Fredcdobbs Posted April 29, 2020 Share Posted April 29, 2020 Hello, I've had a Leg Vise sitting around for quite awhile. It needs a new tension spring. Any ideas other than forging one, so that I can make a new one spring. Cheers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted April 29, 2020 Share Posted April 29, 2020 Just cold bend one from mild steel. Or wearing appropriate PPE, stop by the forge and we can forge one Saturday afternoon. (I've got enough tools that we don't have to share them and the NM sun is an excellent sterilizing agent over several days.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JHCC Posted April 29, 2020 Share Posted April 29, 2020 Welcome to IFI! If you haven't yet, please READ THIS FIRST!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fredcdobbs Posted April 30, 2020 Author Share Posted April 30, 2020 (edited) I'm on my way out to search for a piece of mild steel for the Leg Vise. Any idea of the size (measurements) of the piece I will need. With everything closed here due to Pandemic It's only Curb Service Pick Up. I call in the size I need and they cut and bring it out to me. Cheers Edited May 8, 2020 by Mod30 Resize photo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted April 30, 2020 Share Posted April 30, 2020 Did you try re-arcing the one it had? Size: width of the leg, length: from top of mount to slightly above the pivot point, thickness: depends on how tight the pivot is and how heavy the moving jaw is, 1/8"-3/16" perhaps. (I usually use what's closest to size in my scrap pile; going larger with larger or more obdurate vises.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irondragon Forge ClayWorks Posted May 1, 2020 Share Posted May 1, 2020 6 hours ago, Fredcdobbs said: I'm on my way out to search for a piece of mild steel Where might that be, if you are close to me, stop by and take your pick from the resource pile inventory. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pnut Posted May 1, 2020 Share Posted May 1, 2020 Coincidentally, I have a leg vise on the way from the same generous member who sold me my blower and it's in need of a spring and I didn't see any reason not to make it from mild flat bar since its only job is to open the jaws and not anything that really requires much strength. I think it could still function without a spring but the jaws wouldn't open on their own when unscrewed. Anyway I'll be sure to post some pics when I get the spring bent and rig up a mounting plate. Pnut Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted May 1, 2020 Share Posted May 1, 2020 I like to make the 90 deg bend at the top and then starting from the bottom of the mounting strap, curve it out. At the bottom, I slit it up a ways and hammer out the slit pieces into thin lengths, bend then fairly flat to the bottom of the split. Then bend them around the moving leg and spiral the rest. (Making spirals on the sides of the moving leg to "trap it" from sideways shifting of the spring. I've seen a lot of ones where they just hammered the end out thin and wide and then just folded it back onto itself and curled up the projecting bits around the moving leg. I'll see if I can get a picture of my spiral this weekend. One thing I will mention: you want the spring just strong enough to open the vise; you don't want to to be fighting it closing it on a piece of hot steel as that takes extra time. When I get a vise new to me I always take it apart and clean the pivot cheeks thoroughly and oil or grease them so there is not a lot of friction when I use it and a lighter spring will work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moosetrot Posted May 1, 2020 Share Posted May 1, 2020 My son used one of the springs taken off of a longspring trap. Works perfectly! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irondragon Forge ClayWorks Posted May 1, 2020 Share Posted May 1, 2020 I made this one out of a small piece of wrought iron. Very easy to make them. Been working fine since then. I copied the design from my permanent shop leg vise. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pnut Posted May 2, 2020 Share Posted May 2, 2020 Thanks for the ideas Thomas, Moose trot, and IFD&C. I should have it in hand Tuesday so I'll know then. Pnut Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fredcdobbs Posted May 8, 2020 Author Share Posted May 8, 2020 (edited) On 5/1/2020 at 4:06 PM, Irondragon Forge & Clay said: I made this one out of a small piece of wrought iron. Can you post the measurements of that piece steel you used for the spring. Cheers Edited May 8, 2020 by Mod30 Remove photos and trim excessive quote. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted May 8, 2020 Share Posted May 8, 2020 Fred: The size he used on HIS vise isn't necessarily what your vise needs. Thomas laid out an easy way to determine what you need by measuring YOUR vise. I didn't even measure when I made the ones for mine, either time. