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Vises

Post vise, leg vise, machinist vise, and other type vises.

  1. Started by caotropheus,

    Got this vice, very rusty, movable parts seized in place except for the screw and "nut". It weighs 40 kg. The vice seems to had been used with care and good maintenance. Apparently, there are no bends or dings, no missing parts or cracks. It looks like that someone stopped using the vice and just removed it outdoors and stayed there for years exposed to the elements. The screw is in mint condition and jaws are parallel. The hole in the screw's head, where the handle passes, is fairly wide (even oval) for the handle diameter, pointing for extensive use of the vice. Also the pivot pin (yes a pin, not a screw) is secure by a wedge, that is missing. One thing I do not underst…

    • 26 replies
    • 5.1k views
  2. Started by Steven Bronstein,

    I have a number of leg vises that were out in the weather for a long time. They are heavily rusted. Before I started to wire wheel I am wondering if there is an easier/better way to remove heavy rust. I was considering renting a sand blaster....Thanks

    • 8 replies
    • 2k views
  3. Started by SMP,

    Hello all, I am a home mechanic/woodworker/ jack of all trades kind of guy starting to do some basic blacksmithing as a hobby. Looking at some machinists/mechanics/general vises at Home Depot that can fill my need for a general purpose vise that can handle mechanic work, home repair, steel pipe, and some basic blacksmithing and metal work. I see a few that look decent for a decent price. I know cast iron is not great, a lot of reviews show them cracking etc. So I was trying to narrow it down between some that are "structural cast steel" or or ductile iron. Yost also has one that is Austempered ductile iron. Not sure what that is. Some have 5 year warranties wh…

    • 9 replies
    • 9.4k views
  4. Found this site researching a vise. It's pretty great. here's the vises https://www.datamp.org/patents/search/xrefType.php?source=query&start=0&cat=20&type=0&class=2300

    • 5 replies
    • 954 views
  5. Started by ASA_Walrus,

    Hello all! I got lucky this week and grabbed an old post vise, and after a little wire wheel work, and some oil it’s back to moving condition, only issue I’ve had is that when turning the vise, the screw box spins independently with the handle when closed all the way, so significant force can’t be applied without holding the screw box body. The threads look great, it feels like there should be something either keying the screw box to prevent spinning, or adding friction against the vise body for the same purpose. I can post more pictures later today, but the construction of the screw box looks neat, like a roll of steel was forge welded into a circle…

    • 8 replies
    • 1.5k views
  6. That longer "leg" has a hole in it like it may have bolted to something? Anyone seen these before or know why it would've been designed this way? Says no. 4 on it but thats all I see, Thanks

  7. Started by Will Still,

    I just finished building a stand for my post vise. The jaws are 6 1/8” and prior to shortening the vise it was around 41 1/2”-42”. I’m not sure on the weight but felt somewhere around 70lbs. The vise had no identifying marks at all. Just curious on the maker and if anyone might have an idea of the age. I cut about 6” of the leg off. I’m assuming it’s wrought iron?

    • 7 replies
    • 1.4k views
  8. Started by AngryOnion,

    Hi guys, picked up this post vise today that needs some work(seized up currently and needs a handle) But I figured it was still worth $100 for a 5.5". I probably won't get to cleaning it right away, but does it look like an Iron City? It weighs 91#. I didn't see any obvious marks, where would be the best place to look? Also does it matter what type of steel I use for the new handle? Thank you.

    • 6 replies
    • 2.7k views
  9. Hey all, I picked up a 4 1/2" post vice in Northern California (Oroville area), missing the bracket and spring, the leg is broken and the screw is frozen. I picked it up for $120. I haven't had a chance to clean it up much, so the only identifying mark that I've found is a B stamped where the top of the spring would sit. It has chamfered legs, the screw cap looks like a Columbian or Indian Chief but it isn't drilled through the end. The edges of the plates where the pivot screw goes through are square, not chamfered, it has a square nut and a carriage-type bolt head that was shaped by hand, it's not machined or cast, it has hammer marks. The leg was brok…

  10. Started by Tim carson,

    Just acquired these two and needing help identifying them

    • 12 replies
    • 1.5k views
  11. Started by Malleus,

    Couple years back, a guy was flipping an abandoned house in my co-workers neighborhood, and I noticed a bunch of junk piled up by the street. I spoke to the guy, and he said I could have whatever I wanted. Long story short... I got this older Wilton vise that had been stored in the garage... right under a hole in the roof. UGGHH!! It looked pretty bad, but I decided to carry it home anyway, just in case I could use it for parts, or possibly bring it back to life. I ended up storing it in my grandmother's basement ever since. (probably 5 years or so) I finally got around to bringing it back home and messing with it. It was frozen up solid, but with some kroil and…

    • 28 replies
    • 2.6k views
  12. Hi everyone, picked up this new to me leg vice at yoders when I got my forge. Building a stand for it in the shop today. I believe it is a Colombian but if you know any different please let me know, also threw in a picture of my old Charles Parker (anvil Vice) No. 134 from 1925. I picked up that Vice at a yard sale for $75 last year!

