Vice - rebuild

bladegrinder

bladegrinder

Well-Known Member
I rescued a vice from the trash heep, and it's a big one. does anyone have any idea what brand this thing is? there's no markings at all on it.
I don't know how old it is but I'm giving a starting guess at least 30 years. it weighs about 50 lbs.
here she is in all her worn out glory.
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The main issue was the screw, it was stripped for about 4-5" in it's everyday operating range....
so I cut about 6" off the unthreaded section of the screw which will now place undamaged threads into the carriage area, the stripped threads will never go thru that section again.

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Beveled the ends real good and squared the rod up.

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Welded up the screw....

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Ground down the weld and polished it up.....

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I gave it a run thru the vice and that did it, it's back to working right now. I got the top end sand blasted and primed.
There's a few other issues with the jaw inserts and the bottom end but I'll be able to fix them.
This thing should come out looking good and ready for a new life.
 
Looks like a home brew job to me. Previous owner may have used some bits and pieces from another vise, but the rest looks put together from some bent or welded flat stock.

Looking forward to see your finished rebuild.
 
Don Robinson said:
???? How come the jaws ain't worn?
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The jaw's are only slightly beat, the screws holding them on are a little stripped so they have a little wobble, barely noticeable.
I believe this vice was used primarily to hold pipe, in the lower jaws.

ARCustomKnives said:
Looks like a home brew job to me.
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That crossed my mind looking at it closely, the guy that had it said it used to have a sticker on the side with the company's name...maybe it was a start up company that never made it. I've never seen another one like it so I was hoping someone here knew who made it.
 
I recognize the red color and some other things about it. Probably had a smaller one. Years ago, I bought things from import companies on the internet offering tools at prices you couldn't find anywhere else.
 
So I got this beast cleaned up, the threaded carriage inside was flopping around so it got welded in place, so now the repaired screw runs perfect with no slop or end play.
AR was right, after I got into this vice it was evident that it's some sort of Frankenstein vice but after I took it all apart I decided this thing was to badass to toss in the dumpster. so far I have about $10.00 in it with some screws and paint after a full sand blast job. next, I'm going to replace the jaws, they were beat up and didn't line up right.
I'm going to put in 3/4" jaws, put it on my mill and square them up.
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Dang Steve that turned out very well. Two thumbs up! Since you made it all new. now you got to go break it back in!!
 
Don Robinson said:
I recognize the red color and some other things about it. Probably had a smaller one. Years ago, I bought things from import companies on the internet offering tools at prices you couldn't find anywhere else.
Click to expand...

I recognize the damage though, that is what happens when you let Bubba use a four foot cheater bar on your vise.
 
I like how far the jaws sit out from the base. That would make a really nice gunsmith vise so that you can get the barreled action or stock clamped up vertical without the bench being in the way.
 
Chris Railey said:
I recognize the damage though, that is what happens when you let Bubba use a four foot cheater bar on your vise.
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Your right, I have seen people use 4' cheater bars on this. it's been abused for sure.
My problem now is I have no where to put it, my current shop is packed. there's not even room for two people in it.
I'm planning on a new shop approx. 30' x 60' being built next March or April and I'll find a good place for it there.
 
Well, I got it finished today. I replaced the jaws with 3/4"x 3/4" barstock, one side was on an angle so I milled it. now it closes nice and square. I also put thru shims in the body to keep everything squared up. this thing turned out good, I'm glad I took the time to rebuild it rather than let it go in a dumpster. it should last a long time before anything else needs to be done to it.
The old jaws are laying on top. :D
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Looking good Steve! The new jaw inserts lined it up real prudy!! I would love to have a mill. I have been looking a mill lathe combo but, that is just a pipe dream. Even if I could afford it I haven't the space for it!!
 
I bought that one about 18 years ago from wholesale tools in Tampa, they had a 1 hp on sale for $700 so I ordered it.
A week later before I drove over to pick it up I called to make sure it was there, the guy said yea.. it shows it's here but let me go look. he came back and told me they sold it.....wait, you did what?
so after some haggling he said he had a 2 hp model in stock and would give it to me for the same price, I told him I'll be there in half an hour or so.:D
 
bladegrinder said:
I bought that one about 18 years ago from wholesale tools in Tampa, they had a 1 hp on sale for $700 so I ordered it.
A week later before I drove over to pick it up I called to make sure it was there, the guy said yea.. it shows it's here but let me go look. he came back and told me they sold it.....wait, you did what?
so after some haggling he said he had a 2 hp model in stock and would give it to me for the same price, I told him I'll be there in half an hour or so.:D
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Dont you just love those sort of muck-ups.
 
Now it's obvious why the jaws didn't line up when you got it.

The more pressure you place when closing it, the more the rear jaw bends backward..
 
I know this thing was seriously beat to death in it's lifetime, I saw it and participated in it a few times.
it's had 36" pipe wrenches with cheater bars used on pipes and flanges.
the problem was that at the time it was being used, nobody cared what happened to it.

Now that it is in what I consider rebuilt condition and out of reach of gorillas and numbskulls, I don't foresee any future bending of the jaws. I probably won't ever use it like it was in the past. it should live out a good serviceable life from here on out. :D
 
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