[Guest]

I am in the process of getting a table to do gun cleaning and maintenance on. I am going to put a vise on it, mainly for working on my AR when I need to. So that means I have to get a receiver block to hold my AR securely when I remove and install the barrel.

Do any of you have one of these? I need to know how thick it is with rifle installed into it, so I know how big of a vise to buy. I don't need a huge vise for anything, so I just want to get one that will barely fit the receiver block. So if any of you have one, could you measure it for me and tell me how wide a vise needs to be able to open to accept it?

 

[Guest]

I've used one before. I don't have one to measure, but if your jaws open to 6" you'll be fine. 2 questions:

1. Why would you want to limit yourself by getting a vise that's barely large enough? I would just get the Wheeler Eng. Gunsmithing Vise and be done with it.

2. Why not buy the block now, and then get a vise to fit it!

 

[Guest]

I've used one before. I don't have one to measure, but if your jaws open to 6" you'll be fine. 2 questions:

1. Why would you want to limit yourself by getting a vise that's barely large enough? I would just get the Wheeler Eng. Gunsmithing Vise and be done with it.

2. Why not buy the block now, and then get a vise to fit it!

both good questions. First, I want to keep costs down.. and the way I'm going to mount the vise, i won't be able to use it for hard work anyways.. so I don't need some massive heavy duty vise. And I've never looked at the wheeler vise.. perhaps I will do so.

And why not buy the block now? Well, I intend on buying the block soon.. probably before I get the vise actually. I was just attempting to kill two birds with one stone and have things all setup before the block even arrives.

 

[Guest]

My vice was $25 at wally world. It opens up about 9-10in.

 

[Guest]

My vice was $25 at wally world. It opens up about 9-10in.

I'm not finding a vise at wally world.. I don't know why. I've looked, but I can't find them. I really don't want to spend a lot of money. Between the table, vise, and block I need to get.. i'd like to keep that right around $100.

I'm not going for some sturdy setup that you can beat the crap out of. My table is just going to be a folding table with a heavier thick plastic top. I plan on bolting the vise to a 2x8 stretched from front to back on the table, and clamped down. I need simple and I need basic. I can't afford to have a permanent table setup at the moment so this is the best I can do.

like I said, all I need it for is holding my AR if I need to take it apart or anything. Also would probably use it for holding a rifle installing or adjusting a scope too. But I'd just toss a towel in there to protect the rifle and it'd be fine. it's not going to see heavy duty shop type work.

 

[Guest]

like I said, all I need it for is holding my AR if I need to take it apart or anything. Also would probably use it for holding a rifle installing or adjusting a scope too. But I'd just toss a towel in there to protect the rifle and it'd be fine. it's not going to see heavy duty shop type work.

So you aren't going to be swaping the barrel out or anything?

 

[Guest]

So you aren't going to be swaping the barrel out or anything?

yes I will be using it for that. but that's the hardest use it will see. which isn't that hard really, compared to other abuses that people do to their vise/work bench.

Removing and installing barrel, and removing and installing butt stock tube if I ever need to.. that's about it for heavier use of the vise.

ahh.. I think what you were referring to on that was a normal rifle.. not my AR. I won't be swapping out a barrel on a normal rifle.. not likely.. I will just be using the vise to hold a normal bolt action rifle for simple things.

 

[Guest]

yes I will be using it for that. but that's the hardest use it will see. which isn't that hard really, compared to other abuses that people do to their vise/work bench.

Removing and installing barrel, and removing and installing butt stock tube if I ever need to.. that's about it for heavier use of the vise.

ahh.. I think what you were referring to on that was a normal rifle.. not my AR. I won't be swapping out a barrel on a normal rifle.. not likely.. I will just be using the vise to hold a normal bolt action rifle for simple things.

You know you will need at least 3Ft-Lbs of torque no more than 65 right? I almost tipped my bench doing that. A plastic topped bench may not stand up to the riggors of AR15 armoring.

Hmmm..... If only AKpopo was around. He is a certified AR15/M16 Armorer.

