New CL Vise Find

[nnoble83]

Picked up this Prentiss yesterday with a bunch of other junk for $75. This is the best vise i have ever come across and love it. It has a stamp of 44 so i am assuming thats 1944. I have one problem though i cannot get the pin for the swivel jaw to release i have been soaking it with blaster does anybody have any other ideas on how to get that loose. Any opinions or advice on doing a resto on this vise. Thanks guys

 

[spongerich]

That's a beauty.

I'd hit that pin with some heat, more penetrating oil, more heat, etc... Tap it side to side a bit and keep at it. You might want to do it outside in case the penetrating oil ignites.

If there's enough of a shoulder on it, you could try some metal wedges to lift it up.

 

[nnoble83]

I was a little concerned about heating it dont want to damage the jaw

 

[Brad54]

try lightly tapping on the top of it to break the rust inside the bore. don't hit it hard enough to mushroom the end though.

Otherwise, let is soak for a few days with PB Blaster.

-Brad

 

[Packard V8]

I was a little concerned about heating it dont want to damage the jaw

Heat won't hurt a vise.

How about some better photos of that beauty?

jack vines

 

[whelenfan]

I'd like to see more pics too. Very nice indeed!

 

[nnoble83]

here are some more pictures as requested. i am also trying to remove the pin that holds the nut in i am assuming it is pressed in, any tips on getting that one out also. This is my first attempt at doing a complete disassembly on a vise.

 

[Underdog]

Hammer the pin lightly downward. It comes out the bottom I believe. They usually somewhat tapered.

 

[MrMark]

Drive that pin out from the bottom with like a 1/4" starter punch to get it started and then a 1/4 pin punch the final way. Starter punch has more meat (it is tapered) on it to get that pin moving.

 

[gravyfries]

I have a Parker so your vise might be different. With the Parker, I hammered the side lock pin out with a punch using light taps. I then took out the main receiving screw out by hammering out the pin that holds it in place. After that, I put my vise upside down and held it with another vise and noticed that i could hammer out the top pin from the bottom. I grabbed a long punch and put it thru the center hole at the bottom of the vise and hammered it out from the bottom. After a couple of good taps I noticed it was starting to come out. It came out without any problems. I still couldn't get the rear jaw off so i used a dead blow hammer and tapped it out until it swiveled all the way out. Catalyze has a good Parker resto thread that explains it. Ymmv. Good luck!

 

[exmaxima1]

The taper on that pin is pretty steep, so it should pop out with some reasonable force. The groove around the head is intended for that purpose. I would try a "pickle-fork" as used to remove ball joints and tie-rods. Or fabricate something similar on a grinder.

BTW, I have the smaller Prentiss 4-inch version (Model 19 1/2) and the pins pops out with zero effort once you get it cleaned up.

Good Luck

 

[nnoble83]

Thanks for all the suggestions I am just terrified of damaging the jaw. I'm almost to the point of drilling thatbpin and making another one that ******* is in there good

 

[exmaxima1]

Thanks for all the suggestions I am just terrified of damaging the jaw. I'm almost to the point of drilling thatbpin and making another one that ******* is in there good

It would take alot more work to drill it out and make a new pin than you can imagine. That's a deep hole and it's tapered. You'll ruin it.

If you must resort to extremes, and feel you have the skills to duplicate the pin, you can cross-drill the pin and put a strong dowel in the hole (essentially putting some wings on it). Then use a pair of fat screwdrivers and a hammer to wedge it free. That's how some guys remove tapered arbors from Jacobs chucks.

Or pull it out with a heavy slide hammer.

 

[Catalyze]

Well Sir...here is the thread from the posting on Vises of Garage Journal. This is a thread that I did on a swivel jaw Prentiss like yours. It will show you what the swivel jaw looks like removed etc.
http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=101547&highlight=Prentiss
Please please please Don't ruin that pin. You will never in your life have another one unless you buy another Prentiss original vise. It will come out...trust me. That vise isn't in that a rusted condition. First thing I would do is to just get the dynamic jaw out of the vise and use Electrolysis on the main body. Leave it in for a couple of days. that will remove a lot of the rust. Then you can deal with what is left. My swivel jaw would not move at all and I spent about 2 hours of careful tapping with:
PVC pipe
Brass Drift
Wood
on the back end of the jaw...

However mine did not have a pin stuck...in fact it didn't have the pin at all. Your friend here is a Good brand of penetrating oil and a torch. Use the oil and then heat the pin (not red hot...not needed)...remove the torch and spray oil around the pin hole...turn it upside down if you want and spray at it from where the hole comes out in the "roof" of the slide hole. Heat the pin and spray oil down the hole. Tap that pin smartly with a brass hammer....repeat. It will come out. Just don't trash an original pin that half of us don't own and had to make our own.
Good Luck!
Craig

 

[nnoble83]

i hate to tell you this but i got over zealous and broke the pin about a half hour before reading your post. i have access to a lathe and a father in law who is a former machinist so i am going to remake it identical. thanks for the good advice i just lost patience i tried for two days to do everything you stated except for the electrolysis. luckily the dynamic jaw came out with absolutely no fighting this thing has been babied until i just did a number on it.

 

[SweetD]

Doh!

Good luck - I hope you can get it restored. Let us know how it's going.

Dave