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irondragon Forge ClayWorks Posted May 8, 2020 Share Posted May 8, 2020 If the picture you posted is your vise, I doubt the measurement for the spring on my vise will do you any good for yours. Did you read the thread JHCC linked for you? Quoting a full post especially with pictures, just before your reply is frowned upon, and we still have no idea of where in the world you are located. OOPS Frosty & I were posting at the same time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pnut Posted May 8, 2020 Share Posted May 8, 2020 I looked through my meager resource pile and don't have anything that's suitable. I'm going to go to the local TSC and buy a yard of 1inx1/4in flat bar. Tractor supply is five minutes away and the steelyard is closer to thirty. They also don't like non commercial customers showing up during the week so TSC it is. If TSC is out of 1/4in. I will end up waiting till the weekend and going to the steelyard. Pics to follow. Pnut Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted May 8, 2020 Share Posted May 8, 2020 As the travel is the usual expensive part of buying steel; if I can afford it, I try to buy 1 stick extra of whatever I'm getting at the steel store to go in my supplies rack/corner/pile. Here it's around 50 miles to get to a steel supplier (even further to get to a HD). I miss when I was down on the border and the steel supplier was about 6 blocks from the grocery store I used. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pnut Posted May 8, 2020 Share Posted May 8, 2020 Well since it's pouring rain today and I can't fix it anyway without getting a thorough soaking I'll get 20' for what I was going to pay for 3'. The steel supplier is maybe 20-25 minutes away but TSC is about a mile away and I can be persuaded to spend more money for the convenience of only having a two minute drive. I've looked at a few examples of springs and my plan is to split the last inch and bend them out to capture the movable arm just as was recommended. Thanks for the help and as soon as the rain stops I'll get it done. They're saying there's a slight chance of snow. Strange days for sure. Pnut Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted May 8, 2020 Share Posted May 8, 2020 Last weekend temps in the mid 90's, tomorrow it's supposed to be 80! (degF of course!) Going to fire up the forge for sure! I know about drives to get stuff out here, which is why I tend to buy a little more when I do go to town. I also get a lot of stuff at the scrapyard; some very nice stainless nuts and bolts there lately... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted May 8, 2020 Share Posted May 8, 2020 Springs for leg vises don't need to be anything special, it doesn't take much force to open and that's all they do. I took a look at my vises yesterday, the spring on the 4" is slightly wider than the mobile jaw and the spring on the 6" is a good 1/4" or more narrower. The 90* bent end in the clamp looks like leaf spring and matches a few in my spring pile. IIRC I cut one in half and made a spring for both of them. Neither reaches to the pivot on the mobile jaw. I drew clips on the bottom end to keep the spring from shifting. I only re-arced them slightly so the spring opens the jaws wide enough. I don't believe I measured anything, eyeball and hold it up against where it needs to fit. There are pictures of leg vises with coil springs replacing the leaf. It only has to work, nobody's going to grade the job beyond it's function. It's going to be in the mid to high 50s today but Deb and I have to drive to Anchorage to pick up her RV, it's being de-winterized for the summer's rambling around. It rained between 1/8" and 1/4" day before yesterday and like any spring here, almost any rain after a run of nice warm sunny days makes leaves all but POP out. Early birch turned substantially green between morning and 4pm. The other trees are opening up and showing green. It's overcast and kind of windy today, hopefully we'll get a good soaking rain so things green up good and fire danger can lower from red flag warning. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted May 8, 2020 Share Posted May 8, 2020 94 degF with wind gusts over 40 mph and humidity of 6% yesterday; we had the Red Flag here too. Today is much cooler. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pnut Posted May 8, 2020 Share Posted May 8, 2020 4 hours ago, ThomasPowers said: some very nice stainless nuts and bolts there lately... That reminds me. I forgot to mention that the leg is missing the nub on the end. I have no idea what it's called but I plan on hot fitting a large but on it. Maybe a lug nut if it's the right size. I'm open for suggestions if anyone has any that will work better. Pnut Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irondragon Forge ClayWorks Posted May 8, 2020 Share Posted May 8, 2020 I think that's called an acorn (or maybe I made that up) How much of the leg is missing? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted May 8, 2020 Share Posted May 8, 2020 DO you need the acorn to keep the vise leg from pushing deeper as you use it? I have several vises that are mounted onto a chunk of steel and no acorn needed. If sideways kick is an issue you can weld a large nut to the mounting plate and stick the bottom of the leg in that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pnut Posted May 9, 2020 Share Posted May 9, 2020 9 hours ago, Irondragon Forge & Clay said: How much of the leg is missing? Just the acorn. As for whether I need it. It's not going to be in a permanent spot and I didn't want it to mushroom or degrade so if I can friction fit something on the end I will. I didn't take a real good look at the actual size but I have some acorn lugnuts that reminded me of the part that was missing. If it fits great. If not on to something else. Pnut Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irondragon Forge ClayWorks Posted May 9, 2020 Share Posted May 9, 2020 Heat the lug nut or other stock and with a punch/drift open it up till it fits snug, it will shrink into a tight fit as it cools. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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