# Anyone Know About Friction Welding? AKA Making a New Vise Screw



## Eddyde (Dec 6, 2022)

HI All,

I am in the midst of refurbishing a 50's era Wilton C1 bullet vise, I picked up for cheap. Several years ago when I started the project, I striped the whole thing down and did an initial cleaning. I found the nut was very worn out so I ordered another.  At the time, I thought the screw was still serviceable. Then I got sidetracked and the parts sat in a box on the basement floor for a couple of years...

Naturally, it all rusted up a bit so upon restarting the project, it all went into the Evapo-Rust and a got a thorough wire brushing. That 's when I discovered the screw had some serious pitting on the threads. The replacement is $400 bucks so I'm not going that route. I could make a new one but the acme insert, tool holder and a decent steel bar aren't cheap either. So I figure I could just buy a piece of acme threaded rod for $30 bucks and attach it to the existing handle. But how?

I figure it could be friction welded, in fact I think that's how it was made in the first place. I have screwed around with this technique in the past. However, I have never attempted it on steel of this diameter or for a part that really mattered.

Does anyone have any real world experience with friction welding, or a better Idea for attaching the screw to the handle?



Overall its in pretty god shape for being about 70 years old.


I doubt the damage was due to the rusting, the screw was caked with hardened grease and dirt that I miss in the first cleaning.




Though the screw is still serviceable, I fear the pitting will grind away at new nut.


This is where I think they friction welded the screw section to the handle, when it was made.

Any advice will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks for looking.

Eddy


----------



## Ulma Doctor (Dec 6, 2022)

if you were so inclined, you could bore the handle and thread it to a nominal size (even LH if you were feeling it)
thread the acme thread into the handle. use locktite or a pin to secure the acme thread into the handle

or 

bore the handle and weld the acme thread to the handle outer side

i have not done any friction welding, but i saw some videos of axle housing production and stub axles for the front ends of semi- trucks.
apparently one member is held stationary while the rotating member is gradually forced into the stationary work
the friction creates the heat that ultimately welds the parts together


----------



## mmcmdl (Dec 7, 2022)

We friction weld every day/night here at work . Not on steel but plastic . The doc is right . One piece spins and the other is stationary . Friction builds up heat until the parts eventually weld themselves together .  Our plastic takes only 2.8 seconds .


----------



## Provincial (Dec 7, 2022)

It looks like there is enough room to vee out both sides, fixture it for proper alignment, and TIG weld it with high strength rod.  That would give a full-strength joint and would not require expensive equipment to accomplish.


----------



## Nutfarmer (Dec 7, 2022)

When I replaced the screw on a Columbia vice years ago the easiest way I found was to grind a tool bit out of high speed steel and turn the screw out of one piece of mild steel. Grinding the bit isn't hard and the total cost is way less than the premade threaded rod. The mild steel has held up for years with all sorts of abuse on the farm. Love that vice. How ever you fix the vise it will probably be better than the new ones. Go for it.


----------



## Bone Head (Dec 7, 2022)

Ulma Doctor said:


> if you were so inclined, you could bore the handle and thread it to a nominal size (even LH if you were feeling it)
> thread the acme thread into the handle. use locktite or a pin to secure the acme thread into the handle
> 
> or
> ...


His "bore the handle" I think would be preferable.  I imagine a problem with the left-hand threads loctited like locking the vice down on a work piece really hard, and the left-hand thread unscrewing itself when you loosen the jaws.
Yes; I tend to always imagine worse possible results.


----------



## Eddyde (Dec 7, 2022)

Ulma Doctor said:


> You could bore the handle and thread it to a nominal size (even LH if you were feeling it)
> thread the acme thread into the handle. use locktite or a pin to secure the acme thread into the handle



I figure I can leave the screw long and try the weld. Then if it doesn't work, I can use the threaded connection as a back-up plan.




