bigb Posted June 28, 2016 Share Posted June 28, 2016 Picked it up yesterday, they are tough to find around here and a complete one usually goes for $3-$400. I paid $100 for the vise and he threw in some really heavy pieces of steel, a solid 4X4 with tapered holes, a 2" plate about 18"square, a 1/2" plate about 24x36, a thick plate with various holes for a swage block and some miscellaneous treasures. Pretty sure the heavy pieces came from the copper mine, the 2" piece of plate anyway has the name of a mine up North written on it. Anyway the vise works but someone has done some hackish repairs on it. I plan to make the mounting bracket that is missing but not sure what to do about the big nut welded in with those awful looking welds. Not sure if that's from poor welding skills or the material is cast? Here's pics of the vise and the assorted "treasure". There are no markings on the vise. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted June 28, 2016 Share Posted June 28, 2016 That's a replacement screw and the nut is necessary to make it work. You might try brazing it in a bit better on top of the current weld. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
notownkid Posted June 28, 2016 Share Posted June 28, 2016 You certainly got your $100 worth with everything in the Pic. In time you may come up with the original type parts for the vise or something to look better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIGGUNDOCTOR Posted June 28, 2016 Share Posted June 28, 2016 What part of Arizona? I recently saw an 8" post vise sell for $80 in Bullhead City. If I knew then what I know now, I would have just taken the day off work and got it as a few months later I got laid off due to work shortage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigb Posted June 29, 2016 Author Share Posted June 29, 2016 6 hours ago, BIGGUNDOCTOR said: What part of Arizona? I recently saw an 8" post vise sell for $80 in Bullhead City. If I knew then what I know now, I would have just taken the day off work and got it as a few months later I got laid off due to work shortage. I am in Tucson. Big interest in blacksmithing all over the state especially up North keeps the prices high. 14 hours ago, notownkid said: You certainly got your $100 worth with everything in the Pic. In time you may come up with the original type parts for the vise or something to look better. I would enjoy fixing it up to be more original but don't know where to look for parts Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted June 29, 2016 Share Posted June 29, 2016 Pretty much have to cannibalize them off another vise in worse condition; but as the screw and screwbox are often what gives out on a vise that can be hard! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIGGUNDOCTOR Posted June 29, 2016 Share Posted June 29, 2016 There are some threads here that show how to modify a bell type house jack for a post vise screw and nut. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigb Posted June 30, 2016 Author Share Posted June 30, 2016 22 hours ago, BIGGUNDOCTOR said: There are some threads here that show how to modify a bell type house jack for a post vise screw and nut. Looked them up, seems all the house jacks and scaffold levelers are about 1.25" screw size, is that size what leg vises of my size used? I may just try Thomas suggestion of brazing it and keeping the screw I have which looks to be about 7/8". I am looking forward to fixing it up, I have two very heavy steel tables in my smithy that I made from 1/4" angle and storm drain for the tops. I will weld a mounting plate onto one of those tables to bolt up the vise once I make the new mounting plate to fit the vise. Anyone know of a good diagram or tutorial on making a replacement mounting plate/spring retainer? From what I have been able to find on the web it looks like there are two wedges but I haven't found a diagram good enough to figure out. This is the first leg vise I have really seen close up. Edit: I just found a good diagram by searching with Google which brought me back to this site. I have a really hard time searching this site but I find a Google search works best to find stuff here. The diagram I found was from March 2015 by John Mcpherson. I still need to figure out those wedges and their purpose though. Another question, is the screw eye the only part with the female threads, and the screw box just a cover for the screw? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Ling Posted June 30, 2016 Share Posted June 30, 2016 11 hours ago, bigb said: . I still need to figure out those wedges and their purpose though. are you referring to the wedges that keep the mounting bracket in place? Littleblacksmith Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted June 30, 2016 Share Posted June 30, 2016 The screw box contains the female section of the screw. In my terminology the "eye" is the hole in the non-moving shaft the screwbox is mounted in/through. The wedges make an easy to make/use/adjust method of assembling and tightening the vise and spring to the mounting system. Using two makes the angles slighter and helps to keep the vise from canting in the mount---I've often used one though; particularly in my travel vise where the helpers have managed to hide the wedges. (often dropped into the bottom of the scrap bucket...) not as elegant but works. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigb Posted July 1, 2016 Author Share Posted July 1, 2016 11 hours ago, littleblacksmith said: are you referring to the wedges that keep the mounting bracket in place? Littleblacksmith yes 9 hours ago, ThomasPowers said: The screw box contains the female section of the screw. In my terminology the "eye" is the hole in the non-moving shaft the screwbox is mounted in/through. The wedges make an easy to make/use/adjust method of assembling and tightening the vise and spring to the mounting system. Using two makes the angles slighter and helps to keep the vise from canting in the mount---I've often used one though; particularly in my travel vise where the helpers have managed to hide the wedges. (often dropped into the bottom of the scrap bucket...) not as elegant but works. Thanks for all your patient answers. I am going to visit one of our local blacksmiths (Holy Hammer Ironworks) and ask Harold if I can examine one of his vises. One more question, if the nut is welded or brazed in won't it cause a problem with the jaws fully opening as the outer jaw tends to hinge slightly downwards as it opens? I was thinking the female threads must somehow be allowed to float for proper operation, or am I over thinking this? Next time I come through Socorro I hope I can buy you a meal at el Camino. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gumbatron Posted July 5, 2016 Share Posted July 5, 2016 Hi bigb, The nut on my post vise (and most that I know of) is free running, there is usually a loose fitting keyway in the vise body and a key on the nut. Looks like yours might have a blob of weld in it. Not sure how important having it be able to move a bit is, but I would think it would help a bit in terms of the service life of the screw and nut. If you wanted to, you could liberate the nut from the vise and make up a sleeve with the required key and a backing plate so that it can't pull through the vise body, weld the nut to that. Then you could use the screw/nut you have. Here's a couple of pics of my vise (assembled and disassembled), The only thing I needed to make was a new wedge, was lucky on that one. You can just see the key on the bottom of the nut (it's a bit blurry and greasy, sorry). All put back together with a new wedge. What remained of the old wedge, and the new one that I made (from an old slasher blade, it's hard stuff). I have no idea whether the angle is right or not, but is seems to work pretty well, so that'll do for me. Hopefully this helps you out a bit. Cheers, Gumbatron Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted July 5, 2016 Share Posted July 5, 2016 I'd say about 80 to 90% of the work done by my postvise is in the 1" and less range. If I need to go bigger I generally shift to a larger vise anyway. I'd try to make it the best for where I use it the most and worry about the odd use case later. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigb Posted July 6, 2016 Author Share Posted July 6, 2016 Gumbatron thank you very much, that is exactly what I was looking for. Now I see how the wedges work and yes I am going to make up a sleeve and key. Thanks again! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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