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- Thread starter Ryan
- Start date
Outlawmws
Well-known member
Cool project Ryan!
What would be perfect for the Versa-Vise is the pop up flush bench mount for the base. Rare and hard to find.
What would be perfect for the Versa-Vise is the pop up flush bench mount for the base. Rare and hard to find.
Odessaboots
Member
Can you provide more details on the remote battery connection? I assume it is a 3D printed part on both ends, with the wiring simply moving the current from the battery to the inverter - was that a custom design or did you purchase it? I would love to replicate that function but a bit lost on how that wiring was done.
Thanks!
Thanks!
OP
I've been looking for one for over a year... I'd love to have one.
OP
Yes, 3D printed both parts - one for the battery and the other for the inverter. That's the one STL I can't give out... I don't wanna be held accountable if someone burns their house down.
BUT, I think people sell the same kind of thing on Etsy...
Outlawmws
Well-known member
I think it would be fairly easy to fab one 1-1/2" DOM tubing is easy to get, another with that ID, and plate with a hole in it...
I don't currently have a suitable bench for that, or I'd ahve made one, but there is is..
OP
Odessaboots
Member
The battery side adapter I have a good print for, its the side that attaches to the inverter where I am a bit lost. It looks like you have your wire running into one of those generic "build-your-own" M18 battery cases, so is that wired into the PCB somehow and then you mount that to your 3D print? The M18 diagram shows tabs for intermediate voltages, so curious how you got the pos/neg from the custom adapter to play nicely going into the inverter. Any light you can shed would be appreciated.
BTW, your entire cart is cause for envy, it's just I have a use for the clever remote battery part for a project of my own at the moment.
Gridfinity has also changed my life for the better (and my wife's but she doesn't know what it is called, just that our entire kitchen is so well organized now...), super cool to see it in use in your shop too.
Keep up the inspiring work!
OP
Yes! I totally forgot about using half a fake m18 battery case. This thing went together almost 2 years ago… I believe I have all the details in my shop. I’ll dig em out tomorrow.
OP
Back at the lab and searching very old emails...
So the S/MC has been in my head for a very long time. The battery location portion of this project actually started in early 2023 with a collaboration that I 100% forgot about. Enter Justin Blevins. He had the original STLs for the M18 bases. You can see his shop here:
www.etsy.com
So basically, I took his STLs and modified them to my needs. I then got to the M18 base that matches up to the inverter and hit a roadblock of sorts. It was Justin's idea to start with one of these:
He then tossed the bottom of the case and it's guts and designed a mount that matched my own - allowing me to mount the "male" part of the M18 equation to my bench.
All this thing is doing is essentially acting like an extension cord - taking power and ground from the battery mounted on the side of the bench and transferring it to the inverter which is mounted on the face. Nothing at all complicated from an electrical standpoint, but fantastic modeling work by Jason that is, unfortunately, almost completely hidden once the bench is assembled.
About a year after I got this model from Justin, I got the extruded aluminum from Parco. I worked on it for few days and got it as far as installing drawer boxes and then lost steam. The bench sat under another bench of mine for another year until I finished it earlier this week.
I've had so many different projects going on in that time, that the details of this one got foggy... and I feel like **** for not giving Justin his dues. Gotta go edit the feature...
So the S/MC has been in my head for a very long time. The battery location portion of this project actually started in early 2023 with a collaboration that I 100% forgot about. Enter Justin Blevins. He had the original STLs for the M18 bases. You can see his shop here:
JBWELDDESIGNS - Etsy
Shop Fun and Functional items parts, tools, etc... by JBWELDDESIGNS located in North Carolina, United States. Smooth shipping! Has a history of shipping on time with tracking. Speedy replies! Has a history of replying to messages quickly. Rave reviews! Average review rating is 4.8 or higher
www.etsy.com
So basically, I took his STLs and modified them to my needs. I then got to the M18 base that matches up to the inverter and hit a roadblock of sorts. It was Justin's idea to start with one of these:
He then tossed the bottom of the case and it's guts and designed a mount that matched my own - allowing me to mount the "male" part of the M18 equation to my bench.
All this thing is doing is essentially acting like an extension cord - taking power and ground from the battery mounted on the side of the bench and transferring it to the inverter which is mounted on the face. Nothing at all complicated from an electrical standpoint, but fantastic modeling work by Jason that is, unfortunately, almost completely hidden once the bench is assembled.
About a year after I got this model from Justin, I got the extruded aluminum from Parco. I worked on it for few days and got it as far as installing drawer boxes and then lost steam. The bench sat under another bench of mine for another year until I finished it earlier this week.
I've had so many different projects going on in that time, that the details of this one got foggy... and I feel like **** for not giving Justin his dues. Gotta go edit the feature...
Odessaboots
Member
Huge thanks for sharing this, super helpful!Back at the lab and searching very old emails...
