Anybody know how this vise works?

[Jacobs976]

Been looking at bench vises, specifically ones I could set up as quick mounts(pop it on the bench or a mount that's not in the way when needed), and was looking at using a hitch vise since a hitch mount is easy to set up and would be the least difficult way to go about it.

Was looking at commercial units(Wilton and Doyle, didn't want additional weight necessary for a standard bench vise on a hitch mount) but came across this homebrew unit and figured it would be more useful with it's excessive jaw opening.

Issue is I can't understand how it works from the information available in the link. Tried drawing it up a few different ways but any way I go about it the screw won't pull the dynamic jaw along(without adding a ring to lock the screw to the dynamic jaw like on every old vise and Wilton bullets or a ring on the back of the dynamic jaw assembly like most mechanic vises).

If anybody can make sense of the vise, in whole preferably but how the dynamic jaw is locked on its own would help, from the available info I'd appreciate some help.

Hitch Mounted Vise — The One-Off Shop

This project started with part of an old trailer hitch that I’d been saving. I figured that I could use it to build a large capacity vise that could be inserted into a trailer hitch. With a 20” body it can accommodate 17” of material. By using nesting tubes, the dynamic jaw can remain solid as it sl

www.theoneoffshop.net

 

[mikedodge]

Seems like a lot of work when you could just mount a vice on a piece of square tubing to stick in the hitch receiver.

 

[cvairwerks]

Look at the drawing in photo #5. It shows the screw system and the #6 photo shows the tapered face plate that pulls the dynamic jaw closed.

 

[mark-NJ]

It's kinda like buying a jigsaw puzzle at a yard sale...there's pieces missing, but you don't know it until you dive in!

It clearly works, but I don't get it, either.

 

[Jacobs976]

Seems like a lot of work when you could just mount a vice on a piece of square tubing to stick in the hitch receiver.

Used vises in my area are $700+(for literally anything regardless of rust, drill holes, and/or cracks, was a 3.5" diecast Dunlap for $245) at the moment so anything quality is beyond the costs of materials, including the time, till people give up on matching that one that sold on eBay.

Plus the homebrew has better dimensions than the local stuff at 6" jaws and what looks to be 14" jaw opening. That's the main reason I'm looking at a homebrew instead of a new unit too.

 

[Jacobs976]

It's kinda like buying a jigsaw puzzle at a yard sale...there's pieces missing, but you don't know it until you dive in!

It clearly works, but I don't get it, either.

I understand enough to draw up my own variation but I think I'm missing some pieces and added a few I found looking under the table and trying to jam them in.

 

[Wrench97]

Seems it would be too low to work comfortably with.

 

[Shiftless]

Used vises in my area are $700+(for literally anything regardless of rust, drill holes, and/or cracks, was a 3.5" diecast Dunlap for $245) at the moment so anything quality is beyond the costs of materials, including the time, till people give up on matching that one that sold on eBay.

Plus the homebrew has better dimensions than the local stuff at 6" jaws and what looks to be 14" jaw opening. That's the main reason I'm looking at a homebrew instead of a new unit too.

A guy need a vise or 2 to get the work done. I admire your willingness to look at used vises.
I see you are in Indiana. What major city are you near? Maybe another GJ member who lives nearby has an extra vintage USA vise from one of the preferred manufacturers that he would be willing to sell for less than $700. I‘m in CA but if you lived closer, I’m sure we could make a deal. Shipping is a deal killer.

 

[Shiftless]

For example:
I found this 4 inch Columbian on C/L northeast of Indy for $150
Somebody drilled a hole in the slide but I bet that doesn’t affect operation.
Less than an hour with a wire wheel and a coat of oil or some left over spray paint, a bit of grease, and you’d have a nice user vise. Fill the hole with a spot of weld metal or epoxy if it bothers you.

 

[Jacobs976]

Seems it would be too low to work comfortably with.

