Free 186 More Best Homemade Tools eBook:  
Get 2,000+ tool plans, full site access, and more.

User Tag List

Page 1 of 2 1 2 LastLast
Results 1 to 10 of 14

Thread: Need help on welding a broken 150lb vise slide

  1. #1
    Supporting Member CharlesWaugh's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2018
    Location
    Boring, OR
    Posts
    329
    Thanks
    57
    Thanked 309 Times in 117 Posts

    CharlesWaugh's Tools

    Need help on welding a broken 150lb vise slide

    So today I got an American Scale Co. #78 vise for $275, just a touch under $2/lb so not too bad.
    Especially since it has the swiveling jaw! Yipee!
    It has 6" wide jaws in almost perfect shape.
    No pipe jaws, but I'll put with that.
    :-)

    The rub is, the slide is broken as you can see.

    My plan is as shown in the pics - to cut the break square, chamfer everything nicely and oxy/acetylene braze in the steel pieces with flux-covered brazing rod.

    I'll MIG weld the two steel pieces together first, and drill them and the slide in two places (tapping the slide) so I can bolt it up before I go to braze, so nothing drifts or shifts.

    Does this sound like a sound plan? Or does it look a bit dim?
    :-)

    From rooting around the web-O-tropolis, it seems that pre-heating a bunch helps, as does cooling it VERY slowly.

    I'm really stoked to finally have a monster-killer swivel-jaw vise.

    BTW: I love that the vise nut has 'VISE' cast into it.

    Thanks!

    The pic from the ad:
    Need help on welding a broken 150lb vise slide-amscalevise.jpg

    On the bench:
    Need help on welding a broken 150lb vise slide-2020-11-06-18.26.01.jpg

    Need help on welding a broken 150lb vise slide-2020-11-06-18.25.43.jpg

    Need help on welding a broken 150lb vise slide-2020-11-06-18.27.26.jpg

    Need help on welding a broken 150lb vise slide-2020-11-06-18.26.19.jpg

    Need help on welding a broken 150lb vise slide-2020-11-06-18.28.08.jpg

    186 More Best Homemade Tools eBook
    Charles Waugh
    www.charleswaugh.com
    "Any tool is just a kit, to be modified as needed for the job at hand"

  2. #2
    Supporting Member NortonDommi's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2014
    Location
    North Island, New Zealand.
    Posts
    990
    Thanks
    1,800
    Thanked 524 Times in 315 Posts

    NortonDommi's Tools
    I take it that you don't have the missing bit? I can see nothing wrong with the plan. Have you thought about replacing the missing bit with Cast Iron?
    There are usually old stoves kicking around somewhere with Cast Iron sides that would be of a thickness close to what is need although a piece that had to
    be machined to size would be best.
    Cast Iron is not that hard to weld with Oxy/Acet. Abrasive blasting and cleaning the weld area, using the correct flux and pre and post heat are necessary.
    Most welding shops sell bare Cast Iron rod which is easier than old piston rings, broken scrap etc.
    The advantage of welding/Brazing with a Cast Iron rod is that it machines the same and the colour match is perfect. Stippling with a needle scaler or a light sand after grinding/machining to conture makes the repair undetectable.Datasheet_MG240 Bare Cast Iron Rod.pdf

    2000 Tool Plans
    Last edited by NortonDommi; Nov 6, 2020 at 09:59 PM. Reason: Add information.

  3. #3
    Supporting Member CharlesWaugh's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2018
    Location
    Boring, OR
    Posts
    329
    Thanks
    57
    Thanked 309 Times in 117 Posts

    CharlesWaugh's Tools
    Nortie,
    Yes that missing bit is missing.
    I've got the steel stuff on hand and the repair requires two different thicknesses.
    So I'll try with what I have on hand.
    :-)

    Color is of no importance to me, so brass-type brazing it is!

    Currently I'm grumpy b/c when I was breaking loose the swivel jaw i had to use a big chain-wrench that I have and it slipped and I slipped and tumblbed backwards onto my left wrist which feels rather broken. That was an hour ago.

    After splinting it and icing it it feels better, but it sure as heck don't want me to move it!

    Tomorrow it may be time to see the docs or it may not. Time will tell.

    Upside: Now I have a good war story to go with the vise!
    : - )
    Charles Waugh
    www.charleswaugh.com
    "Any tool is just a kit, to be modified as needed for the job at hand"

  4. #4
    trigger's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2018
    Posts
    198
    Thanks
    216
    Thanked 57 Times in 40 Posts
    Rounding the edges of your patch would surely relieve stress when it cools down,especially that you are not using cast.......for the insert ?

  5. #5
    Supporting Member ltcmikesr's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2020
    Posts
    4
    Thanks
    0
    Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts
    Yep, but sounds like a ton of work. Got one from harbor freight for a good prices, and they shipped it for pennys, lot cheaper than driving 35 miles with my f250 and then 35 miles back home. Good luck!

  6. #6
    Supporting Member marksbug's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2016
    Posts
    1,898
    Thanks
    725
    Thanked 372 Times in 298 Posts
    eye wood, add some addtional reinforcements after fitting the missing part, so as to take some strain off that area.

  7. #7
    Supporting Member marksbug's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2016
    Posts
    1,898
    Thanks
    725
    Thanked 372 Times in 298 Posts
    oh I see the vise squad busted you!!!! that sucks, big time. I would take some time off and think on it fer a while ,especially if it cracked part of your handle....

  8. #8
    Supporting Member CharlesWaugh's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2018
    Location
    Boring, OR
    Posts
    329
    Thanks
    57
    Thanked 309 Times in 117 Posts

    CharlesWaugh's Tools
    Update: I got the vise 'fixed'.
    :-)

    I say 'fixed' because after thinking about it a while (always good for me to do before diving in like a drunk diving into a frozen swimming pool).
    I realized that the back corner makes no difference really, when the vise is clamping, the force is on the top of the slide, not the bottom edge.
    Yes, the sides give the bending strength so the slide doesn't bend or break.
    If I simply avoid putting big things in the vise and jumping up and down on the handle to tighten it, I can live with a less-than-like-new solution.

    Here's a cruddy shot of it (the vise is mounted now and it's hard to see that back side of the slide)
    Need help on welding a broken 150lb vise slide-vise-slide-fix.jpg
    I attached a hunk of 3/4x1-1/4 to the slide with a 1/4-20 SHCS, and then welded the end cap on and put three more 1/4-20's through it into the slide.
    It works!

    Kinda (rather!) lazy-boy slummo solution, but it made me happy. (low bar there!)
    Charles Waugh
    www.charleswaugh.com
    "Any tool is just a kit, to be modified as needed for the job at hand"

  9. #9
    Supporting Member marksbug's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2016
    Posts
    1,898
    Thanks
    725
    Thanked 372 Times in 298 Posts
    eye wood also add a patch over that broken portion, possiably screwed or welded or both.remember **** happens....especialy when you expect it least and need to get it done.

  10. #10
    Supporting Member CharlesWaugh's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2018
    Location
    Boring, OR
    Posts
    329
    Thanks
    57
    Thanked 309 Times in 117 Posts

    CharlesWaugh's Tools
    JB Weld!
    That's the ticket!
    Maybe with some fiberglass cloth thrown in for good measure.
    I'm bein' kinda silly here, but now I think about it...

    Makes perfect sense.
    I'm on it!
    Charles Waugh
    www.charleswaugh.com
    "Any tool is just a kit, to be modified as needed for the job at hand"

Thread Information

Users Browsing this Thread

There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •