LEG VISE Like You've Never Seen Before!

[@kevinlott9626]

"What once were vices, are now habits." Great channel as ever, sir.

[@Lev53420]

Im happy with my 5.5 inch bench vice. I paid $20 for it at a garage sale. When I looked it up they are going for 300. Great video

[@chauncey5962]

Bought one a few months ago used for100$

[@josephkaminski-sk9jt]

I like your new vice. My grandfather had one just like it. I really wouldn't doubt it came from a blacksmiths shop. My grandfather has since passed, but he would be 111 years old now, if he had gotten it from his father there is no telling how old the vice would be.

[@anthonybruno4424]

I just got the 5 inch kanca leg vise a few months ago. I should say that up until now I was making due with a cheap swivel bench vise mounted on a stand for my blacksmithing needs, I abused the hell out of that bench vise and it got my by but as most know it’s definitely not made for blacksmith work, I’m no where near a professional blacksmith but I’m learning. Stepping up to the kanca leg vise vise is like a whole new world, splitting the blade of a tomahawk to insert the carbon steel, upsetting the end of pieces for detail etc are like night and day difference now having that leg going to the floor. So far I am completely happy with the kanca, I wish I could have afforded the 6 inch but considering where I came from the 5 is such an upgrade that I just can’t complain. I can’t see anyone being dissatisfied with the kanca for the price.

[@NineWorldsWorkshop]

I've gotten quite a bit of machinery and equipment from Scout, great guy! Visiting his place on a road trip through Texas a few years ago was a treat, some really incredible old iron he has there.

[@BlackBearForge]

Very cool!

[@calvinnelson2617]

Just want to say, I've been watching your content for years. You have really helped me understand how better to work my coal forge and how better to design the many iterations I have done. Just got my first gas forge and I'm so amped to see how it evolves my process. Great work as always!

[@oldschool3372]

It's been a while sense I have been on your channel,I love all the upgrades to the shop,keep on living your best life and keep on teaching. I honestly have no idea how many young men I have sent to your channel to learn. Grats on the vice.

[@BlackBearForge]

Welcome back

[@TheIdeanator]

Ive got a mini pallet i found somewhere, maybe 2' square rgars just a bunch of 2x4's nailed together and it is wonderful when im at the anvil so i can hold stock between my legs.

[@jackdawg4579]

Interesting video John, thank you! Always good to see how others setup and use their equipment. These days i have my leg vices on portable stands. I just move them around as I need to. I used to use a tow bar hitch style mounting system under my benches where I could move them around the various benches I use, but I found the portable stands were good enough and easier to manage. I have normal bench mounted vices I use for heavy bending and twisting, they can take that sort of punishment no worries.

[@BlackBearForge]

Do you find the portable vise stable in use?

[@erroldillon1548]

You have a wonderful shop! You’re a superstar in my book!!!

[@BlackBearForge]

Thank you! I appreciate you saying that!

[@ironhead65]

John, great find! 11:22 and beyond, thank you for going over all of the measurements and the why!

[@BlackBearForge]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@olddawgdreaming5715]

Good morning John, great video . That is a beast of vices. Thanks for sharing with us , stay safe and keep up the fun. Fred.

[@gregnuckols1055]

Thank you for the update and many insights! Good to hear about your positive experience with the Kanca. Enjoy the new/vintage vise.

[@danielwessinger1495]

Love the vice and the one on the table is going to be a great add to that work area

[@garyfetrow8324]

Scout at Vintage Tool works is just best! I got my fly press from him. Couldn’t be happier!!! If I had a larger shop, I’d have bought that vise. I saw it when he first posted it. It’s AWESOME

[@glencrandall7051]

That is a huge vice. I hope it works well for you. Thank you for sharing. Have a great day and stay safe.🙂🙂

[@Paul-di8hl]

Thanks for the great video! Nice Post vice! The old machinists used to stand on a board vs the concrete floor at Rolls-Royce in the 1950s for comfort. Easiest short-term solution and your legs might like it!

[@glebtcheslavski1085]

John, thank you for the update! I also agree that often the process is more important than the result. 🙂

[@z0mb13h0rd3]

A long while ago, I had mentioned in a comment about work height around your anvil using platforms, glad to see you are considering a similar idea (even if not fully considering it) in this instance. When I was still welding professionally, moving my work or myself to a better height was important for preventing injury and just making my life a little easier. Making a small platform out of wood is the easy and inexpensive solution to give a try before you decide if you really need a different height. As part of a cautionary tale (to others?), when I was much younger than I am today, I worked on a out on a shellfish dredge for a summer that did not have an ergonomic work height, and suffered for years afterwards (and occasionally still do). So it is better to adjust your work height than to force your body to adjust.

