Brown & Sharp Perma Sine Vise

[hd54kh]

I got this magnetic vise from a friend but it does not work. I don't think it was stored properly. Any thoughts of where to start to put it back in service?

Thanks - Terry

 

[larry_g]

Run us through the failure mode.. looking at the pictures tells little to nothing of the problem it has. What have you done to try and 'fix' it?

lg
no neat sig line

 

[A_Pmech]

I assume you have a suurface grinder to run this on?

The part must have a pretty flat surface to be secured by the magnet. Irregular shapes will not provide much holding power.

 

[nine4gmc]

May require a certain thickness plate under it as well, I'm just guessing here but that's how I acquired a like-new mag drill recently. It was sold to me as parts/not working and after posting here, I found out it needed a steel plate at least 3/8" or so for it to turn on.

 

[hd54kh]

Hi guys, I cleaned up surface rust placed a piece of flat stock on it and tried the lever in the 3-9 and about the 10 - 4 clock position and does not have any holding power.

I have no true experience at machining other than a drill press and a little turning on a drilling/lathe/milling machine on a straight bar to turn an end down so no true machine experience.

From the same friend I got the drilling/milling unit, it is a cheap piece maybe Central Electric. Also a Logan Lathe Model 200 missing the belts, motor stand and has a broken bed leg. Shame about the broken bed leg it is the one the bed sits on above the chip tray.

The mag vice I just got while staying in N.C. for the summer the rest is in N.Y. for now.

So back to the vice, I don't know if the rust has penetrated the interior, if the lever should turn further or as nine4gmc mentions need to be mounted on additional material.

Terry

 

[3baygarage]

Could be a broken bar/screw that turns inside when you rotate that handle on the outside.

I have one of a different brand (Magnetool) that will not turn off. Took it all apart and my diagnosis was the on/off lever? inside looked broken.

The thing was not fun to open up. After un-bolting, it involved several pry bars between the layers of metal because the magnet was stuck on. Very dangerous to mess with over all because the weight and magnet strength. Darn near could have taken my hand off if I wasn't paying attention.
I never got to the actual magnets because it seemed like the last plate over them needed to be just ripped right off and I didn't want to ruin it.
I put it back together and it sits as an unfinished project for now.

 

[hd54kh]

Thanks 3baygarage, maybe the lever is not turning enough. I don't know how it is supposed to operate so maybe my buddy forced it or there is too much corrosion and it is not turning enough.

Time to tear it down I guess.

Terry

 

[DocsMachine]

Unfortunately, generally speaking opening up a permanent magnet chuck like that either ruins it or at least degrades the holding power. It has something to do with the laminations acting like "keepers"- like the extra bar of metal they used to leave between the ends of old horseshoe magnets.

Pry the keepers out of place and it damages the magnets- I don't fully understand the mechanics of it (f**kin' magnets, how do they work? ) but it's something like the magnets are powerful enough they essentially aren't structurally strong enough to resist their own power. If that makes any sense.

Pry the keepers out of place and the magnets crack or try to destroy their own poles.

Now, that said, if you can open the base and find the lever mechanism is stuck (rust from flood coolant, dried oil, general gunk, etc.) you may be able to clean and lube it without dismantling the laminations.

However, even if it was fully functioning, as noted above, that's a fairly specialized tool, basically used only with a surface grinder. Even at full power, it won't have enough holding power for milling or drilling (besides not having any through clearance for drilling.)

Doc.

 

[rlitman]

However, even if it was fully functioning, as noted above, that's a fairly specialized tool, basically used only with a surface grinder. Even at full power, it won't have enough holding power for milling or drilling (besides not having any through clearance for drilling.)

I've got a 6x18" magnetic chuck on the end of my bench, and use it all the time.
It's not amazingly strong, but it is still handy.

Here's an example. I have a watch crystal press. Oddly enough the Harbor Freight one is cast iron (or at least, something magnetic). It's much easier to slap onto the magnetic chuck, and then use it. And that way, when I'm done, I don't have it permanently bolted to my bench.

Another example. I was hand stamping numbers onto thin steel plates (basically dog tags). It isn't easy to get everything to sit still while stamping.
I put a tag onto the magnetic chuck (it isn't magnetic, but that's ok), and put four blocks of steel around it to make it stay put. Lifted the tag, slipped a piece of scrap copper sheet snipped to the same size under it (for the stamp to sink into), and put the tag back. Now I can stamp away, and nothing is moving anywhere.

 

[hd54kh]

Hi all, got redirected for a bit. I took a look at how to dismantle and I don't see how to do so. The on/off lever just does not feel right, it goes from the 9 oclock position to maybe 10 oclock and has some freeplay to it.

I'll have sometime in a few days to revisit it but maybe it will wind up as garage art, a weight or on someone elses bench.

We'll see what happens.

Terry

 

[nine4gmc]

If you get tired of looking at it, send it my way!