beef56 Posted February 2, 2020 Share Posted February 2, 2020 (edited) lo I was told this was a Columbian 4.5" vice. From the limited research I have done the coil spring looks odd.Did Columbian make such a vise? He is asking $110. Edited February 2, 2020 by beef56 No text Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stash Posted February 2, 2020 Share Posted February 2, 2020 No, that spring is aftermarket, and if not completely useless, then pretty close. It is simple to whip out a proper spring from some flat stock- I've even done it cold. The other issue is the missing mounting bracket, that usually holds a spring in place as well as mounting to your stand. Again, mounting brackets are no major deal to cobble together- lotsa threads here on doing it. The screw doesn't look to bad. If that is in good shape, I wouldnt pay more than $40- 45 for that vise as-is. Complete, $110 is in the upper reaches- where I would be selling it after a proper fixup. Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beef56 Posted February 2, 2020 Author Share Posted February 2, 2020 I thought that was a bit steep too. I doubt the spring or the bracket would be terribly difficult to make but I shouldn't have to do that much work before I could use it. Unfortunately there just aren't that many available in my area. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John McPherson Posted February 2, 2020 Share Posted February 2, 2020 The spring *may* be original. Towards the end of the blacksmithing era/Great Depression years, to stay in business many manufacturers made things as stripped down and cheaply as possible: rough finishes, no chamfers or decorative flourishes, etc. coil vs leaf springs, etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caotropheus Posted February 3, 2020 Share Posted February 3, 2020 beef56 Go to Youtube and type a combination of two or more of the following keywords "post vise", "leg vise", "repair", "restoration", "spring". You will get tens of leg vices repair related videos. The jaws and screw seem to be OK and that is a very positive point. About the price, yes too expensive, even for a place that lacks used tools for blacksmithing. I have to agree with Stash, wave in front of the guy 40 USD and pay no more then 50 USD. If you buy it, I suggest you make a traditional "leaf spring" used in these vices. Good luck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beef56 Posted February 3, 2020 Author Share Posted February 3, 2020 Thanks for the information. I will look at it this weekend. I have a machinist vice so it's not imperative that I have this particular vice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted February 3, 2020 Share Posted February 3, 2020 I sold a 4" columbian, complete with mount and spring and with the stamping on the back of the stationary jaw clear and complete Saturday for US$100 here in New Mexico---also a tool poor place. Please get a postvise before you damage your machinist vise. I really like using a 4# hammer to bend heavy strapping hot in my 6" postvise. I shudder to think what would happen with much of that on a machinist vise---though I will note that there were two pretty heavy machinist vises broken in the hoard I picked up. At least on has a "blacksmith's repair" to it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beef56 Posted February 8, 2020 Author Share Posted February 8, 2020 I looked at this vise today. It is good condition, jaws and screw. As wonkie as the coil spring looks , it does work. Contrary to the advise of those responding I paid $70. I live in a very rural area and I could drive hundreds of miles to farm auctions and not find one. It sounds like they will bring at least $100 on the auctions. I am sure this will work fine once I make a mounting bracket. Thanks for all the good advise provided! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beef56 Posted February 9, 2020 Author Share Posted February 9, 2020 5 hours ago, beef56 said: I looked at this vise today. It is good condition, jaws and screw. As wonkie as the coil spring looks , it does work. Contrary to the advise of those responding I paid $70. I live in a very rural area and I could drive hundreds of miles to farm auctions and not find one. It sounds like they will bring at least $100 on the auctions. I am sure this will work fine once I make a mounting bracket. Thanks for all the good advise provided! I have tried to edit this post. ADVICE not advise! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irondragon Forge ClayWorks Posted February 9, 2020 Share Posted February 9, 2020 There is a 30 min window to edit a post, for a real bad mess up you can click the report post and ask a moderator to correct it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted February 10, 2020 Share Posted February 10, 2020 Don't worry about it; save for perhaps the grammer hammer we are pretty tolerant about typos. Not to mention that with a world wide participant base we have folks in translation or who natively use the term vice for what we in the USA call a vise. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JHCC Posted February 10, 2020 Share Posted February 10, 2020 The Grammar Hammer resolutely restrains his corrective impulses in almost all circumstances, save when a typo opens the way for a particularly funny joke. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted February 10, 2020 Share Posted February 10, 2020 I suspect that many of us are such a trial that your hands have rivet impressions on them from being sat upon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beef56 Posted February 20, 2020 Author Share Posted February 20, 2020 I have many expensive vices and several vises. Blacksmithing is the common denominator. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted February 20, 2020 Share Posted February 20, 2020 Have you been to Quad-State yet? I still remember FM's first visit to Quad-State when he bought 30 anvils and a trailer to haul them home... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jwms Posted August 6, 2020 Share Posted August 6, 2020 the PAC NW area around Seattle is poor for these as well. $350-400 seems to be the range if "local". got on for just over $200 plus shipping that needed a spring and screw and nut. All easy to do so got it. I AM VERY PLEASED!!!!! 5" Colombian? dropped forged, manufacturer didn't even clean the arc splatter from the welding so assume Depression era. Will do a thread here when done with pics to help anybody thinking of fixing one up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted August 6, 2020 Share Posted August 6, 2020 Another time of decreased aesthetics on equipment was during the war years. I have seen old equipment with labels stating that they were not finished out do to wartime (WWII) production needs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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