Vises - "a leg to stand on"

[Agent_H]

oh wow, yes, you are right. they do seem to be the same or at least very similar. Your's looks great. Gives me a goal to shoot for on this one.

on mine, the previous owner welded the bracket and u bolt directly to the body of the vise, and then wrapped a little wire around the spring to hold it in place. Should I grind off the welds and get a new u bolt and put the bracket back the way yours is?

I don’t know to be honest. The plate is upside-down, welded to the shank as well as to the U-bolt, which in turn is welded to the shank?

The U-bolt looks like it’s in the way of setting to the top of a table or bench - was it under mounted? Could you cut them back to where they are welded to the back of the plate - to give yourself some clearance?

Are there still U-bolt holes on the back of the plate? Having the plate upside down might mean modifying the surface you mount it on but the bracket isn’t adjustable, being welded. You can adjust for height at the floor/foot?

If the welded U-bolt isn’t essential to integrity, could you remove it and replace the wire job? What is the deal on the moveable side - holding the tension bar in place?

The Columbian post vises I’ve seen photos of have markings on the back of the fixed* jaw.

More questions than answers.

 

[Square_peg]

@ithinkverydeeply, I don't remember where I found this picture but this looks about right for goal-setting:

Plus you'll need a similar number of anvils and swage blocks.

Hint: Build a bigger shop.

 

[FLINT77]

I don’t know to be honest. The plate is upside-down, welded to the shank as well as to the U-bolt, which in turn is welded to the shank?

The U-bolt looks like it’s in the way of setting to the top of a table or bench - was it under mounted? Could you cut them back to where they are welded to the back of the plate - to give yourself some clearance?

Are there still U-bolt holes on the back of the plate? Having the plate upside down might mean modifying the surface you mount it on but the bracket isn’t adjustable, being welded. You can adjust for height at the floor/foot?

If the welded U-bolt isn’t essential to integrity, could you remove it and replace the wire job? What is the deal on the moveable side - holding the tension bar in place?

The Columbian post vises I’ve seen photos of have markings on the back of the moveable jaw.

More questions than answers.

No idea how it was mounted before, I could be wrong but I don't believe my dad ever mounted it - might be the way he got it many decades ago.
I'll have to look at it more carefully when I get home and see if I can see any reason for the current configuration. I don't think the u-bolt is welded for integrity. All I could figure is that maybe his bench was high or something and that's the only way he could mount it?? I'll probably cut the u-bolt off and see about setting it up correctly.
on the moveable side, yeah maybe those pins welded to the side are meant to keep the spring in place??? maybe it was moving around because it wasn't held in place by the u bolt any more? Now that I see the picture of yours, I think I know what to do with it. Thanks!!!

 

[Square_peg]

Hey guys,
My dad gave me this post vise a while back, but I never did anything with it. I believe it to be quite old.
it weighs 50lbs, and I can get the jaws to open a little over 5" before the screw separates, so I guess it would be considered a 5" vise. The total height is 42". I don't see any makers marks on it, but its pretty dirty and the old paint is flaking off, so it will obviously need to be cleaned up. Where should I even start looking for a makers mark? Or maybe someone can tell the manufacturer by its construction? Thanks!

The bent handles on old leg vises are often the result of rusty old thrust bearings locking up. That's where the throw out bearings come in. I learned that from an old guy at the Northwest Blacksmith Association convention some years back.

 

[FLINT77]

The bent handles on old leg vises are often the result of rusty old thrust bearings locking up. That's where the throw out bearings come in. I learned that from an old guy at the Northwest Blacksmith Association convention some years back.

Good to know, and pardon my ignorance but which part is the thrust bearing?

I figured out that the size of the vise in inches is actually the width of the jaws - which on this vise is 4 1/2"

I got most of the vise cleaned up before it started storming a little while ago. wire wheeled of most of the old paint and rust, cut the u-bolt and the bolts welded to the other piece off and ground all the weld down so its all smooth. Still have a few parts to clean. I guess I need to have a new bracket made and get the handle straightened at the machine shop. Other than that I don't see why it won't go back together. I do need to re-read this whole thread and see where a throwout bearing would go.

Agent_H, as far as marking go, all I could find is an S in a triangle on the inside of the movable side. On the outside I'm pretty see I see a CO, but I don't see any other markings but they may be obscured by all the hammer strikes and especially weld on it. apparently this thing was used a good deal by someone who did a lot of welding.

