Prentiss Vise Help

[Mcorr6]

My apologies if this has been previously addressed, but I’ve searched pretty good and didn’t see it brought up.

I’m restoring an old Prentiss Bulldog(my first true vintage vise) Hopefully my pics upload correctly and you’ll see what I’m looking at. The collar holding the spindle or lead screw in place appears to have been tack welded in a couple spots. Is that indeed what I’m looking at or is this potentially a softer material like lead that can be easily chiseled away??

I didn’t want to hammer too much on it and risk doing more harm than good. Also, are these odd locking collars still sold today??

 

[Mcorr6]

Also, to all you GJ veterans, thanks for all the advice you’ve shared with me indirectly. Been lurking here for a couple years now and the information gleaned has been excellent!

 

[Mr. Wonderful]

That weld doesn't look like it got very good penetration. I would not think a replacement is still sold. Do you NEED take it off? I have restored vises without taking the collar off before. If you work on it with a cold chisel and break those welds you may be able to drill and tap that piece. McMaster Carr might have a collar the appropriate size you can make work. Try to post on the vise repair thread. Those guys over there are really something. They have ideas and techniques that you may not have thought of. Good luck!

 

[larry4406]

I used a collar there with a set screw for mine. Also a thrust washer.

 

[Mcorr6]

That’s what I thought I’d do as a replacement if I couldn’t match it up. My understanding is the prong of the existing collar bends into place and can be broken fairly easily. The welds just seemed out of place. It had been painted once before I got it, but that paint and this weld look ages apart.

 

[Shiftless]

As Mr. W. said, maybe you don’t need to remove that collar. Like he, I too have done pretty thorough rehabbing of old vises without disassembling the dynamic jaw/main screw assembly.
Do you intend to do a high polish on the nose? That would be the only thing that would force me to take off a collar that I otherwise didn’t want to replace.

If you want to remove it, I would break loose those gobs of weld metal with a chisel and then replace the collar with a new set screw one from McMaster Carr or elsewhere.

 

[Mcorr6]

Yes, this thing must have spent time underground for all the dirt I dug out of. As a result the handle and nose are so badly pitted, I’d like to take them off to more easily clean it up.

 

[Shiftless]

Yes, this thing must have spent time underground for all the dirt I dug out of. As a result the handle and nose are so badly pitted, I’d like to take them off to more easily clean it up.

OK then…
Measure the diameter of the main screw at that point and make sure you can get a replacement set screw collar. (I bet they are easily available)
Then pull out a cold chisel and tap tap tap and it will probably loosen up just fine.

 

[jonshonda]

I wouldn't mess with it unless you really need to.

 

[Mcorr6]

Well I gave into my own peer pressure and took a cold chisel to the collar weld The weld was really strong surprisingly the collar broke before the weld began to chip away. Either way, it’s off and I can continue cleaning up the vice. I had already taken the time to clean the rest off the vise and added fresh paint. The handle just made the whole thing look poor due to not having enough room to adequately sand and polish out the pits. I’ll post new pictures once I complete sanding and polishing. I’ve got a Wilton shop vise up next.