Provincial said:


> It looks like there is enough room to vee out both sides, fixture it for proper alignment, and TIG weld it with high strength rod. That would give a full-strength joint and would not require expensive equipment to accomplish.



Yes that was my first though but my TIG skills are a bit rusty and I don't have a rotary welding fixture so the set up would be as much as for the friction weld. But if the friction approach doesn't work I'll probably try that next. 



Nutfarmer said:


> When I replaced the screw on a Columbia vice years ago the easiest way I found was to grind a tool bit out of high speed steel and turn the screw out of one piece of mild steel. Grinding the bit isn't hard and the total cost is way less than the premade threaded rod. The mild steel has held up for years with all sorts of abuse on the farm. Love that vice. How ever you fix the vise it will probably be better than the new ones. Go for it.



I do know how to grind HSS tools. But I don't have a piece of bar-stock to make the part and by the time I purchase it it would be more than buying the threaded rod. I also want to clear this project quickly as I have many more waiting... LOL 



Bone Head said:


> His "bore the handle" I think would be preferable. I imagine a problem with the left-hand threads loctited like locking the vice down on a work piece really hard, and the left-hand thread unscrewing itself when you loosen the jaws.



If I ultimately do the threaded approach; I'd pin the connection with a setscrew parallel to the axis of the main screw, half in the yoke of the handle and half in the main screw, like a keyway.

Thanks all for the great responses so far. Lots to think about!


----------



## markba633csi (Dec 7, 2022)

Looks like the original was just vee'd out and arc welded by a skilled person, then ground smooth
I would re-make the screw from scratch and pin it into the old handle- use good steel like 4130 and
use your government issue FBI South Bend!


----------



## great white (Dec 7, 2022)

TIG.

Done.


----------



## RJSakowski (Dec 7, 2022)

From what I have seen concerning friction welding, the chuck holding the stationary part has to be able to instantly release the stationary part when the weld is accomplished.  It also takes a good sized motor to be able to generate enough frictional heat to reach welding temperatures.


----------



## mmcmdl (Dec 7, 2022)

RJSakowski said:


> It also takes a good sized motor to be able to generate enough frictional heat to reach welding temperatures.


As well as a reasonable amount of pressure . I'll take a film tonight of our process . I would be interested in putting some aluminum in one of the lines to see if it would weld .


----------



## DavidR8 (Dec 7, 2022)

I had a YZ125 that friction welded the crank solid. Does that count?


----------



## mmcmdl (Dec 7, 2022)

DavidR8 said:


> I had a YZ125 that friction welded the crank solid. Does that count?


 I've was thrown off the YZ250 one too many times before going with the 4 wheelers .


----------



## Eddyde (Dec 7, 2022)

I'm going to experiment with it a bit and see what happens...


----------



## mmcmdl (Dec 7, 2022)

Eddyde said:


> I'm going to experiment with it a bit and see what happens...


How big is that bullet ?


----------



## strantor (Dec 7, 2022)

I don't understand what is so hard about welding it. You don't need a rotary positioner just because it's round. Just clamp it upright in your vise and... oh, ok now I get it.


----------



## Eddyde (Dec 7, 2022)

mmcmdl said:


> How big is that bullet ?


4 ½" jaws, I only paid $50 for it.


----------



## matthewsx (Dec 7, 2022)

I'd assume friction welding is a production process used because it's cheaper/faster than other methods. It'll be interesting to see how you rig up for it and what the results are.

John


----------



## Eddyde (Dec 7, 2022)

strantor said:


> I don't understand what is so hard about welding it. You don't need a rotary positioner just because it's round. Just clamp it upright in your vise and... oh, ok now I get it.


You are right, it wouldn't be too hard to rig a welding fixture for it, and I do have other vises. I guess I just want to try a new technique and see if it can be accomplished.


