I dropped my vice...am I missing a part?

[russo3j]

SO I just purchased this restored Torco by Wilton Vice #13135. I haven't even had a chance to use it. I dropped the darn thing... I have never taken apart a vice and do not know in inner workings of it. I can say that the vice will not open. I able to pull the jaws apart with some force and a rubber mallet. I can put the spindle assembly back and it will close. But the vice will not open. The spindle also comes out when I try to open it. Is there supposed to be some kind of spring or ring that I am now missing?

Any help would be appreciated.

 

[Oldtuleguy]

Sounds like the the slide is jammed up. Start taking it apart!

 

[russo3j]

Do you know if that spindle assembly on the end with the handle is supposed to have anything. I also noticed that there are no pins that hold that assembly in. Would those have broken?

 

[russo3j]

Sounds like the the slide is jammed up. Start taking it apart!

I can take it apart but I dont know what I am looking for? Could there be pins that hold the assembly in round groove? Because there are none.

 

[Dumber than lumber]

Contact the seller? Go on YouTube and see how similar vises are assembled and dismantled?

 

[Oldtuleguy]

It should be apparent when you take it apart

 

[Shiftless]

If you crank the main screw all the way out and the moveable jaw is still **** so hard that you have to use a hammer to open it, the slide is definitely bent. Fixing that is probably beyond your expertise and tools available.
If the slide is easily moveable after the screw is out, that means it’s not bent. I’m sure there is a pin or something that rides in that groove in the cylindrical part that joins the screw to the handle. I have a dozen Wilton’s in my collection but I don’t have a Torco.

 

[Indexmill]

That's unfortunate. Give us more information so we can help you.

 

[steaks&anvils]

What does this pin/part/stud do?

Maybe it rides in the groove of the spindle?

 

[russo3j]

What does this pin/part/stud do?

Maybe it rides in the groove of the spindle?

On the inside there is nothing. Look like it’s supposed to be in the round groove around the spindle assembly. I wonder if they broke off when it fell.

 

[russo3j]

If you crank the main screw all the way out and the moveable jaw is still **** so hard that you have to use a hammer to open it, the slide is definitely bent. Fixing that is probably beyond your expertise and tools available.
If the slide is easily moveable after the screw is out, that means it’s not bent. I’m sure there is a pin or something that rides in that groove in the cylindrical part that joins the screw to the handle. I have a dozen Wilton’s in my collection but I don’t have a Torco.

I think it’s the weight of it that prevents it from coming out smooth.if I kind of hold the front jaw up it can slide in an out very nicely.

 

[russo3j]

That's unfortunate. Give us more information so we can help you.

I dropped the thing. And it was all closed. When I picked it back up it was still closed. And then I went to open the jaws and the spindle assembly just came right out from the front jaws. It will close fine but won’t open the front jaws. The front jaw is hard to remove unless I kind of hold the weight of it up. Then it slides in and out nicely. I think the issue is the assembly comes out like the pictures. And I don’t know if there were pins that go into the round groove there or if it was something on like a spring. I couldn’t find any parts that were on the floor.

 

[steaks&anvils]

On the inside there is nothing. Look like it’s supposed to be in the round groove around the spindle assembly. I wonder if they broke off when it fell.

But does that pin go all the way through? If you pull the broken pin part and replace it with a longer one, that fits that groove, that will hold the spindle in the dynamic jaw and then you can crank it in and out. That would fix your vise?

 

[russo3j]

But does that pin go all the way through? If you pull the broken pin part and replace it with a longer one, that fits that groove, that will hold the spindle in the dynamic jaw and then you can crank it in and out. That would fix your vise?

Correct it should go all the way through. But it doesn’t, presumably because it broke off. Very strange if that’s the case.

 

[garfunkle24]

You said you hadn't used it yet but I just want to be clear and ask the most important diagnostic question here: Do you know if it worked before you dropped it?

 

[russo3j]

You said you hadn't used it yet but I just want to be clear and ask the most important diagnostic question here: Do you know if it worked before you dropped it?

Yea it did work. I just didn’t mount it to the bench. Jaws came apart very easily with finger strength.

 

[garfunkle24]

That pin looks like it could well retain the pressure screw. Is there a hole on the other side so that with the screw removed you could punch it out or stick a punch in and see if it holds the screw in place? Is there enough of that pin sticking out to grab with vise grips? I'm not a vise expert, just trying to be logical. It worked. You dropped it. Now it doesn't. What could have or is likely to have changed by dropping it? See any dings? I don't see the slide getting bent from a 4ft drop...

Also, relax. I'm sure nothing irreparable has happened to your nice new (old) vise. Sending good wishes for an easy fix.

 

[russo3j]

I don't see the slide getting bent from a 4ft drop...

I don’t see it getting bent either. I’ve never tried to pull the front jaws out before with the spindle out of it but it is “stuck” unless I put effort to lift the weight and then pull. The only thing I can guess is broken are those pins. Because there was never a horseshoe plate on the front.

