to work on it. This was a perfect
solution for me as the vise mounted right to it and I can keep it in
a closet and just roll it out when I need to use the vise and then
collapse the stand and roll it back into the closet when I am
finished and it doesn’t take up valuable space in my shop. The
wheels can be locked so it doesn’t roll when using the vise.

The name of the stand is Pit Posse and I found it on Amazon. I have
no affiliation with the maker but just wanted to pass this along.


Regards to all,
Lona

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#2

That’s a good idea. I was thinking of finding a good stump for an
anvil and stakes but I like to be able to move things easily. I like
that you can jack it. It’s it sturdy enough for hammering?

#3

This is a brilliant idea! How do you like the stability of it while
hammering? any vibration?

#4

Lona,

I like it that it’s height adjustable. How do you find it for noise,
compared to mounted on your bench? Thanks for sharing a new solution
to this problem!

Cynthia Eid
Cynthiaeid.com

#5

I was asked how the vise on the motorcycle stand performed as far as
noise and being sturdy while hammering was concerned. It just works
great for me. I have had no issues whatsoever with it.

If it will hold a motorcycle steady enough to work on it, a vise is
just a small thing for it to handle. I will tell you that my hubby
mounted it for me and he sat the vise on the rubber that is on top
and marked around it and cut the rubber away that was under the
footprint of the vise and he had to drill new holes to match those
in the vise. He then secured it with bolts so it is mounted very
securely. I also bought one for my son who was setting up a wood
working shop. He had room for all of his equipment except his
planer. He had to keep that under the bench and pick it up and set
it on his bench whenever he needed to use it. It was quite heavy and
it was starting to hurt his back. I had one delivered to him to
mount his planer on and it is working beautifully for him too. Now
he just rolls it out and pumps it up to the height he needs and
planes the wood and lets it down and stores it under the bench. He
loves it for that use too.

So I think that it is a useful tool for any of us and maybe it has
more uses than what we have been using it for.

Hope this helps.
Lona

#6

a great idea.

you might want to do mods:

  1. add retractable floor stands, to take shock load off of wheels
    when hammering

  2. add an inertial block under the vise of steel, say 40 or 50
    pounds, to reduce vibration. cast iron would be better, but steel is
    easily found.

Mark Zirinsky
denver

#7

Do you think that motorcycle stand would work for a rolling mill?

#8 
Do you think that motorcycle stand would work for a rolling mill?

Rolling Mills have to be billed down to a bench or stand. The
pressure you put on it is all different directions, not like
hammering. You might lift and push that thing around of you put a
mill on it

#9

Do the wheels on the motorcycle stand lock tight enough to use it to
draw wire in a drawplate held in the vise? Thanks.

Janet in Jerusalem

#10 
Do the wheels on the motorcycle stand lock tight enough to use it
to draw wire in a drawplate held in the vise?

No, even though the vise is anchored to the stand, the stand is not
anchored to anything. Any pulling action would just pull the stand
around even with the wheels locked.

The stand is heavy to pick up but with it extended up, it would not
be stable if you tried to do something like that. It would probably
just pull it over.

Lona

#11

John,

Do you think that motorcycle stand would work for a rolling mill?

I was the one who posted the images of the stand with the vise on
it. I would say no. The rolling mill needs to be anchored to
something that doesn’t move such as your workbench.

Lona

#12

Hi Janet,

I’d tend to doubt it. Even if they did, a small one like that would
tip over.

If you got one of the ones that’s about a meter long, (2 rails to
lift the bike) and pulled against the long axis, it’d be stable
enough. Whether or not you end up dragging it across the floor is a
question I leave for the experimenter.

Regards,
Brian

#13

hi Janet, if you don’t apply a force (weight on base of lifter)
greater thanthe drawing force, the lifter will tip over. Just my two
bobs worth. Robin

#14

I have made very serviceable stands for my anvil, smaller rolling
mill, and cabmate out of 2X6 lumber. Go to my site and look at the
Rob’s Shop page and you might be able to see them. You can make them
to the exact height that you want. My Durston mill is on a much
wider bench and I use it sitting down. Doesn’t make sense, but it
works and allows me to see what is happening between the rollers. Rob

Rob Meixner

#15

How about using it as a base for a forging stump?

I need a forging stump I can move around. The stump needs to provide
a stable base to forge on and hopefully still dampen the sound.

I have never had a stump, so no practical experience to draw on.
jrnewton

#16

James,

How about using it as a base for a forging stump? 

I need a forging stump I can move around. The stump needs to
provide a stable base to forge on and hopefully still dampen the
sound.

I guess it would determine how big the stump is. I don’t know how
you would secure it to the stand but if you could figure that out,
it would probably work. When the stand is fully collapsed, the top
of it is 13.5" high. The dimensions of the top are 16"x13.5". So, I
hope this helps.

Lona

#17

It seems to me that the bike stand is going to flex when the anvil is
struck changing the way that the anvil behaves. It could also be
unsafe if the stand were to collapse for some reason. I built an
anvil stand out of boxed 2X6 lumber with a base that does a good job
of holding my anvil, absorbing sound, and providing enough mass so
that the anvil doesn’t deflect. Additional weight could be added to
the inside of the box, but I have not found that necessary. I put
large glides on the bottom and a handle on it so that it can be
easily moved and drilled holes in the side to hold my most commonly
used stamps. My anvil is a large section of rail from a steel yard.
You can see pictures of it on the Rob’s Shop page of my website. Rob

Rob Meixner

#18

Re moving a stump around, if you have a smooth floor, set the stump
on carpet samples. That makes it quite easy to slide them. You can
also put some magnets on the anvils to help deaden the sound. {The
magnets go on the sides, out of the way.}

Noralie

#19

Thanks very much for the advice on the stump, I had been admiring
Rob’s fabricated stump. I was wondering what material the hammer
straps were made of.

I’m trying to reduce the noise from hammering as much as possible
for the neighbors.

Also, sliding on a carpet may work for me, as I need to move it out
of the way sometimes and the floor is painted.

#20

Hammer straps are just pieces of PVC pipe screwed to the side of the
"stump". I left them a little loose so that they would swing with
the hammer and not fight going in or coming out. I use PVC in
various forms all over my shop. I can go on if you like. Let me
know. Rob

Rob Meixner