Fill a hollow vise with lead??

Billythekid1 · Jun 4, 2018

Anyone ever fill a bench vise with anything?? I'm thinking if I fill it it would make it stronger any reason not to do it?

larry_g · Jun 4, 2018

Just where do you propose to fill it? Most vises are solid iron.

lg
no neat sig line

dutchgray · Jun 5, 2018

Its been done, with lead, I have seen posts in the vise thread on it, with Columbian vises and probably others, I don't personally see the point, it would only help with strength if you were working the vise hard or hammering on it.

Davefr · Jun 5, 2018

dutchgray said:
Its been done, with lead, I have seen posts in the vise thread on it, with Columbian vises and probably others, I don't personally see the point, it would only help with strength if you were working the vise hard or hammering on it.

Lead?? It's seems like it would be way too soft to offer any strength.

Billythekid1 · Jun 5, 2018

Some of the bigger vises r hollow I would b trying to make it as strong as posible I have a bunch of lead that's why I said lead mabe epoxy would b better I'm not sure that's why I asked I figured someone on here would have tried it fill them with something thanks for the replies so far I really would like someone that has done it to respond

tool_scrounge · Jun 5, 2018

Adding molten lead would increase weight and damping. But probably not a lot of strength.

Davefr · Jun 5, 2018

Billythekid1 said:
Some of the bigger vises r hollow I would b trying to make it as strong as posible I have a bunch of lead that's why I said lead mabe epoxy would b better I'm not sure that's why I asked I figured someone on here would have tried it fill them with something thanks for the replies so far I really would like someone that has done it to respond

If you want to do heavy beating then get a chunk of train track or an anvil. I know I'm in the minority, but I view a vise as a precision work holding tool that shouldn't be severely abused.

If you're worried about cracking the vise body then I'd pick a different procedure.

Maui · Jun 5, 2018

Filling a hollow vise with lead will increase the overall weight, but will not improve its strength.

RivennHewn · Jun 5, 2018

Is your vise not strong enough?
What are you doing that requires a stronger vise?
Maybe just buy a vise adequate for the task

notlob · Jun 5, 2018

The jaw towers of most, if not all, Wilton bullets are hollow. I doubt filling the voids with lead would add significant strength. As some here have said, if your vise isn't strong enough, get a bigger vise.

General Geoff · Jun 5, 2018

The only possible advantage I see is increasing the mass of the vise and thus increaing its inertia, making it harder to overcome when hammering on a held work piece and thus transferring more of the hammer blow to the work piece and less into moving the vise. But if you have a sufficiently solid, sturdy, immobile work bench to which your vise is bolted, this wouldn't be a problem in the first place.

bczygan · Jun 5, 2018

You need one of these:
(Not a HF product)

dutchgray · Jun 5, 2018

Davefr said:
Lead?? It's seems like it would be way too soft to offer any strength.

I think the only strength advantage is it could help the vise resist cracks forming in the cast from errant hammer blows, but probably only in good ductile iron vises, not that heavy hammering on a vise should be done anyway.
Wouldn't add any strength to the vise otherwise.

crguy · Jun 5, 2018

Let's just say it would be a waste of time.

earlthegoat2 · Jun 5, 2018

Get a better vise.

Billythekid1 · Jun 5, 2018

I was just courious when I realized it was hollow if it would make it dramatically stronger why would the company's make them hollow ?? To save some steel??

jumbojak · Jun 5, 2018

Find, or make, yourself a post vise.

Hammer1963 · Jun 7, 2018

Davefr said:
If you want to do heavy beating then get a chunk of train track or an anvil. I know I'm in the minority, but I view a vise as a precision work holding tool that shouldn't be severely abused.

If you're worried about cracking the vise body then I'd pick a different procedure.

I agree 100 percent!

davewo · Jun 7, 2018

The business area of a vise is probably where the screw is....probably don't want to fill that in.

zkling · Jul 16, 2018

Billythekid1 said:
I was just courious when I realized it was hollow if it would make it dramatically stronger why would the company's make them hollow ?? To save some steel??

1.) Machining costs to remove all the extra material.

2.) Due to reasons I don't want to get into here (look it up if you are so inclided), When you cast something, the thicker the section becomes, the greater the chances for defects to occur in the casting. From cooling rate to material flow.

As others have mentioned, filling a vise with lead will increase its mass and thus inherent damping capability. Due to the lead shrinking as it cools, you will not have a bond to all walls of the vise and not gain the bending strength you desire.

xin · Jul 16, 2018

bczygan said:
You need one of these:
(Not a HF product)

695 POUNDS!!!

:thumbup:

jonshonda · Jul 17, 2018

The engineers design a vise to perform a certain task, and pounding on it with a 4lb maul is not what it was designed for, hence the name "machinist vise", and not "I want to try and straighten a section 8ft long 2"x2" 3/8" wall tubing with a 10ft breaker bar vise".

There are many reasons why it is hollow, some of them being material savings, design issues, and manufacturing constraints. You want a vise that you can beat on, try getting a post leg vise, which was intended to be used by blacksmiths.

Billythekid1 · Jul 17, 2018

The vise is a columbian 508 it is a big vise and plenty strong but I expected it to b solid... I didn't even think about the lead shrinking that's a good point i just wish it was solid o well

Packard V8 · Jul 17, 2018

I didn't even think about the lead shrinking that's a good point

But one easily overcome. Just heat the vise to the melting point of lead, pour in the molten lead, pack the vise into dry sand to cool slowly.

jack vines

franzdom · Jul 17, 2018

They would still cool at different shrinkage rates

Fill a hollow vise with lead??

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