Giant Unidentifiable Vise

[Drosera]

Hello!

This is my first post. I’ve been a lurker, because I don’t have any knowledge to impart on the rest of you.

A neighbor has a huge vise in her shed, and is willing to sell it to me.

It feels like it weighs 100 pounds. There aren’t any markings on it, but she says it is very, very old.

There’s only one problem: one of the plates is missing!

Would it be cost prohibitive to fabricate a jaw plate?

Thanks for your time!

 

[davethorik]

Looks like an Asian import. A new jaw insert, if it had to be custom made, would likely be more money than that vise cost new.

 

[Muggzy]

Hello!

This is my first post. I’ve been a lurker, because I don’t have any knowledge to impart on the rest of you.

A neighbor has a huge vise in her shed, and is willing to sell it to me.

It feels like it weighs 100 pounds. There aren’t any markings on it, but she says it is very, very old.

There’s only one problem: one of the plates is missing!

Would it be cost prohibitive to fabricate a jaw plate?

Thanks for your time!

Welcome to the journal! I'm not the expert on vises. There are a couple of great threads on the site with some really knowledgeable people on them. But all you need to fabricate that jaw is some patience, a hacksaw, a drill and maybe a file and some more patience if you want it to look nice.

Sent from my Pixel XL using Tapatalk

 

[thehorse13]

Appears to be an abused Asian import that was spray bombed. I would pass on that thing and get yourself a real hunk of American metal somewhere else.

 

[Packard V8]

But no, a jaw to make a vise usable isn't rocket science. It'd just a piece of steel plate with a couple of holes for screws.

But no, I wouldn't pay much for that vise.

It feels like it weighs 100 pounds.

Just asking, how far off is OP's guesstimate? I've never seen an Asian import anywhere near 100#.

jack vines

 

[thehorse13]

The OP's estimate is off by...a lot. Those crappy things are 30 pounds of pot metal.

 

[rustyzman]

About 25+ years ago HF sold that exact vise. We bought one for my dad to replace a cheap one that the rear jaw snapped off of. Surprisingly stronger than you might think, and it is cast iron, not the thin hollow garbage that it replaced at the time we bought it. It has the large, square oversized anvil on it. Far from the the worst vise I have ever used and it has seen some heavy use. Certainly not old american iron quality, but not total garbage either. At least the one we have isn't. It is surprisingly heavy too.

It is not worth much monetarily though, especially missing a jaw plate. Would kinda have to be free to be really worth it.

 

[Oldtuleguy]

If you need a cheap vise.... other than that pass

 

[Bob P1]

Better as a boat anchor then a vice.

 

[bczygan]

Hello!

This is my first post. I’ve been a lurker, because I don’t have any knowledge to impart on the rest of you.

A neighbor has a huge vise in her shed, and is willing to sell it to me.

It feels like it weighs 100 pounds. There aren’t any markings on it, but she says it is very, very old.

There’s only one problem: one of the plates is missing!

Would it be cost prohibitive to fabricate a jaw plate?

Thanks for your time!

How much do they want?

Offer $10-20 max. Fab a makeshift jaw and mount to something substantial.

Bill

 

[2oolhound]

OK, I'll admit I owned one of those. After 20 years away from tools I stopped in at an auction and saw it there. It reminded me of the 6" record that was stolen from me decades earlier so I bid on it and I didn't even have a garage or any kind of work area or bench at the time. Before I knew it bidding hit $75 and I owned it (I know I know), I had sucker written on my forehead but I also scored a mint 2100 husquvarna chainsaw worth at least $450 so all and all I was redeemed.

After I did get my garage I worked the vise pretty good but not hard and it stood up well for about 8 years until I found another 6" record and replaced it. I sold it for $55 with a set of aluminum jaws plus the originals.

The funniest part is though I wasn't married I got reamed out real good from my employee (gorgeous sweet pie) when I let it slip I'd bought a vise and a chainsaw at an auction. At the time I was dumbfounded and even a little sheepish after she unloaded both barrels at me tearing a mile wide strip off my hind end but in retrospect that experience was priceless and still brings a **** eating grin to my face when I think of it. In that way the vise was worth $75 but I'd never buy another one at that price under any circumstances.

 

[PugetDude]

But no, a jaw to make a vise usable isn't rocket science. It'd just a piece of steel plate with a couple of holes for screws.

But no, I wouldn't pay much for that vise.

Just asking, how far off is OP's guesstimate? I've never seen an Asian import anywhere near 100#.

jack vines

I bought one almost exactly like that in 1982 for $25 at the White Elephant on East Sprague...probably weighed ~60#. It was a decent vise for the money, gave it to my brother in 2001 when I moved. He still uses it.

 

[PugetDude]

The OP's estimate is off by...a lot. Those crappy things are 30 pounds of pot metal.

Iron is iron.... .261#'s per cubic inch. Doesn't matter if it's virgin US Iron or Chinesium ****.

 

[jask]

Iron is iron.... .261#'s per cubic inch. Doesn't matter if it's virgin US Iron or Chinesium ****.

Not on this Planet....

I have an 8" version of the same offshore quality that I picked up at a yard sale 10-12 years ago for 50$.. I just weighed it - 126Lbs

 

[jask]

.. now that is odd!! the quote I clipped of pugetdude's comment changed the hash symbol to a not equal symbol... I have never seen that happen.

 

[seber]

Iron is iron.... .261#'s per cubic inch. Doesn't matter if it's virgin US Iron or Chinesium ****.

Iron comes in a variety of strengths from 20,000 psi to 65,000 psi. Also the quality of casting is quite variable. There is a youtube video of a Chinese anvil cut in half. Pretty crazy what they found.

 

[DadsTools]

You just can't beat a cheap vise!