Michael_in_DE
Well-known member
I got what I am told is a Rock Island-for-Craftsman vice. Has anyone make a swivel base for their non-swivel vice? or does anyone sell such a thing?
Can you create/buy a swivel base for a vice?
- Thread starter Michael_in_DE
- Start date
davethorik
Well-known member
Yes it's called sell that vise and buy one with a swivel base. Lol
In all seriousness, some vises are easy to add a swivel base to...like Wilton bullets. Vises with ears like your Cman don't have a modular swivel base design.
I'm sure you could fab something up if you wanted but you'd be money and time ahead to just buy the proper vise that fits your needs.
In all seriousness, some vises are easy to add a swivel base to...like Wilton bullets. Vises with ears like your Cman don't have a modular swivel base design.
I'm sure you could fab something up if you wanted but you'd be money and time ahead to just buy the proper vise that fits your needs.
tool_scrounge
Well-known member
I made one for one of my vises. I'm an old fart just learning to run a lathe and weld so it was more of a how to for me and I wasn't worried about the time involved. This is the basics in this photo but you can see the whole procedure in the link below (page 99 post 1070 of the "vise repair 101" thread. You should study other types in the vise thread to see other designs as this is just what worked for me.
View media item 74569
HERE IS THE LINK TO THE BUILD THREAD -
https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?p=5201229#post5201229
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View media item 74569
HERE IS THE LINK TO THE BUILD THREAD -
https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?p=5201229#post5201229
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OP
Michael_in_DE
Well-known member
Oh man, I like that design a lot better than what I came up with;
bob15
Well-known member
Lelandwelds
Well-known member
A more useful solution is a short post with a plate welded on each end. One fits vise and the other fits a semi brake drum. Fill it with concrete if you like cheater bars. It is stable and easily portable if you know how to roll an oxygen cylinder.
Lelandwelds
Well-known member
Another option would be to mount vise to a thick plate. On the underside of plate, mount two round posts. These would mate into receiving holes like a welding platen or dog holes on a woodworking bench.
Or, better yet, use a single large round shaft mounted front, center, or rear on a larger thinner plate. Use one or two hold down dogs or bolts or t nuts or c clamp over table edge to stop rotation. Dogs would be easiest. You could have a receiver on each bench or each bench corner. You could swap out for pipe vises or parrot vises, etc.
If small rotational steps would work, a large shaft with short hex or octogonal section and a mating receiver in the bench wouldnt be too inconvenient. That vice doesn't look extremely heavy.
Or, better yet, use a single large round shaft mounted front, center, or rear on a larger thinner plate. Use one or two hold down dogs or bolts or t nuts or c clamp over table edge to stop rotation. Dogs would be easiest. You could have a receiver on each bench or each bench corner. You could swap out for pipe vises or parrot vises, etc.
If small rotational steps would work, a large shaft with short hex or octogonal section and a mating receiver in the bench wouldnt be too inconvenient. That vice doesn't look extremely heavy.
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Packard V8
Well-known member
All the above might be useful if one were on a desert island and the vise one has is the only possibility.
The good advice to buy a swivel vise still pertains.
And JMHO, but I seldom-to-never actuate a vise swivel. The most used of the dozen or so vises I have in four shops is a fixed base Athol.
jack vines
The good advice to buy a swivel vise still pertains.
And JMHO, but I seldom-to-never actuate a vise swivel. The most used of the dozen or so vises I have in four shops is a fixed base Athol.
jack vines
Packard V8
Well-known member
All the above might be useful if one were on a desert island and the vise one has is the only possibility.
The good advice to buy a swivel vise still pertains. Would also be a good idea to keep that fixed base for when something absolutely positively has to be held solid against rotating force. Swivel bases are never as strong as a fixed base.
And JMHO, but I seldom-to-never actuate a vise swivel. The most used of the dozen or so vises I have in four shops is a fixed base Athol.
jack vines
The good advice to buy a swivel vise still pertains. Would also be a good idea to keep that fixed base for when something absolutely positively has to be held solid against rotating force. Swivel bases are never as strong as a fixed base.
And JMHO, but I seldom-to-never actuate a vise swivel. The most used of the dozen or so vises I have in four shops is a fixed base Athol.
jack vines
Lelandwelds
Well-known member
The moveable post mounted to a brake drum or a plow disc is very practical. If you need to swivel your vise, don't. Just take a half step around the vise.
Selling a vise borders on heresy. Keep them all. Buy more from the foolish.
Selling a vise borders on heresy. Keep them all. Buy more from the foolish.
IndyGarage
Well-known member
Why would you want one? Especially on a good old vise like that.
A swivel is not a feature, it's a detraction. I've never once had one that held when I really needed it. And that's why your vise doesn't have one.
A swivel is not a feature, it's a detraction. I've never once had one that held when I really needed it. And that's why your vise doesn't have one.
I find a lot of the work I do with a vise is not heavy duty wrenching or bending on things where you're coming close to taxing the strength of the vise. More often I'm cutting something with an angle grinder, welding, hacksawing, filling and even just soldering wires. In all of these uses the vise is merely just holding something firmly and not being torqued on and I usually swivel the vise to get the best position for the work I'm doing. In my 8' wide shop I usually keep them swivelled 90' just so it's easier to walk through the isles.
My record visas have a football shaped double sided bullet that is tapered vertically and it gets drawn up into a tapered slot formed by the base and inner ring on the swivel. I've always been able to tighten it with just hand pressure on the lock levers enough to prevent the swivel from turning. My 4.5" reed has a zigzag tooth pattern on the swivel and it's not going to slip without catastrophic consequences. You guys must be working on trains or D10's to have the swivel bases fail.
My record visas have a football shaped double sided bullet that is tapered vertically and it gets drawn up into a tapered slot formed by the base and inner ring on the swivel. I've always been able to tighten it with just hand pressure on the lock levers enough to prevent the swivel from turning. My 4.5" reed has a zigzag tooth pattern on the swivel and it's not going to slip without catastrophic consequences. You guys must be working on trains or D10's to have the swivel bases fail.
Teenager with old tools
Well-known member
I've had a cheap swivel fail so my philosophy is mount a good vise no swivel for heavy work and the small cheap vise with swivel for hobby and light stuff to be convenient. I'd rather not test a quality swivel against a 10 pound sledge hitting a breaker bar with a cheater pipe to get the bolt out of the control arm of a friends 81 c10. 5 feet of pipe and a few hits finally broke it loose. But I agree for sane homeowners a swivel is fine and for most sane homeowners a harbor freight vise is fine with 3/8 mounting bolts in a 1/2 inch thick top. So for those of us who don't have the time to search for our sanity swivels may not hold up. But man I do love the swivel on my 4 inch tiny Chinese vise for small hobby size stuff
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KMScott
Well-known member
If you have to have one then all it takes is a Mill and steel material and some imagination. Here is one for a vise like yours Michael_in_DE. I have made a few but for swivel base vises with a round bottom base. Yours needs one like the first couple pic's.
