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Leg Vise fixing ....spring and bolt Question


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I've been working on freeing up my leg vise.

i have it moving nice and wide.....but still cant get the main pivot bolt out...been pounding on it...applying heat.....PB blaster.....darn bolt wont budge!

thats problem number 1....any other suggestions would be great.....if all else fails i'll grind the head and visible thread (i did get the nut off) off the vise and try hitting it out with a big punch and hammer.

second...
Can i Re-Bend the leaf spring of the vise? its been sitting so long that the spring only touches the moving half of the vise in the fully closed position.

also, i'm not sure how to actually remove the spring...seems the support of the vise that also holds the spring has no obvious way to be removed....unless i start unbending metal that holds it on....which i'm a little reluctant to do


suggestions pleeeeeeeeze :)

thanks!

3298.attach

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The bolt at the pivot may be threaded into one side. then have a big nut as a lock nut, did you try turning the bolt in place.

there is a tapered wedge that holds a keeper that tighten's the bench mounting bracket to the inner leg and spring. just drive the tapered wedge out, remove the keeper and place the spring over two rounded surfaces about 3 or 4 inches apart and hit not too hard to recurve the spring, place the spring on a piece of cardboard or a bench top and mark the inside curve so you have a reference to how much you are recurving it.

You can see the keeper and wedge clearly in this picture.
http://www.iforgeiron.com/Blueprints04/BP0485viserepair/vise%20003.jpg

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there is a few post about rust removal in Blueprints, that would help greatly in working the vice, but if you want to go about it kinda cheep just soke the movible parts of the vice in Penetration oil and let them sit overnight, then move it just a little bit at a time, quarter turn one way then back, if you force a rusted part fully open in one go you could brake something, just work it back and forth moving a little at a time

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thanks for the reply!

the bottom pivot bolt seems to rotate as i move thetraveling half of the vise....like they are stuck together. beating on it its seems to have moved it a little, so i dont tend to think its threaded on either side plate.....though i guess its still possible for there to be threads on the nut side......i'll check some more on that tomorrow.

as for the spring ....heat the spring? or rebend it cold?

thanks a bunch for the info!

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yup you nailed it, bolt and outer vice leg have rusted together, you need to work it till it turns some before trying to remove. just soak the bolt and pivot in marvel mystery oil after warming it a bit. you can use all the so called penetrating oils you want, but warming and MMO will always work.

do the spring cold and gentle.

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The vise did not get into that condition over night, so don't try to make it like new overnight. Give it time to soak up the penetrating oil and loosen things up, then as other have said go slow and use lots more penetrating oil. Work it in and let it do it's job.

Spray it with penetrating oil, then bump it with a hammer. Do it twice a day and don't even count how long it takes.

As Thomas said, safety glasses will protect you from spray, loose rust, dirt, and all manner of things you don't want in your eyes. When you start power wire brushing, don't forget the respirator.

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Forge a new one. If you're new to forging spring stock hit the local spring shop for an appropriate sized drop. While you're there ask them about heat treating.

Don't forget to tell them what it's for and all, most spring shop guys LIKE playing with fire and hitting things with hammers, many talk smithing fluently.

Frosty

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If you're at home just normalize the new spring; it doesn't need nuch to open a vise and mild steel "springs" will generally work if designed to stay withing the range of motion before deformation starts. (And what Frosty said---getting in good with a local spring company is like money in the bank!---be sure you have a lot of scrap storage space!)

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