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Pedestal Vise Height

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Twenty-five years ago I bought a Regal rotary vise and a pedestal for it. I have not tied flies in years, but am about to start again. The vise was evidently a C-clamp model, with a long shaft. Years ago I just used it with the pedestal and never had a problem. Now I feel like a bird with flapping wings....the thing just seems too high. My question is: what is the average height of a pedestal model? I never received a C-clamp with the vise, so maybe this is just normal....but I have a hacksaw.

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I don't know the average, but my Peak is 8" from table top to tip of jaws. I would not hesitate to use that saw if that's what it needs.

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Someone on this forum will be able to give you the height on a pedestal vise but I would clamp the vise on the edge of a table and just adjust the vise down to get it to a comfortable height and use that as a starting point. I prefer to work with what is best for me and not particularly what the manufacturer has decided on.

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The problem with shortening the stem with a hacksaw is you wind up with not enough clearance for your bobbin the pedestal base.

 

I'm not a production tier, so I think the factory pedestal height is fine. But I don't spend hours behind the vise. If you want it lower, I think the only option is to get a clamp . You may still have enough clearance between the vise head and your desk edge, but I doubt it. You won't decrease it a whole lot unless you get an L-shaped stem extension. Crackaig likes the vise head at belly-button level, and to get one that low, I believe you'd have to mount the extension upside down.

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You could always purchase a C clamp separately either from Regal, or there are many other C clamps you can get.

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The overall length of the stem on my Regal pedestal is 6 3/8". The C-clamp stem is 10 3/4". I use the pedestal for mobility,but find it too high for comfort after awhile. For my home bench I use an C-clamp and an extension to get it away from edge of the table and low enough to be comfortable.

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My Regal began life as a clamp on. When it finally found a permanent place, I switched it over to a pedestal style. I did have to cut off some of the shaft. Total height from the desk top to the vice tip is 10-1/2” For me it works out great.

 

Vice-L.jpg

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I like the jaws on my vise about chin height. I sit forward in a recliner to tie on a Danvise (clamp) . That height works for both arm fatigue and for getting in range for my progressives.

 

Kirk B.

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I bought a Dyna-King, fro the beginning with a C-clamp. When I then bought the pedestal base a shorter shaft was include. I don't think I would have liked to tie with the entire long shaft on the bench. I must have shoulders relaxed or they quickly start to hurt.

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I have three different vises I use regularly. I like my vise higher than most and depending on vise they sit on a 2" foam pad or the foam pad plus a 1" plate. I should get used to tying with a clamp and extension but have always used bases and just prefer them.

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Gosh.  Am I the only one who sits up and needs the jaws at my nose height?  I need to find/make a 6 to 8 inch extension!  Tried it with a length of threaded rod...but of course the thread pattern does not match.  

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My Danvise sits on a pedestal.  It originally came with a clamp but there wasn't really a place to clamp it on my desk.  I brought a pedestal and had to cut the shaft down a couple of inches to get it a comfortable tying level.  It sits on something I forget what I used it for at work that came home with me when I returned.  The vise is at chin level, maybe a bit higher.  This is what the set up looks like.

P2010356.thumb.JPG.c9e8040211eabea033bab7f041d4a2b0.JPG

 

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The right height is whatever feels comfortable to you. I like clamps because you have a wider range of adjustment when you move it from one place to another. But, if you have made up your mind, I would no cut the shaft to make it a pedestal. I would buy a short shaft and keep all the options open. I asked Regal once. It was $40 or so.

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