Happy Monday,

Ive recently acquired an Iron City vice, and I have noticed that the spring is very strong. Winding and unwinding is hard, and not fast. I believe that it is the original spring. What is the best course of action? Thanks all,

Asa

First of all, I'd open the vise wide and push on the front jaw.  If you can push it closed with moderate (or even fairy heavy) force, it's probably the screw and not the spring that's causing the resistance.  If it is the spring, I think I'd take it out of the vise and try to take some of the curve out cold on the anvil.  (I'd also make sure the vise moves freely with the spring out; in theory the pivot could be binding.  Of course, that shouldn't make the screw hard to unwind -- unless maybe someone reset the spring to make up for it.) 

If cold forging didn't work, heating the spring and straightening it some would be an option.  It would probably work normalized, but conceivably you'd need to re-heat treat or work harden after forging.

I’ve tried the vice without the spring, and the screw works freely. The pivot too. I have already tried some cold forging.

Good Morning,

Mild Steel works well for a Post Vice spring. You wouldn't need to heat treat the existing spring, it knows where you want it. A Leaf Spring will work without heat treating. Think Simple!!

Neil

I agree. Just didn’t want to say “throw it in the forge” and find out you had the one vise out there with a spring thin enough to require hardening.  (It would be possible to make one that way, and if it can be done, someone somewhere has probably done it.)

Sorry it has taken me so long to respond! I tried some cold forging, lubricated everything, especially the thrust washer, and it works fine now. Finally got it mounted too.