Vintage Columbian USA vice restore

[cgrutt]

First shot at restoring a vice, old Columbian. Spent a couple hours on it this afternoon. Broke it down, threw it in a bucket of Purple Power and removed a bunch of grease. Started glass bead blasting base and static jaw. Also started grinding down the "Anvil" (lack of better word) and some of the deep scratches on the top of jaws. Wasn't able to punch out one of the jaw facing pins and haven't tried to remove them yet. Not sure if I'm going to pull them out. Goal is to clean it up and make it presentable, but still a working vice...

This is what I started with, was in fairly good shape to begin with...

Here's where I'm at after about two hours in.

Still getting my feet wet and have a lot more to do but happy with results so far...

 

[RStewart]

Good job. What color you thinking about?

 

[cgrutt]

Thanks. Long way to go. Thinking about Ford Blue

 

[1982fxr]

I had one of those...standard sunrise red

 

[cgrutt]

Sweet. Looks great. Is the slide machined steel or painted silver?

 

[1982fxr]

wire wheeled...

 

[mopar440_6]

Model 603 or 604? I've got a 604 that looks almost identical to yours. I started restoring it about 4 years ago and never got around to finishing it. Hopefully that will change now that the new shop is done and I can actually work on things.

FYI, the pins for the jaw faces are tapered pins. If you're dead set on removing them, you'll have to drive the pins out from the underside. Its a bear but it can be done. Were I to do it over again, I would leave the jaw faces in place.

Looking forward to following your progress. Good luck!

 

[cgrutt]

Model 603 or 604? I've got a 604 that looks almost identical to yours. I started restoring it about 4 years ago and never got around to finishing it. Hopefully that will change now that the new shop is done and I can actually work on things.

FYI, the pins for the jaw faces are tapered pins. If you're dead set on removing them, you'll have to drive the pins out from the underside. Its a bear but it can be done. Were I to do it over again, I would leave the jaw faces in place.

Looking forward to following your progress. Good luck!

Thanks, I'm actually not sure what model number it is. I was able to drive three of 4 pins out from top. Couldn't budge the last one but didn't try from bottom, I'll give it shot. Thanks for tip, I'll probably have to repair the holes now, LOL. Haven't worked on this again since original post. I've got a few projects going

 

[cgrutt]

wire wheeled...

Wow, looks great!

 

[mopar440_6]

Thanks, I'm actually not sure what model number it is. I was able to drive three of 4 pins out from top. Couldn't budge the last one but didn't try from bottom, I'll give it shot. Thanks for tip, I'll probably have to repair the holes now, LOL. Haven't worked on this again since original post. I've got a few projects going

On my vise there were 6 pins total. Just a heads up.

 

[cgrutt]

Thanks again. I'll check.

 

[bubinga]

My 604, I SWEAR, the holes for the pins on the one jaw, or it might have just been one of the holes, was not machined or drill all the way through.
I had it apart, and I was wailing on it with a punch, and it was solid.
I got the one jaw out, but couldn't get the other one to budge.
To I just dressed the top od the vise and the jaws down.
It came out looking pretty good.
what I did on the one, was going to do both, but couldn't get it out,
was turn it over, and dress it down a little
You can see the one jaw looked new.
after that, I just decided to do a quick paint job.
Must have just been one hole.
You can't even see a spot for it.

 

[cgrutt]

Yeah, gave up after bending two punches and chipping a third, LOL... I did give it a tap from underneath and was able to see impression on top of jaw but couldn't get it out. I didn't try punching it all the way out from the bottom though. Will give that a try next.

Your vice looks nice BTW.

 

[KMScott]

I pulled mine out this way. I tapped the pins up from the bottom and then welded a slide hammer puller on them to finish pulling the pins out. I did 4 Columbian vises at once and had good luck doing it this way. I made new jaws for them and found that the holes were pretty close but not a perfect location, so buying new jaws I would question the pin hole location on the three pin hole locations in the vise. I used the original holes as a guide for the new jaws.

 

[bubinga]

Thank you if you were talking to me about the vice looking nice as far as the impression on top of the vice where the adjacent to the jaw I did not even see no form of an impression from a pin
I swear they did not machine it all the way through just drilled it part way from the bottom and tap it in from the bottom and never drilled it all the way through I'm telling you I was wailing on it LOL

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[bubinga]

Yes also like I said after I could not get that last pin out I gave up and just did a quick paint job on it actually then what I did I really don't recommend it but I chucked up a sanding disc in my drill press and set the table Pat the correct height to barely pass device underneath the sanding discs sort of a poor man's surface grinder type of deal it did not turn out too bad I would have liked to got that other job so that I could turn it over dress it down and put it like that all that you can see it almost looks new but the vice in general looks pretty good by the way I paid $40 for the vice or was it 50 I do not recall 50 I think

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[bubinga]

Sorry I am using Google Voice typing sometimes I do not proofread my post properly , hopefully you can't understand everything I will edit it when I get to my PC

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[Mark in Indiana]

I restored one of those that's now in a 1960s themed garage.