Long story short. Im trying to push a bushing out of my old shock absorber. I have a press but its out of state. I used my vice, a 20mm socket and bolt and nut that go inside the bushing. My allied 4 vice is missing the bar that tightens the vice. So I used a long snap on pry bar. Gives me some extra leverage and fits perfectly in the vice. The vice lost the bushing won. Im pretty pissed at myself. The vice is pretty old. It used to sit outside before I acquired it.
Broke my vice
- Thread starter DeeDubz
- Start date
2ndGearRubber
Well-known member
You might be able to run a hot MIG weld around that and keep it generally usable. Tack the sides, then grind a "V" shape into the cracked area. Turn the voltage to 11 and hope for the best.
greg13
Well-known member
A little JB weld and it will be good as new.
I can't tell if it is cast steel or cast iron. Steel you could mig, iron will take high nickle rod or braze.
I can't tell if it is cast steel or cast iron. Steel you could mig, iron will take high nickle rod or braze.
General Geoff
Well-known member
Looks like cast iron to me. Could repair it if you're attached to it, but I'd personally replace it.
ZRX61
Well-known member
That's a VSO.... A Vise Shaped Object.
DFB
Well-known member
Nicely done! 
AmericanMechanic
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Why not use a hammer to knock the bushing out?
Not that you're asking me, but some are just about too stubborn to move with a hammer...the bushing absorbs too much of the impact, pressing them out with a press is the way to go.
Or use fire--I've never done this but some folks burn 'em out with a torch.
drivesitfar
Well-known member
DD: yep using a vise as an all in one tool (press, anvil, ...) can sometimes have results like you just had.
1) bad thing is you are now without a working vise
2) good thing it was an old piece of Chinese junk that you could probably replace for $25-$50 in my area and maybe less in your COMPOUND whereever that might be. I think Harbor Freight actually has one that swivels in several directions new for less than $100.
most vise's handles were engineered to bend before the pressure by hand would break the vise so maybe the cheap made in China vises had the same engineering, but more likey the importers put orders in for bottom of the barrell to sell cheap here.
if you'd like to braze weld it the vise might actually be stronger, but like I mentioned if you spend a little time looking those old vises with the big #'s on their sides (4, 5, 6) can be found cheap.
1) bad thing is you are now without a working vise
2) good thing it was an old piece of Chinese junk that you could probably replace for $25-$50 in my area and maybe less in your COMPOUND whereever that might be. I think Harbor Freight actually has one that swivels in several directions new for less than $100.
most vise's handles were engineered to bend before the pressure by hand would break the vise so maybe the cheap made in China vises had the same engineering, but more likey the importers put orders in for bottom of the barrell to sell cheap here.
if you'd like to braze weld it the vise might actually be stronger, but like I mentioned if you spend a little time looking those old vises with the big #'s on their sides (4, 5, 6) can be found cheap.
BDT/NWMN
Well-known member
Put that one on Craig's List as a brother-in-law project.
FerrariPower
Banned
Look at this as an opportunity to pick up a decent, USA vise.
driz
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Jack84
Well-known member
it wasn't moving with a hammer.
MrSurly
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Yah, I know it's way too late, but just for ideas for later: This bushing job is one that I do using all-thread, washers, nuts and sockets/tubing sized for each side. The worst that can happen is you kill a dolla-fiddy all-thread, but this simple method works all the time for this kind of press job.
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ken w.
Well-known member
I think this vise was going to break sooner or later. I don't think this job was the only think that broke it. I would go on CL or FB and look for a USA made vise. In my area of western NY I see 4" Reeds in the $ 100 - $ 150 range. A great vise. There are others out there as well.
LNKMK8
Well-known member
A vise is not a press! Using them in this way is very hard on them, even quality ones. But yeah, that vise isn't worth trying to fix. Opportunity to upgrade.
bobcatdan
Well-known member
While it ***** to break something as important in the shop as a vise, I honestly wouldn't be too heart broken about a cheap old import vise. To me it is an excuse to look for a nice old USA made vise, preferably a machinist style. I can't speak for your market at the moment. By me right now there are a number of them for sale for what I feel are sane prices. If I had any place to put more vises, I might have jumped on one.
Pssst,
and
https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=431579
And use a press for pressing duties.
Here's Mr. Fireball with his fixing of a vise he broke in his vise destruction:
and
https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=431579
And use a press for pressing duties.
Here's Mr. Fireball with his fixing of a vise he broke in his vise destruction:
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txlonghorn1989
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You can probably find an old US made vise which is way better than what you broke for not much money but depending on where you live you may have to wait to find one. Good luck!
