I may need a new bench vice

[jeff lary]

I have a Craftsman model 51856 6 1/2 inch bench vice and I guess I cannot buy jaw faces for it. I somehow broke one last winter . I thought it would be easy to replace it this summer so I just started looking yesterday. It seems this jaw face is NLA.
In any case what is a good brand of vice I know some will say look for an old Wilton or Record or what have you. Every used vice I see is almost as expensive as new... so I will be buying new. Under $200.00 please if you know of one and where to get it chime in. Thanks Jeff

 

[jeff lary]

I just found a site that had some vice reviews. I am looking at a 6.5" Yost... $100.00 at Amazon.

 

[LXCam]

Reach out to kmscott here. He's the local vise guru and can probably fix you up.

 

[Richard Cranium]

contact Member Kevin54, he can make you a new set. He made a set for my father in law.

 

[Maui]

Boy did you come to the right place. I'm confident that someone here would be willing to sell you a vintage replacement vice that is much better quality and less money than anything you can buy new today at your price point of $200.

Maui

 

[jeff lary]

Well you will all be very un-impressed with me now. After I made the thread I got to thinking , " its only a piece of steel with a couple holes in it". I bet I could make one well I did its all done.
I had a thick piece of galvanized plate in the shop about the correct thickness 7/16 +/_ so I took off the good jaw face used it for a pattern and made one up. I cut the plate with my Bauer Harbor Freight band saw it is a little loud but man it works great I use it quite often.
The holes were tapered from maybe 5/16 at the front of the jaw face to 1/4 on the rear side. I did not know how I could make the taper,.. so as I was standing there looking forlorn it came to me. I had bought a 3 piece set of tapered / step drill bits at Harbor Freight and they were just begging for a try out.
The longest one worked out fine goes from about 1/4 to 3/4 and is about 2 " long. I got the taper I needed and she is all in place. The only issue is it does not have the cross hatched face like the other side but I can cure that at some point if I need to with a Dremel and a 3 corner file.
I will write down the peoples names you all suggested and in the future I may get hold of them. This vice came from an estate sale from a man I know. It looks way too new to be a "old good one" ( if they ever made an old good one) so it was probably made in China who knows Thanks for the responses I knew I would get some help. Just had to try to make one myself and for now I have one. Jeff

 

[autopts]

I have a Craftsman model 51856 6 1/2 inch bench vice and I guess I cannot buy jaw faces for it. I somehow broke one last winter . I thought it would be easy to replace it this summer so I just started looking yesterday. It seems this jaw face is NLA.
In any case what is a good brand of vice I know some will say look for an old Wilton or Record or what have you. Every used vice I see is almost as expensive as new... so I will be buying new. Under $200.00 please if you know of one and where to get it chime in. Thanks Jeff

6 1/2 Wide, C-C 2 1/2 offset 1/4" from the bottom. They are on EBay for about $40

 

[jeff lary]

mine are 2" off set though