 

[Guest]

You know you will need at least 3Ft-Lbs of torque no more than 65 right? I almost tipped my bench doing that. A plastic topped bench may not stand up to the riggors of AR15 armoring.

Hmmm..... If only AKpopo was around. He is a certified AR15/M16 Armorer.

what type of bench do you have and how much does it weigh? I'm not 100% set on this for a bench right now.. it's just one of the ideas I'm throwing around.

hmm.. I just came up with another idea. I can't afford an expensive table, an expensive vise.. not right now. I really only need the table for cleaning... I have another idea of how I could be able to use a vise. Granted.. it's not the best or easiest way.. but remember, I can't have pemanent and I can't have big and bulky right now for how things are for me at the moment. I need something that can be taken down easily and moved.. because I don't see us being at this apartment for a whole lot longer, and I don't see us having a house anytime soon.

What about making basically a very low tabletop type thing that can just be sat on the ground when you need to use it? maybe a few 2x12's held together by 2x4's on the end.. that way all your force is being directly transferred into the floor, and not into potentially tipping a lighter table over. I don't need to use it very long to be able to tighten a barrel nut down. For that matter, the dang thing can be made so it has room for me to stand on the boards to keep it from coming up. all you really need to be able to do is tighten that barrel nut down, tighten the quad rail nut up.. and you're done.

and yes.. I know this sounds ghetto lol. I don't have many options at the moment. I really wish I could have a good sturdy work bench... I can't tell you how much I miss living in the same city as my parents now.. my dad has just about every tool you can imagine and he has a huge work bench. I've grown up using that stuff lots, and now I have none! it's horrible!

I just figure if I did make something like that, as long as it's small enough to fit on the table.. big enough for the weight of either my feet or knees to be on it.. straddling over it or whatever..vise mounted in the center.. it's low to the ground so it won't flip. it should work.. it will do what I need, at least I think. and when I'm done I can just set it back up on the table.

 

[Guest]

I have your typical metal framed, 2in thick table top, shop bench with pegboard backing. Not what you want. Are you savy with wood working tool? I found some plans for collapsible workbenches that might meet you needs for out of the way. You can alter them to fit the are you have.

I like this one I might make one my self.
http://www.woodworking.org/WC/Garchive01/3_27workbench.html

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[Guest]

I have your typical metal framed, 2in thick table top, shop bench with pegboard backing. Not what you want. Are you savy with wood working tool? I found some plans for collapsible workbenches that might meet you needs for out of the way. You can alter them to fit the are you have.

I like this one I might make one my self.
http://www.woodworking.org/WC/Garchive01/3_27workbench.html

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I just saw one of these the other day in Menards.. a home depot type store. I don't think I'd trust it to be torqued on too much, to be honest. It felt flimsy to me.

 

[Guest]

Dumb question; why would one need to remove an AR barrel and will I need to remove mine at some point?

 

[Guest]

Dumb question; why would one need to remove an AR barrel and will I need to remove mine at some point?

there are only a few reasons why one may need to remove a barrel. Maybe you're building a new upper... putting a different barrel on. Maybe you're replacing the freefloat tube and you have to be able to put some torque on the nut to tighten it back up.

That's one thing I'm thinking of doing, replacing my free float quadrail. I need something to hold the gun tight so I can loosen that nut.

I plan on eventually starting to build a new AR, so that's one reason why I want to have the stuff to be able to do it with.

 

[Guest]

Thanks. I hope I won't ever need to. I like my rifle just the way it is.

 

[Guest]

Dumb question; why would one need to remove an AR barrel and will I need to remove mine at some point?

I had to pull off the FH, front sight, barrel nut and Delta ring to add a FF tube to my AR.

The whole job took 90 minutes start-to-finish. That includes a coffee break.

I'll have to do it again when the parts for my "Add a Rail to a Carbon Fiber Float Tube" project arrive.

I have a heavy duty 5" vise from Harbor Freight and a Panther Claw. The Claw worked great! But I'm still getting a receiver block. My Bench is a heavily reinforced $39.99 Gorilla? bench from Fred Meyer.

ZM