----------



## strantor (Dec 8, 2022)

Eddyde said:


> You are right, it wouldn't be too hard to rig a welding fixture for it, and I do have other vises. I guess I just want to try a new technique and see if it can be accomplished.


I get that. I often do things Unconventional ways just because it's less boring. I am curious to see your friction welding result but my prediction is that unless you have a fairly large (by hobbyist standards) lathe you will find that the amount of pressure required to friction weld something of that size is more than you'll be comfortable Subjecting your lathe to.


----------



## extropic (Dec 8, 2022)

Here is another approach to the issue.

Neither the big end of the screw or the handle look to be very pretty.
Let's call the big end of the screw "the hub" (random name).
Make a new hub, but make it in two pieces. Leave some OD stock for final turning after welding.
One piece is the portion nearest the screw, with the retaining groove. Make it about .25" short of the hole for the handle. ID thread it through (or bore it through) for the new screw (tight fit). Chamfer both the hub part and screw and weld the he11 out of them.
Face off the hub/screw weldment end and chamfer the hub OD for welding to the other part of the hub.
Make the other part of the hub long enough to finish the hub length and chamfer it for welding.
Weld.
Turn the hub OD and face to finished dimensions.
Cross drill the new hub for a new handle.
Beautiful!


----------



## whitmore (Dec 8, 2022)

Two notes: it's not clear that this is an acme thread, it may be necessary to custom-cut a
screw to fit the replacement  nut if it's 'square' thread.   If the old handle
has to be fit to a new threaded section, boring a tapered hole and tapering
the threaded piece will make a good large-contact-area surface that could be
heated to braze or silver solder nicely.   Kiln-type brazing would be ideal;
that kind of joint can be trusted to hold the axial alignment.


----------



## Eddyde (Dec 8, 2022)

markba633csi said:


> Use your government issue FBI South Bend!


Ha you remember! I actually don't use that lathe much and I'm thinking of selling it. This project is a job for the Clausing Colchester!


----------



## Eddyde (Dec 8, 2022)

extropic said:


> Here is another approach to the issue.
> 
> Neither the big end of the screw or the handle look to be very pretty.
> Let's call the big end of the screw "the hub" (random name).
> ...


Thanks,
That's an interesting approach, it certainly would work. I will remake the "hub" & handle so I can leave the original intact.


----------



## Eddyde (Dec 8, 2022)

whitmore said:


> Two notes: it's not clear that this is an acme thread, it may be necessary to custom-cut a
> screw to fit the replacement  nut if it's 'square' thread.   If the old handle
> has to be fit to a new threaded section, boring a tapered hole and tapering
> the threaded piece will make a good large-contact-area surface that could be
> ...


It appears to be be an Acme ⅞" 5 TPI, though it is pretty worn out so I cannot be 100% sure. I ordered the section of threaded rod so I'll find out soon enough.
Funny, I was just of thinking about brazing it but I wasn't sure if it would work well, you might have tipped the scale to making that my plan B. I do have a small kiln/furnace but I can't fit the part in there, at least not without modifications!


----------



## Eddyde (Dec 8, 2022)

RJSakowski said:


> From what I have seen concerning friction welding, the chuck holding the stationary part has to be able to instantly release the stationary part when the weld is accomplished.  It also takes a good sized motor to be able to generate enough frictional heat to reach welding temperatures.


I was wondering about that, though from what I've seen on YouTube, nobody uses a releasing holder in the tailstock, as long as the lathe has a brake, it seems it can work.  But yeah, I'm sure that's how its done in a production environment.  I have a 5 HP gear-head lathe so power shouldn't be an issue.


----------



## Eddyde (Dec 8, 2022)

strantor said:


> I get that. I often do things Unconventional ways just because it's less boring. I am curious to see your friction welding result but my prediction is that unless you have a fairly large (by hobbyist standards) lathe you will find that the amount of pressure required to friction weld something of that size is more than you'll be comfortable Subjecting your lathe to.


