Too Far Gone

[gtermini]

I was talking on the phone to a friend of mine and he said something about not having a vise. I told him I'd check my stash and see if I could part with anything.

I knew I had this old Wilton Cadet I bought a long time ago, but had never looked hard at it. Boy, it's beyond rough. I think it came off the back of some gypo logger's service rig in NorCal and was beat up before that. 3 of 4 mounting lugs on the  swivel base are cracked off. The jaw seat on the static jaw had been half broken off. Both jaws (or the remains of what I believe resembled jaws at some point) are welded heavily on with hardfacing chrome rod. Everything around the jaws is so hard a file bounces off. I puzzled it over for a few minutes, and decided I'm in no mood to mess with it. The amount of effort it would take to revive it far exceeds it's useful value. I refuse to throw it out because I'm a hoarder. Hopefully someone will find it someday and see it in the same bright light I must have when I bought it.

Surprisingly, the slide is still tight, the screw mostly unworn, and it hasn't been used too extensively as an anvil. Twas a fine made vise in it's day. It could probably tell quite the tales if it could talk.

[strik9]

Maybe not restore material but still a user.

In Mexico that would be a very desired thing to find in a market.  I would certainly make good use of it in the shop.

[bonneyman]

Maybe not restore material but still a user.

In Mexico that would be a very desired thing to find in a market.  I would certainly make good use of it in the shop.

I agree! I love the reach of the opening. I wonder if a useable base could be secured for it and then the jaws could be fixed?

[gtermini]

I wonder if a useable base could be secured for it and then the jaws could be fixed?

My initial though would be to build them up with some flavor of hardfacing or toolweld rod, grind them flat, then serrate them with a suicide wheel. The base pads needs welded or brazed. As with all cast, cooking the oil out and holding heat in the part are the hard tasks.

[bonneyman]

I wonder if a useable base could be secured for it and then the jaws could be fixed?

My initial though would be to build them up with some flavor of hardfacing or toolweld rod, grind them flat, then serrate them with a suicide wheel. The base pads needs welded or brazed. As with all cast, cooking the oil out and holding heat in the part are the hard tasks.

I was thinking more of getting a decent base from another vise that itself was cracked, and doing a swap. Would save alot of heating/welding.

[jabberwoki]

I wonder if a useable base could be secured for it and then the jaws could be fixed?

My initial though would be to build them up with some flavor of hardfacing or toolweld rod, grind them flat, then serrate them with a suicide wheel. The base pads needs welded or brazed. As with all cast, cooking the oil out and holding heat in the part are the hard tasks.

[oldnslo]

Part that puppy out! Folks will probably pay crazy money for bits n pieces. 

[slip knot]

It will never make a show piece but should be a good user with a little work.

[gtermini]

I'm vise rich is the "problem". I currently have at least eight 4" and larger primo quality vises in the fleet by the makes of Wilton, Prentiss, Columbian, Starrett, and others. I'd love to see somebody make something out of this one, but it's not going to be me. I'll give it to that right somebody when we cross paths. There probably aren't many vises made today that will be fretted over like this in 75 years.

[bonneyman]

I don't have an angle grinder but if I did I'd try and cut off the welded on jaws and make it work. Wilton vises are like $600 over at Epsteins - who knows how much $$$ new.

Plus the shipping to me would probably give me a coronary. 

[DeadNutz]

I'm sure some vise poor fellow would be happy with that vise. I wouldn't waste any time or effort on that one myself.

[muddy]

If it weren't for that bad being broke if say go for it. But to that vise isn't worth the work your got to put into it.

Sent from the twisted mind of the Mudman

[strik9]

What work?  Bolt it down with heavy washers over the cracked ears or just ditch the swivel base.

Then get back to beating the shit out of it a few decades more.
Things like that are perfect for fab shops like the one I work in.  The grinder and welding won't make it any ugluer.