Workbench Hitch Receiver Help

[FarmerPete]

I'd like to put a hitch receiver on my workbench so that I can easily mount a vice/grinder/etc. My workbench is currently in construction. I bought what I thought would work from every ones awful tool store (Harbor Freight). I'm just not sure if it's going to work as I have planned. I've got some big freaking lag screws to screw it in. I'm thinking I would put it below the 4x4 that it's currently sitting on in the picture. I'm thinking it will be as close to the right leg as possible. Thoughts? Is there a better option than this thing? I opened it up to find that the metal is bent, so it wont sit flush on the bottom... I guess no matter what, I'm going to have to exchange it.

The vice I want to use is a big heavy sucker. It's 70lbs according to my scale.

 

[Strouty]

You may need to add more bracing and bolt the bench to the wall or floor. Definitely mount it as close to the leg as possible. I am trying to be positive, but honestly I don't like the idea at all.

 

[drivesitfar]

FP: your idea is great and as Strouty mentioned you need to probably mount your bench to the wall and also give the hitch a little more support.

i started a thread last year and there are a lot of ideas on it so check it out and let me (us) know what you think.

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=252799

good luck

 

[CNGsaves]

+1 . . . as said in movie Jaws . . . you're going to need a bigger boat !! (ie bench)

Great idea to get multiple uses out of that great vise.

Is that 4 1/2" Desmond vise ??

I saw swivel one just like it at garage sale today . . . and he would not even consider selling it. He also had a 5" stationary Wilton that was oh so sweet . . . he again would not consider selling it. I agreed that he needs to keep and pass down to his kid.

MORE Pics of the vise . . . . you going to restore it, or use as is ??

 

[nehog]

You may need to add more bracing and bolt the bench to the wall or floor. Definitely mount it as close to the leg as possible. I am trying to be positive, but honestly I don't like the idea at all.

I have two big vises (on two different benches, in two different shops...) and I bolted both benches to the walls. Without doing that any heavy work with the vise would simply move the bench. In my main shop, I bolted the bench to the red iron that is the building framework, in the machine shop it is attached to a cement wall. That machine shop vice won over an 18" pipe wrench once when the son-in-law was trying to get a tie rod end off. (I've never seen someone snap a pipe wrench before but he did it.)

 

[drivesitfar]

CNG: i gotta hunch the vise is a Reed 214 or 214.5. just saying

 

[Gotcha640]

I think bolting to the wall depends on what you want to use the vise for. If you want to do stuck tie rod ends, or blacksmithing, or bend heavy gauge steel, sure, anchor it to the bedrock. If you will hold things while you cut/grind/weld/drill them, you'll be fine.

My bench has a similar frame to yours, and I used 4 layers of 3/4" plywood for the top. Flat and solid.

 

[FarmerPete]

I bought the vise over a year ago, but if my memory serves me, it's an Atlas. I'll check tomorrow. I'll certainly bolt the bench to the wall. I'm probably going to add a cross support in the back, and that can easily be attached to the wall with some hefty screw's.

I had looked around a lot, but I couldn't find many people who did the hitch reciever route with wooden benches. I'm no welder, so fabricating a metal bench wasn't a possibility.

 

[kingchevy]

Why not mount the receiver directly on the leg, sideways. Then fsbricate your vice bracket for the lower mount.

 

[drivesitfar]

FP: i agree with the leg mount and just mount the plate for your vise on the side of the hitch mount going into the mount.

you had me curious so i just blew up the picture of your vise and it looks like it's an Athol. those are very well built vises and were soon to become Starrett brand which is also a quality brand. how wide are your jaws? did you say 5 inches wide?

good luck

 

[drivesitfar]

FP: i agree with the leg mount and just mount the plate for your vise on the side of the hitch mount going into the mount. i'd probably run bolts through the 4 x 4 and put nuts on them instead of lag bolts that might pull out.

you had me curious so i just blew up the picture of your vise and it looks like it's an Athol. those are very well built vises and were soon to become Starrett brand which is also a quality brand. how wide are your jaws? did you say 5 inches wide?

good luck

 

[FarmerPete]

You are correct, it's an Athol. The jaws are 4.5". I had thought of mounting the hitch receiver on the side, but then my mounting plate won't work. I wish I knew how to weld, and then I wouldn't be at the mercy of off the shelf stuff. I suppose I could drill a new hole in my vise mount. Maybe I'll just mount the vise on the bench. Bah. It's just annoying because I only have 8 feet of bench to work with.

