How I Made My Own 5lb. Fly-tying Vise Base

Let me start by talking about my fly-tying Vise. For the longest time, I've been working away on this aftermarket vise I picked up from Bass Pro Shop. It's basically a knock-off of one of those high-end vise brands that rhymes with "Eagle". Looks good, gets the job done, but it doesn't come with that fancy brass branded button. I wont apologize for being frugal, so I can tell you that it didn't cost me an arm and a leg. But the quality was good enough for my use. I've got better things to spend my cash on, like saving up for another trip to Austria, you know?

There has been this one pesky issue with my setup though. See, this vise of mine didn't come with a desktop base. Nope, instead, it's got this c-clamp to attach it to the edge of a table. It's alright, but not always the most convenient setup. You end up working from the edge of the table, which can get a bit awkward. So, I figured I'd look into getting a base for it. After doing a quick Google search I found a few affordable options, but where's the fun in that when I could just DIY it?

For most of my DIY projects, I have a process where I just plant the idea in my brain and walk away to let my subconscious work away at it for a bit. I suppose its like casting a fly to a current that leads into a dark corner and letting it drift just a little longer than you would normally. Eventually, in this case, a few weeks later, I stumbled into a thrift store and found myself browsing through the sporting goods section. And there it was, sitting in a basket of odds and ends: a solitary 5 lb. flat steel disc . You know, the kind you'd slap onto each end of a curling dumbbell, but there was only one of them. My brain kicked in and I set the hook. This was the perfect thing to make the base for my vise.

Being an odds and ends piece missing its mate, the price wasn't marked, so I asked the manager, and they hit me with "a dollar a pound". A more than fair deal, because I am now over 55 years old, and it was "Tuesday senior discount", bringing the total down to just $2.50. Can't beat that. Take advantage of your benefits of age folks. Its getting more difficult every year to find positive things about getting older. I will take this win.

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The Build

First step: The hardware. I'd already scoped out what I needed online – a steel coupling with a tension screw to lock the vise post in place. yes, I could have made this from other funky bits and parts from a hardware store but decided it would be better just to order the part. Sometimes, you gotta remember you don't have to make every single element.

Second step: Figuring out the mounting. Mounting the coupling was a little tricky. The hole in the weight was bigger than the coupling, so I did have to whip up a wooden insert and drill a hole for the coupling screw to drop through. With a few drops of superglue it was in, "solid and secure."

We see here the base of the stand. The coupling mount bold attaches to the screw and cinches down in the recess of the 5 lb weight. 3M cupboard bumpers protect tabletops while also adding traction to keep the stand in place.

Third Step: I came across a small challenge on my path.  The vise post. Because it was made to be attached from a c-clamp it was taller than needed. With some slight trepidation, I convinced myself to break out the hacksaw and take about 5 inches off the end. I cleaned up the cut end by rounding it out on my bench-top grinder.

Fourth Step: Gotta protect those table surfaces. Slapped on some small self-adhesive rubber bumpers to keep the weight from scratching up any table I decide to work on. Simple but effective. I may change these out later but for now these do the trick.

And there you have it – my very own DIY vise base, ready to tackle any fly-tying adventure that comes my way.

I love projects like this that make my brain work out solutions. When I visit a hardware store I don't seem to ever be thinking of using items I find in their traditional manner. I see it's function and potential differently. The shape of an item, how it connects or can be connected to something else is really all about using my imagination. Perhaps that is why I like hardware stores so much. They tickle my brain. I suppose it is this same reason that I like thrift stores too. You never know what you will find that you can use to solve a problem or finish a project.

Here it sits on my tying desk. I added one of my tool caddies (coming soon to an Etsy shop near you) to the post. That silver bowl is a magnetic screw and part holder I picked up at a auto parts store. Holds flies wonderfully. (Bonus Hack for you) and best of all it magnetically sticks to the base!

Always want to hear your DIY ideas and I will even take your challenges! Thanks for following me.

Happy Doing It Yourself!