Yep I never want boring, as clearly illustrated by my former penchant for psycho women... Now that I kicked that habit, I need more excitement in the shop!
I do have an industrial lathe, 13" Clausing Colchester, so power shouldn't be an issue.


----------



## Red96 (Dec 9, 2022)

FWIW,

If you decide to try the brazing route, Silicon Bronze filler wire has a fairly high tensile strength (near that of mild steel...~250MPa), but has a melting point roughly 1000 degrees lower than steel (~1,970 F).  We use it to attach UHSS to mild or HSS - the lower melting range keeps the UHSS from losing strength due to heat affects in the collision repair realm.  Lots of cars now have UHSS components in the 1500 - 1900 MPa range that cannot be comprimised when welding back into the vehicle.

Look for CuSi-3 or Cu-Si-A filler wire. (3% Silicon content)  Any decent welding supply will carry it (Or a well equipped local body shop will have it in .030" MIG wire form)  No flux required or desired, just heat enough for capillary action to do the rest. (Has to be CLEAN tho!)

edit: added note about cleaning


----------



## Eddyde (Dec 12, 2022)

UPDATE:
I did a few tests, first with some .75 unknown steel bar, I think it may have been leaded as it cut like butter but isn't good for welding. Even so, I did manage to get it to weld, though it  snapped apart without too much force. The process created a lot of chatter and was hellaciously noisy. The halves weren't well aligned after the weld either. I theorized that might have been due to the center of the bar not heating up as quickly as the outer part as there is less surface speed there. So on my next round of tests I drilled a small dimple in the center of the halves. It worked better but it still was trying to go out of alignment. I also tried some W-1 drill rod but it snapped even easier. I think it hardened and was very brittle, perhaps some post annealing would help.
Anyway, when I get the section of threaded bar I'll run some tests with the actual material. I think if I make a recess in the new hub will keep the screw aligned. We shall see...


----------



## strantor (Dec 12, 2022)

That's a better result than I ever managed. Not something that would hold up to the demands of the application, but who knows; maybe with a few tweaks to you process (I have no suggestions, sorry) you can get a usable result!


----------



## strantor (Dec 12, 2022)

I spoke too soon; I did think of a suggestion. What if you cut a slight taper on each face (one convex, the other concave)? Maybe 10 degrees or so, shallow, just enough so that the two parts will have incentive to stay coaxial and not pop off to one side.


----------



## Boswell (Dec 12, 2022)

Is there any reason for so much stickout? especially on the tailstock side. Minimum stickout might help keep the parts aligned.


----------



## Eddyde (Dec 12, 2022)

strantor said:


> What if you cut a slight taper on each face (one convex, the other concave)? Maybe 10 degrees or so, shallow, just enough so that the two parts will have incentive to stay coaxial and not pop off to one side.


I thought of that or a perhaps a stepped profile, but I think I'm going to just make a new hub and handle so I will weld the screw directly to that and being larger in diameter, I will bore a shallow, flat bottomed hole in it for the screw, that ought to keep it centered.

I'm also thinking of what RJ said:


RJSakowski said:


> The chuck holding the stationary part has to be able to instantly release the stationary part when the weld is accomplished.



Now that I have tried the process It makes sense, even though the brake stops the chuck pretty fast, its still turning as the metal is cooling, possibly weakling the weld. I think I can rig something using a live center...



Boswell said:


> Is there any reason for so much stickout? especially on the tailstock side. Minimum stickout might help keep the parts aligned.



It was my first round of tests and I wanted enough meat on both ends to test the breaking point of the weld. So I made the short end long enough to clear the top of the hardy hole on my anvil. I envisioned having to gorilla pull on the long end and bending the bar without breaking the weld! LOL


----------



## francist (Dec 12, 2022)

“..hellaciously noisy..” — what a great descriptor!


----------



## Shotgun (Dec 12, 2022)

What did you use for flux?


