Vise repair, helicoil?

[LCconvert]

I just recently picked up a wilton 940. Somewhere in its past someone added extra large smooth jaws and for some reason they had to enlarged the holes on the stationary jaw only. In the process they also punched all the way through to the otherside. I would like to put some standard jaws back on it but will either need to enlarge the holes in the new jaw or make the hole smaller in the stationary jaw.

I preference is to make the hole smaller on the stationary jaw and also fill the holes in the back. My question is can I clean the threads with a tap and just insert a helicoil to get back to the original bolt size or do I have to tap it first? I have never done a helicoil yet!!

If there is a better way of doing this...I am all ears.

You can see in one of the pics that the threads in one hole are already a little worn.

[fury9]

what if you make the holes bigger and put a washer so you can get a 1/4 socket on the nut? I mean it's only holding the jaw on and use grade 8 if you want to be picky but use loctite too

[bgott]

http://www.newmantools.com/kee.htm

Braze up the holes on the outside and then use the Keenserts to re-do the jaw holes.

[davesnothere]

What kind of pervert drills holes through a wilton?

[fury9]

one that doesn't have the right shit to make it workproperly

[DandDMachine]

Helicoils work great they are easy to install. As mentioned Keenserts also work great, but Helicoils are usually more commonly available at hardware or auto part stores. To install the Helicoil you buy the kit that comes with the tap, usually 6-10 stainless inserts, and the installation tool. You will have to supply the drill bit. Its pretty easy drill the hole making sure its straight. Cut the threads with the Helicoil tap. Wind the repair insert on the installation tool and turn it in to desired depth. Use a punch to break off insert tab. The directions are usually on the back of the package. I am sure you can find a youtube video to help if you need to. JB Weld would be able to fill those holes.

[LCconvert]

Originally Posted by davesnothere

What kind of pervert drills holes through a wilton?

Yeah, it is really a shame because the rest of the vise if near perfect.

[Outlawmws]

There is also the old school repair:

Tap it through completely a size larger, run a grade three bolt into the holes, cut off near flush, grind /file flat, braze on the back side of the hole to lock the bolt remnants and re-drill and tap the right size.

[adcrawfo]

If the holes aren't the same thread size that they were before, you won't be able to use a heli-coil. You would have to move up to a keensert, possibly a heavy duty one depending on what the hole size is. Keenserts are typically 3 bolt sizes bigger than the thread the are fixing, ie the od of a 7/16-14 keensert is 5/8-11. Another example is a 3/8-16 has an od of 9/16-12. Whereas a helicoil is just a tad bigger to accept the 1/2 of the thread repair.

Sent from my Milestone X2 using Tapatalk

[LCconvert]

excuse my ignorance...what is brazing? I have heard the term many times but how would it work in this case?

Originally Posted by Outlawmws

There is also the old school repair:

Tap it through completely a size larger, run a grade three bolt into the holes, cut off near flush, grind /file flat, braze on the back side of the hole to lock the bolt remnants and re-drill and tap the right size.

[Outlawmws]

Brazing is using an ox/acetylene torch to heat the area/parts to red hot and using a brass welding rod to "high temp solder" the partsgether.

In this case, I'd run the sacrificial bolt into the holes so they extend, (after tapping of course) and mark them then cut them close, and grind to just under the surface of the curve of the back of that jaw. Then remove them and use a doubled hack saw and cut 3-4 notches in the last 1/4" or so. This provides a place for the brass to flow. Chamfer the slanted bolt end a little also.

Then clamp up the assembled part so the back of the vise jaw is near level where you are going to braze. Heat the vise jaw thoroughly before brazing the bolts in. then concentrate the heat on the area around the bolt ends and flow the braising rod into the area. Once you have it filled if you are careful, the braised surface may not be that bad a match to the cast surface of the vise jaw.

Have a can or bucket of sand preheated in an oven to as hot as you can get in the oven (something under 500 deg...) bury the repaired part in the sand and let cool overnight. This makes it cool slowly, which is important with cast iron.

After its cooled cut the remaing bolts of close adn file flat. lay in the jaw adn center punch for the new holes. If you can borrow thme use a pattern punch (Sized punches for matching bolt paterns)

Set it up so you are drilling vertically and drill and then tap...

[LCconvert]

Ok, so where do you buy the keenserts or even helicoils? Does ACE or one of the big box hardware chains carry them?

[PT Doc]

Ace has helicoils.

[rsanter]

Personally I would drill and tap those holes to clean them up. Thread in some all thread and silver solder them as the silver solder will wick in between the bolt and the body but can be done at a lower temp.
Then drill and install the kneinserts

Bob