Made alum. vise jaws... and now I see how wildly off my vise is...

A side view would be more revealing- but it looks sprung (bent) as well as worn
Hope you didn't pay too much
Alfa Romeo owner?
 
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Can you post a side view of the moveable jaw so we can see if it is cracked or bent?

Since it looks like it is all one casting it is either bent or cracked from over tightening. There may also be a little bit of misalignment due to wear, but most of it is due to being bent or broken.

Possible options, just off the top of my head;
1. I do not know if cast iron can be heated and bent back.

2. It would be a PITA but you could cut the jaw off of the ram and weld or braze it back on straight. As long as you understand that it will not be as strong as it was when new.

3. Clamp something in the vice just below where the jaws sit and then put the whole vice on the mill to mill both jaws square and eve skim off the top so that the jaws will both be at the same height and the jaws will sit slightly higher (1/16?) than any part of the vice.

4. Machine custom jaws so that everything lines up.

5. Live with it as is.
 
The threads themselves look quite good but the nut is extremely loose I can move it about a half inch in any direction
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I think the nut is actually suppose to be loose .
 
I would never have guessed you could tweak cast that far without complete failure.
 
That bend looks pretty bad. You say "Not wed to it", so I would think it may be worth trying to straighten it. If it breaks, oh well. I think I would try heating it with an acetylene torch until it's red at the beam / jaw juncture and then try to straighten it. Of course this means that it will have to be anchored firmly to something stationary that you can do some serious prying on.
Just my two cents.

Ted
 
Amazing that the handle didn't bend before the vise itself ! Must be made of un-obtainium . :eek:
 
You could make a new movable bar and jaw using steel tubing and plate. See fireball tool for some videos on vises that he has made. Of course, it's probably easier and faster to buy a different vise, but if you want a project, that would be a good one. You could convert it to hydraulic operation at the same time if you want.
 
Ha I was JUST writing a friend saying "keep an eye out for a vise" because the truth is making these jaws was already one more project I didn't need so I think I'm phoning this one in. If anyone see's anything nice in the coastal CT area...
 
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