However, I found this ebay auction, and as far as I can tell it is identical to my vise - except mine doesn't have the markings on it, at least not anymore
https://www.ebay.com/itm/COLUMBIAN-...SE-SIGNED-SERVICED-READY-TO-WORK/323832705792

ok, pictures;

 

[FLINT77]

oh sorry Agent_H. I just re-read this thread and saw that your vise also has the triangle with the S stamp. Guess they are the same. Is your vise also 4.5"? if so would you be willing to send me the dimensions of your u bolt and the part of the bracket that the u bolt will go through?

 

[Agent_H]

oh sorry Agent_H. I just re-read this thread and saw that your vise also has the triangle with the S stamp. Guess they are the same. Is your vise also 4.5"? if so would you be willing to send me the dimensions of your u bolt and the part of the bracket that the u bolt will go through?

I can do that when I get home. I think they look pretty similar as well.

The thrust washer is the smaller beveled metal ring that goes at the handle end. The screw box washer is the larger one with the slot in it that the tab on the screw box passes through/sits in.

Any markings on the larger one or on the screw box itself?

 

[FLINT77]

I can do that when I get home. I think they look pretty similar as well.

The thrust washer is the smaller beveled metal ring that goes at the handle end. The screw box washer is the larger one with the slot in it that the tab on the screw box passes through/sits in.

Any markings on the larger one or on the screw box itself?

Thanks!

I haven't had a chance to clean the screw box or the washers yet - been storming all afternoon, but I'll let you know when I do.

 

[Square_peg]

Good to know, and pardon my ignorance but which part is the thrust bearing?

The thrust bearing is marked by the red 'X'. If your replace it with a throw out bearing the 'open' side of the bearing should face the vise and the handle should push against the 'closed' side of the bearing. You can easily damage the throw out bearing if you reverse it.

 

[Square_peg]

In this schematic it's called the 'thrust washer'.

 

[FLINT77]

thanks for the schematic, that's very helpful!!

The thrust bearing is marked by the red 'X'. If your replace it with a throw out bearing the 'open' side of the bearing should face the vise and the handle should push against the 'closed' side of the bearing. You can easily damage the throw out bearing if you reverse it.

Thanks!! but if I add a bearing, shouldn't I also keep the thrust washer, as the washer is dished out to fit around the contour of the spindle - it is not flat as in the above schematic. wouldn't I want the bearing to fit over the screw thread shaft and slide inside the hole in the movable arm so that it can act like a bearing?

Agent_H, here are the stamps on my screw box, and screw box washer.

 

[FLINT77]

oh wait, nevermind. I guess you can't put a bearing into the hole in the moveable arm, because there needs to be play in there to accomdate the changing angles when you open and close the vise right?

 

[Agent_H]

Flint, your washers and box look good to go.

The thrust washer(handle end) can also be referred to as “thrust bearing”, if ruined, can be replaced with an auto clutch throw out bearing. Something like this one:

I shouldn’t presume others’ intent but I read part of Square_peg’s post as mentioning that if you put your existing washer or a replacement auto bearing on there backwards and tighten the vise, it will ruin either of them. The original will have force applied opposite to its design and potentially crack, the replacement auto bearing will have the center pushed out of it.

Your existing gear looks good to me. The parts’ markings also match those on mine, making me think we do have the same maker of vise.

 

[Square_peg]

Exactly right, Agent_H.

 

[FLINT77]

anyone have any ideas about how to clean the old hard grease out of the screw box?

 

[Agent_H]

This might not be the best way but I sprayed the inside with PB and used one of my 12GA bore brushes modified and inserted in the end of my power drill.

I suppose solvent and an old toothbrush would have the same effect.

 

[junkenstien]

Do the same thing for axe eyes,bore brush in a drill

 

[FLINT77]

So is this screw box not supposed to be threaded all the way through? Cleaning it out I only found threads in about the first third of it.

 

[Square_peg]

anyone have any ideas about how to clean the old hard grease out of the screw box?

Funny you should ask. I was just doing that today.

My screw box is open on both ends so I wrapped the far end (knob end) in plastic which I secured with a large rubber band. Then I filled the screw box with a mix of paint thinner and acetone and let it sit for 1/2 and hour. Then I cleaned it out with concrete bore hole brush, the kind you use to clean out a freshly drilled hole in concrete before you epoxy an anchor into it.

 

[Agent_H]

... A local fab shop would be able to straighten that stub of a leg and weld on a piece of solid 1" round bar to repair your leg. Then you'd be essentially as good as new. A lot of these old leg vises have repairs and function for many years thereafter.

S Square_peg , I took your advice and just dropped it with a welding fabrication shop just now. The older fella who owns the shop hadn't seen one before and seemed eager to get the job done for me - should be done this afternoon. Good work isn't free but hey, they don't make them like they used to (vises or cool old dudes for that matter).