I have a regal vise with a c-clamp, and would like to have the pocket style base for it. Anybody found a suitable substitute for buying a new vise that comes with a base? I could get a wooden one made, I suppose, but then it wouldn’t be heavy enough. Any ideas?
just order the base from any shop that carries Regal…? Scroll to the lower section of this website at Regal: http://regalvise.com/accessories.html
There are a load of options for wooden fly tying workstations from small to huge, depending on what you want. Look at http://www.jsflyfishing.com/oasis-pedestal-base for an example of a smaller pedestal base…
Or order the Regal Pocket base from your local fly shop as Byron suggests.
Cliff
What about simply having a wooden “cover” made for your existing pedestal base. It could fit right over the existing base and you could have it customized however you want it. For that matter, it could just as easily be made from a nice light colored piece of corian or some other material as it works just like wood with carbide tools. Just a thought…
Jim Smith
Good ideas. But I don’t want to pay the going rate for a Regal pocket base, and I have one of the mini tying stations, but want something smaller. What I think I might do is get the standard, cheap base, and then do as Jim says and look for a woodworker to make make the cover. Probably wind up with more in it than buying the Regal base. My vise is the c-clamp model. Just wondering.
I have a wood base that is secured with screw to my tying desk. Works great, it’s all home made from scrap wood so I didn’t mess up a nice piece of furniture doing it.
I bought the Bigfoot base years ago and still use it with my Regal INEX as my travel vise. Excellent base. It’s $49 on Wapsi…but you may find it on EBAY for about half that. Very heavy and stable.
Don’t forget you will probably need to get a shorter shaft for your vise when you shift to a base from a C clamp.
I cut my INEX down to 5 1/2" with a dremel wheel, then buffed the edges. Fits perfect, but it does not allow it to work in the clamp anymore. That was not an issue for me.
Ralph are you tying on top of the cigar box or is it a photo prop?
Thanks for all the ideas. Think I’ll just continue on with the clamp, after all these years of working well. Guess you guys get a bee in your bonnet now and then, too.
Photo prop…had a better angle. 
I posted this stand I made from scrap oak and 4 dowels. I can clamp the vise base or stand down if I need to
Pity. Just keep an eye out and pick up a vise with a bronze base when you can find one at the right price. I think I got mine for a bit more than what Regal charges for the base alone in an auction, for example. The Regal bronze base is one of the best in the business IMO and I wish more of the other manufacturers would add this simple convenience to their pedestals. Yes, there are many other solutions, but the bronze base takes up less space and is heavy enough to be a rock solid tying platform with a minimal foot print, which I like on my crowded desk.
I’ll do that.
I work at a high school. I had the kids in the metal shop make me a couple of bases. One even has a post that screws on and off the base, making it nice to travel with. Now, there are no pockets, but I use neodymium magnets to hold hooks, etc into place. I find that the “brass” beads will adhere to magnets most times as well. If I need a pocket, I just put a magnet into a secrets box, and stick it to the base. It is A LOT heavier than the commercial brass plates, but that is not a bad thing…nothing short of a tornado will knock my vise over.
That’s what I use on my “other” vise - magnets all over the place.
Well if you do take the plunge and buy a base, then I would consider Renzetti saltwater base an an option for their master vice. You will find that most bases except the 3/8 inch shaft.