Probably would be too low for actually using on a truck hitch but with a hitch mount on a work bench it should be in a better position.

Probably not perfect but close to in-line with the table.

Also kinda curious if anybody does use an in-line hitch mount vise on their truck. Usually see them mounted on the bed or on a riser on the bumper so it's at least a bit less bending over.

 

[Jacobs976]

I admire your willingness to look at used vises.

I'm trying but I am worried about abuse. Seen more sheared screws than intact when vises were showing up.

I see you are in Indiana. What major city are you near?

I'm an hour east of Indy but I'm usually working south to Louisville Kentucky and occasionally east to Hamilton Ohio. Been looking on marketplace and pawn shops when I have time but it's like someone already came through the state and bought them all up.

Maybe another GJ member who lives nearby has an extra vintage USA vise from one of the preferred manufacturers that he would be willing to sell for less than $700.

There might be but I know most of us on here have trouble parting with our collections too.

For example:
I found this 4 inch Columbian on C/L northeast of Indy for $150
Somebody drilled a hole in the slide but I bet that doesn’t affect operation.
Less than an hour with a wire wheel and a coat of oil or some left over spray paint, a bit of grease, and you’d have a nice user vise. Fill the hole with a spot of weld metal or epoxy if it bothers you.

Not a bad vise but does look like it needs some more work. Looks like the swivel base handle is broken so I'd be worried about taking the trip to find the base cracked(seen a few, including my current light duty 5" Wilton, that took a bit too much abuse and turned into static bases).

Also with the Wilton around I'm mainly looking for something heavy duty and 6". Of course anything is better than nothing as far as having a vise that can get some decent clamping force.

 

[Shiftless]

The old 4 inch vises are almost always heavier than the new 6 inch vises like Doyle and others made in Taiwan.
Jaw width alone is not the best indication of “Heavy Duty”.

I always ask for more photos from a seller if I suspect damage.

 

[Jacobs976]

The old 4 inch vises are almost always heavier than the new 6 inch vises like Doyle and others made in Taiwan.

Usually by a decent amount but it's more so I'm looking for something that looks like it can take some force, which an oldie will do, more than just weight alone. Basically anything other than the light weight Wilton, thing has trouble clamping any metal well enough without feeling like something is being overstressed.

Jaw width alone is not the best indication of “Heavy Duty”.

The bigger jaw width is mainly for the extra stabilization and contact surface area. Not necessarily needed but can be useful.

I always ask for more photos from a seller if I suspect damage.

I've done the same but alot get annoyed, same with questions on vaguely worded ads. Also tend to get the same pics included in the ad again or pics in conditions comparable to what you'd expect in a trench on a WW2 battlefield (granted the cameras back then managed to do quite well to not show the shaking and lack of lighting).

If it's on the way I'll try to stop and examine it but the few I've recently been able to examine were already beyond salvage without having a source for parts.

 

[Shiftless]

Yeah, don’t count on parts being available. Replacement jaws usually need to be custom made.
Buy something needing only cosmetic work. Rust and peeling paint are not bad. Worn out or chipped jaws are usually a deal killer.

 

[BukitCase]

If you're seeing those kind of prices for iffy used ****, you might consider this

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B015NI29BG/?tag=atomicindus08-20

I read some Taiwan bashing, but IMO I'd go there over the baby killers at least 10 to 1. Also, Capri is one of the few that use forged and welded steel instead of cast iron. I bought their 4" one, it'll get mounted (removably) on my 2-1/2 x 5' tig table... Steve

 

[Jacobs976]

Buy something needing only cosmetic work.

That's the plan.

Or to buy the materials to make something that'll work well enough.

Probably both, more variation tends to be useful so I do like some more specialized stuff along with the standard. Like the Wilton will be repurposed with a gimbal base once I get something better then if I can get the vise from my initial post figured out I'd have a extra wide jaw opening available too. Plus currently I have my cheap 2-1/2" swivel and 1-1/2 toolmaker(milling) that are getting a decent amount of use.

