How to make a carpenter's vice for a workbench from old shock absorbers

To work with large wooden workpieces, a vise with a wide grip is required. You can make them yourself from old shock absorbers and place them directly on the workbench. With such equipment it will be much easier to work with wood.

Materials:

• plywood 12 m;
  
• corner 50x50 mm;
  
• threaded rods M12, M20;
  
• extended nut M20;
  
• used car shock absorbers – 2 pcs.;
  
• pipe 50 mm;
  
• profile pipe 60x20 mm
  
• bolts, nuts, washers.

Vise manufacturing process

First of all, we determine the size of the jaws of the vice, and according to it we cut out 2 blanks from 12 mm plywood, sand them on one side and glue them together.


You will need one sponge, the second is not needed, since the side of the workbench itself will serve instead.
Then we make a stop bar to fix the sponge. It can be cut from a corner or strip. A 20 mm hole is drilled in the center of the bar for the stud, and at the edges for the shock absorber rods.

Then it is placed on a sponge, and the holes are visible through the holes.

A washer is welded to the M20 threaded rod 10 cm from the edge. After this, you need to mill holes in the sponge for the washers.

The next step is to drill the shock absorbers and drain the oil from them.


After this, holders are made for them. 2 pieces of 10 cm each are cut from a 50 mm pipe. They need to be spread lengthwise, narrowed and welded so that the shock absorbers fit tightly into them.



The holders are drilled from the side. M10 nuts are welded to the resulting holes in order to screw the bolts into them.

Then the holders are welded to the ends of the profile pipe. The width of this structure should be such that the rods from the shock absorbers inserted into the holders fit exactly into the outer holes on the thrust bar.

The shock absorbers are placed in holders and tightened with bolts.

Washers, a sponge, a support bar are put on their rods, and everything is clamped with nuts.

Then you need to accurately determine the center on the profile pipe and drill it for the M20 stud. On the back, a nut is welded through this hole. 3 M12 studs are welded on the side for fastening to the workbench

To install the vice, you need to drill the tabletop in three places for the side studs and screw the mount.



Then shock absorbers are inserted into it.

Afterwards, a side board with pre-made holes is screwed to the tabletop.

The central pin is screwed in behind it.

After it, a sponge and a bar are placed. An extended nut is screwed onto the stud and locked.

The knob itself consists of two welded nuts with an inserted rod.

To prevent it from twisting, it should also be stopped.

Watch the video