Vice ID

[Ricks barn]

I'm sure glad to have found this site. I've got the ultimate garage now having lived in suburbia most of my life. It's a 40 x 60 metalized pole barn on twenty acres of mostly sagebrush in SW Utah. I built a house on it for my wife and myself after reading code and following it (mostly) and getting it approved. Anyway, can anyone help here. The vice that was in the barn broke and I can't find any P/N's or brands on it to save my life. But it does have a large numeral "4" cast on the side of the dynamic jaw. The distance across the jaw is just over 4". The part that broke is the "swivel nut" or "pivot nut". It's that threaded part that the screw shaft runs through.I want to order another one without guessing. The threaded shaft is approx. 1/2 inch dia. and has 6-7 threads/ in. depending on how you count them and is about 10 inches long. If anyone has a idea I would appreciate it.

 

[disston]

You are going to have to post pics. From that description tho I wouldn't get to hopeful. Sounds like you are now in the vise market. Good Luck with the hunt.

 

[T45]

I'm sure glad to have found this site. I've got the ultimate garage now having lived in suburbia most of my life. It's a 40 x 60 metalized pole barn on twenty acres of mostly sagebrush in SW Utah. I built a house on it for my wife and myself after reading code and following it (mostly) and getting it approved. Anyway, can anyone help here. The vice that was in the barn broke and I can't find any P/N's or brands on it to save my life. But it does have a large numeral "4" cast on the side of the dynamic jaw. The distance across the jaw is just over 4". The part that broke is the "swivel nut" or "pivot nut". It's that threaded part that the screw shaft runs through.I want to order another one without guessing. The threaded shaft is approx. 1/2 inch dia. and has 6-7 threads/ in. depending on how you count them and is about 10 inches long. If anyone has a idea I would appreciate it.

There are way to many vices of this type to ID without a picture. Well known brands to look thru would be Record (UK/Canadaian as they imported alot of them) and Craftsman. Then innumerable chineese knock offs. Unless its a Record, or another vintage classic, It seems unlikely that its going to be worth tracking down new spare parts. So that leaves you with looking at ebay and used sales for a parts vice. I don't pretend to be a vice expert, but you asked for "anyone" to give you some thoughts.

 

[Provincial]

Your discription of your vise indicates that it is a cheap Asian one. You will have difficulty finding a new nut, since you can't identify the brand/seller. Even if you were successful in finding a new nut, the vise is of marginal utility, and will probably break again.

Your options are:
1) Replace the vise with another Chicom one from Harbor Freight or similar retailer for $40.00 (or $32.00 using a 20% off coupon).

2) Look on Craigslist or at garage sales for a Columbian or Craftsman 4" vise with a steel U-shaped slide for no more than $40.00. This will give you a good vise that (if not badly abused) will last your lifetime.

3) Educate yourself about quality older vises, like Rock Island, Parker, Reed, etc. and pay $50.00-150.00 for a heavy duty vise. If beauty is not an issue, there are bargains out there for older quality vises. The heavier Columbians don't cost as much as most other brands, but are very good vises. They turn up regularly.

Since you broke your import vise, going back to that quality of vise (or repairing your current one) is probably a mistake. If you beat on your work with a hammer or use cheater pipes on your vise handles or the work held in the jaws, consider a blacksmith-type vise or a very large older one. If your workpieces were pretty large for the 4" vise, consider moving up in size. A larger vise can handle more stress than a smaller one.