[@ga5743]

Easy solution John…..lifts for your shoes 😀. Wow that demonstration project would look great for some Sunday hooks.👍. Enjoy your day.

[@nategunn2830]

Thanks for coming out to the NWBA. Nice demo 🔥

[@GypsyJvan]

that is a nice vise !.. I sold most if my bkacksmithing stuff . but I did keep my biggest leg vise, 8" jaws..thanks..I think u made the right choice..

[@cholulahotsauce6166]

Phwoar. That's big.

[@billwoehl3051]

I really like the way that older blue vice mounts, can swivel it side to side if necessary.

[@DanielDraper-p7k]

I like the quality of your candle holder. I’d put a bid on it to have a piece of your craftsmanship!

[@toddcaldwell5614]

Nice chunk of vice .

[@jamesperkins9833]

Love that table!

[@The_Smith]

that mounting system with the square headed bolts is some slick! 'Live with it for a while' good plan John, once you're used to it's height I don't think it'll be as big a deal as you think. I like an elbow height vise myself . . . I find myself leaning on mine a lot both to talk to visitors or to think . . .

[@Lccastaldo]

Wonderful video, as always! If I was at a demo in your shop, my head would be on a swivel!! I would want to look at and touch everything! You are so inspirational, my friend! 😁

[@dennisprince6454]

For when your vice is to high, I mounted a swivel machinist vice to a very heavy chunk of grader blade and have it on the floor so I can do things like assembling gates and railings and not have to stand up on something to work on the top.

[@BlackBearForge]

Great tip!

[@bigredbeard65]

Certainly a different vise, looks huge, I could use something like that at times. I'll be interested to see how you use both of those vises in later videos. The small vise setup on the platen table will certainly come in handy at times.

[@TalRohan]

I really like that two leg system, it takes the strain off the hinge...Ive seen quite a few bent hinge pins from hammering heavily I have 3 leg vices, one is on a mobile stand because the leg was broken so I didnt feel bad about chopping a bit more off to make it hammering height, its not great for bending stuff because the stand moves around. Im going to put something useful on the back of that stand ..probably a vintage engineers vice I just got that was still in its original box I need to mount my biggest vice on a strong stand that won't move when I start swinging on it...need some room first lol I'm glad the demo went well even if the end product didnt Thanks for sharing {Hi mrs Schwitzer}

[@DanA-nl5uo]

I would definitely try a platform before modifying the floor or vice. It would make a good temporary solution before you decide what works best.

[@timjohle8876]

Scout Mc Combs lives in Austin but has a an old building in Bartlett Tx. He has tons of vintage in the building.

[@markhogue9524]

Good morning John, really all you need is your platform sneakers to work that vise

[@BlackBearForge]

Yes I do!

[@dadegroot]

I do love a big vice, and that hinge on that one you have there is not something I've seen before. I have a little 3.5" vice, and a bigger 6" one which sees most of the forging work (the little one is good for little things though).

[@vincentd.8350]

I m french ! I have a 70kg leg vise for filing and à 250kg /15inches wide striking vise ... I can t tell you how much I love them

[@BlackBearForge]

Thats the largest vise I have ever heard of

[@pete.b4197]

Thank you again!! Good load good information!,Sir!!

[@user-br3ou2cs9o]

Nice vise.😎 As far as the upper mounting issue(s) with the new vise after deciding on your finished jaw height, would you not be able to trim the top of the square tube post and move the entire mounting bracket and mini table down? As far as the legs could you create/drill 2 holes in the concrete and place heavy steel tubing, square or round, with welded bottom plates to put in the holes and slip the legs into those tubes? Just trying to think of ideas with the limited information viewable on all the potential contact points for the new vise needing lowered.

[@garychaiken808]

Great job. I like the table too. I’m just questioning the leg vice. I see how it works but other than that what’s the reason you would want that over a conventional vice. I own many vices. Woodworking as well but I don’t have a leg vice. And some are very big. I choose the vice according to the job I’m doing. Thank you 😊

[@tomshahriari6602]

Here in my town in southern France you can get a massive vise at the scrap yard for 100 euros.

