# What material to use for vise swivel base clamping nut tommy bar?



## CluelessNewB (Mar 9, 2017)

I recently picked up a 3" Wilton bullet vise (pictures coming soon).   The "tommy bars" for the swivel base locking nuts are not in great shape.   I would like to make some replacements.   The originals had mushroom ends but I will most likely thread the ends and make some ends to thread on.   The tommy bars are 1/4" diameter.   Does anyone have a suggestion of what type of steel to use.  It must be machinable so I can thread the ends.  This is a diagram from a newer Wilton, mine is 1953 vintage:


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## Dave Paine (Mar 9, 2017)

I cannot help you with the steel.  I have a Craftsman vise, made by Wilton, based on Columbia design but sold under Craftsman badge which was had issues with the tommy bar bending.  Perhaps the steel, perhaps the small diameter, or both.

The vise is removed from the bench and moving jaw removed for this picture.




I decided to replace the original bolt and tommy bar nut with a carriage bolt and a long coupler nut for the thread of the bolt.  I may have had to trim the head of the carriage bolt a bit.




I am now able to use a normal wrench to tighten the vise.  This works a lot better for my needs.  This vise has a single locking bolt/nut.


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## f350ca (Mar 9, 2017)

How about a grade 8 1/4 inch bolt. Get one where the unthreaded portion is the length you want. Turn the hex round and a nut round, thread the rounded nut up to the end of the thread and cut the remainder off.

Greg


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## RandyM (Mar 10, 2017)

Dave Paine said:


> I cannot help you with the steel.  I have a Craftsman vise, made by Wilton, based on Columbia design but sold under Craftsman badge which was had issues with the tommy bar bending.  Perhaps the steel, perhaps the small diameter, or both.
> 
> The vise is removed from the bench and moving jaw removed for this picture.
> 
> ...



I have the same vise and have made the same modification for the same reasons. Nice job.


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## TORQUIN (Mar 10, 2017)

You could use 1018, 12L14, or whatever you can get. This application will not need anything special, and you won't bend the bars by hand.

Chris


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## CluelessNewB (Mar 13, 2017)

Some pictures

As found:
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It was completely disassembled.  The internals looked good, the jaws and tommy bars not so much.  Left hand drill bits made removing the screws holding the jaws on rather painless.   

Some paint:


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