I bought a post vise on Ebay. It got to me yesterday, with the mounting plate disassembled. Every part was there. Just so everyone will know I am very pleased with the vise. The UPS man was concerned about the condition of the cardboard box it came in. Upon his request we unpackaged the vise right there in the driveway. It was complete and undamaged. Later that day I put the vise in the loader bucket on my tractor and moved it to where I wanted it. Today I was going to assemble the vise. :( I must have overlooked the wedge in the loader. Since I moved it I have used the tractor to till my garden. At any rate I can't find the wedge. My question is; Can any one give me the deminsions of a wedge? The size at both ends. I want the taper to be as near original as possible. Is the taper only on one edge?

 

BTW ... I can find no manufacture name or mark on the vise.

 

Thanks for any help.

Mule

Easiest way is to make a wedge from wood that you think will fit and try it on for size. Add or subtract as needed to the width and length. When it fits, make one of metal. Leave it a little wide and a bit long so you can snug things up if need be.

 

Last wedge I made for my vise has 4 holes in the wide end. It goes in heel up and looks just like it was a horse shoe in a former life time. (grin) 

Thanks, Glenn.

 

I'll do that. :)

 

Mule

with 12 postvises in use I can say that no two have identical wedges; but they all pass the "works" test.

Thanks, ThomasPowers, for your response. I thought that might be the case.

 

So, I'll do as Glenn suggested.

 

MULE

The fanciest wedge set up I have seen used two wedges driving in from opposite sides that added up so that the outside sides were parallel.

In case anyone lookig at this thread is iterested, I found a name and number on the bottom side of the mounting plate. It it:

"COL  D&I CO" with a large number "4" centered above the letters. 

 

Mule

Remember that mounting plates can be used with vises they did not originate on. I've seen a number of "marriages" over the years. (and mined a good plate off a vise that had been trashed by a bulldozer...)

Mine had a "keyed wedge" and a "locking wedge". I still have the "keyed wedge". I'll bet the keyed wedge has a tapered edge. I'll have to check it out. If so, all I'll have to do is match the keyed wedge taper. :)

COL  D&I CO., with a large number "4" centered above the letters.

 

Is anyone familiar with this company? The name is cast into the bottom of the mounting base, below the wedge slot.

 

This is the same vise I am looking for a wedge for. Course, after y'alls help I will be making wedge.

 

Thanks for any information.

Mule

 

 

Your 2 threads have been merged, there is no need for a new thread about this

When I needed the wedge for my larger post vise, dug around in the scrap bucket and found the very first piece of metal I ever forged in my brake drum forge on the 75lb section of I-beam anvil.

 

as said above, a section of wood will give you the rough dimensions to match with a metal wedge, leave it long on both ends, and don't throw away anything you've forged, you never known when it will come in handy

Thanks Michael, for the response and the pictures.

 

Mule