[TheForge] Re: Benches

[Mike Spencer]

Mark Williams wrote:

> Basically, you have a large plate on the floor or ground. The H beam
> is welded vertically to the plate and a smaller plate is welded to
> the top at the proper vertical distance for your vise. Your vise
> mounts on the smaller plate.

My vise-on-a-post-on-a-plate setup differs in this way: The plate that
lies on the floor has a 5" deep square socket welded to it. The HSS
post fits into the socket.  The vise itself is firmly bolted to the a
plate welded to the top of the post.  There's a smaller socket welded
to the floor plate for the vise leg.  The floor plate has a 2" hole
centered near one edge.

This means that, without undoing any bolts, I can pick up the
vise/post unit with my engine hoist and stow it in a corner, then pick
up the plate with the hoist and tilt it against the wall, out of the
way.  If the post is welded to the plate, it's more awkward to move
and it takes up a lot of space when stowed.

I get annoyed with stuff that suddenly turns out to be in my way and
can't be moved without excess bother.  So insofar as possible,
everything is either on wheels or can be lifted with the hoist and put
out of the way.  Even my forge can be rolled away on wheels after
removing a sheet metal band that connects the smoke box to the flue
and unplugging the blower.  The compressor resides permanently on a
wheeled dolly.  One big workbench and some sheet metal gear are
exceptions. 


- Mike

-- 
Michael Spencer                  Nova Scotia, Canada       .~. 
                                                           /V\ 
mspencer at tallships.ca                                     /( )\
http://home.tallships.ca/mspencer/                        ^^-^^