I have seen a lot of posts on Columbian T-jaw pins, but I have not seen them described properly (maybe I missed it). I just took mine out and it was easy. I assumed that they were tapered pins in tapered holes. I was wrong. The holes in my 504 1/2 jaws and the jaw inserts are all #11 holes, not tapered. The pins used are called "full-groove dowel pins" and they are tapered...kinda. They are actually semi-hard straight pins with 3 tapered groove stamped in them, which makes them tapered, but not a true tapered pin. You can buy these pins. This method which Columbian used works very well because the grooves smash in the holes for a nice tight fit everywhere. You could drive the pins downward all the way through, but it would be wrong and harder to do than to drive them back out from below. I used a hammer and a hardened dowel pin held in a vise grip to get the outside pins out. I did the same with the middle pins except I used a square steel bar drive them out. The steel bar is 1.25 square by 32" long. I tapped the pin with the middle of the bar (not like a hammer) and the pins came right out. I am going to have the jaw inserts ground flat and smooth before reinstalling them. I took them out because they were worn and didn't clamp evenly across the jaws. I don't think jaw face serrations are needed for the work I do (tool bench by lathe) and I have another vise with serrations anyway.
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Columbian Vise T-Jaws
- Thread starter Bill Vise
- Start date
alfadan
Well-known member
Necropost, but wanted to say thanks for this info.I have seen a lot of posts on Columbian T-jaw pins, but I have not seen them described properly (maybe I missed it). I just took mine out and it was easy. I assumed that they were tapered pins in tapered holes. I was wrong. The holes in my 504 1/2 jaws and the jaw inserts are all #11 holes, not tapered. The pins used are called "full-groove dowel pins" and they are tapered...kinda. They are actually semi-hard straight pins with 3 tapered groove stamped in them, which makes them tapered, but not a true tapered pin. You can buy these pins. This method which Columbian used works very well because the grooves smash in the holes for a nice tight fit everywhere. You could drive the pins downward all the way through, but it would be wrong and harder to do than to drive them back out from below. I used a hammer and a hardened dowel pin held in a vise grip to get the outside pins out. I did the same with the middle pins except I used a square steel bar drive them out. The steel bar is 1.25 square by 32" long. I tapped the pin with the middle of the bar (not like a hammer) and the pins came right out. I am going to have the jaw inserts ground flat and smooth before reinstalling them. I took them out because they were worn and didn't clamp evenly across the jaws. I don't think jaw face serrations are needed for the work I do (tool bench by lathe) and I have another vise with serrations anyway.
Does anyone know where to get these pins? I'm doing the same as above to my vise jaws and the pins are buggered up.
RTM
Well-known member
If you google. (quotes are important)
"full-groove dowel pins"
Amazon, zoro, and grainger come up right on top. Not too many other results, but playing with the quotation placement can help.
"full-groove" " dowel pin"
"full-groove dowel pins"
Amazon, zoro, and grainger come up right on top. Not too many other results, but playing with the quotation placement can help.
"full-groove" " dowel pin"
alfadan
Well-known member
Ah ok thanks!