MetalworkingFun Forum

There was a badly abused Record vice on that T Slot/ welding table I brought home.
Are vices cast iron or steel? Need to repair the moving jaw. If simply steel I can build it up with the mig.

The one I fixed a while back was cast iron.

Thats what I thought it would be Darren. The only reason I question it is how tough they are, not many tools take the beatings these can.

The one I broke a while back was cast iron.

An easy fix is Braze it then lick over with the mill.

Anthony

Brazing it would be an easy one Anthony. Worry about being able to machine the face for the jaw flat after welding with steel or nickel rod, then would need to drill and retap the hole for the screw holding the jaw. Would the threads in bronze be strong enough though.

I dont see why bronze would not be hard enough by virtue of the fact your just holding the jaw plate on.

how i would repair this would be strip off the jaw plate, build a dam around that corner and fill in with braze or... build up the Nickel stick or Tig weld to fill the crater, fill in the original bolt threads with weld, machine the surfaces down square and true, re-drill new holes in new locations and tap or ream out new holes to accept threaded end dowels.  

Make new jaw plate, drill holes for what ever your affixing arrangement is , machine or grind... if you go this far make an extra jaw plate with a copper or aluminium strip machined in for soft jaw work, if you do that make the jaw removal easy for quick and ease of use.

remember if you want to go even further you could assemble the vice with newly made jaw plates on the mill in one sitting if you open the gape on the vise and jam it in the closed position mimicking it being closed, then end mill both jaws vertically at once. This effort is well worth it for a good shop vise.

Hope this helps

Anthony.

May stop by the welding supply tomorrow and see what high nickel rod is worth.
Pulled up this bit of info off Lincoln's site.
http://www.lincolnelectric.com/en-us/sup...etail.aspx
From what they say the only rod that is easily machined is the 99% nickel.
I've welded cast before but never had to machine the area, that I can remember anyway. 
Probably over thinking the job.
Pretty sure this vice will never see any fragile work Andy but I do need to make some soft jaws for the 3 inch bench vice. I bend over and pick up the brass covers I made for those jaws a dozen times a day.

I recall Rob Wilson making a variety of hardened jaws for a bench vise, which he made as a quick change set. If I recall correctly, he machined a t-slot in the back and then made suitable studs for the original threaded holes. Unfortunately, I cannot find the thread.

If you're concerned about the threads in bronze holding up how about using inserts?