WittHay
Well-known member
Funny how the Chinese can make cordless tools and boxes with US names like Milwaukee and US General but cant quite figure out how to make decent American style vise.
Judging by this thread and the other high priced used vise thread, seems that there would be a big demand
Have a Wilton Tradesman made in USA vise but it seldom gets used. Scared I might break it. The main work is done by imported Record type vises. None of these imported Records are available in the US
drivesitfar
Well-known member
Witt & ALL: i'm pretty sure that the CHINESE can make any quality and maybe the best in the world, but our importers don't want to pay that price. SO they ask for the cheap stuff to import those to sell us cause they think we want the cheap **** which sorta gives a bad rap to the Chinsese in my opinion.
that said there is this Chinese Wonder vise I call it that i've yet to find an owner that doesn't love it and it's made quick and fast and it's got a ton of bondo usually under the paint.
there are a few of this style vise that were made here prior to the 70's and some even older ones made in Sweden, but these $75 vises seem to be popular.
that said there is this Chinese Wonder vise I call it that i've yet to find an owner that doesn't love it and it's made quick and fast and it's got a ton of bondo usually under the paint.
there are a few of this style vise that were made here prior to the 70's and some even older ones made in Sweden, but these $75 vises seem to be popular.
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SeisMec
Well-known member
If you are forced to use a vice as an ad-hoc press it is best to apply only moderate pressure and then smack the outer jaw body with a 16 oz ball-peen. (Aim midway between handle and top edge of jaw. Hammer face parallel/tangent to curve of jaw body.) This should budge the part being pressed by a tiny fraction of an inch, causing the jaw pressure to lessen slightly. Snug the jaws up again.
Rinse and repeat.
Rinse and repeat.
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John in OH
Well-known member
I wouldn't waste either time or money trying to repair. You might get a good repair ... or you might not. Most likely, it will never be as strong metallurgically as it was originally.
Unless your great-grandfather gifted you this vise on his death bed, take the money you would spend on repair and apply it to a GOOD new (or used) vise.
Unless your great-grandfather gifted you this vise on his death bed, take the money you would spend on repair and apply it to a GOOD new (or used) vise.
On the subject of failing vises...I found this pretty interesting:
The Yosy 750 di I'm considering did pretty well - handled more than I'll ever do to it
(though the "Irwin" he shows appears slightly different than the Yost pix (the floating pipe jaws appear to be attached differently, and he says cast iron and not ductile iron - guessing that might have been a mistake though).
The Yosy 750 di I'm considering did pretty well - handled more than I'll ever do to it
(though the "Irwin" he shows appears slightly different than the Yost pix (the floating pipe jaws appear to be attached differently, and he says cast iron and not ductile iron - guessing that might have been a mistake though).
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txlonghorn1989
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Drives, you nailed it. It isn't China's fault that Americans want things at a low price. Cheap is the name of the game. We seem to think we should get high quality for pennies on the dollar. We're slow to figure out that it doesn't work that way.
Lucid Moments
Well-known member
Pssst,
and
https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=431579
And use a press for pressing duties.
Here's Mr. Fireball with his fixing of a vise he broke in his vise destruction:
On the subject of failing vises...I found this pretty interesting:
The Yosy 750 di I'm considering did pretty well - handled more than I'll ever do to it
(though the "Irwin" he shows appears slightly different than the Yost pix (the floating pipe jaws appear to be attached differently, and he says cast iron and not ductile iron - guessing that might have been a mistake though).
On a couple of issues. He mentioned the vise he built (which is awesome) was made of parts just lying around, but I wonder how much he would charge to recreate that vise? Also on that repair video I wonder what he would charge to do that work for someone else?
My point being that he acts like these are reasonable steps to take, but he is has a lot of valuable skill, and equipment. So either one of those would probably cost a lot of money to have done. Maybe enough to make buying a new quality vise an attractive alternative.
WittHay
Well-known member
Judging by a lot of vise threads, the US is like Cuba. Either cant afford or cant get quality new vises and have to look around for 50 year old cars (vises)
Looked on Craiglsit in the nearest US city to me Bellingham and they had 1 vise on there. Next city Mount Vernon had a $150 imported rusty rotator
There should be a different style than the rotator or record vise that should be imported just for the US market and sell for say a 6" vise for $150 to $200
Looked on Craiglsit in the nearest US city to me Bellingham and they had 1 vise on there. Next city Mount Vernon had a $150 imported rusty rotator
There should be a different style than the rotator or record vise that should be imported just for the US market and sell for say a 6" vise for $150 to $200
