This was a long project that I left behind and returned to numerous times. If not for the fact it was an elusive Craftsman 5196, I might not have tackled it - at least not with this level of detail.
When I bought it, it was so caked in dirt, grease, and layers of paint, I had no idea what I was getting into. What I found was disappointing: The "Anvil" on top of the static was cracked, the main screw was starting to separate from the meatball (not to mention the handle was bent and the meatball was stamped "5191"), the swivel base lock-down bolt was broken and the lock handle bent. Even the stamped date of manufacture is unreadable due to the abuse the slide took!
After I stripped the vise down to bare metal, I started working on the anvil. I drilled a 3/8" hole about 1/2" beyond the crack, cut a groove the length of the crack, and ground a bevel into the new cut. I used 316 stainless rod to fill the gap and raise the height of the anvil about 1/16".
I used an angle grinder with a flapper disc to clean up the anvil and remove casting slag before painting the whole thing Hammerite "Hammered Deep Green".
I used a die grinder to cut a groove into the back side of the meatball so I could weld the main screw tight to the meatball (it originally appeared to be press-fit and spot welded), straitened the main screw handle and sanded out all but the deepest peens on the handle, then polished the whole thing.
The final step was to repair the broken swivel lock-down bolt by cutting off the broken section and welding a new bolt to the cast portion that locks into the ring (and straightening &polishing the lock down handle/nut).
I still need a Craftsman emblem and even though the the paint ran on one side, I'm still very happy with the end result. Considering what I had to work with (and the lack of available replacement parts) this turned out really good.
Cheers!
-Brian
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