 

[MoonRise]

Look at picture #4 and #5.

Pic #5 - nut fixed in the dynamic jaw makes the jaw move in and out when the screw is turned. Nut fixed at the 'near' end of the round tube lets the other end of the screw move the jaw in and out when the screw is turned. The long round tube is (I suspect) welded at the 'far' end of the fixed square tube (closest to the hitch mount end) and projects down the center of that square tube. The dynamic jaw and moving square tube telescope in and out inside the large fixed square tube and OVER the fixed round tube.

Look at Pic #4. There is the threaded rod, then the FIXED round tube (with the threaded end formed from a nut that was welded to the end of the round tube and then smoothed over to be round and the same OD as the round tube), then the moving/dynamic square tube that telescopes inside the FIXED black square tube. The round tube has to be FIXED to the FAR end of the black FIXED square tube.

Look at Pic #6. The 'ring' that locks the screw and lets the dynamic jaw (which is actually the telescoping smaller square tube) move in and out is the 'square' washer with the notches/bevels on it. Look at Pics #10, 11, and 12 and you can see the square 'washer' welded (tacked?) to the dynamic square tube at the corners. The first and last pic look like he added some sort of 'cover' or dust shield over that area (or beefed it up).

 

[mike528]

also check with local auctioneers for estate sales. the couple i follow locally do online auctions and ill see quite a few go for a reasonable price around here. Im about an hour north of dayton.

 

[Jacobs976]

also check with local auctioneers for estate sales. the couple i follow locally do online auctions and ill see quite a few go for a reasonable price around here. Im about an hour north of dayton.

Tried a few auctions but local guys were pretty rough. Did the online viewings then in person bidding and they all went south pretty quickly from stuff missing to the auctioneers throwing up bids and stuff being called before people had a chance to bid any more.

Plus a young couple from Washington trying to look like stereotypes of rednecks(trucker hats, white tank tops, blue jeans, cowboy boots, Coors lites) bought out pretty much everything at the one like they were trying to win something. Probably spent at least $50,000 on stuff ranging from $1000 a quilt(like your grandma's collection in the chest in your attic) to $100 a modern plastic carry toolbox from tru-value(estate had 10 or so in the boxes, with water damage, as a winning bid gets first pick of the lot so they threw up their ticket and said $100 to start the bid and took the lot).

Think auctions may attract some odd folks around here...or I chose the wrong ones considering there were more people from out west than from Indiana and it was packed like they were expecting Elvis to show up for a performance.

 

[mike528]

last in person I went to was pretty rough, the lies he was spewing when before he even started had me ready to leave on the spot. But I get a lot of stuff from a couple of the local auctioneers that do everything online, their auctions are open for 2 weeks and sometimes you can get a good deal and other times I see HF tools sell for more than they do in the stores, before the buyers premium.

 

[Jacobs976]

Look at the drawing in photo #5. It shows the screw system and the #6 photo shows the tapered face plate that pulls the dynamic jaw closed.

Look at picture #4 and #5.

Pic #5 - nut fixed in the dynamic jaw makes the jaw move in and out when the screw is turned. Nut fixed at the 'near' end of the round tube lets the other end of the screw move the jaw in and out when the screw is turned. The long round tube is (I suspect) welded at the 'far' end of the fixed square tube (closest to the hitch mount end) and projects down the center of that square tube. The dynamic jaw and moving square tube telescope in and out inside the large fixed square tube and OVER the fixed round tube.

Look at Pic #4. There is the threaded rod, then the FIXED round tube (with the threaded end formed from a nut that was welded to the end of the round tube and then smoothed over to be round and the same OD as the round tube), then the moving/dynamic square tube that telescopes inside the FIXED black square tube. The round tube has to be FIXED to the FAR end of the black FIXED square tube.

