Restoring an old vice

[Screwdriver]

I have done a fair few vices recently, including a number of Swindens.

This one doesn't look terrible but if you look closely, you can see the retaining ring is missing and someone has tried to separate the jaws with a sledgehammer.

With the rotation lock tightened down, those two parts might just as well be welded together and it was firmly clamped shut.

Overnight in the electrolysis tank and the nut loosened off enough to unbolt, sprung the clamp with a wedge and pulled it apart.

It's now back in the tank. You can see where it looks like someone has tried hammering it out from the rear because the main screw collar has been bent outwards. That's a quarter inch thick casting held on by four small screws. This thing is built like a tank which is whey they used to fit them to the side of them! Anyhow another day in the tank and it should come up like new. I can then straighten out any bent bits, fabricate a new retaining ring and think about fitting some new jaws.

Screwd.

 

[Screwdriver]

The tank this morning.

and the result.

Someone had clearly tried to use the main screw to pull the vice apart. The retaining collar is bent, as are the screws! Goodness knows how it survived. Tough stuff.

The main problem was there is some evidence of hammering on the rear of the vice to try and push the moving jaw out. All this did was to mushroom the cast steel so it would never fit through the sliding cylinder.

Filed the end down, blued it up and tried again but I didn't want to take off too much, it's a right bugger to put it back on.

Eventually I gave up with the subtlety and forced it through with a mallet and a steel drift.

Even then it wouldn't budge and the main screw feed nut was also binding up and getting cocked in the bore...

 

[Screwdriver]

So I set up a two ton jack, countered the tilt with a screw jack and pushed it out.

Finally...

There's one of the culprits. You can see where the large nut has jammed in the bore. They are tight tolerances in there and I think the problem was a big dollop of hard grease. Looks like the retaining pin had been drilled out too. Badly...

But it's all there so just needs some fettling, a bit of dressing with a grinder, painting and reassembly.

I will paint this one too. I might even jazz it up. Next job is to turn down that mushroomed sliding jaw in the lathe.

Screwd.

 

[Screwdriver]

I can see why it was binding so badly. There's a thin crust of hardened grease you can see here, looks a bit like a map and comes off with a wire wheel. The shaft is still slightly mushroomed and "sprung" so will need some more fettling to fit. At least it's not too small!

Jaw retaining bolts were really loose but never going to unscrew so...

The trick is not to nick the body of the vice while you're chopping away with the cut off wheel.

Jaw looks fine.

The fun part is to fettle all these parts so they fit together perfectly. Not that difficult and very satisfying.

S.

 

[Maker]

Pictures aren't showing.

 

[bs2236]

Pictures aren't showing.

They are for me Maker?

Looks impressive Screwdriver, looks like i need to make an electrolysis tank pretty quick!

 

[clift_d]

I've got exactly the same vice of a similar vintage that I need to clean up - it's not as corroded or seized but still needs a fair bit of work so I'll be watching this thread. The main difference for me is that I don't have another Swindens to hold the pieces in while I work on them

 

[colnerov]

They are for me as well.

 

[Screwdriver]

I've got exactly the same vice of a similar vintage that I need to clean up - it's not as corroded or seized but still needs a fair bit of work so I'll be watching this thread. The main difference for me is that I don't have another Swindens to hold the pieces in while I work on them

In this example the electrolysis was a bit of an overkill, I was always going to wire brush it. It does help though and since I am already set up, I can bung it in the tank and leave it for a day or two while I get on with some other stuff. For me the key issue is usually to preserve the original vice as much as possible. On this occasion however I am probably going to mod it; fit a different type of locking lever, machine or grind off the ugliness and maybe even attach it to a rotating base.

I think this one is going to be my main welding vice so it will probably get alloy or copper jaws too.

S.

 

[mr migwire]

brilliant write up screwed, any chance of a piccy of your power supply for the tank???

 

[Screwdriver]

brilliant write up screwed, any chance of a piccy of your power supply for the tank???

Thanks, don't know if it's in this thread : http://www.mig-welding.co.uk/forum/threads/repair-a-broken-vise.57448/

But it's just an ancient crude battery charger. I do have a really nice bench power supply but haven't tried hooking it up yet.

S.

 

[mr migwire]

Thanks, don't know if it's in this thread : http://www.mig-welding.co.uk/forum/threads/repair-a-broken-vise.57448/

But it's just an ancient crude battery charger. I do have a really nice bench power supply but haven't tried hooking it up yet.

S.

thanks muchly mate, I have the plastic bucket and a few old school chargers so should be good.......

 

[MattF]

...and maybe even attach it to a rotating base.

Intrigued to see what you come up with on that front. The design of the Swindens base does give itself to fitting nicely with a rotating base.

 

[clift_d]

Swindens look as if they're thinking about a swivel base already:

http://www.swindens-vices.co.uk/swindens_swivel_base.html

The biggest problem from their pictures seems to be getting the vice high enough that the lower jaws can clear the workbench

 

[MattF]

The Swindens solution does look a bit naff, and never been convinced that those risers are a solid solution. It only needs around 2" to get clearance, so it's something they could have achieved more subtly than by using those risers.

 

[Screwdriver]

Swindens look as if they're thinking about a swivel base already:

http://www.swindens-vices.co.uk/swindens_swivel_base.html

The biggest problem from their pictures seems to be getting the vice high enough that the lower jaws can clear the workbench

Yes I have seen that. unbelievably crude if you ask me. Mine will be on a retractable stand so it can clear the bench, probably on a pair of concentric large diameter tubes for height and swivel. Not far off the design for the Swindens body, just at 90 degrees to it.

S.

 

[CwazyWabbit]

Seeing as I posted it on your other thread ..... a proper swivel base Swindens or two

 

[Screwdriver]

Eleven pounds and ten shillings? Are you kidding. I can buy a house for that!

 

[MattF]

Seeing as I posted it on your other thread ..... a proper swivel base Swindens or two

You just post these photo's to tempt people by making them realise that there's more out there to collect than they thought, don't you.

 

[WorkshopChris]

Excellent ingenuity with the trolley jack a as a small press.