pedestal vise stand

[Metalman]

While looking thru the Cabela's catalog today I noticed boat pedestal seat bases. These adjust vertically and swivel. For the price they look like just the ticket. Has anyone used or attempted to use one of these stands to fabricate an adjustable vise stand. They are about 10% of the price of using a drill press stand.

 

[Jim Sackett]

Fishing

Taking a seat out of a boat? To use just for engraving? What happens when a guy wants to go fishing then? I dont't know thats a tough one, its a matter of prioritys.

Jim Sackett
letterguy@jimsackettsengravingplus.com
ps Wouldn't that be against the law or a cardenal sin or something like that there?

 

[Unkl Ian]

I've seen boat seat bases at Bass Pro Shops.

 

[Ranchman]

A few things I'd look at. Can you lock the swivel and is it going to be sturdy enough so you get no vibration when your working on it. Most drill press tables are pretty solid. I only use HC so I need something that doesn't vibrate when I'm tapping away.

Jeff

 

[ddushane]

I just looked at this one and think I could do something with it, maybe. Still thinking about it. Dwayne

http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/t...&parentType=index&indexId=cat21336&hasJS=true

 

[tldcowboygear]

The only thing that i see that might make the drill press a better solution is that with the cabela swivel, you are limited to a 14-1/2" through 19 inch range. The drill press type is only limited to the height of the pedastal.

D.C.

 

[Tira]

Metalman, I have a stand that I made from a pedestal that I purchased from Cabelas. I've been using it for about 3 years. It works OK, but my stand had to be shimmed up because the top was not perpendicular to the floor. I shimmed it and topped it with a small round wooden table top and, as I said, it work OK. I've recently traded up to the drill press stand.

The largest problem I had with the boat seat stand was that it did adjust up and down, but not very accurately. Most of the time I could get it close to where I wanted it to be and then I had to adjust the scope. Also, there was a bit of sway in the stand.

 

[Santo]

A little help please -- How does one find a drill press stand without the drill part? Or does one purchase the press only to remove the drill mechanism? I have been searching and can't seem to find just the stand. I'm probably not asking for the right information in my searches so any help would be appreciated.

Santo

 

[BrianPowley]

For what it's worth, here's what I've been using for a few years.
The stand is from a Grizzly Radial Drill press, purchased new. The entire top of the drill press is still in the box.
To purchase just the stand, you will have to buy it in "parts" and it will cost as much as the entire drill press.
(I plan to either sell the head on Ebay or at a yard sale, or I might keep it and fashion some sort of stand for it later.)
The platform you see direcly under the GRS Positioning Vise is a home made "lazy susan" complete with upper and lower pedestal bearings.
This way, I have the benefit of the positioning vise on a lazy susan and the height is adjustable to fit under a microscope.

 

[fegarex]

Brian,
I have to ask why you made the lazy susan arrangement on the turntable. I have the same stand and I just installed a thrust bearing under the drill press table and greased everything well. This way I can also adjust the "drag" by tightening the clamp on the table stem. Just wondered.

 

[BrianPowley]

Rex, I tried to do just that, but the stem on the table wasn't long enough to accommodate the bearing and fit into the mounting arm. I must've had too big of a bearing, and never bothered to find one that would work.
In this particular set up, I used what I had on hand. Yours sure seems to be a much easier design. (And who doesn't like easy?)
Do you have a picture? I'd like to see it. Maybe I can upgrade.

 

[fegarex]

Brian,
All I did was find a thin thrust bearing the diameter of the table post. The bearing is only about 1/16" thick or so. In my case I found the bearing from a friend that had a transmission repair shop. That was all there was to it. If I am working on something heavy I can tighten the cinch bolt on the table shaft a bit to adjust drag. I'm sure your method is much smoother then mine but I have always prefered a slight drag.

 

[BrianPowley]

Rex,I'll look into getting a thin bearing and testing it out. I admit I never thought about using a thrust bearing for this setup.... That's the problem with being Left-handed (and from Ohio)----N'yuk,N'yuk,N'yuk.

On the contraption I use, the pedestal bearings (top & bottom)are bolted through the vise table and it is very smooth to operate. If I need drag,(and like you, I do prefer some) I just tighten one of the mounting bolts more than the other one. It creates a slight "bind" on the bearings.
The actual table and thru shaft was bartered for engraving work....it's a nice 3/8" solid steel plate, 12 in. in diameter. The shaft is 1 in. solid steel rod, welded perfectly perpendicular to the plate.

 

[Tom Curran]

Like your ideas.

For thrust bearings:
A)torrington makes needle roller thrust bearings. two flat washers with the rollers sandwiched in between in a little sheet metal cage. http://www.mcmaster.com/ type in 'thrust bearings' in the search window.
B) a High Density Polyethylene (HDPE), delrin or bronze washer would be just the ticket, and cheap.
C) just grease the table post and hope for the best.

 

[fegarex]

Tom,
That's pretty much what I have. I guess I forgot to mention the washers. I actually works fairly well just greased but I was able to get the bearing for free.

 

[Ozgraver]

I would go for an 1/8" Delrin (acetal) washer between the table and the table clamp. That will provide smooth rotation, but won't free-spin if you grab the table and try to spin it up.

 

[Chas]

On another forum, I saw a mention of a Dulin-Hawk Engraving Platform--does anyone have any information on these???

 

[Ray Cover]

Rex,

I was looking at one of the ones i have in the school here and mine has a bit of rock and wiggle in it when not tightened down. Did you have to do anything to yours to take that out?

Ray

 

[fegarex]

Ray,
Mine has a bit of a wiggle if real loose. I find that a light tightening of the bolt along with the bearing is enough to take up the wiggle/wobble. Perhaps I lucked out and got one with decent tolerances.

 

[Ray Cover]

I wonder if it would help to put some valve grinding compound in it and lap it out to improve the fit of the table? It probably would not take much to lap out those bearing surfaces.

Ray