I feel like it is a good deal, but want to know what you all think. He wants $50, and I have a free day this week.

He says that the action is good, the jaws line up and the jaw width is 5 inches.

Thanks in advance for your perspectives.

yes

Maybe. I would definitly check to see if he had other items once I got there! and you never know what you will run across on the trip there and back. Make it a tool finding venture and you can't go wrong. ;)

Looks worth the drive to me. Take your most economical vehicle though..... Eric in Deadwood Oregon.

Looks like a "Pedro" Wright, as we call 'em in New Mexico. I'd go 50 feet on my knees through gravel, just to get a better look at it.

Heck yea, I'd go a few hours to see it. I just dropped $50 on a 3.5" post vice that I had to drive two hours to see. Another 1" or more is easily worth the time and money.

To bad, it's to bad its so far for me to drive...or it would be in the back of my truck already .....how did you get a pic of it ?....that close and its not yours ?

Let's see...in my Cavalier that would be a full tank of gas, so just under $50. I would consider it if I needed. If it was half the distance I would get it without thinking too hard, and those pop up regularly around me!

Phil

ya go for it ! in oregon 50 for a large post vice is a good deal

Go for it! Haggle a bit.. go for the "I just spent XXX dollars on my trip up here" or something. Seldom will a nice vice just crop up wihout maybe a cousin anvil or some item of interest.

I arranged to go over there in a couple of days and pick it up. I also just emailed him and asked if he has any other tools that might be of interest to me. We shall see what he comes up with, if any. Thanks for the perspectives...I figured it was worth the drive.

Yes!

I went, I looked and I bought.

The spring is loose, especially at the bottom. The handle is bent. There is some heavy rust. The screw seems to be slightly bent, though I didn't notice until I had opened it all the way up.The jaws tighten a little bit on one side first. I love it, and I imagine all but the bent screw I can fix.

The vise had been in the family since his grandfather's time. He was happy to see it go to someone who would use it.

Cost me a beautiful drive over the pass and into the valley, $50 in gas and $50 in cash. I met a blacksmith who gave me some sage advice, had lunch with an old friend who I rarely get to see, went to a couple of junk stores. I stopped in the mountains to relieve myself and found a transmission and gearbox, could only load up the gearbox. Someone had dumped it within the past couple of weeks. It was a good trip.

I got to wait 3+ hours at the motor vehicle dept to get plates for $147 and got to rescue my son who's car broke down 30 miles away yesterday......Naner,naner,naner............... :P

..Naner,naner,naner............... :P

Hahaha

If one side closes before the other it's not a bent screw---if it was then the side that closed first would change as the screw rotated---right? So the moving leg of the vise has a slight twist in it---probably from someone putting a big piece right out on the edge of the jaws and hunkering down on the vise---maybe bending the handle to do it...

You can take the vise apart and using a press *lightly* re-align it. I would not try just putting a big piece in the jaws and trying to re-do the damage the other way as total failure of the screw or screw box can happen.

Folks this is why you need to make a set of vice spacers so you can drop one on the opposite side of the jaws to keep the vise from twisting. I take a set of say 2" long sq stock in ascending sizes and saw or split the top down a bit and heat and fold the tabs out to rest on top of the vise jaws. I also stamp the size on the top so students who can *see* what size works can figure it out. Keep a set of spacers near each postvise!

Note don't try to cold straighten the vise handle as it is probably real wrought iron and so needs to be HOT to be worked without danger of cracking.

macbruce, "For those who don't believe in eternity, visit your DMV."

I went to local Flea market with wife today bought same post vice and 2 large rasp files for $55.Im still giddy.I tripped over it 2 foot from front door.Poor wife found nothing for herself. But had to hear about my new post vice ali day! 20mile round trip.I thought it would take years to find one!

You are in an area where they are fairly common; try for them out in NM where the population density was *WAY* less back in the heyday of smithing!

Piker! I drive out to Quad-State from New Mexico fairly regularly---with no cruise control or air conditioning! (about 1500 miles each way). Of course I stop by the grandkids in AR and OH on the way...