Craftsman Vise Refurb

[Monk]

I was getting ready to purchase a small vise for my garage/shop and remembered an old Craftsman vise I found in the corner of the garage when I moved in 22 years ago. It had not gotten any better looking:



When I dismantled it to prime and paint, I found that the acme screw was held in place by a split washer that I had to drill and break to remove. The only solution to getting it back together (that I could see) would be a screwed together split washer of my own design. I start with a piece of quarter inch scrap that I sized and drilled just over the 7/16's slot in the draw screw.



Then I notched, drilled, and counter-bored it to tap for two 6/32 draw screws. Next I used a slitting saw to divide the retaining washer:



And tapped the bottom half.



Next I primed and painted everything utility gray. While I waited for everything to dry I turned down a piece of ½ inch stainless and threaded both ends to replace the rusty draw handle. I ended up having to lengthen the slot in the acme screw to accept my retaining washer, but it fitting up snuggly and eliminated a little of the backlash in the original.



I greased everything up and reassembled it, and it’s turned into a better looking, functional little vise that fits nicely on my welding/table work bench.

 

[Martin W]

I like it. Craftsman used to have some pretty sturdy well made tools years ago. Good idea with the split washer, looks like it worked very well.
Cheers
Martin

 

[Dave Smith]

nice restore job---Dave

 

[hman]

Monk - Nice refurb!!!

Martin - You'd mentioned in your "Old Vise" thread that yours had a backlash problem. Do you plan to copy Monk's fix? Sounds like it might do the trick for you, too!

 

[Martin W]

hman , I am going to look at the back lash problem. It is not on the top of my to do list right now.It has a big old coil spring which is broken. My main vise is in the shop which I use mostly.
Martin W

 

[Chip Hacket]

That's a nice vise. Glad to see you brought it back. Nice job!

 

[Old junk]

Great job.this is what I have been doing since I was a kid,fixing "old junk".i taught my now teenage son same.better off a little time and hard work to bring something back to usefullness than go and support some junk chain tool store full of import scrap metal.

 

[Monk]

Thanks, Chip and OJ. Always nice to find people who like the "old stuff". I've got some really nice new stuff too, (Wilton swivel angle vise, and a Magnum 5" table vise), but I can't bring myself to throw away something that is solid built and serviceable. So far I've refurbed an old air compressor, an old but solid and true Taiwanese 6" vise gifted from a machine shop buddy when I started buying machinery, and the Craftsman vice. I put the posts on about them a while back. I don't use the 6" much because the 5" allows me to get the 8" rotary table or the 3" angle vise on beside it on the table without removal and set-up. Working on a set of stainless rear chain adjusters for a 1970 TR6C Triumph for a buddy in Columbia, SC right now. Have a good one!