Vices are one of the more useful tools in the workshop, and come in all shapes and sizes to do all kinds of things. But with rare exception most vices require you to hold the piece you want to clamp in the vice with one hand, while turning the crank to clamp the vice onto it with the other. Sometimes getting thins right where you want them can be a challenge, especially with odd shaped or oddly weighted items. So what if you had a vice that was foot operated? And better yet what if it was foot operated and hydraulic? Yeah, sounds pretty cool to us too.
Plus, for all those times you need to use your vice like a press, this sucker is a bad ass. The pump and ram, bought separately, are about $200. I’m sure if you shopped you could get the two for less than that, but lets call it $200. The rest of the vice is built from steel plate and strap, which would cost less than $50 if purchased new and should be available at your metal yards scrap pile for 40 cents a pound. At that rate you can’t spend $10 on the materials, which makes it absolutely worth trying out as a weekend project.
I changed the ram on my cherry picker over to air over hydraulic a few years ago and would never have it any other way. I have a feeling that the same would be true once I built this vice, and I assure you I will be building it in the new shop.
Nice! Proves you don’t need sophisticated equipment to turn out great work.
That just might be the coolest thing you’ve ever posted, Chad.
now that looks like a project worth gathering up parts for.A lot more powerful than I had thought it would be. Very cool.
Beer can crushing party!!!