So the S/MC has been in my head for a very long time. The battery location portion of this project actually started in early 2023 with a collaboration that I 100% forgot about. Enter Justin Blevins. He had the original STLs for the M18 bases. You can see his shop here:
JBWELDDESIGNS - Etsy
Shop Fun and Functional items parts, tools, etc... by JBWELDDESIGNS located in North Carolina, United States. Smooth shipping! Has a history of shipping on time with tracking. Speedy replies! Has a history of replying to messages quickly. Rave reviews! Average review rating is 4.8 or higher
So basically, I took his STLs and modified them to my needs. I then got to the M18 base that matches up to the inverter and hit a roadblock of sorts. It was Justin's idea to start with one of these:
He then tossed the bottom of the case and it's guts and designed a mount that matched my own - allowing me to mount the "male" part of the M18 equation to my bench.
All this thing is doing is essentially acting like an extension cord - taking power and ground from the battery mounted on the side of the bench and transferring it to the inverter which is mounted on the face. Nothing at all complicated from an electrical standpoint, but fantastic modeling work by Jason that is, unfortunately, almost completely hidden once the bench is assembled.
About a year after I got this model from Justin, I got the extruded aluminum from Parco. I worked on it for few days and got it as far as installing drawer boxes and then lost steam. The bench sat under another bench of mine for another year until I finished it earlier this week.
I've had so many different projects going on in that time, that the details of this one got foggy... and I feel like **** for not giving Justin his dues. Gotta go edit the feature...
Gonna pick up one of those packs on Amazon and give it a go. If my soldering doesn't look too crappy, I might post on here for others to see how it all get's rigged up.
OP
It's a super easy soldering job. Just two spades... and they are large... I'll see if I have video of that.
Stuart in MN
Well-known member
I like it a lot. I agree on the casters from medical equipment - I've spent a fair amount of time in doctor's offices and hospitals in recent years, and noticed them on carts, gurneys and so forth They run very smooth and are designed to hold a lot of weight. In fact, many medical facilities use a roll around cart that could be repurposed in its entirety; they have multiple drawers, a rubber bumper around the perimeter that would be good for avoiding bumps into your car, and are extremely rugged. Some of them have provisions for mounting a computer, monitor and keyboard. I suppose you could check around for places that sell used office equipment or medical equipment, they may have some of them for sale. Medical offices also have really nice stools with an adjustable height padded seat, I'd like to have one of those for garage work. They typically have five legs so they're very stable and don't wobble.
An upgrade to the design may be to get your hands on a Luxo magnifier light - they have a circular bulb around the magnifier that puts out a nice amount of light (they used to be fluorescents, I imagine they've switched to LED by now.) I have a couple of them, and the magnifier is real handy if you're working on things like carburetors that are full of small parts. (they do run on 120vac so they'd have to be plugged into the bench inverter.) They are still available new but are expensive - I managed to find mine for reasonable prices at yard sales.
I could see where changing the height may be beneficial to some people, depending on how tall they are. Working bent over a work surface that's too low can be a literal pain in the neck.
An upgrade to the design may be to get your hands on a Luxo magnifier light - they have a circular bulb around the magnifier that puts out a nice amount of light (they used to be fluorescents, I imagine they've switched to LED by now.) I have a couple of them, and the magnifier is real handy if you're working on things like carburetors that are full of small parts. (they do run on 120vac so they'd have to be plugged into the bench inverter.) They are still available new but are expensive - I managed to find mine for reasonable prices at yard sales.
I could see where changing the height may be beneficial to some people, depending on how tall they are. Working bent over a work surface that's too low can be a literal pain in the neck.
OP
I grew up in hospitals, and a lot of the inspiration for this mobile bench came straight from the carts I saw rolling around those sterile hallways. The casters are killer—not just because they’re rated to carry the weight of a small planet, but because they’ll roll over damn near anything without flinching.
And yeah, a Luxo light would be fantastic—no argument there. But I ended up going with a video light, mostly because of the 1/4-20 threads. I needed something that could collapse behind the bench thanks to some height constraints, and short of fabricating a custom setup, the mic stand I already had fit the bill perfectly.
That… and the light is blindingly bright. Like, make-your-eyes-sweat bright.
I can see where I would be lost down a rabbit hole in a hurry if I had that kind of funds. Fascinating
I know they had a big laser cutout machine at a previous employer. They would put in a big sheet of steel and select the program and hit start. When it was done they would shake or tap the pieces with a dead blow mallet and they would fall out. Fascinating to watch it work punching out weldment parts for the machinery we built. A lot more accurate than a punch style press and less distortion/dross than a gas cutting machine.
I know they had a big laser cutout machine at a previous employer. They would put in a big sheet of steel and select the program and hit start. When it was done they would shake or tap the pieces with a dead blow mallet and they would fall out. Fascinating to watch it work punching out weldment parts for the machinery we built. A lot more accurate than a punch style press and less distortion/dross than a gas cutting machine.
DriverBill35
New member
- Joined
- Jul 6, 2025
- Messages
- 1
I would like a set of general plans and material list for your tool cart.
ThomasN
New member
I’d love to get with Parco and duplicate the order- I already own the same Versa vise! This is a fantastic project- well done. 