My New Barrel Vise

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Butch Lambert

Active member
My New Barrel Vise-additional photos

After seeing photos of barrel vises I decided to do mine. Thanks to James Anderson and Jim Kobe for information. I made mine from 2.5" 6061 barstock. I did not show the stand that I built to hold it. I will show it later. I made the bottom of it to bolt to the stand with 3/8"X16 socket head capscrews. The base has 3/8" studs screwed into it to hold the top of the vise. Hardened washers and tall nuts do the clamping. James suggested that I install 2 springs between the 2 pieces of the vise. It is handy. I bored it 1 3/4" to be able to use the Brownell's barrel inserts or ones that I make. I will have it hard anodized Monday.
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I did counter bore the top and bottom for the springs to locate. I also counter bored the 4 places the studs stick through for the hardened washers.
The base will be anchored to the floor. It is made of 4" square tubing with .250 wall. The top and bottom plates are 3/8"X7" plate.
I got tired of using a lite duty vise that I had to clamp to my work bench. It did not grip well at all.
Butch
 
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Butch, now make another one and mount it to a piece of 2" x 2" square tubing so you can mount it to the trailer hitch on that red truck!!
 
Jerry,
I quit changing barrels except at home. If the one I have on won't do it another won't either. I will see you at the SS.
Butch
 
Looks good Butch! Mine is about the ugliest ever. I use a Rigid pipe vise that's older than me that I've made brass and aluminum bushings to be used with. If I know the barrel is junk I don't mess with the bushings. Never failed to get one off with it.--Mike
 
Nice looking vise Butch. Great idea about the springs, I never would have thought about that.
 
I made my barrel vise a few years ago, but similar to Butch's. Mine is 304 stainless (PITA) and mounts on a very nice stand called the table of my Bridgeport clone. I make split barrel bushings out of 1.5" 6160 bar stock. Mine also has springs in it but can't be seen from the picture.

Eric U
Barrel vise.jpg
 
Very good Eric. Thanks for the compliments. Mr Kobe and Mr Anderson used springs on theirs and I think it is the neatest part of the job.
Butch
 
Butch,
The vise looks nice,even nicer once hard anodized.

Now you have something else to manufacture in your SPARE time!!!!!!
 
I like it! I need to figure out a way to do the "spring thing" on mine. That would really simplify getting the barrel in the vise with out scratching it.

Fitch
 
Got the vise back from anodizing. Gas company had them shut down last week to conserve energy. I had an offer to powder coat the stand and am waiting for it. I will try to get photos of receiver wrenches when I get back from Oklahoma later today.
Butch
 
frwillia said:
I like it! I need to figure out a way to do the "spring thing" on mine. That would really simplify getting the barrel in the vise with out scratching it.

Fitch
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If you visit a tool and die shop in the area, ask them for a few die springs with the ID of them big enough to fit the bolts in your vise. I put mine under the top half by boring out the underside of the bolt holes to take the spings. That way they stay in place nicely.
 
Jim Kobe said:
If you visit a tool and die shop in the area, ask them for a few die springs with the ID of them big enough to fit the bolts in your vise. I put mine under the top half by boring out the underside of the bolt holes to take the spings. That way they stay in place nicely.
Click to expand...

Good idea! Thanks!

Fitch
 
Butch,

I Hope that your vise's clamping screws don't strip out on the aluminum threads when you have to torque to remove some problem barrels (sometimes 500 ft pounds!!). If they do strip out, you might be able to salvage the fixture with some sort of thread insert. I personally had to redo most of my barrel vise procedures when I broke things... What I learned is that I use steel parts for the body of the barrel vise, fine thread pitches for the clamping screws, good high pressure lubes on the clamping screw threads, and rosin on the parts that are held in the inserts ....

Scott
 
Scott,
I can always salvage it if I have a problem. All of the parts are ready to pick up at the plater. The powder coating is done. Maybe it will go together this weekend. A suggestion, use powdered sugar rather than rosin to help keep the barrel from slipping.
Butch
 
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