Vise with cast-in jaws...replacement?

[mark-NJ]

I have a large, old vise in very good condition, except for the jaws: they're worn fairly smooth. Unfortunately, they're the kind that were cast into the vise during the casting.

If they were the replaceable / screw-in type, I'd replace them...but they aren't. Is the a way to replace them without destroying the vise? is milling them out the only option?

I'm open to suggestions.

 

[steaks&anvils]

Can you use a file to hand "sharpen them"? Or file them smooth.

try asking on vise repair thread:

VISE REPAIR 101 all vise repairs, lubricants, sources for parts and the tricks to fix

I'm starting this thread to help me because i'm going to restore quite a few vises and I've only paid to have that done or done some basic repairs so far in my 60 years. as with all tools different manufacturers all do things a bit different and some makers even do different things on their own...

www.garagejournal.com

 

[Shiftless]

If they were cast in you can’t remove them except, as you say, by milling them out. You would then have to fabricate new jaws and then drill and tap the jaw towers to attach them. Warning...Some old vises have hollow jaw towers.

Do you really need aggressive jaws? Many users have soft jaws over their aggressive factory jaws to avoid damaging the finish on parts than are clamped in. There are some vises that were delivered new from the factory with smooth jaws.

As steaks & anvils already suggested, you might be able to recut some grooves with a file or maybe a Diamond wheel.

What is the make and model of your vise? It might be rare and valuable to a collector who would cash you out or trade you a different vise with sharp teeth.

 

[mark-NJ]

It's an old Athol...it's got a lot of miles on it, but that's ok. It's mine, I love it, and it's not going anywhere!

Filing some new grooves in the jaws might be the answer...but now I need a bigger vise to hold it while I do the filing!

 

[Joe Huld]

I have a large, old vise in very good condition, except for the jaws: they're worn fairly smooth. Unfortunately, they're the kind that were cast into the vise during the casting.

If they were the replaceable / screw-in type, I'd replace them...but they aren't. Is the a way to replace them without destroying the vise? is milling them out the only option?

I'm open to suggestions.

With out a picture it is hard to say but many of the earlier vises with cast in jaws had very shallow cross hatches rather than the coarse knurling we see today so it is possible that your jaws are not that badly worn. Check and see how well they match up, if the fit is good maybe you can just leave well enough alone. I have 6 old vises in my shop and only one has knurled jaws and that is the one I use the least. I prefer smooth jaws for just about everything since they are less likely to mar the workpiece.

 

[ed4banger]

It's an old Athol...it's got a lot of miles on it, but that's ok. It's mine, I love it, and it's not going anywhere!

Filing some new grooves in the jaws might be the answer...but now I need a bigger vise to hold it while I do the filing!

I've reworked several cast in jaws by filing the grooves. Its pain staking to say the least, but when finished makes for a nice looking set of jaws. Your other vise need not be bigger, just big enough to clamp the slide or static body. I've had best luck with small diamond files I got from McMaster, other brands have not held up well. Here is a before/after on an old Samson I did a while back.

 

[Roberts210]

Wow. That's nice work Ed4banger.

 

[Shiftless]

It's an old Athol...it's got a lot of miles on it, but that's ok. It's mine, I love it, and it's not going anywhere!

Filing some new grooves in the jaws might be the answer...but now I need a bigger vise to hold it while I do the filing!

Mark:
Of course you will need another vise and another vise and another...
In the meantime, you might be able to use a very large C clamp and a few small wooden blocks to hold down your patient to the operating table.

 

[Mallen]

I tried that on a rock island (removable) jaw. The file just skid off and wouldn't bite. I had to use a diamond grit coated needle file.

 

[Mallen]

I have a large, old vise in very good condition, except for the jaws: they're worn fairly smooth. Unfortunately, they're the kind that were cast into the vise during the casting.

If they were the replaceable / screw-in type, I'd replace them...but they aren't. Is the a way to replace them without destroying the vise? is milling them out the only option?

I'm open to suggestions.

Are you sure they are cast in. I have an old parker that I thought had cast or forget in jaws. When I cleaned off the edge and looked with a magnifier it looks like they are silver soldered. I can see a thin line of shiny silvery metal between the jaw and the casting. That would make sense. A hardened jaw of the right material with the right solder, could be silver soldered in place without annealing the jaw or damaging the heat treatment on the casting. I'll know soon enough. I have to braze a crack in the slide. I'm just waiting for the nickle silver rod to arrive. When I do, I'll have to preheat part. If I wanted to avoid the coming off I'd have to be very carefully with the heat and put something on them to keep them cooler than the rest. But since I want them off,I'll give them a little more heat and see if they come off.

 

[Packard V8]

Are you sure they are cast in. I have an old parker that I thought had cast or forget in jaws. When I cleaned off the edge and looked with a magnifier it looks like they are silver soldered. I can see a thin line of shiny silvery metal between the jaw and the casting. That would make sense. A hardened jaw of the right material with the right solder, could be silver soldered in place without annealing the jaw or damaging the heat treatment on the casting.

Anything's possible on a hundred-year-old vise, but all my Parkers had the jaws pinned on; two very difficult to see and nearly impossible to remove vertical pins.

jack vines

 

[Mallen]

Anything's possible on a hundred-year-old vise, but all my Parkers had the jaws pinned on; two very difficult to see and nearly impossible to remove vertical pins.

Yours probably has the jaws that go over the top of the vise. Look like the typical kind that are flat on the back and held by screws, but there are no screws.

 

[Mallen]

expand...

Yours probably has the jaws that go over the top of the vise. Look like the typical kind that are flat on the back and held by screws, but there are no screws.

 

[Mallen]

expand...

Yours probably has the jaws that go over the top of the vise. Mine looks like the typical kind that are flat on the back and held by screws, but there are no screws. Its not visible in the pictures but if you look with a magnifier you can see a thin layer of bright silvery colored metal between the jaw and the casting.

 

[Mallen]

I think you can see it here. I polished it with 1200 grit sandpaper.