----------



## Eddyde (Dec 12, 2022)

Shotgun said:


> What did you use for flux?


Nothing, from the info I got so far it isn't needed. However, I was thinking of the possibility of using a shielding gas.


----------



## Eddyde (Dec 12, 2022)

francist said:


> “..hellaciously noisy..” — what a great descriptor!


And almost an understatement.


----------



## RJSakowski (Dec 12, 2022)

I wonder if an magnetic clutch as used in an automotive a/c unit might have enough holding torque for an instant release mechanism.


----------



## Shotgun (Dec 12, 2022)

RJSakowski said:


> I wonder if an magnetic clutch as used in an automotive a/c unit might have enough holding torque for an instant release mechanism.



This is quickly turning into "How to spend $400 and 80 hrs to build a $40 part".
I like it.


----------



## Eddyde (Dec 12, 2022)

Shotgun said:


> This is quickly turning into "How to spend $400 and 80 hrs to build a $40 part".
> I like it.


I wish it was a $40 part, only a few places have it listed for around $400 and they all say it's out of stock, backordered, no arrival date known. But  the time is the real killer for me...


----------



## Eddyde (Dec 14, 2022)

RJSakowski said:


> I wonder if an magnetic clutch as used in an automotive a/c unit might have enough holding torque for an instant release mechanism.


RJ that's a great idea for setting up for a production run. But for a one-off part, I think the time investment alone in making it work would be significant. I was thinking of a chuck mounted to a live center held by a pin resting on another pin held in the toolholder Thus a quick turn of the traverse wheel would disengage it.


----------



## cjtoombs (Dec 15, 2022)

I'm wondering if doing some auxiliary heating with a torch might help the process along.  Even a decent propane torch might help a lot.


----------



## Eddyde (Dec 15, 2022)

cjtoombs said:


> I'm wondering if doing some auxiliary heating with a torch might help the process along.  Even a decent propane torch might help a lot.


I was thinking about that but after trying the process it seems to heat up pretty quickly. Though when I try welding it to the hub it may be a different story with the parts being of different mass. I that case additional heat might be necessary.


----------



## Eddyde (Dec 28, 2022)

Update:
I screwed up, I literally screwed up. I ordered the wrong thread pitch! somehow I had it stuck in my head that it was a ⅞"5 tpi lead screw not sure how I came to that conclusion but it was set, a couple of years ago, when I first started this project, did I double check, no, did I even measure it, I don't remember. I just ordered it... it actually is a ⅞" 4 tip thread. Anyway, the worst thing is that thread doesn't seem to exist in the acme screw world so now I'm faced with making it from scratch, which I will, eventually. 
in the meantime I painted the vise and put it back together. I figure with about 2" of thread in the nut the screw has plenty of engagement and the eroded threads shouldn't cause too much damage till I have the time to make a new screw. 
I even made a new end cap from aluminum.


----------



## RJSakowski (Dec 28, 2022)

I believe that Tom Lipton , aka OxTools, made a miniature bullet vise from scratch several tears back.  Perhaps you might find some useful information in his videos.


----------



## strantor (Dec 28, 2022)

Not sure what's in the vise: is the casting threaded or is there a nut? If there's a nut:

Odds are that it's as damaged as the screw and could stand being replaced too.
It would probably be just as easy to make as the screw.
Going from 4 TPI to 5TPI should give you more clamping force for the same torque applied.


----------



## mmcmdl (Dec 28, 2022)

Eddyde said:


> it actually is a ⅞" 4 tip thread.





Eddyde said:


> I had it stuck in my head that it was a ⅞"5 tpi lead screw


What's 1 thread per inch in a vise that size ?  Can't say I've never done that .


----------



## DavidR8 (Dec 28, 2022)

mmcmdl said:


> What's 1 thread per inch in a vise that size ?  Can't say I've never done that .