 

[garfunkle24]

Does the pin look broken? Does it have a jagged edge? Is there a hole in the opposite side? The slide might just be tight from the weight or overspray from the paint job or who knows what. Most vises aren't exactly teflon smooth. That screw applies more force than you would think so what might seem nice and smooth with the screw might feel tight to just pull out by hand.

 

[steaks&anvils]

Correct it should go all the way through. But it doesn’t, presumably because it broke off. Very strange if that’s the case.

So, remove the pin. It might be tapered so if you drive it out from the inside might be best. Unless you can grab it from the outside and pull it out?

 

[RTM]

Looking around, it looks like there should be a recessed screw where people are talking pin holding the screw in. There is another thread here with pix, and one poster @BreeStephany has posted pix elsewhere. They seem to be the only current poster, maybe they can tell you more.

Old Torco vise

I found an old vise of my uncles that I would like to restore. on the vise it has "Torco" made by Wilton Chicago USA. The only other markings on it are "ST 40" and "MF 40". I would like to find replacement jaws since the serrations on them are quite worn. The jaw size is 4 *@#$x 3/4 x 1/4...

www.garagejournal.com

https://www.reddit.com/r/Tools/comments/noo9m4

 

[BreeStephany]

@russo3j , it sounds like the retention pins for the screw shaft were either barely long enough to begin with or snapped when you dropped it. The two pins on the front of the vise go into the slot on the front of the screw shaft to hold the sliding jaw to the screw shaft so that it will follow as you turn the screw out. I would remove the retention pins and replace them with proper length pins, as that is likely your issue.

 

[thehorse13]

Those little Torcos have two retaining pins, one on each side of the slide. All you have to do is replace those or set them back in place. I doubt that a 4 foot drop would snap one of those pins but I do believe that it could shift them just enough to not grab the spindle. This is a very easy fix even for a novice vise restorer. Your vise will be back in business in no time.

 

[mogandave]

Those little Torcos have two retaining pins, one on each side of the slide. All you have to do is replace those or set them back in place. I doubt that a 4 foot drop would snap one of those pins but I do believe that it could shift them just enough to not grab the spindle. This is a very easy fix even for a novice vise restorer. Your vise will be back in business in no time.

Ahh. when I looked at the photos I thought the pin had a head, but it doesn't does it? I think you're right, I think he can just knock them back in.

 

[RTM]

The two pins on the front of the vise go into the slot on the front of the screw shaft to hold the sliding jaw to the screw shaft so that it will follow as you turn the screw out. I would remove the retention pins and replace them with proper length pins, as that is likely your issue.

Good to know they are pins. On your Reddit foto they look recessed. How would one get them out under normal conditions? Does it not run into the center of the screw shaft? Confused, thanks for jumping in.

 

[russo3j]

@russo3j , it sounds like the retention pins for the screw shaft were either barely long enough to begin with or snapped when you dropped it. The two pins on the front of the vise go into the slot on the front of the screw shaft to hold the sliding jaw to the screw shaft so that it will follow as you turn the screw out. I would remove the retention pins and replace them with proper length pins, as that is likely your issue.

Do you have any idea the size of these retention pins?

 

[BreeStephany]

Good to know they are pins. On your Reddit foto they look recessed. How would one get them out under normal conditions? Does it not run into the center of the screw shaft? Confused, thanks for jumping in.

The reason they look recessed in my photo is that when I took the photo, I hadn't yet had time to source new pins for the vise.

I am not the biggest fan of the round head pins / rivets, as they can be a bit of a pain to remove, and are mostly a 1 time use pin because you generally damage them when you taken them out.

If you are more concerned with functionality over originality, I would personally get some long set screws, turn them down slightly smaller than the diameter of the existing pins and then drill & tap the holes in the front jaw so you can easily replace them by just using an allen key to remove them and put new ones in.

To remove the existing pins, the only way I found to remove them is a bit destructive to the rivet heads of the pins, especially if they are original.

Use a small metal chisel between the rivet head and the vise jaw body to begin to pry them out of the housing. Once they start to move out, you can use a pair of visegrips to grip on to the pin and then pull them out.

 

[BreeStephany]

Do you have any idea the size of these retention pins?

If I remember correctly (It's been a LONG and crazy busy year), I ended up using set screws and drilled and tapped the vise to accept them.

 

[mogandave]

What direction does the motor turn?

 

[Shiftless]

What direction does the motor turn?

?????

 

[mogandave]

?????

Sorry, wrong thread....

 

[Shiftless]

Russo:
Let me be the first to offer to take that vise off your hands since it is so obviously unrepairable and totally worthless. If you box it up and mail it to me I‘ll stash it somewhere (maybe on a shelf next to one or two others) until I can get around to properly disposing of it.