 

[drivesitfar]

FP: one of my workbenches was built by a commercial builder for his shop and when he moved he sold it to me. i'm meantioning it because he put a header under the 1.125 top that is 7 foot and a 4 x 12 that you could install in your bench and have plenty of meat to put a couple carriage bolts and attach your hitch.

i'm learning to weld so maybe some day i will get the hitches built I've been planing on so i can change out a vise or not have one on my benches because it isn't easy trying to bolt or glue everything.

since you are in an area where i think there is a lot of members on GJ is there a member or friend close to you that can weld something for you?

good luck

 

[Cardboard Man]

I vote for mounting the vise directly to the bench, after the bench has been secured to the wall or floor (or both). In my experience, there is always some slop in those receiver hitch mounts and I wouldn't be happy with a vise that moved even a little bit. I know it takes up bench space but I believe you will be happier in the long run.

 

[FarmerPete]

So, I got the bench built. I put a temporary OSB surface on it (since I had some laying around), but I will be replacing that with Plywood in the next few days. I decided I'll mount the vice to the workbench directly. I put the vice on to dry fit it where I wanted, and I discovered that the bottom of the vice isn't flat. It's got a bump out that makes it virtually impossible to mount it flat to the table. The only solution I can think of is to cut the workbench surface to allow for the bottom of the vice to stick out. See pictures of the vice. The only other option might be to put an extra layer of wood under the vice to raise it off the workbench. I'd still have to notch out for the bump on the bottom. Without doing modifications like that, the bolt holes are hardly over the workbench surface. The drilled holes would be a mm or two from the edge.

 

[Strouty]

That is strange, I guess I would notch the top of the bench. You may want to do a double plywood top and I would still brace the underside, that is a heavy vise. I would still bolt the bench to the wall, you will be able to put a lot of leverage on something.

 

[matt_i]

I'd use a piece of 2x12 (iif that's thick enough) and use it as a spacer. Then you move the vise where it wants to go. It may be missing its swivel base. Thru bolts and hex nuts underneath.

As others have suggested if you are doing heavy beating you need a post directly underneath it, if you are going to to heavy pulling as in bending bars cold, etc, you will need to deck screw the bench frame to the stud wall. In my opinion you will be glad you abandoned the receiver idea because of all the slop, and you still have to fabricate a custom part...

 

[scooternut]

No pic handy but Ill try to explain. You bought the wrong piece. Buy the plain receiver tube, its like 20inches long. Me, I notched out the face board, mine was 4x4, enough so the receiver tube top was flush with the top of the face board (your 2x4). Then sandwich the tube with a 2x4 on each side of the tube that runs front to rear and corner brace it to your face board and rear board. I used long bolts through all 3 pieces of the sandwich toward the rear for added security. I then welded nuts to the outside end of the receiver tube Imine sticks out a few inches), I snug up bolts here to cut out the wobble.

Works for my vice A.D.D., allowing me to lots of vices for different projects. Along with the added access in and around the work piece. I like to do my knife making here as I can walk around the piece.

 

[drivesitfar]

FP: your parker vise's lip should snug up to the edge of the bench and then bolt it down with bolts in the 3 holes. also some Parker vises have a 45 degree angle under their bases so some guys notch their bench and others take a 2 inch piece of walnut or 2 x 10 and put it under the vise like a spacer on top of the workbench..

sorry to hear you had to abandon the hitch idea, but since you don't weld it makes it a bit tougher.

good luck and BTW that is a nice very old vise. probably over 100 years old so if you want to post more pictures of it from all sides and all angles please do because vise **** is good ****.

thanks