[@xFalconFixer]

I just want to mention your comment that the candle holder is a failure, even as a finished piece, which I totally beg to differ on. As you pointed out, the candle holder is impressive despite its flaws. John, you know, blacksmith-crafted stuff is handmade, which means it is imperfect. I'll bet you throw away things that are tons better than much of our finished work. Again, I appreciate you sharing your skills and knowledge.

[@woodcutter4670]

When I was in farrier school, we were taught how to make a step vise, which works great for filing and grinding. They are a lightweight vise but the tenison can be set to hold quite a bit. I have two that I built and would be lost without them. It so handy when your hands are full and you step on the peddle and the vise opens up, put your piece in place and release the pedal.

[@bartweijs]

That's not a french vise; but a Belgian vise. More specifically, one from the railroad company. And that is also why it has 2 legs; they happen to be spaced excactly the distance between 2 holes in one railroad sleeper. Mine says "70 kg" on both legs; has yours been repaired ? The front "70 kg" is missing. Anyway; they were ment to be used by railroad construction teams; and painted yellow. The screw box is usually also sealed; it was ment to left oustide. Usualy with both feet in a recessed piece of sleeper; and the back also screwed against a sleeper half burried vertically. I found mine at a clean-up site of old railroad workhouses. You don't want to know what I paid for it ;-) If you want some pictures of it's brother, let me know.

[@demastust.2277]

How many anvils have you got kicking around that shop, John? Any plans for them?

[@peterhoffman-v4i]

i dont know but watching mount small vice looks like you like it alot lol

[@jamesbush6969]

Would like to see a video, photo,plan? I've been wanting to make one. I only have a couple vague photos.

[@mr.potter4661]

I just bought a leg vise for 60 bucks yesterday

[@richardsalsbery1101]

could make a lower hole in ground to mount with metal cover

[@douglassimmons2675]

What about putting a floor mat down that would give you a 1" or more rise

[@BlackBearForge]

That would help a little.

[@januszdelondres]

do either of the leg vises have thrust bearings?

[@BlackBearForge]

No, I’ve never seen one on an old vise

[@januszdelondres]

@@BlackBearForge, how old is the kanca leg vise?

[@lukearts2954]

Sadly, most of those vises end up being sold for scrap metal over here where your vise came from. It's a real pity. Saw the body of a Bridgeport power hammer the other day, out in an open scrap yard where I went to pick up some ballast blocks...

[@LUC66631]

I go the same like that 70 k one , i'm 58 and got it from the grandfather of my wife who was also a blacksmith and it is indestructible . Yeh also put a metal block with rubber under that feet for hitting on that thing . 😁😁👍👍

[@NorristopianKnifeGuy]

Have you ever tried forging a golf club??

[@johnlogan5152]

My friend has one, it was his dad’s.

[@keithrhodes7386]

You say that your tall vice is a bit too tall for forging but at a good height for sawing and filing... So when you want to forge, put down a pallet and stand on that to get about four inches taller; that might put your vice at the right height.

[@PMCAUTOS]

Do you do classes ?

[@BlackBearForge]

I do not

[@TonyUrryMakes]

Ummm John? Yes you do! All these years of videos have been my classroom.

[@Jack-tr2ul]

Wouldn't it be much easier to raise the place where you stand? Same distance vertically.

[@BlackBearForge]

Easier, but it would leave something to trip over

[@Dominic.Minischetti]

Go big or go home! 😂😂😂

[@orvillevoyles9451]

A vise hight is the same as an anvil should be set to a comfortable hight to the person who is using it

[@benedikts.8371]

Fun fact: Vice-hight is exactly pronounced like "Weisheit" that is German an means wisdom. Coincedence?

[@whitecloud1504]

I heat to work by modern tools

[@chriskelly3678]

70kg = about 150lbs Wish we went Metric in the USA

[@ЯнаШарикаева]

Тиски смонтированы неправильно' они крепятся у вас только на двух болтах следовательно будут вибрировать при ударах' и не держать удар. Ножка тисков должна быть прикрученна хомутами или скобами к стойке 'а еще лучше к тумбе тогда это будет то 'что надо.

[@stenzeliron6818]

Oooh put er down in the ground a little ways?

[@jasentonguepowersaws4206]

Is that baby chicks I hear in the back ground?

[@BlackBearForge]

No, I'm not sure what you hear.

[@tuckersdoghouse2018]

Video clarity is not there on you.

[@harkbelial]

It's funny hearing Americans use kilograms, so un natural😂😂😂