110, 111, what ever it takes


----------



## mmcmdl (Dec 29, 2022)

Hey Ed . FWIW . We stripped the threads out of our very large Starrett vise in at work today !  Pulled the Acme stud out and had a perfect spiral chip that was left of the piece inside . Just thought you would get a laugh out of this . On the other hand , we'll check out the $$$ for a replacement piece or have to buy a new vise . I'm going to advise them to give it to the scrap man ............................................which is me .


----------



## JShipley54 (Dec 29, 2022)

Looks good!!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## G-ManBart (Dec 29, 2022)

Being a vise guy, this is a repair I've made multiple times and there are a couple of ways to go about it. 

Ideally you cut everything off flush at the back of the spindle so that's all you're left with.  Face the back of the spindle, then bore a hole into the spindle an inch or so and give it a heavy countersink at the mouth.  The bore diameter doesn't matter as you're going to turn the screw to fit.  Then get a length of something like 8620 which can be welded, thread most of it, and leave several inches smooth so that section will ride in the dynamic jaw without causing wear.  Turn down an inch of the smooth section to match the bore you made in the spindle so it's a press fit.  Press the spindle in and run a TIG bead around the area when you countersunk.  Next you drill a hole through the bottom of the groove in the spindle (where the horseshoe washer rides) and drill through the part you just pressed and welded in place.  Drive in a cross pin that sits just below flush, and put a TIG plug weld to hold it in place...smooth that off with a file if necessary.  You now have it welded and cross-pinned and it's not going to fail.  Depending upon your vise, it could be possible to do it with just all-thread that doesn't have a smooth section...you'd just have to see how the fit between the spindle and they dynamic jaw is where the spindle passes through behind the horseshoe collar.

Another method is to cut off the threaded section, buy a new threaded section and weld them together.  I like to center drill then drill each half to accept a dowel pin to keep them in alignment.  V both sides, join them with the dowel pin and put that all in a vise with V blocks holding them until you can tack weld the assembly several times around the perimeter.  Once tack welded you can just fill in the groove and turn down any excess.  I tend to think the first method is a bit more foolproof and stronger since it doesn't really rely much on the weld strength.  I've heard of people just boring and cross pinning without adding the welds and they held up fine, but I like adding the welds just in case.

The third option is to find you friendly vise guy forum member who probably has a couple of Wilton C1 spindles on the shelf that are in useable condition.  I'm almost positive I do and can check if you'd be interested...at a fraction of the new cost from JPW.  I might even have one with the handle already removed so it would be cheaper to ship....pretty sure you could tackle the handle replacement.  The ball ends on your current handle are swaged in place.  All you have to do is carefully grind the end and you can drive the ball end off and when you mount it on the new spindle just run a small plug weld over the spot your ground off and smooth with an angle grinder.

BTW, your C1 was made prior to 1957 when Wilton left Chicago proper for Schiller Park (near the current Chicago airport).

For anybody interested, I have an article on how to find the date of Wilton vises on my website:









						Wilton Vise Date Stamping • MIVise
					

***Note: If you’re reading this post so you can cut and paste portions for your eBay listing please be kind enough to cite the source.  There were a lot of people before me who put time into collecting this information and they should at least be given credit.*** One of the most common questions...




					mivise.com


----------



## G-ManBart (Dec 29, 2022)

strantor said:


> Not sure what's in the vise: is the casting threaded or is there a nut? If there's a nut:
> 
> Odds are that it's as damaged as the screw and could stand being replaced too.
> It would probably be just as easy to make as the screw.
> Going from 4 TPI to 5TPI should give you more clamping force for the same torque applied.



There is a nut, but it's not a traditional shape.  It's a long tube, maybe 9" long on that vise, with locating tabs at the back that keep it from turning as well as holes for pins that go through the vise body, through the tail cap assembly which fits into the back of the body, and then into the nut.

