Got a post vise!

Alarion

Alarion

Joined
Nov 26, 2001
Messages
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I've got an old post vise. It's quite rusty, but the screw is ok, only one jaw is slightly damaged: the top is rounded in, as if it was filed or had chipped. Well, the vise was mine for just 25 euros and 46 cents, so I got it (paid 26 getting an old 15" steel chisel as change :) )
I'll clean it and then I'm planning to repair the damaged jaw by arc welding a new steel plate in place, or perhaps using a mild steel or iron bar (this way it would be softer).
What do you think?
Can the arc welded plate do its job or does it risk to came apart under heavy hammering?
 
Alarion,I have welded steel to cast iron vices before and it worked fine.Just make sure you preheat the cast iron before you start runnig a pass.Dave:)
 
These are wonderful vices and a great addition to a shop. They are expensive new and the old ones work just fine and very heavy duty.
 
Well, I'd just finished reading Jim Hrisoulas' "The Complete Bladesmith" where he strongly adviced to get a post vise if at all possible, and that they were quite rare nowadays.
Then yesterday, while walking around in this small antique-used-old stuff market I see this vise. Well, it will cost a lot of money, I thought.
My wife persuaded me to ask for the price. After all asking is free :)
I thought it would have been something around 200-250€...
The woman asks just fifty... "Fifty what? Fifty Euros?" I ask.
"No, fithy thousand Lire"... That is about 25 €!
Bought it immediately!

So, here it is. Now I must clean it, repair the dent and themn find some place where to secure it!
I can wait, though, till I can put up a serious shop. After all, this is a kind of stuff that lasts many years :)
Anyway, how much do you believe I should heat the vise jaw before doing any arc welding?
And which do you think is better between steel and mild iron to repair the yaw?
 
A post vise is one of those vises that instead of being attached with three-four bolts to the workbench, has a long post, or leg, which adjuts down from the main body, which affixes the vise itself to a side of a leg of the bench.
This way any hammering on the vise discharges the energy of its blows not thru the screw that holds the mobile jaw in a bench vise but thru the post, which is extremely sturdy.
This way you may hammer freely on a piece held in the vise.
The other, mobile jaw, links to the post and the screw just opens and closes the two.
 
Alarion,It doesn't matter which material you use steel or iron.If it is just a dent or worn spot just fill with a multi-pass weld and grind,done that several times before also.Heat with a torch to about 400-500 degrees.Dave:)
 
Originally posted by DC KNIVES
Alarion,It doesn't matter which material you use steel or iron.If it is just a dent or worn spot just fill with a multi-pass weld and grind,done that several times before also.Heat with a torch to about 400-500 degrees.Dave:)
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Thanks Dave, will do!
 
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