RocketFox650 Posted June 10, 2021 Share Posted June 10, 2021 TL;DT- I have vise, no work, long time, grandpa, welding attempts to fix. When I was attempting a couple different electrical welding styles since my TIG is down a few more days, I had a ARC jump at the start and then a little spatter damage right at the edge of my screw box. Now, I could cut the broken tab back off, then carefully attempt to remove a little material on the box with a bandsaw possibly, but I'll be back to possibly getting a different rod type tomorrow and having to re weld the pieces, build a cage around it that eliminates the tab for now until my TIG is up, or bevel the material and use JB Weld like machinable material I use for body restoration and some non load bearing parts. I've got the screw to go back all the way thru, but I haven't bolted everything back together because of the oil and such all over the vise. I had to kinda work the screw back and forth, but I've gotten it all the way through the piece. But it's taking lite beating or handle extension to tighten it or loosen to a lesser extent. My question is, if I run this in and out a few times, will it start to wear the threads just enough to clean it up to what a typical vice feels like? This has actually been a xxxxx to tighten as far back as I can remember it, but it's been broken. So I assumed fixing it would cure a lot of that. I need to bead blast the rest I think and then paint and oil, or maybe oiled cast will just look better? The way this has been going, I'm gonna go pick up Ni55/Ni99 rod tomorrow possibly. Otherwise wait for my new regulator to come or look into getting my Oxy/Acy tanks filled. Idk. The screw box is more where my concern is at mostly now. Run screw in and out and it'll get cleaner and easy up with some in and out? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glenn Posted June 10, 2021 Share Posted June 10, 2021 Maybe related: When ever you weld, always attach the negative as close to the work as is practicable. If you attach the negative to a metal work table the arc will jump from the negative lead to the table, from the table to the vise, from the base of the vise to the screw, from the screw to the jaw, and from the jaw to the work being clamped. That is an electric arc at each point, which may cause pitting. Weld on a project resting on the metal table. When your finished, the project is stuck to the table by the electrical arc jumping from the table to the project. Ask a mechanic why they disconnect the battery before welding on a vehicle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RocketFox650 Posted June 10, 2021 Author Share Posted June 10, 2021 Yeah, no mate. I get what you're saying, I'm an electrical engineer. There's no clamping the piece. The tab meets the base of the screwbox and the repair is there. I got just a touch of melt on the box right at the back and a little spatter. Literally, I could grind a slight 1/16" or less off the back, use a metal chop saw, run it through a portable band saw, etc, to clean it off, but deburring would be a concern. This has always been a xxxxx to thread in and wouldn't tighten. But I'm restoring my garage and got irritated and decided to open it up. The screwbox basically just spins until it hits a side and travels. Working the box back on, I'm screwing through it, but loose, it's still not tightening easily. I know there's lite spatter damage, on top of nothing held in place, so I understand that's probably contributing to difficulties. If I keep running the screw in and out, will the threads clean up or wear enough on their own to clean up the spatter? I'm restoring everything and debating debating sand or bead blasting everything. Be easy if I just had a xxxx tap. I might coat the vise in degreaser and then oil it nicely, or even paint it. Lite sand all the contact slide surfaces. If I keep having struggles with the weld, I'm going to build a cage and with JB Stick, 2 part liquid, or this type I use with a high metal content for magnet test body repair which is also machinable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glenn Posted June 10, 2021 Share Posted June 10, 2021 If the vise it tight, there most likely is a reason. Look for any signs of wear or debris being wiped off the parts. Measure the tightness zones and try to relate that to the problem. See if you can find any misalignments or bent parts. Keep everything lubricated, to avoid damage, until you can find the cause. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted June 10, 2021 Share Posted June 10, 2021 Got any valve grinding compound? Are the threads currently nice and square? When you say that it spins; do you mean tht the screwbox is loose in the yoke and you may have an issue with the keel that is supposed to lock it from turning in the yoke? (I've seen this with some marriages of vise and screw/screwboxes---remember you used to be able to buy replacement screw/screwboxes out of the Sears Roebuck catalog!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irondragon Forge ClayWorks Posted June 10, 2021 Share Posted June 10, 2021 Pictures might help diagnose the problem. I would take the screw box out, soak it in a 50/50 mix of acetone and automatic trans fluid for a couple of days. Applying heat to the screw box may mess up the brazed in threads on older vises. Are the threads of the screw in good condition or are they tapered from use with crud in the screw box. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reading Creek Forger Posted April 22, 2023 Share Posted April 22, 2023 I picked up an Iron City post vice today at a yard sale. Paid only $40.00 and I thought I did pretty good but once I got it home I realized the screw was pretty worn, so much so that the box won't hold it tight when its about an inch before it closes. I have heard repairing the threads can be done by someone with far more skill than I have. Its a pretty big vice, maybe 100 lbs with 6 inch jaws so I would like to get it fixed up proper. I have a possible donor box and screw from a scrapyard vice I got several years ago, also six in jaws but I would rather not tear about one vice to fix another. It has some other issues but I can handle repairing those. Any suggestion? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pats forge Posted May 14, 2023 Share Posted May 14, 2023 I have a 6 inch 100lb+ leg vise with a screw box that has a couple threads messed up. I brought it at a yard sale and knew to look at them but it was full of old grease that was caked with grim and disguised the broken thread. I have read of using Babbitt material, melted and poured in to repair? Has anyone else heard of this? I have poured Babbitt before on a old post drill and also on my little Giant so I am aware of the process. I just not sure of the strength. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stash Posted May 14, 2023 Share Posted May 14, 2023 How messed up is it? Unusable? Or just the first couple threads? Older vise screwbox had the threads brazed in- usually with brass. I would be concerned that the babbit would not have the tensile strength to do a proper job. Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pats forge Posted May 30, 2023 Share Posted May 30, 2023 On 5/14/2023 at 2:41 PM, Stash said: How messed up is it? Unusable? Or just the first couple threads? Older vise screwbox had the threads brazed in- usually with brass. I would be concerned that the babbit would not have the tensile strength to do a proper job. Steve Just now, Pats forge said: They are pretty worn. I didn’t realize it because there’s so much grease and grime packed in there when I bought it. I figured I could try the Babbitt and if it doesn’t work, I can just melt it out and then I’m gonna try and do the coil wrap and braze possibly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted May 31, 2023 Share Posted May 31, 2023 Good luck with that, I don't think babbit will stand up to the wear, no matter how well lubed you keep it. Babbit is basically a lead alloy and you can mark it with a fingernail. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JHCC Posted June 3, 2023 Share Posted June 3, 2023 Agreed. Babbit’s strength is in its ease of pouring and shaping, and once it’s in place, the only stress on it is compression. It will have almost no resistance to shearing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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