Hey guys, I was wondering if you would look at this vise for me and tell me what you think?
I would need to look at the screw and the screw box, any other inspections you can think of?
That looks like a very nice vise you don’t see many with 6" wide jaws.
Like the seller says that vise hasn’t been used hard.
180.00 is on the high end but it is nice. And they are getting harder to find in that good of condition.
I felt like it was on the high side, I am considering it, but I’m a bit cheap so…
Any other areas to inspect? There’s really no wear points but the screw right?
Eh, I’m on the fence, I have a garage shop vise, but I know the right tool for the job makes the work go more efficiently…
That vice is in really good condition, 6" jaws and that clean is hard to come by. $180 is a bit high, but it’s a relatively fair price for a 6" jaw in good condition like it is!
That being said you can probably get chummy with the guy and get a little bit off.
The screw is one, obviously, it’s got a weird looking screw bolt piece on the back - I haven’t seen that style before, where it looks like the screwn protrudes from the back. I’d make sure that screw is in good working condition, not chewed up.
If he has it clamped down to a table or on the ground, move the outside jaw left to right, up down - see if it has play. A trouble I have right now with mine is the are lined up left to right but the front jaw is about 1/8" lower than the back jaw.
Unscrew all the way and check the spring - it should give a lot of force back on the front jaw, it shouldn’t be so weak that it has a hard time pushing the front jaw back while unscrewing.
Besides that, it is on the high end, but looks real nice! If I were in your shoes, I’d try to grab it for $150 or less and be happy with it. 6" jaws are hard to come by.
Then again, I’m a firm believer as well in that good things happen for those that wait… so if you feel it’s a bit much, there is no harm in waiting til the next one comes around 
Thanks guys, I’ll have a heart to heart with my inner cheapskate and see if I can figure it out.
Alright, I talked to the guy, I am gonna go get it tomorrow…wish me luck!
Well it’s mine, $175 but it looks like it got bought for just occasional work for a farm because it’s like new old stock.
Someone cut a few inches off the leg, but I am a short fella and it fits me just right! Must have been another short Irishman!
After I payed him he said I was lucky because he had four guys that wanted to come today to get it, the other three were coming this evening!
I’ll clean it up and post a picture…
The screw box and screw are different than I expected…it looks like the screw box has a replaceable threaded insert and the screw looks replaceable. I don’t care as long as it clamps! But it will be nice because if I need to I can turn new parts on my lathe!
Nice vise I’m glad you beat the others to it. Of course I’m sure they are not to fond of you this evening.
I hope to find myself one in that good of condition.
I’m sure your gonna enjoy using it. Nice find.
Steve,
Thanks banjo!
I cleaned it up this afternoon, and I mean I knocked the old dry grease off and degreaser soaked it twice, and wire brushed it by hand to get the heavier rust. I’m not much for taking all the age off an old tool, I will linseed oil it too stop the rust, and it will hold metal just as good like that as it would if I took it down to nothing but bare metal… Jaw faces are still the mill finish!
Linseed oil based finish and it’s great! Turned out to be 90#
With the modern acme threads that have a lower pitch angle I am convinced that a machinist replaced these…
The Amish feed store I go to has an old beat up 4" leg vise for sale for $15 I’m gonna grab that too, but it’s really beat up.
Awesome vise! Yeah, that definitely looks either like a recent vise or one that has been repaired (and repaired well, I’d say!)
Grats on the purchase I thought that screw/screwbox looked a little different… but looks great!
Also - $15 for a 4" is great! I’d grab that for sure and quick, nice find there - if the screw/screwbox are messed those threaded rods are pretty cheap, actually, so you could jury rig up your own box/screw.
I bought it! It has an ok screw and box, has lost its handle,and spring, and someone cut off the leg…boo!
But I figure if I can use it for a few things and fix it up, I might meet someone one day that needs one, and give them a great deal! If it stayed there it would get used for something else and beat up more…
The big one looks forged and not drop forged, I wonder if it’s not too old or old with replacement parts? The only down side is that you gotta turn the handle more times, but I can turn acme rod with my metal lathe so I am ok with that! I am wondering if I can make a new screw and box with a better pitched thread…hmmmm
Looks a little rough but it still has some good bones. Congrats!
Yeah, it’s been beat up good!
Ok guys, I got my good vice mounted! I had this white pine log left over from a carved bench I did last summer…spent some time flattening the bottom with a chainsaw, it doesn’t have any rock to it!
Tell me what you think, will this work? Any issues you see with a more experienced eye?
Now that’s a stand! Looks great in my opinion.
The only thing I could think of is that it could maybe obstruct if you twist with your twist wrench on it, or you could only twist about 90 degrees at a time - but I wouldn’t worry about that. Bonus is you have the wood stump right next to ya to straight the twist back out!
Great point on the twisting! If it becomes an issue I will need to modify the stump, but that’s an easy fix. I would not have thought of that till the wrench failed on the stump!
Looks great! Nice and heavy so it won’t move around too much.
Grant is right about the twists but you could move the piece vertical and twist that direction if its short enough.