sfDuck Posted July 12, 2006 Share Posted July 12, 2006 This is one of my get a round tuit jobs. I've had theses two vises around for more than a year and they are now being repaired. The hardest job was making a mounting bracket for the larger vice. I started with 1 1/2 sq. stock 7 in. long. Cut an almost square tenon in one end with a zip cut blade on my grinder. Then carefully cleaned things up. (its hidden anyways) NOT NOW! ....dough! Cut a long sq. hole. Then the two man job. pounding flat on flat forever. Thats as far as I got so far. I'm hoping to do a little shaping next. Fullering down the ramp and squeezing it out on both sides into something like two leaves with a point between them. I have a top fuller that should do the job, we'll see. I use the bracket from the small vice as a pattern. Check the pictures. Don't touch that dial! stay tuned for for the next beating........Duck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FredlyFX Posted July 12, 2006 Share Posted July 12, 2006 Nice work so far Duck. I did a similar project a couple years ago. I have attached a pic of how I did mine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leah Posted July 13, 2006 Share Posted July 13, 2006 Hey Duck, I like the hold down tool too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
B. Norris Posted July 14, 2006 Share Posted July 14, 2006 How would you go about fixing this? I am talking about the gap between the jaws in the first picture. So far, I have had two suggestions. First. Grind the jaws down until they meet. Second. Take the vise apart and heat the side of the vise that moves, right above the pivot point on the end of the piece. The second picture shows the spot. Then, put everything back together quickly, while it is hot, and tighten the vise down. Theoretically this will bend the arm where it is hot and bring everything back into alignment. I suspect however, that both jaws are tilted outwards at the top, as though something was clamped, only on the top of the jaws, and tightly enough to bend them. What do you think? The only other issue I have is that when I built the stand for the vise it changed where the spring was mounted and I have been having a hen-of-a-time getting the spring to work the way it should. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike-hr Posted July 14, 2006 Share Posted July 14, 2006 What if you cut a block that fits just above the screw, so that when tightened against, the jaws are suspended with something like a 1/4 inch gap. Then heat the neck of the jaws with an oxy/fuel rosebud and hammer them untill they meet. It sort of looks like the jaws are sprung back, it might make sense to re-set them forward. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FredlyFX Posted July 14, 2006 Share Posted July 14, 2006 It looks like you have a couple of problems going on. The problem with your spring is that it is in backwards. Take a look at these pics and you will see how it should be. There are more pictures of how I did this on my web site on the projects page down near the bottom. As for the jaws, it really looks like both jaws have been bent back. I can't even imagin how much force that would have taken, but judging from the bent handle, someone put a big cheater on there and then proceeded to ruin the vice using it as a press most likely. I think I would try to grind both sides to where they meet vertically rather than trying to heat it up. If you try to reassemble the vice while part of it is red hot the only thing you will ackomplish is burning yourself and losing all your heat before you are ready for it in my opinion. good luck FredlyFXhttp://fredlyfx.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
irnsrgn Posted July 14, 2006 Share Posted July 14, 2006 B. Norris, post vises normally bend at the opening where the screw goes thru, your vice is bent there both front and back jaws. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Swamp Fox Posted July 14, 2006 Share Posted July 14, 2006 B. Norris - How would you go about fixing this? Couple of pieces of angle iron to cover the misaligned jaws should auto-align to the work. Not permant, but a workable fix. Use amuminum angle iron if you don't want to mark the work being held. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rich Waugh Posted July 14, 2006 Share Posted July 14, 2006 First, what irnsrgn said: these vises usually bend at the stress concentrators, the slit/drifted holes for the screw. To fix it, disassemble the vise completely, then heat the eye and forge it flat again on an anvil or flat plate. This is a wrought iron vise, so you have to get it to very near a welding heat (white) to forge it safely. Too low a heat and it will separate the wrought. Most of these post vises that I've seen, from the hinge area to the top of the screw holes should describe a straight line. YMMV Second, what Fred said: your spring is in backwards. If you moved the bracket a lot, you may have to modify the spring curve a very little bit to get a good fit/operation, but only a little. This you can do cold, as these usually aren't high-carbon steel. Nor do they need to be. Don't grind the jaw faces to get them parallel; they usually only have a 3/8" thick hard face on them and you don't want to gobble up any of that if you can avoid it, which you can. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lefthand forge Posted July 15, 2006 Share Posted July 15, 2006 HI, I agree with Swamp Fox more or less. Instead of spending a bunch of time trying to fix the jaws, I would fabricate myself several sets of jaw covers. say one parallel steel set, one bronze set so you don't marr delicate work,and a couple with different sized holes in both round and square. Hope this helps John Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandpile Posted July 15, 2006 Share Posted July 15, 2006 Hello Bob-- On your vice repairs. Take that sucker to a monthly meeting of your peers. All of you look it over and chunk it in a good coal forge, heat her up till you think it is ready to weld and heavy hammer the jaws to match what you drew on a work table. Take the cold beer with you and celebrate when it is back where you want it.GRIN. have a gooden chuck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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