The post vice that I just purchased is missing the screwbox. What is the screwbox for, anyway? Do I need to find a replacement? If so, how would I get a hold of one?

It opens and closes the vise and thus allows it to clamp stuff.

Not an essential part... as long as you don't plan on using it as a vise.

There is occasionally a screw & box for sale on ebay, if you choose to buy a replacement make sure to take some measurements of the vice and compare to size of the screw & box, Vices come in many sizes and not all parts are interchangeable with each other.

Many people have also replaced damaged parts with modern acme rod and nuts

Search this site, I'm sure some folks have posted pictures of there fix's

Good luck

The screw and screw box to a post vise is like an engine to a car. Can't do much without one and the condition of it often is what determines the cost of the item!

Post vises with replaced/repaired screwboxes often sell for a deep discount and a vise without either or both can sell for only slightly above scrap rate. As the screwbox and screw are a wearing part there are a lot of vises around missing them or with damaged ones.

Old blacksmithing books often include instructions on how to make a new screwbox for a screw: one method is to cast Babbitt around the screw having heavily sooted the screw---this doesn't work real well on worn screws! Another is to wrap an appropriate sized sa stock around the screw---hot to get it tight and no spring back. Then unscrew it and forge braze the helix in a piece of pipe to make a new screwbox---you get bragging rights if you get this to work well for you! (IIRC Richardson's "Practical Blacksmithing" has these suggestions in it.)

The vice I speak of is the same one as in the photos of the topic "leg vice help". The vice DOES open and close so even though it doesn't have what I thought was called a screwbox as I observed on other post vices, mine has a large nut that the screw turns in (look at photos in "leg vice help"). Is this jerry-rigged, or is it just a different sort of mechanism?

You got some solid responses on that previous thread, one of them from Frank Turley no less, a smith with almost 50 years of experience . I suggest go back and reread what was written. There are a couple of threads on here about building and fixing screwboxes. Also there is a good page on anvil fire about leg vises.

The screwbox is the term for the "nut" on a leg vise screw.

Your vise has had a replacement nut and probably the screw as well---that looks a tad finer than most leg vise screws I have seen.

If it's working you need to do nothing.

If you want to make cosmetic changes finding/making a replacement for the space in front of the moving jaw would be the place to start.

You got some solid responses on that previous thread, one of them from Frank Turley no less, a smith with almost 50 years of experience . I suggest go back and reread what was written. There are a couple of threads on here about building and fixing screwboxes. Also there is a good page on anvil fire about leg vises.

You are absolutely right. I got great responses and had most all my questions answered and got a lot of good info to be able to fix my vice. I didn't mean to take those replies lightly. I really appreciate it. I just don't understand a whole lot about blacksmithing tools (like a post vice) and am trying to get as much info from as many people as I can. Thanks to all at IFI.

This site is all about sharing and caring and helping other smiths etc but the humour at times is also welcome and and I must say ANVILFLOWER I am still laughing at your reply post ie Not an essential part... as long as you don't plan on using it as a vise. LOL cheers