Blacksmith Post Vise Rehabilitation

[wachuko]

Instead of trying to heat and bend a 90 at the top of the spring, could you drill/tap a couple of holes in the spring for threaded pins/bolts? If I'm understanding the action correctly, the hook at the top is a stop to keep the spring from slipping. Maybe accomplish the same thing with a couple of pins, or a stop block screwed to the spring?

Bruce

Bruce ,

The bends at each end, several ways to make those, correct… but it is the main bend that is what I see as a challenge without heating it…

Thinking of just making something like this…

 

[pontiac428]

@wachuko, you need a means of heating material in the shop. I use oxy acetylene and a rosebud tip along with some refractory as needed, but that's about the minimum. Hot forming and (relatively) crude heat treating is a capability not to be without!

 

[wachuko]

@wachuko, you need a means of heating material in the shop. I use oxy acetylene and a rosebud tip along with some refractory as needed, but that's about the minimum. Hot forming and (relatively) crude heat treating is a capability not to be without!

I do… right now all I have is one of those propane torches that was used for soldering 1/2” copper water pipes and fittings…

I just remembered that I have a similar torch that uses those MAPP bottles. Like this one… got it when I tried to learn how to use bronze rods to repair a canister… I just need to look for it when I get back…



I must admit that I have always been afraid of an Oxygen/Acetylene torch/tank setup… Not sure why as three of my uncles had those in their respective shops… but I never learned to work those…

Building the gas forge from the video looks to be easy, relatively inexpensive, and convenient to store away when not in use… Got a list for all the parts… I will make one of those to get started…

 

[jwmay]

Well you probably can’t cold forge 5160, but I made the spring for mine out of a flat piece of metal leg off a rotted fire pit. I bent it cold and cold forged the keepers too. They cracked a little. It doesn’t take a lot of force to open a vise jaw hanging in space though.
As for anvils, (not that anybody asked) I’d buy a new one. $500-3000 for an old chunk of abused possible junk, or brand spanking new cast tool steel or ductile iron? No question.
And if you’re not averse to imports. You can get a very high quality anvil for $159 at HF. Aaand if you don’t like it, you can take it right back. Try that with grandmas garden decoration that Billy just sold you for $500. Ha!
Congrats on the post vise! They are truly the bees knees! And seriously, buy a new anvil. Lol

 

[wachuko]

Well you probably can’t cold forge 5160, but I made the spring for mine out of a flat piece of metal leg off a rotted fire pit. I bent it cold and cold forged the keepers too. They cracked a little. It doesn’t take a lot of force to open a vise jaw hanging in space though.
As for anvils, (not that anybody asked) I’d buy a new one. $500-3000 for an old chunk of abused possible junk, or brand spanking new cast tool steel or ductile iron? No question.
And if you’re not averse to imports. You can get a very high quality anvil for $159 at HF. Aaand if you don’t like it, you can take it right back. Try that with grandmas garden decoration that Billy just sold you for $500. Ha!
Congrats on the post vise! They are truly the bees knees! And seriously, buy a new anvil. Lol

Funny… Bill is who sold me the vise for 75.00… are you talking about the same guy!!!??

EDIT: Never mind… I need to stop replying after having a few beers… it has been a long day… went to bed at 1am, got up at 5am for a flight to San Francisco and now relaxing before meetings tomorrow…

This…



With now a few of these…