Hitch Mounted Vise???

[Big Boi]

Im looking for alternative ways to mount a bench vise and bench grinder. I built my bench a while back. And kinda like the fact that its not cluttered. Therefore I dont want to mount either to it. I have a 1 car garage, so I dont have the room for another bench.

I remember a post some time back, where a member used a trailer hitch to mount his. Ive searched long and hard, and no luck... Can anyone point me in the right direction, and/or have a better idea?

 

[jimmy p]

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=50602

 

[NUTTSGT]

If you mount it (vise) in a single piece of stock, you can take it on the road. I have seen several ultility/maintenance trucks that use a hitch mounted vise.

 

[Displaced Hokie]

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=66260

 

[Bobby B.]

Mac's Tie Downs has this one.

http://www.macscustomtiedowns.com/product/TrailD-Vise/trail-d-vise

I saw it at Off Road Expo. It's pretty slick, but spendy. Pretty HD for what it is, and it has a long throw.

 

[Big Boi]

Thanks for the info guys! I went looking for a small 4" Wilton vice. But after learning that it was made in China, and was $25 more than the Irwin... I grabbed the Irwin.

Im going to check my local HF on Tuesday, Thanks!

 

[Big Boi]

Will this receiver be good enough? Maybe bore a couple more hole to attach it?

 

[mad57]

that will work for you.... also old work out equipment is free on road side lots of good steel there if you can weld, you could put receives all over the place

 

[Big Boi]

that will work for you.... also old work out equipment is free on road side lots of good steel there if you can weld, you could put receives all over the place

Wow, you sound like my dad! I can remember going with him searching curb jun. I was always embarrassed to take others people junk. But now that I have my own house.... I do the same thing, lol!


All I need now, is a welder. Any recommendations? Something small and inexpensive?

 

[Ray-CA]

Will this receiver be good enough? Maybe bore a couple more hole to attach it?

I have that piece mounted under the bench. My vice etc. are mounted the plates that are welded to the 2-inch tube that slides into the receiver.

Ray

 

[z28snksknr]

This thread is one day late since I attached my new vice I got for Christmas to my workbench yesterday, adding another 70lbs to a "colapseable" bench. I'm gonna need a winch to get that thing back up now.

I guess I can say I already pre-drilled the holes for the reciever I haven't bought yet!!

 

[Big Boi]

This thread is one day late since I attached my new vice I got for Christmas to my workbench yesterday, adding another 70lbs to a "colapseable" bench. I'm gonna need a winch to get that thing back up now.

I guess I can say I already pre-drilled the holes for the reciever I haven't bought yet!!

You and me both!

Ive been so busy with the holidays, that I havent had a chance to log on... Just got off the phone with my local HF... On my way to pick one up!

 

[mad57]

Wow, you sound like my dad! I can remember going with him searching curb jun. I was always embarrassed to take others people junk. But now that I have my own house.... I do the same thing, lol!


All I need now, is a welder. Any recommendations? Something small and inexpensive?

You can pick up an old lincoln (tomb stone) welder stick welding for like $100 bucks great place to start, then a small mig, then tig ect. Stick welding if my favorite in a world where every one seems to mig.

 

[Red Green]

You can pick up an old lincoln (tomb stone) welder stick welding for like $100 bucks great place to start, then a small mig, then tig ect. Stick welding if my favorite in a world where every one seems to mig.

I started on an old Lincoln arc. I am pretty good if it is a horizonal bead. But verticle or overhead give me a mig anyday.

 

[Big Boi]

What about something like this?

It wont get heavy use. And it would be a good starting point...

 

[sharage71]

I plan on using this technique for my bench grinder instead of the vise. I use the grinder much less than the vise so I need it moved easily. Thanks guys

 

[mad57]

That looks like a good mig for the price check craigslist though good deals out there, i have a stick welder, a mig and a hobart tig. my mig is 110 so i can carry it to any house and just plug in very versitile, and when i wanna go real deep the others are ****

 

[Crusty Nut]

doesn't the receiver vice wobble some. I know my trailer hitch does and the whole point of a vice is to hold things steady. Are you guys putting some kind of lock down bolt or similar? If my vice wobbled it would kind of defeat the purpose.

 

[akdiesel]

doesn't the receiver vice wobble some. I know my trailer hitch does and the whole point of a vice is to hold things steady. Are you guys putting some kind of lock down bolt or similar? If my vice wobbled it would kind of defeat the purpose.

I use a 3/8" bolt on the top of my truck receiver to keep it from rattling. Same purpose but I have not done this to my bench, but I just may do it soon.

 

[Big Boi]

I got all that parts in. Ill post some pics as soon as I get a chance. Thanks for all the advice!

 

[kbs2244]

On nice thing about this idea is you can have multiple places to put the vise.
Or multiple vises.
And you can take them out and put them away if the are in the way.

I have seen guys that do in the field repairs with receivers hanging under all four corners of their stake beds.
At the rear corners there will be two, around the corner from each other.
They use them for vises, pipe carrying racks, all kinds of things come to mind.

 

[flashpuppy]

Kinda like that?

 

[Bob Heine]

Will this receiver be good enough? Maybe bore a couple more hole to attach it?

Big,

That's exactly what I did with mine. The one you are showing is Item #67158-1VGA, which is the one I bought for $25 (not on sale and no coupon). There is a lighter duty one for five bucks less but they didn't have it in stock (Item #67159-0VGA). The stronger one has a slight flaw. The back of the receiver is not open so you can't slide the mount through the receiver. I cut the back side of the hitch open so the mount would slide through.

Next step was to drill holes in the four corners and mount the receiver.
The $20 HF hitch vice mount (Item #66260-0VGA) isn't real beefy but it was just what I was looking for to mount a small buffer. It too needed a little modification. A couple of extra holes in the tube and a couple of tabs to line up with the buffer mounting holes.

It's a great alternative to a permanent mount on the bench or a pedestal bolted to the floor.

Now I need to get another vice mount for the arbor press.

Check out Jack Olsen's latest version of his garage because it is the source of this and other great garage organizing ideas.

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=55006&showall=1