Dan -

 

Your homemade Adel clamp pliers sound good.  There is some minor benefit to having the vice grips lock while I pick up the bolt and nut, but not much.  The big thing is that I don't have a welder and wouldn't know how to use it anyway.  For guys like me, buying the pliers is a good option.  For guys like you, it would be simple to make a pair yourself, from either pliers or a vice grip.

 

- Rob Wolf