Vise mounting - portable setup

[stickshift]

Total newb to vises, so be gentle please.

I'm planning on mounting this cheap 4" vise to a piece of 3/4" plywood for a portable vise setup, which I'll secure to a table or countertop with ratchet clamps. This is for light-duty use, and I don't anticipate applying torque exceeding 100 ft-lbs to an object in the vise (and even that much would be rare).

I figure I'll mount it right up to the corner so that I can get maximum overhang of the static jaw relative to either edge of the board (swivel vise). The vise has only 3 mounting tabs and the way I have it oriented now, there is no tab at the corner of the board. Planning to countersink some carriage bolts in from the bottom of the board so that I can lay the board flat on whatever surface I'm going to clamp it to.

Questions:
1. Is this setup sufficient for light duty use?
2. Is 3/4" plywood sufficient, or would the setup be significantly more stable with a thicker board?
3. Is the orientation optimal - i.e., right up the corner of the board, and with the no-mount corner of the vise base at the corner of the board?

 

[Outlawmws]

It will probably be fine, BUT, you said portable: Have you though of mounting it so you can stick it into a receiver hitch? (Assuming your vehicle has one)

Another option: get a 2XX or larger B&D WorkMate and then mount it on a smaller piece of ply, and glue/screw a cleat on the bottom for the WorkMate to grab onto.

 

[mtnwalton]

1 yes
2. yes
3. yes

 

[Farmall450]

Wilton's are cheap now?

 

[Outlawmws]

Wilton's are cheap now?

That's one of their imports...

 

[crazytrain]

One of these http://www.harborfreight.com/hitch-mount-vise-plate-66260.html and one of these http://www.harborfreight.com/5000-lb-step-bumper-receiver-69670.html mounted under your bench.

 

[dumper]

I have a 5" vise I bolted to a piece of plywood into t-nuts. Works great. Can clamp the board down, or use as-is for light duty jobs. Also, have mounted smaller vises (3-1/2") to brake rotors.

 

[stickshift]

It will probably be fine, BUT, you said portable: Have you though of mounting it so you can stick it into a receiver hitch? (Assuming your vehicle has one)

Another option: get a 2XX or larger B&D WorkMate and then mount it on a smaller piece of ply, and glue/screw a cleat on the bottom for the WorkMate to grab onto.

Portable as in moving around my home. In a pinch, take with me in my car's trunk. Not looking to mount to my car.

Workmate is a good idea, thanks. Hehe, I was thinking maybe the HF knockoff for $17 (< $14 after 20% off coupon).

1 yes
2. yes
3. yes

Thanks.

I have a 5" vise I bolted to a piece of plywood into t-nuts. Works great. Can clamp the board down, or use as-is for light duty jobs. Also, have mounted smaller vises (3-1/2") to brake rotors.

Hadn't considered t-nuts, thanks. I suppose I'd have to countersink those as well, so might just use carriage bolts to minimize costs.

 

[Outlawmws]

Whether you go with carriage bolts or T-nuts you will want to countersink them or you will be rocking on high spots... Spade bits are cheap, and will do fine for this.

If the HF is one of the TV tray level "workmates" don't bother.. you want a 200 or 225 or LARGER. The TV tray things are an accident waiting to happen, and you put a fairly heavy vise on top and it just gets worse.

Look on C List, the better ones come up regularly.

 

[Provincial]

I would suggest either thicker plywood or use two sheets of 3/4" glued together. This is both stronger and gives more room for the t-nuts or countersinks for the mounting bolts. I find scraps of 1-1/8" subfloor plywood handy for his sort of thing.

 

[RBailey]

Another option: get a 2XX or larger B&D WorkMate and then mount it on a smaller piece of ply, and glue/screw a cleat on the bottom for the WorkMate to grab onto.

x2 This is what I have done.
I also have a matching "female" cleat on top of my box so I lives there when not in active use.

In use :

Stored away in my toy room :

 

[stickshift]

If the HF is one of the TV tray level "workmates" don't bother.. you want a 200 or 225 or LARGER. The TV tray things are an accident waiting to happen, and you put a fairly heavy vise on top and it just gets worse.

Look on C List, the better ones come up regularly.

Point taken. Probably not the brightest idea to put a vise on such a cheap stand.

I'll keep an eye out on Craigslist for the higher end Workmates.

I would suggest either thicker plywood or use two sheets of 3/4" glued together. This is both stronger and gives more room for the t-nuts or countersinks for the mounting bolts. I find scraps of 1-1/8" subfloor plywood handy for his sort of thing.

Will do. No reason not to double up as scraps of wood are easy to come by.

 

[ez-duzit]

Yup. You'll be OK.

Workmate is also a good idea.

 

[stickshift]

If the HF is one of the TV tray level "workmates" don't bother.. you want a 200 or 225 or LARGER. The TV tray things are an accident waiting to happen, and you put a fairly heavy vise on top and it just gets worse.

Look on C List, the better ones come up regularly.

Great call. 24hrs later, a Workmate 425 was listed on my local Craigslist and I picked it up tonight.

 

[ez-duzit]

Attaboy!

The Workmate is an ingenious tool.

 

[Outlawmws]

Now that you have a WorkMate, mount any bench tool you have, (Bench grinders, arbor presses, anything "portable" by size/weight.) on a mounting board and put a cleat on it. now you can "rack them" when not in use, and place them on the WM when needed.

I have a number of tools on 24" wide X 12" deep Plywood with cleats. and these sit in a "book case" that has shelf standards but no shelves. The mounting bases become the shelves, and I simply drop them in place...