Hi Gents, I just picked up this large post vise. Paid more than I should of but these big ones just don't pop up that often in my area. It weighs 136 pounds, has 6" wide jaws and stands 39" tall (but I suspect a couple inches have been cut off the leg).

The threads on the screw and box are in very nice shape but the dust cover part of the screw box has a small chunk missing out of it on the end. It's past the threaded section so it won't affect anything but I think I'll forge a sleeve to slip over the end to keep the threads clean.

 

The vise looks very similar to my smaller Peter Wright vise but I'm not a 100% positive, there are few minor differences. What do you think?

Overall the condition of the vise is in nice shape, but it looks like it was used to hold steel that was ground on directly over the jaws, and through the years they ground a 1/4" wide groove on the face of one of the jaws (see pic below).

I figure I have two options to repair it. Mill the damaged section out and weld a piece of 1/4" flat steel in it's place, or just use some 7018 and build it back up and grind it flat.

I'm thinking building it back up with the welding rod would probably be the best. I could throw the jaw in the forge for a bit to preheat it before welding.

Opinions?

Thanks for your help,

Shane

Well I went ahead and built it up with 7018 welding rod. There's a couple small pits but it's a good solid weld and at least now I can put the vise to use.

Thanks for looking,

Shane

Sorry bud I have no knowledge to share but that is a beautiful tool!

Ya done good. I would have repaired it the same way.

Thanks guys!

Today I spent a couple hours and slapped together a stand for it.

 

Thanks for looking,

Shane

Nice vise, good repair, should hold up to anything you will ever do in it.  I like both of the stands pictured, and also your anvil bases. Al

Love the pulley wheel base and agree that that repair should hold up just fine to anything you throw at it. 

Leg vise jaws don't have any sort of heat treatment to worry about and if they aren't changeable jaw inserts then running a bead or two and dressing it with a grinder is just right. Nice job, it's what I would've done. Love the stand, very blacksmitherly use of scrounged materials. 

You're fitting in here already Shane. 

Frosty The Lucky.

Thanks for the comments and info guys, I appreciate them.

The old flat belt pulleys and shaft worked great for the stand. It's fairly stabile, not tippy, but it does want to rotate on the floor a little. I'm either going to have to secure it to the floor or fasten a piece of 1/4" flat stock to it that I can stand on when I'm bending or beating on a piece of metal. I like things in the shop to be mobile so I think I will go with the flat stock.

Thanks again,

Shane

Depending on how many locations you are planning, I would consider using Frosty's gozinta system. A 1/2 inch pin by the post into the floor should keep it from rotating.

On 9/30/2017 at 11:19 PM, Shaner said:

Well I went ahead and built it up with 7018 welding rod. There's a couple small pits but it's a good solid weld and at least now I can put the vise to use.

Nice vice and good job in that repair. I am afraid that forged blacksmith vice were forged and heat treated according to original ads by Peter Wright. You had however little choice and I hope that vice will serve you well for many years to come.