sanddraggin Posted September 21, 2012 Share Posted September 21, 2012 I picked up this 6incher when I followed an ad for a 4" post vise. It has two mounting brackets with it but no spring. I couldn't talk him down any on price but I did get him to throw in the top tool/chisel. I feel like I stole it at a hundred bucks. The other thing I found interesting was what I believe to be a power hammer but I'm not sure. I'll post a pic in the PH forum. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timothy Miller Posted September 21, 2012 Share Posted September 21, 2012 That's punch press probably about a 20 ton. Not good for much as far as forging goes unless your doing die work and in that role it is sort of a second operation machine. All you need to get that vise back in shape is a spring and two wedges. Get rid of that second hand made boomerang looking mounting thing. At some point a "person" who was "skill adverse" used a great deal of effort and intellect to bend the strap and jamb some junk into slot. They collapsed the mounting strap to take up the slop from the missing spring there by avoiding the extremely complex task of making a spring from any old piece of properly sized flat steel they had on hand. I had one that was "fixed" that way took about an hour to put back to shape. This is what I did. http://www.iforgeiro...or-my-leg-vise/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MLMartin Posted September 21, 2012 Share Posted September 21, 2012 Before you toss that second mount in the junk pile I would spark test the thing to see if its wrought Iron. The edges of it appear to be rounded off in the same manner as I often see old wagon wheels. Regardless if its wrought iron or not I would just straighten it out and put it in the iron pile anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted September 21, 2012 Share Posted September 21, 2012 GREAT price for a 6" vise *if* the screw is in good shape. Looks like a Columbian and if so I believe neither of those mounts is original to it... Neatest mod I've seen to one was to braze a cap on the back end of the screwbox and drill and tap it for a zerk and so lube the screw from the backend pushing any crud it picks up *out*. I generally end up buying vises without mounting setups as they often are a lot cheaper and making a mount is an easy Saturday morning project. I often make them like the newer columbians with a piece of angle iron and a Sq "U bolt" (or a strap hot bent to go around the leg and spring and drilled for bolts on the ends.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted September 24, 2012 Share Posted September 24, 2012 I tend to buy columbians as well as they are "using" vises with their un-beveled legs rather then "pretty vises" and so are cheaper---my hot metal doesn't seem to notice that the legs are not beveled... My last big vise purchase was a 6" post vise with excellent screw/screwbox for US$50 at quad state a couple of years ago. Missing the mounting plate/spring of course... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sanddraggin Posted September 24, 2012 Author Share Posted September 24, 2012 I couldn't find anything wrong with the screw box so was very excited to buy this one. He was pretty solid on his price so I didn't get him talked down but he was asking the same price for his 4" vises as well. I might be able to talk him down on those. I built a spring and mount for my 4" I use now so I'm not too worried about making one for this although it will hopefully be better this time around. Tree's are very scarce around northern nevada but luckily I came across about a six foot log 18" diameter that I'm planning on burying to mount this vise to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted September 24, 2012 Share Posted September 24, 2012 Here in NM trees can be rare too. I've used old creosoted mine timbers for anvils and vise mounts as termites are Really Really Happy anytime you bury any wood out here! The 6" I mentioned is fastened to the telephone pole that holds up my shop extension. It does telegraph the pounding to the steel panel walls though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sanddraggin Posted September 24, 2012 Author Share Posted September 24, 2012 I was thinking about a way to treat the wood before I bury it but haven't researched it much yet. If I can find a railroad tie around I'll probably try that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted September 24, 2012 Share Posted September 24, 2012 The old wood tends not to be as "gooey" with creosote as the new stuff. And like here the old treated stuff should last a LONG time especially if it was out of the sun! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
utaholdiron Posted September 29, 2012 Share Posted September 29, 2012 sanddraggin, I bought a 5 inch post vise last week that, condition-wise, looks alot like yours in your first posted picture. Using a drill-mounted, circular wire brush, I spent several hours getting the surface rust off. Then I applied "stove black" to every surface I could reach and after letting it dry for a time, wiped it with a soft cloth. It's amazing how much better it looked when I finished. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sanddraggin Posted September 30, 2012 Author Share Posted September 30, 2012 Very nice looking. Thanks for posting. Mine is going to be outside still so I'll probably just mount it and get it to work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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