In search of some advice

[jwms]

another note. Acme screw stock locally costs just under $19 per foot in 1" dia. 5tpi. nuts run under $9 for one  1.5" long. picked it up at a place called Tacoma Screw here locally. plan to look up repair here in the forum but thinking of a trailer hitch ball for the handle and a really small one for the finial on the box.

[Jonnyj9320]

Hey people.. looking for some advice, got offered this vise for a cheap price but never owned one so not too knowledgeable about them. How does this vise look to those that know and is it fixable?? Opinions would be great please.

 

[ThomasPowers]

It's an older vise, (tanged mounting bracket). The threads look decent. You could probably weld the screwbox IFF the interior thread was not brazed in place.  Won't be as strong as an unbroken one.  But how much strength you need we can't tell as we don't know the details.  Is "cheap price" US$20?  More/Less? What is the going rate for the vises in your country?  In the USA they can vary quite a bit in price depending on location.

Note: I consider the state of the screw and screwbox as being about 80% of the "worth" of a vise so having those damaged cuts it way down.  Shoot I recently bought a vise body without the screw and screwbox for 20 UScents a pound...

[George N. M.]

As usual, I agree with Thomas.  It looks pretty good except for the cracked screw box.  I would buy it for a "cheap" price (whatever that subjective amount is) and weld or braze the crack in the screw box shut.  I'd also be cautious about how much force I closed it with so as not to over stress the screw box.

"by hammer and hand all arts do stand."

[MarcBaldwin]

IF it was mine and was otherwise a repair candidate I would clean the heck out of it, preheat and tig weld that up with some ER70S-2 filler rod. 
That’s also assuming the part is steel, not iron. Then go ferro-nickel filler rod. Either way Tig is great for that repair.

But hey I’m a new guy so what I think isn’t entirely relevant. 

And around these parts someone would still want 400-500 bucks for it. Home of the $15 a pound, beat to a pulp Vulcan anvil around here.

[arftist]

Weld it up and you got a good deal; Larger post vises are going for huge bucks these days. 

Just make sure you get a price on the welding job, some people think their work is priceless. 

I would charge about fifty bucks to fix that as long as I didn't have to make any parts.

 

This is what I get for not using the quote feature. My response is to the op. 

 

Marc Baldwin, I believe that box is cast iron.  Could be wrong of course.

Steel is unlikely though.

[ThomasPowers]

And I doubt cast iron.  My early postvise had the screwbox built up out of real wrought iron and forge brazed together.

[Jonnyj9320]

Thanks for the advise everyone, I gave that vise a miss. So when is the screw worn so much that it's an issue and what level of wear is acceptable?? I know it depends on price but I'm not finding many under €120.

[M.G.]

To all that have been following, I have finally gotten my vise stand put together and vice mounted. Here are some shots of the smithy and vice on its stand. It went straight to work!

  

[ThomasPowers]

If the disk was large enough to stand on while using the vise it would act much more rigid.

[M.G.]

Its true Thomas. I can usually get a foot on it to keep it from moving on me if I'm really torqueing on it. But as I sit here I realize that I may not always be able to do both stand on the base, and reach the end of my work piece. But looking around the shop I notice that I could just ratchet strap the stand to the leg of the wall anchored work benches if I really need it to stay put.  I do like the mobility of it though. The whole set up is about 160 or 180lbs. So it weighs more than my anvil set up (as well as more than myself). When I eventually land my own workshop I will anchor to the floor. Or drive a post in to the dirt. But this is a borrowed space so im trying to be non invasive and mobile around the workspace.   But over all, I am just super stoked that it is no longer laying down on the job, lazy sucker is finally holding its own weight. Hahahhaha

[ThomasPowers]

There is much to be said for expediency.  There is also much to be said for a vise that you can twist a RR spike in---cold; also for a vise you can access from 360 degrees---my next  vise project, making a gozinta in the shop driveway for a spare 6" vise I have.    Currently my most heavily anchored vise is attached to the utility pole that supports the middle truss in my "dirty shop".   Quite stout, it was the one I twisted a RR spike cold in; but when you hammer heavily on stuff it "drives" the steel panel wall and lets the neighbors know you're working in the shop...