Right fellow home mechanics, having worked on forks for the last 40+ years I should have took the plunge years ago and bought the right kit. Like many I have struggled with use a bench mounted workshop vice but you can’t clamp inners or outlets in them easily and without potential damage. Now I probably strip down a set a year maybe 2 so would love something like the Motion Pro fork vice but can’t see getting the value out of £350. So the quest went on for the best homemade alternative, come up with the idea of making adjustable brackets that would bolt to the caliper mount holes and then clamping the arm in the vice, then I saw this guys effort online and it’s pretty neat, but I am sure some of you will have come up with your own ideas, so let’s have them please If not I am going to copy this one
I don't do these jobs that often so use a workmate. It's far from ideal though. Something like a 6 inch bench vice that allowed you to use notched wood pieces to clamp the fork would be a cheap alternative that would do the job.
Agree Dern, tried all sorts over the years including the workmate, clamping the caliper mounts in a vice at an angle, balancing it between my knees, getting Mrs KB to stand there holding it still etc etc Ordered the parallel clamps and will mount them on some angle and see how they perform.
Well must admit to being a bit surprised here, apart from Dern, would have thought a few of you would get yer hands dirty and do a bit of home maintenance and have some ideas. Surely not all of you are bunging yer bikes into dealers to spanner them, what do we all do when the ashtrays are full ?
I'll ask my mate...he's a bit of a weird professor pat pending too.....his is currently on this after taking the forks out lol
I have many times just put 2 bits of wood in the vise then holesaw between them now you have a fork holder,
OK, took a while for the parallel clamp to arrive, but does what I wanted, still got to line the jaws with some thin neoprene but holds the parasol base which weighs 20KGs rock solid, should be perfect for forks.
Feeling a little smug at the moment, it works just as planned. Admittedly the Motion Pro effort is a little more aesthetically pleasing to the eye, but at £310 less, I’m quite happy with the Kentblade bodge
I have just bought a motion pro pivot vise, only fitted it a couple of days ago but it’s a very well made bit of kit.
Nice bit of kit there. Financially unable to justify it for me as only doing a set of forks every year or so, but if your running a throughput of forks, it’s the bit of kit I’d buy. Now, if your on a real breadline budget, just get the vice jaws and struggle , just not enough flexibility for a full rebuild job.
