Littlestown 140 vise restauration

[datsbooksleia]

I bought this little gem from eBay and may have over payed for it, $47 including shipping. But hey its MADE IN USA and that is priceless. Now comes the best part. Restore it. As you can see it served its owner well. After reading many threads about vise restoration I could not find info on how to reduce the slop.The lead screw is about half inch smaller than the bore. Was it made like that? Did it have a bushing insert to hold the lead screw tight in the dynamic jaw? It is currently in a bath of white vinegar. As you can see in the last picture at the base it has a hairline crack. Can a wire welder weld that? Also by the way this is my first tool restoration

 

[datsbooksleia]

Took it out of the vinegar bath dried it and sand blasted it.

 

[datsbooksleia]

Primed it with some Rustoleum self etching primer

 

[bonneyman]

I bet you could find a suitable bushing that will slide inside and take up enough slack to tighten the mechanism up sufficiently but allow it to function normally. My local hardware store had a guy that saw me coming and made time just to see what thingamajig I was working on and what he had to make things work.

 

[datsbooksleia]

I already found a bushing and a washer. I will be posting some pictures soon

 

[datsbooksleia]

I went to a ACE Hardware store and found a bushing and a washer that met the exact dimensions. I took my lead screw with me for fittings

 

[datsbooksleia]

I took more pictures of the slop where bore of the dynamic jaw appears to be oversized. Can anyone tell me if they were manufactured that way or is it just worn out

 

[datsbooksleia]

more pictures. The slop is gone. It is now snug with no play

 

[datsbooksleia]

While taking the above pictures, wife comes by and asks: "What are you doing" Enthusiastically I answered "this is my first tool restoration" but she did not see the value in what i am doing. I did not see the same amount of excitement on her face.

 

[Dieselbutterfly]

I have the same vise,it works well.nice job on the resto.

 

[datsbooksleia]

I have the same vise,it works well.nice job on the resto.

Did you have a slop on yours

 

[bcul01]

Do you recall the bushing and washer sizes? I have the same issue with a Littlestown No 140 that I am just starting to restore.

Thanks.

 

[DFB]

Interesting you posted about this. Let me say first nice job on your resto.

A fellow vendor at my flea who wheels and deals in used/collectible items has two of the Littlestown 400's with swivel base and has been after me for the last 3 or 4 weekends now to take at least one of one of them. He is same guy I got my awesome Athol. 61 3 1/2, a Reed 403, a Columbian 03 1/2 and 2 different 51801 Craftsman a USA 506 and a like new 391.

Any how I did notice both of these 400's had that kind of looseness in the screw/handle you describe. I wondered myself how normal it was as both had it.

He wants $40 for either I dunno if will cave o not I offered $30 but he aint budging

Anybody think they are worth that?

Like I "need" another vise right?

I just started looking around online at photos and sales offerings for them.

I looked these two over closely last night I'd say they are "good" condition nothing broke nothing missing. Jaws were used but not worn out and fit tight. One had a small chip on the flat bottom at one of the mounting lugs. Both had the slide handles for the lock bent. One looked older than the other the casting of front dynamic was slightly different and bit rougher looking


I almost never see a used vise in my travels without a bent side handle

 

[tool_scrounge]

Weird. I just cleaned up a 140 that I have on my desk at work and it does not have the slop around the leadscrew. Nothing fancy but for $10 and some work de-rusting I now have a respectable small vise for holding odd stuff.

 

[DFB]

I just got a 140 VG condition. And with the pipe jaws

There is some play in the screw and although I am not overly concerned about it, (doesn't affect the use of the vise at all) the bushing/washer makes a nice touch.

I like this little vise, I also have the bigger 400.

I also like how it weighs more... about 3lbs, than the Craftsman 506-51801