freestanding blacksmithing frankenstein vise

[BartW]

Hello All;

 

I've got some information request concerning the vise below.
The story: Worn screwbox; and broken handle bar and foot. I couldn't get the handle bar to weld correctly, it's some funky very large grain iron which makes welds go brittle. 
Then I found a truck kingpin thing to mount a spare tire; it is partially threaded M20 , not drilled all the way through. 
I cut that thing in half; the threaded section forms the screw-box; the non threaded half is secured to a threaded rod, and I machined a washer in front. Then added 2 nuts with the thread cut out to form the handle-bar holder; and a threaded rod with the threads cut off is the handle. To protect the threads I welded a pipe over it, and added a key to prevent the box from rotating. Then I manufactured a V-spring from a leafspring (this is WAY overkill). 

It clamps really slow (but pinches hard).  It isn't ideal; trapezoid thread would have been better and faster. As such, I wouldn't recommend it as general usage vise; but a blacksmith bending, drifting and hammering vise; sure.

As a base I welded it Very thick plates; and now I use it to clamp stuff and hammer; or a adjustable swage block to punch holes.

Maybe somebody can get ideas from this fix; there are a few "hacks" in this one