# Pedestal Mounted Vise



## Robert LaLonde (Nov 26, 2017)

I've thought about this before, but it comes to mind every time one of my two bench mounted vises is in the way, or I wish I had more room to use one of them. 

Do any of you guys use a vise on a pedestal? 

For my uses I would NOT want to bolt it down in one place so I'd have to make it pretty heavy.  A few hundred pounds doesn't bother me to much.  My concrete filled pickup wheel pedestal for my bench grinders has been working out quite nicely, but it might be a bit light for a vise. 

I am also NOT thinking about a post vise, but rather a bench vise bolted to a platform on a pedestal.  

Yes, I am thinking about the vise on a hitch mount with a tube under the work bench too.  It would work ok on my butcher block work bench, but on the steel top bench the C-channel supporting the top would make it problematic.  Waaaadaaaayaaathink?


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## bl00 (Nov 26, 2017)

I have this one on an old grinder stand.  It gets moved every now and then.


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## Nogoingback (Nov 26, 2017)

Somebody posted some pics of a pedestal that used brake drums from 18 wheelers as the base.  Very heavy parts I guess, and with the advantage of movable by rolling them around.  I've been thinking of building one for my arbor press. 

My Dad had a big vise on a length of VERY heavy I-beam that was bolted to the basement floor.


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## kvt (Nov 26, 2017)

My problem would be If not bolted to the floor it would seem like it could tip when working on stuff with to much strain. of course mine are not as heavy as those.


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## kd4gij (Nov 26, 2017)

Whatever works for you.  We have one at work mounted on an 18 wheeler brake drum as the base. very heavy but not bad to move around.


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## richl (Nov 26, 2017)

Not a bad idea, I have a cheap 8" China one, weighs 30-40 lbs, no place to mount it, I do have an old rim in the garage. Might be a nice welding project


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## GarageGuy (Nov 27, 2017)

I have my 4" Wilton bullet vise mounted on a pedestal so I can move it around easily.  Often times I use it to hold something while I'm welding or using an angle grinder, and it works good for me.  You can't gronk on it like you could if it was mounted on a heavy bench or bolted to the floor, but that's not a problem for me.

GG


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## derf (Nov 27, 2017)

My old grand dad had a vise that dropped into the square hole on his anvil. The anvil was set on top of a big chunk of hickory stump.


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## Firestopper (Nov 27, 2017)

Nogoingback said:


> Somebody posted some pics of a pedestal that used brake drums from 18 wheelers as the base.  Very heavey parts I guess. and with the advantage of movable by rolling them around.  I've been thinking of building one for my arbor press.
> 
> My Dad had a big vise on a length of VERY heavy I-beam that was bolted to the basement floor.



This big Yost was mounted using a fire truck drum. Insurance companies prohibit the turning of drums and rotors on emergency vehicles. I wanna say city busses fall under this policy as well. Our fire maintanace gives these away as they add up quickly when you have a decent fleet of fire trucks. Being made of cast, it works best if you weld a flange that shares the same bolt pattern as the drum. I picked up four holes for this vise stand. The vise still rolls on edge but can get away from you if your not prepared. I now use a dolly to relocate the vice.
The larger primer red one to the left of the vise came off a ladder truck. Very heavy and make for a nice base.


Another great way to keep your work bench clear is to weld a 2" reviver to mount smaller vices when needed.
Not a vice but you get the idea.
The center of this workbench has a reviver incorporated (both sides) into the frame and will take a vise or in this case a special jig that supports an axels third member.


When not needed the workbench is clear and free.


You could talk with your fire maintenance folks and see if they give away old drums. Might also check with your local school district as I believe turning drums on school busses are prohibited as well by paranoid insurance carriers.


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## Nogoingback (Nov 28, 2017)

How much would you estimate drums that size weigh?


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## Firestopper (Nov 29, 2017)

Nogoingback said:


> How much would you estimate drums that size weigh?


At the very least 150# for the one on the vise. The larger one prolly around 160+/-.


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## Bob Korves (Nov 29, 2017)

They weigh a lot.  Over 100#.  I used to wrestle them every day, for 36 years.  Go to a large truck wrecking yard or scrap metal yard or truck/trailer dealership and find one.  Offer to pay scrap metal price (a couple dollars is more than enough) or offer to buy some donuts.  That will likely work.  They will probably just give it to you for free...


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## Nogoingback (Nov 29, 2017)

firestopper said:


> At the very least 150# for the one on the vise. The larger one prolly around 160+/-.




Well, that certainly sounds heavy enough to support my arbor press.


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## Nogoingback (Nov 29, 2017)

Bob Korves said:


> They weigh a lot.  Over 100#.  I used to wrestle them every day, for 36 years.  Go to a large truck wrecking yard or scrap metal yard or truck/trailer dealership and find one.  Offer to pay scrap metal price (a couple dollars is more than enough) or offer to buy some donuts.  That will likely work.  They will probably just give it to you for free...



Thanks for the suggestion Bob.  When I get a chance I'll do that.


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## Robert LaLonde (Nov 29, 2017)

Nogoingback said:


> Well, that certainly sounds heavy enough to support my arbor press.


I have a 6 ton arbor press mounted on a simple stainless steel prep table with a couple bar clamps.  It was intended to be temporary...  4 years ago.  I use it with a cheater bar so often I haven't taken the cheater bar off in atleast two years.  The table does have a couple saws on the bottom shelf, but its not bolted down and the table itself is light enough that I could pick it up and toss it in a pickup bed without even thinking about it.  If it weighs 50 lbs I'd be surprised.


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## Nogoingback (Nov 29, 2017)

Right now my arbor press sits on the floor when not in use, and gets lifted up onto my workbench when I need it.  I can clamp it to the
workbench which works fine, but  I'm just tired of moving it so the plan is to give it a permanent spot.  My shop space is very limited,
so a pedestal will allow me to tuck it away into a corner.


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