Look at Pic #6. The 'ring' that locks the screw and lets the dynamic jaw (which is actually the telescoping smaller square tube) move in and out is the 'square' washer with the notches/bevels on it. Look at Pics #10, 11, and 12 and you can see the square 'washer' welded (tacked?) to the dynamic square tube at the corners. The first and last pic look like he added some sort of 'cover' or dust shield over that area (or beefed it up).

The issue I'm still having is understanding what keeps the dynamic jaw moving outwards with the screw. Everything else makes sense now because I can see what was modified from the traditional vise pattern (spindle nut was an issue because I didn't realize it was welded to the back of the tube).

In the drawing it looks like a nut is on the inside of the dynamic jaw(round thing, I couldn't tell if it's actually a pipe or ground down nut, behind the square plate that gets welded onto the smaller tube) but that would lock the jaw in place and unscrew the screw from the system completely.

If it is a pipe then what looks like maybe a washer of some sort behind the square plate then it might make sense if the washer is welded to the screw (like the groove and ring on mechanics vises behind the dynamic jaw) but it still doesn't look right.

I'd imagine it'd be better to have a lock on the outside of the dynamic arm like most old vises(collar attached to the outside of the jaw that goes into a groove in the screw) because any wear on the linked design would mean replacing the dynamic jaw or cutting and rewelding it to fix the washer(I like well greased vises but I know moving parts are always prone to polishing/grinding so those parts need to be accessible) if I'm not missing something.

 

[cvairwerks]

I don't think he has anything to move the dynamic jaw outward. It looks to me, like you simply unscrew the handle, and pull the jaw manually.

Easiest think to do would be drop him a note and ask.

 

[Jacobs976]

I don't think he has anything to move the dynamic jaw outward. It looks to me, like you simply unscrew the handle, and pull the jaw manually.

Easiest think to do would be drop him a note and ask.

I think that is how it works too. Fortunately that's actually pretty easy to fix with a slight modification, an extra part, and a few bolts.

I'm not familiar with the site but I don't think it has any direct messaging feature(or how long ago he posted to even know if he's still active on the site).

At this point though, I think I have enough info to make a variation using the modifications I think are needed to make it function like I'd want.

Also looked at a kinda amusing modification, came up when I was initially trying to figure it out thinking it was using some type of pressure system on a free floating spindle nut(thought the nut was being clamped between pipes to keep it from turning, didn't make sense then but that's how it looked which is why I was getting so confused), that might be handy making a wood vise, 72" screws. Adding extra in-line spindle nuts and making it a double screw it'd probably make a pretty sturdy wood vise with quite a bit of lead for the jaw opening. Of course the mount would take up the whole underside of the bench too and 72" is a bit much unless I'm wanting to clamp the whole tree.

 

[cvairwerks]

There is a contact page on his site and he does list his direct email on one page...

 

[Jacobs976]

There is a contact page on his site and he does list his direct email on one page...

I see it now. Hadn't looked at the site beyond the actual page and thought it was kinda like a Pinterest thing instead of a personal website(random users submitting instead of one user submitting).

 

[Jacobs976]

I found the same vise mechanism on YouTube. Presumably the first linked was based, and dimensions modified for a hitch, on this one but I don't see any date for it(3 years ago on YouTube one).

Makes it a lot easier to understand with the video and marketing material for his (pre/starting production) commercial models although the dynamic jaw assembly is still a bit confusing (commercial units looks to have a clamp on the screw with a spring inside the jaw that acts on a bearing while video version looked to be two nuts but I didn't get a good initial look).

Basically looks like it's set up like a mechanics vise with the groove and ring but video version is confusing because something like that would need an access port(which the production version has).

Edit: front plate is removable on video version.

 

[03ranger]

This a a Fireball Hardtail Vise. see https://fireballtool.com/products/fireball-hardtail-vise-deposit-for-pre-order-usa-only.