New vise handle from ritzblitz. Installed with photos.

This is a Parker 6" vise. It's in really nice shape but I still wanted a new handle for it so I ordered one from ritzblitz due to recommendations from others.

Here's the photo gallery run down.

1.) This is the vise as it sat with original handle.

2.) Here's the old one removed sitting along side the new one. The original handle was 14" long. This is a big vise and I wanted the new one to be a little longer. The new one is 17.5" long. I think it's perfect now. I cut the old one off with a Sawzall and it was quick work.

3.) You can see the hub after I removed it. Notice the mushrooming where the handle ends slam against it year after year after year. This is why I like to use rubber washers on my handles, also called Finger Savers. If you happened to get the webbing of your finger caught between that sharp ridge and handle end slamming down there would be some serious blood shed. (It originally didn't have any washers on it but I did add a pair to the old handle.)

4.) A photo of it after I cleaned it up on my belt sander. Nice and smooth all the way around.

5 & 6.) This is the new handle installed on the vise where it will spend the next many decades. New rubber washers installed. It's now exactly as I want it to be.

ritzblitz did a fantastic job and is a great person to work with. Good communication all the way, he made exactly and precisely what I wanted. I definitely recommend him and hope to make use of his services again. I'm not going to quote prices. I'll let him do that if he wishes but I suggest you contact him if you want a handle made.

Note: KMScott made the bronze thrust washer you can see in the photos. Another talented member here and also excellent to work with.

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Wow, it looks like that vise is staying as it is on a bench instead of a stump. Looks great, good work by all.

That looks great! How does the diametrical clearance of the new one compare to the original? Did you close the gap for less slop?

Thanks guys.

A little bit wider but just a hair. The original one measured out at 0.77" and this one is 0.8" I was nervous to go any more and I couldn't afford to cut off my old handle until I had the replacement in hand. I probably could have gone a tiny bit wider but it's really nice right where it's at now.

Beautiful to say the least!

balane

Nice, it is gonna be a while before i get to mine hoping it looks as good as yours you did a god job on it

Ya Dun Gud, Bubba...

Your clamper needed a bigger handle...

Balane: of course i agree with the rest you have outdone yourself with that Parker you decided to mount on your bench instead of "the stump".

any chance you can make that post over on the vise repair 101 thread to give Ritzblitz another plug and show the people looking at that thread how nice a job you both do?

by the way did you take the jaws off of your Parker to make them that shiny and please share how hard that they were to pull off and put back on. also did you do that on the belt sander like you did your hub on? very nice indeed.

Ritz: another very high quality job and can't wait until i have you make one or a few for me some day when i start restoring some of mine.

Great job Bart, that is a nice looking Parker. The handle fits nicely as well, a perfect length.

I'm happy that you are pleased.

What is it made out of?
Is it a hardened steel, or a stock steel bar stock?
How do you get the ends, do you have a CNC?

What size is the thread on the end? It looks small. On a 0.8" diam I'd feel comfortable at 7/16" and maybe even 1/2

It's bar stock. I'm fairly certain this is all done on a lathe and then threaded with taps and dies but that's just a guess.

The threaded stud is 3/8" Why do you think that needs to be thicker? What type of stress do you see a handle end receiving? I certainly don't see it taking much at all. If it were 1/2" then the handle material around the hole would be just 0.15" thick. It's only job is to keep the handle from sliding all the way through the spindle. Doesn't take much.

DIF: I removed the jaws from the vise and cleaned them up with my belt sander. Started with 80 grit and ended up with 250. They cleaned up pretty well. Feel free to use my pictures and info anywhere you like, they're free reign.

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The handle is 4140 bar stock.

I don't have a cnc lathe, I built a ball turning attachment to use on my 10EE so I can turn these different shapes on the ball ends. I turn the shafts to whatever diameter and length the customer specifies.

3/8-16 thread is plenty for this application. The internal threads are drilled and tapped, and the external are cut on the lathe. 7/16 or 1/2 would be overkill and just a larger hole to drill and tap. Like Balane said, what kind of forces do you put your vise handles through? Significant force would be required to stretch the threads or pull them out of the handle, in my opinion.

I used to make them a press fit, but this is easier for the customer to install, no beating ends into the shaft required.

Threaded ends? You know, I've always wondered how the ball ends were attached and sort of assumed they were a friction or press on fit and permanent. Threaded? Well dang, now I'll have to see about adding some rubber washers to the handles of my vises.

The only threaded handle ends I've ever seen are on this handle that was custom made. It's highly unlikely any factory handle will be threaded so don't bust a nut trying to get one off.

Rubber washers just stretch over the ends. That's the normal procedure, I've put hundreds on. If it's stubborn or just too big to get over all you need to do is put the washers in some boiling water and they'll easily slip right over the knobs.