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The Columbian Leg Vice with "Coil" Spring


mike52

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I have a Columbian leg vise with a coil spring over the screw box instead of the typical leaf type spring. I was wondering if anyone has seen one like this, before. I belief it to be original, because the vise has some original paint still on it and the coil spring is the same color. See Photos. If anyone can shed any light on this, I'd appreciate it.

thanks

mike52

 

 

 

 

 

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I'd also bet on the spring being a retrofit.  Imagine the swarf and gunk which could get caught between and inside to mess with the screw threads.  On the other hand, it would also provide some physical protection of the threads against harder whacks in certain cases...There are hydraulic hoses protected the same way although I can barely think of a repetitive operation at the vice which would put the screw in that kind of danger:  Maybe loading the same heavy sheet part over and over which is quicker if it rests on the screw as you tighten.

So..my vote is a Q&D fix sometime in the past.

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It would be a logical repair for a non-blacksmith who wanted to use the vise but had lost/broken the original spring.  But, honestly, I have no knowledge to help determine if it was an original design.  It would be cool too learn it was an experimental original.

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Welcome aboard Mike, glad to have you. If you'll put your general location in the header you might be surprised how many of the Iforge crew live within visiting distance.

I think the spring is probably a repair, it's much easier to bend up a leaf than take it apart and it doesn't even need to be spring steel.

Nice looking vice, good score.

Frosty The Lucky.

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Thanks for all your comments. I still wonder if the spring isn't original and here's why. As I stated in my original post, the paint on the vice including the spring in question, is all the same color and the way the paint was applied with coverage on difficult areas to reach, suggests that it was done at the factory. As far as the paint being too shinny, I used a buffer on it after I cleaned the vice. Another reason and probably the most compelling is how the spring actually fits and functions in the vice. With the jaws of the vice closed, the spring is fully compressed with all the coils pressed tightly together. In other words the movement of jaws and the length and the diameter of the coils are precisely in sync with each other. I think that would have been difficult to accomplish, by your average blacksmith or tradesman back in the day.  Anyways, just my  thoughts. Let me know if this additional information has any effect on your thinking about the originality of the spring.

 

mike52

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Probably a replacement. I've seen a couple of Columbians that had the flat spring vee shaped with the apex on the bottom, as installed. I think they were original from maybe the 1940's, but a poor design. The typical single curved leaf spring was a well thought out idea. Being clamped at the top with the U shackle meant that there was less throw at the bottom to open the movable jaw.

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  • 1 month later...

Rehashing this old topic, I've recently seen a bunch of old pipe vices dropped in the local market area which are also of the spring over screw design.  That changes my old assertion that this was a re-do and I would now guess it was simply a variant that was tried.  I picked up the one below for a song and a dance on a lark.  Yes, it has been repaired but that repair is quite sound.

Interestingly, the bottom of the jaw casting is designed to insert a post like a post vice would be set up.  Obviously cast and not forged, it's not up to being a real post vice but if they are showing up in other areas, might make for a middlin' solution to the current high price of post vices (at least high here).  Or--might be a good vice for twisting.  I haven't set this one up yet to see if it works or fails.  Not sure if the ability to rotate the jaws will be a help or hinderance.

For size reference, those tiles are 12" square and it is quite heavy.

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Pipe vises commonly come with a way to mount them on a shank so they can be used on a truck bumper without being permanently bolted to it. Half the rail anvils I've made got a matching shank welded on them for the same reason.

Nice vise, good score.

Frosty The Lucky.

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