# Vise repair



## Aukai (Jun 16, 2020)

A friend wants me to make his dad's  4-Allied vise serviceable again as a keep sake. It is missing the front retainer plate, and the leverage bar. The plate should be simple enough, but what bar stock for the arm, and how long?


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## DavidR8 (Jun 16, 2020)

I have a Record 4.5" vise. Its handle is 9'5" long between the 'buttons' on the handle ends. Material-wise no idea but it's very stout stuff as I've cranked down hard and the handle never even hints at bending.


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## Aukai (Jun 16, 2020)

That's what I know about vises too, pretty hard to get the handle to even flex by hand.


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## darkzero (Jun 16, 2020)

Hmm I'd like to know too although I'd probably just use 1018 or 4140 as I have it. I was given a 6" Wilton made Snap-On vise that was beat on. The handle is bent & a corner of the jaw ledge is broken off. Been meaning to get the ledge brazed/welded by someone & restore it. But it's just been sitting in the corner of the garage for years now.


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## darkzero (Jun 16, 2020)

BTW mechanics can be abusive! That broken vise I have came from a forklift mechanic. When I worked at my buddy's performance shop, his dad got so mad one day he broke a Snap-On vise into 2 pieces. All of us were shocked & could not believe that he broke it or could figure out what he used to break it.


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## Nutfarmer (Jun 16, 2020)

I just used mild steel on my Columbian vise over twenty five years ago and it's still just fine. How some people can destroy somethings is beyond me. Guess there is some truth behind the saying that some people could break a crow bar in a sand box.


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## BGHansen (Jun 16, 2020)

Seems like you'd be fine with 1018.  We have a Wilton bullet vise at work and you can scratch it pretty easily with a file.

Bruce


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## ErichKeane (Jun 16, 2020)

Probably just 1018, but if you wanted something a littler stouter, 4140HT isn't too costly, and is significantly harder.


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## Aukai (Jun 16, 2020)

Is one cap machined, and the other button threaded on? I have not turned 1018, I have turned 4130, is 4140HT significantly harder to work?


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## ErichKeane (Jun 16, 2020)

4140HT turns pretty easy, its only 35 Rc, so better than most steels but somewhat prehardened.  I just use HSS, and turn slightly slower than 1018.

The buttons are attached in a variety of ways, I've seen them peened on, machined on, or screwed on.  If it were me, I'd screw on both sides and just loctite it to stop it from spinning off.  That way the next guy doesn't have to cut it off.


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## Aukai (Jun 16, 2020)

Thank you, I just measured the hole with a transfer punch at .500, I'm wondering what the actual size a 1/2" extension is, and what material? Otherwise I need to do online ordering.


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## ErichKeane (Jun 16, 2020)

The extension is probably a decently high quality metal, something like chrome-vanadium (which can be VERY hard, you'd better cut it with carbide!), though note that the round section isn't going to be 1/2", since thats the dimension across the flats.  Its more like .700" around.

EDIT TO ADD: A 3/8" bar should be closer to .530!  If you can find one the right size, it might work!


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## Aukai (Jun 16, 2020)

Being low on local resources, I have to come up with some different ways to skin the cat. 1/2" Impact wrench shafts seem a little bigger, but questionable if I'm able to machine it.


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## benmychree (Jun 17, 2020)

Aukai said:


> Thank you, I just measured the hole with a transfer punch at .500, I'm wondering what the actual size a 1/2" extension is, and what material? Otherwise I need to do online ordering.


If a 1/2"transfer punch fits the hole, that is the size to use 1018 CRS would be OK, but if you plan to abuse it, then 4140HT would be a better choice,  for the ball ends, I would buy steel balls, hopefully unhardened, but if that is all you can find, hardened balls can be easily annealed by heating to red and slow cooling, then they can be drilled and reamed to say, 7/16 and the rod turned to match and peened over. to facilitate peening, the ends of the rod can be partially annealing just the very ends, I like to do a small countersink in the hole in the balls to peen metal into.


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## Aukai (Jun 17, 2020)

Thank you, I heard the term, but I'll have to look up peening, I know shot peening for automotive parts. I'll report back


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## benmychree (Jun 17, 2020)

You just allow a bit of extra length past the ball, perhaps 1/16" or less, and hammer it over around the edges, then smooth it off with a file, or as suggested earlier, do a tapped hole in the ball to thread onto the rod.


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## Aukai (Jun 18, 2020)

Got the vise done last night, but not happy with the counter sunk machine screws not seating. I'll check on my counter sink nose angle, radius, and if the screws are bottoming out. The shaft is a socket extension, and the caps are 4130 screw in, and red loctite


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## ErichKeane (Jun 18, 2020)

That turned out great!


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## benmychree (Jun 18, 2020)

There are countersink sets made that have to proper diameter body to allow flat head screws to be driven in flush without the countersunk diameter being larger than the screw head, the angle should be 82 degrees.


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## Buffalo21 (Jun 18, 2020)

Are the start of the countersinks hitting on the threaded holes on the vise??


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## Aukai (Jun 18, 2020)

It was kind of a combination of the deeper threads being rusty, and the 10-24 machine screw head needed the largest diameter counter sink. Thanks for all of the help


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## Ulma Doctor (Jun 18, 2020)

nicely done Mike!


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## Aukai (Jun 18, 2020)

Thank you, it only took most of the day, and last night. It looks so simple.....


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## brino (Jun 18, 2020)

Aukai said:


> It looks so simple.....



It always does; until you get a few hours into it!

Good job Mike!

-brino


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## Tozguy (Jun 19, 2020)

Mike, based on your experience now with fixing this vise (beautiful job there Aukai) and your knowledge of automobiles, do you think that using a rod from a McPherson strut would have been an option for the handle?


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## Aukai (Jun 19, 2020)

If it were the right diameter, and it can be threaded somehow, that would be a viable option, and thank you.


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