I'm sure it would be possible to make one, but my guess is 7/8" 4tpi internal Acme threads that deep would be a challenge for a lot of folks (me for sure!).  That would seem a pretty long reach for a fairly small diameter boring bar.  Now that I think of it, they aren't threaded all the way, so maybe only 5-6" of threads might be needed.


----------



## G-ManBart (Dec 29, 2022)

mmcmdl said:


> Hey Ed . FWIW . We stripped the threads out of our very large Starrett vise in at work today !  Pulled the Acme stud out and had a perfect spiral chip that was left of the piece inside . Just thought you would get a laugh out of this . On the other hand , we'll check out the $$$ for a replacement piece or have to buy a new vise . I'm going to advise them to give it to the scrap man ............................................which is me .


Ouch...that's not good!  Starrett hasn't sold bench vises in ages and they stopped selling parts a long time ago as far as I know.  Even simple things like replacement jaws aren't available other than finding NOS on eBay.

They aren't going to like the $$$ on anything even remotely equivalent (there really isn't anything truly equivalent to that style any more).


----------



## mmcmdl (Dec 30, 2022)

I just ripped into the Starrett 935 vise . The casting is completely stripped of the threads . The threaded rod is 1.125-4 and has that damn one sided sharp thread . This is going on the back burner for now .


----------



## G-ManBart (Dec 30, 2022)

Eddyde said:


> Any advice will be greatly appreciated.
> 
> Thanks for looking.
> 
> Eddy


This is what you're looking for...I'm not certain whether it came from a C1 or a 450S as they use the same thread pitch and diameter and I have parts from both vises on the shelf.  The 450 spindle is often a tad longer...like an inch or so, but that would be easy to remedy.  I think it's due to the C1 having a different jaw support profile to account for the pipe jaws, so they lose a bit of opening width.  It's clearly seen some use, but the threads still look nice and the grove for the horseshoe collar isn't worn like you sometimes see.  I could probably get this to you for about a tenth of what Wilton wants give or take....shoot me a PM if you're interested.  I'm pretty sure I have a swivel base as well....didn't think to look, but I can check if you're interested.


----------



## mmcmdl (Dec 30, 2022)

Following along here . I found multiple 1" x 4 tpi Acme threaded shafts in our boneyard today . The Starrett 925 originally had a 1 1/8 -4 tpi trapezoidal thread ( if I can remember the true name ) . The threaded casting is completely stripped out and the rod shows wear . My boss says to throw it out . Uh , no . I have room enough to bore the casting and shrink fit a sleeve with the Acme thread which I would machine . If needed , I could turn down the original rod and rethread Acme or just machine a new one up with the boneyard material .  Bottom line , the vise will be saved from the scrap yard .


----------



## Eddyde (Dec 31, 2022)

G-ManBart said:


> This is what you're looking for...I'm not certain whether it came from a C1 or a 450S as they use the same thread pitch and diameter and I have parts from both vises on the shelf.  The 450 spindle is often a tad longer...like an inch or so, but that would be easy to remedy.  I think it's due to the C1 having a different jaw support profile to account for the pipe jaws, so they lose a bit of opening width.  It's clearly seen some use, but the threads still look nice and the grove for the horseshoe collar isn't worn like you sometimes see.  I could probably get this to you for about a tenth of what Wilton wants give or take....shoot me a PM if you're interested.  I'm pretty sure I have a swivel base as well....didn't think to look, but I can check if you're interested.


Yes That would be great, Thanks!


----------



## Eddyde (Dec 31, 2022)

mmcmdl said:


> Hey Ed . FWIW . We stripped the threads out of our very large Starrett vise in at work today !  Pulled the Acme stud out and had a perfect spiral chip that was left of the piece inside . Just thought you would get a laugh out of this . On the other hand , we'll check out the $$$ for a replacement piece or have to buy a new vise . I'm going to advise them to give it to the scrap man ............................................which is me .


OMG! how did they manage to do that?


----------

