AR. Hillbilly Posted August 7, 2015 Share Posted August 7, 2015 I hit a garage sale on the way home from work and found this. I may never find the moving jaw but I may. The guy who sold it to me said another guy has possibly the jaw that came from that vise. I know both guys and have a slight bit of hope that I may find it. The screw is free and the stationary jaw is in very good shape. If I can't find the missing jaw what should I do with this hunk of metal? I can't find a name on it but it has a 2 on the bottom of the mounting plate. It has both thrust washers and everything but the missing jaw. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dogsoldat Posted August 8, 2015 Share Posted August 8, 2015 Just keep looking and you'll either find someone that needs the parts you have or a vise that needs parts shows up. Either way looks like a decent score. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DSW Posted August 8, 2015 Share Posted August 8, 2015 If you can't locate a "donor" from another partial vise, simply forge/fabricate the missing piece. You have all the "complicated" parts. You will need a "leg" with a hole at the top the screw can pass thru, and some thing welded to the top as jaws. Punching and drifting the hole in heavy stock would be the hardest part. Probably not all that hard if you have a couple of strikers to help. At worst, you haven't harmed the original pieces and can always swap out your fabricated piece if you locate a "better" one. If you belong to a local blacksmithing group, it would make a great demo project. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arkie Posted August 8, 2015 Share Posted August 8, 2015 (edited) I'd hang onto it. For $5, you're not out much money. Maybe you can find a similar cheap deal where a vise has locked up/rusted screw, etc. and you can salvage the other jaw assembly for yours. (I think that's what Doug just said.......duh!) Edited August 8, 2015 by arkie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DSW Posted August 8, 2015 Share Posted August 8, 2015 While I did suggest that he might be able to locate a donor vise ( saw several partial vises at ABANA last year and I bet some show up at Quad State) , I'd be forging a new missing piece myself. I'm not sure I could forge weld the jaws to the upright, but I could mig or stick weld it if need be. I think it would make a fun project myself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arkie Posted August 8, 2015 Share Posted August 8, 2015 Are the jaws on most post vises generally a mild steel, aka A36, or some other type (I realize A36 is not a type, but I don't recall the 10xx designation)? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted August 8, 2015 Share Posted August 8, 2015 Well a lot of postvises are made from wrought iron Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick O Posted August 8, 2015 Share Posted August 8, 2015 I would hang on to it would be a great parts piece $5 awesome score Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted August 8, 2015 Share Posted August 8, 2015 never know when some trading stuff will come in handy; my 410# Trenton cost me a 125# PW, a postvise screw and screwbox and $100 boot---so about US$200. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AR. Hillbilly Posted August 8, 2015 Author Share Posted August 8, 2015 I went out this morning and gave it a good lookin over. I still can't find a name. I measured the existing jaw and it's 4.5". I also got in touch with the guy who possibly had the other jaw. He didn't sound very promising. He said he would look around but didn't really know what I was talking about. I'm looking at ideas on how to fab a jaw of my own. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
notownkid Posted August 8, 2015 Share Posted August 8, 2015 Stick it in the corner and see what shows up one day or it will make great trading material. The week after you dispose of it the other side will show up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted August 8, 2015 Share Posted August 8, 2015 Measure from the pivot hole to the jaws and keep that number in mind so it'll be easier to match a hook jaw. Of course you can adjust one that isn't just right but one the right length would be worth a couple extra bucks to me. Of course I'm pretty lazy like that. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Everything Mac Posted August 8, 2015 Share Posted August 8, 2015 Seems to me that most vices you find are missing the spring and mounting plate, you never know you might come across a vice next week that needs exactly those, then you can use this one as a donor. Or indeed have a go ad forging / fabricating your own jaw. - It doesn't have to be pretty to work. Andy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted August 9, 2015 Share Posted August 9, 2015 (edited) The moving jaw is not that complex it's just hard to find and work such a thick piece of metal. Find a place that has a burning table and pony up the bucks to have them cut a T shape the correct thickness and with and square or round at the bottom---then heat the middle of the shaft and bend the bottom to 90 deg and have a spiffing ornamental front leg! Or do it yourself with a cutting torch and do a "mad max" version.,, My current vise project was badly rusted but shows that the pivot section on the moving leg was forge welded up out of three pieces of stock! Edited August 9, 2015 by ThomasPowers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIGGUNDOCTOR Posted August 9, 2015 Share Posted August 9, 2015 If it was mine I would just fab a new leg. Get some flat bar the right thickness for the lower pivot, and the right length. Cut it just below the screw position, and weld a plate with the hole in it across the flat bar - or just weld a couple of flats spaced enough for the screw to pass through. Then weld up another piece of the flat bar with a piece of say 2" square across the top to make the jaw, and weld that above the screw position. No need to over think this. If you have a scrap yard, or a rental yard, see if they have any damaged forklift tines. Cut it so the 90° forms the missing leg, then torch a hole for the screw to pass through. It will need to be thinned down for the pivot, or just weld a tab on the end. They are made of 4140 type steels - Glenn put the info I got from the forklift manufactures I contacted in the junkyard steels section - so the welds should be annealed to prevent cracking.It's a vise, not the space shuttle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arkie Posted August 9, 2015 Share Posted August 9, 2015 (edited) As I recall, TechnicusJoe did a video where he experimented in forging a post vice arm and jaw. Might want to search his videos on youtube. That might give you an idea of what forging one would entail. Edited August 9, 2015 by arkie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom H Posted August 12, 2015 Share Posted August 12, 2015 Might run across a deal on a vise with stripped threads that yours will fit.The screw and box are definitely worth hanging onto.Keep on the lookout for another vise. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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