    • 3 replies
    • 1.1k views
  13. Around 5 or so years back, I dug this vise out of the dumpster at work. No way was I going to let this thing go to the scrap yard! I wish I had taken a before pic, but I just didn't think to do it. It was covered in grease and thick black spray paint, and the main screw had a bunch of slack in it. Today, I decided to clean it up a bit. I completely disassembled it, and cleaned it with a wire wheel. I got rid of the welding slag and a few high spots with a polishing wheel. I kind of hated to mess up natural patina, but I also wanted to smooth it down. I also put a washer on the main screw in between the sliding jaw and the screw stop to take up the slack. Seems to …

    • 7 replies
    • 1.7k views
  14. Started by Domnu,

    My master had to leave for a week and left me with the simple task to "make something nice" while he was gone, so I decided to try making a vise, again...This one is a little smaller than the last one. 4" jaws vs the 6" on the last one. I really wanted to try making this style with upset corners after I saw a similar shape on one of Tom Latané's vises. I forgewelded in 1070 steel into the jaws. Another fun thing with this vise is the threads. Instead of turning them on the lathe I forged them this time, both the inner and outer threads. Really went a lot quicker than making them on the lathe. The screw is made from an old car axle forged down and then forged in a swage t…

    • 13 replies
    • 2.3k views
  15. Started by yt12,

    A tale 25 years in the making !! Goes back to my first ventures with on-line auctions---the best kind...2 blocks away and no other bidders, so it was mine for next to nothing. Also a rarity----the poster was honest about the repairs---uber ugly but the vise worked. My plan was to clean up the repair and do a basic clean up,but as sometimes happens-----2 weeks later I came across an old Reed vise about the same size,nearly unused and even better price--free!!--so the old Parker was bound for the "project pile"----flash ahead to today-----came across the project,and been noticing that prices on "old big" vises is getting as nutty as anvil prices around here----thought it wa…

    • 1 reply
    • 1.1k views
  16. Started by bluerooster,

    We flew in to the Triple Tree aerodrome, back in Sept. Camped out, and had some decent BBQ sat. night. Well, next to the main hanger where the bbq was had, there is an old storage building decorated on the outside with all manner of neat stuff. Well outside, laying on a barrel, looking forlorn, was this post vise. It appears to be all there, but the screw is locked up (probably rust). I sent an email asking about it, and the reply came back with two questions; Could I come pick it up, and what would I offer. Reckon what would be a fair offer?

    • 9 replies
    • 2.1k views
  17. Started by yt12,

    This followed me home with the 2 uber-over-kill bottle jacks------soon to be the vise stand----this thing is HEAVY ......

    • 9 replies
    • 1.5k views
  18. Started by BartW,

    Hello All; I've got some information request concerning the vise below. The story: Worn screwbox; and broken handle bar and foot. I couldn't get the handle bar to weld correctly, it's some funky very large grain iron which makes welds go brittle. Then I found a truck kingpin thing to mount a spare tire; it is partially threaded M20 , not drilled all the way through. I cut that thing in half; the threaded section forms the screw-box; the non threaded half is secured to a threaded rod, and I machined a washer in front. Then added 2 nuts with the thread cut out to form the handle-bar holder; and a threaded rod with the threads cut off is the handle. To pr…

  19. Started by FurFinFeather,

    Hello IFI - I have this very nice 5" Peter Wright vise BUT it suffered an "amputation" sometime in its past. What's the preferred method to add a leg? Would you: 1) taper and weld on a mild steel replacement at the break, 2) cut back the nub to the cheeks and then weld on a new leg or, 3) Keep the nub, weld on a new leg (as in #1) but add a sleeve over the joint? Any tips for welding mild to wrought as well?

  20. Hello all, I have an unknown (to me) type of small post-mount vise that I've been pretty happy with until I ended up snapping the screw in half a week or so ago. As you can see from the attached images, it looks like there might have been a stress crack or something that allowed moisture to get into the screw and corrode it. Of course it probably didn't help that I was chiseling a groove into a tong blank at the time either. The screw seems to be somewhere between 5/8 and 3/4 and 11 tpi, but neither size of threaded rod diameter matches up, so I assume that it is metric. I'd have to source rod for it outside of my area, but I'm also concerned about the quality o…

  21. Started by Will Brouwers,

    Hello! I bought this vise a while ago, along with my anvil. I am still trying to get it set up, but during my fiddling with it, I noticed that the spring doesn't push the leg out like it should, at all. I mocked this up and opened the vise as wide as it could go, and found that the spring doesn't even touch the other leg. I'm thinking this spring was not made for this vise. Any thoughts? Can I modify the spring, or would I be better off to start from scratch? Will

  22. Started by A671,

    Does anyone hsppen to know what brand vise this is. If so, is it a good quality. What do you think the value is? There is no woolen in the jaws and the clamping is even all the way across. The jaws open up to 7". Also how old do you think it is? The Only way markings I see on it is a big number 5 and a tag that says made in Japan. It also weighs around 50 pounds.

    • 12 replies
    • 12.4k views
  23. Started by pstodds,

    Hello all, stupid question, but i tend to just work with leg vices and need a little help here, the only quick releases i have seen have the mechanism contained within the body and look a bit different, but then i tend not to turn vices upside that often. Anyway, part of this parkinson vice was dismantled when i bought it, and it is being a PITA to get back together. has anyone got any pictures of their own vices for me to use as a reference. i'm not even sure if it is all there either. and yeah i know it has obviously been broken and then welded up, but the weld looks pretty xxxx substantial with good penetration, hey, for £20 i aint complaining! everything is loose at t…

    • 2 replies
    • 5.4k views
  24. Started by George Geist,

    To best of anybody's knowledge, is anybody out there manufacturing new blacksmith post leg vises? George

  25. Enjoy:

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