riggers vice

[matt]

I was wondering if anyone knew where I could acquire a small portable riggers vice that a college student could afford?

[Brion Toss]

Hello,
All vices are portable, of course, and many of them are small. Coffee, perhaps. Or watching "Desparate Housewives."
But if you are looking for a portable vise, there are a couple of options: make one; or get lucky. I have followed the latter course a number of times, as there are still a few great vises, in great condition, adrift in the world, usually cheap. And Ian McColgin has, at least twice in the past, downloaded a page showing a nifty homebuilt model. I have once again misplaced that page, so I'm hoping he chimes in here.
Oh, and when you get some money ahead, the best portable vise is the one we sell.
Fair leads,
Brion Toss

I do not have the photo any more. If someone can make a search function work, it may still exist on a WoodenBoat Forum file but I don't recall what category it was in. Resources, perhaps?

THis little vice is made from the stoutest edging clamp you can find. That's the clamp that has two screws opposing each other and a third right in the middle normal to the other two.

The clamp itself is not strong enough for the strains of even the light - 1/4" or so - wire the end product is suitable for so:

Bore a hole on each side of the center screw, about half way out.

Make four plates that can be bolted on each side of each hole and extend down past the ends of the opposing screws.

Through these have a bushing for each side held by a through bolt, and shape the bushing such that it recieves the end of the screw (remove the usual pad) on one side and has a groove filed to accept the wire on the other.

Make something for the one center screw that's an arced pad for the wire. I just cut a bit of small thickwall pipe down the long way and heating it and working over a bent rod to keep the form, just hammered it to shape.

Now you have two jaws that will close on the throat and one screw to push the eye against the thimble and throat.

In use, since it's so light, you want to add some umph. I like just tieing the standing part from the overhead with the vice and eye about chin high when sitting. I hang a line with a stick down to a sknudge over the sole and plant both feet on it. Now I can splice away, easily turning the work as needed and able to provide whatever tension I want at the moment.

This vice costs almost nothing and is great for getting the feel of splicing on cheap, small diameter wire. They say you need to be doing at least 5 splices to throw away before you might dare a real one. Being a slow learner and a poor retainer - I don't do too many splices per year after all - I need at least a dozen before I get into a real project. Get the hands back, as it were.

G'luck

Ian

[matt]

Thanks for the advice, I was able to find some photos on the wooden boat forum and we have a good shop at school so I will try and make the vice Ian described. I'm also going keep my eyes open for a vice, hopefully Iíll find one someday.