Tips for buying vise

[natkova]

Hi guys i have machinist vise wich is not good for blacksmithing, and by it own way its not good anymore.

It look like this

But i want to buy post vise /blacksmithing vise.

What are most concern and issues to be taken about when buying new vise?
Thread is it good?Jaws , or is leg long enaugh.

What should i look for and should i buy vise from internet is it good thing to do blindly by looking at picture without touchign it.

 

I wanted to buy this vise

 but leg look to much short i think.
 

 

[JHCC]

The single most important thing about buying a smithing vise is the condition of the screw. If the screw is in good condition, the next question is whether or not all the parts are present and thus if you will need to find or make anything that's missing. Next, consider the size: what the total height is, will that be a comfortable working height for you, how wide the jaws are, and if that size is appropriate to the projects you will be working on. Finally, you want to see if the jaw faces are in good shape and if they meet evenly, without gaps.

The vise in the picture does have a rather short leg, but remember that many European vises have those big plates on the sides, which can make a vise look smaller in the photo. The length of the leg is much less important than the total height.

I would never buy a vise off the internet without examining it in person first. Problems with the screw or other parts of the vise may not be visible in photos, and you do not want to waste your money on a dud.

[Irondragon Forge ClayWorks]

The main thing is to check the threads of the screw and screw box. Every thing else is easy to make like the spring, mounting brackets and the leg is easy to extend to the length you want. The screw and screw box are the heart of a leg vise.

 

[Latticino]

JHCC and Irondragon beat me to the punch, slow typing, but I agree with their assessment.

Threads and screw box are the critical things.  Second I would say is free moving and relatively parallel jaws with no cracks.  Finally the leg length, which can be different for different size vises.  Typically the larger vises have shorter legs as they are optimized for work with a striker on larger pieces.  Each of these issues can be solved with some blacksmith repair skills, but the repairs are more difficult as you move back up the list.

With a shorter leg and apparently large size (Judged by jaw width, not opening.  Anything over 4.5" is on the medium size, and over 6" large IMHO) this one would be quite desirable, provided the crack in the moving jaw is not too deep and you have the skills to weld it up.

[ThomasPowers]

Leg too short?  Weld an extension on!  I'll dogpile on the screw and screwbox being the most important thing to base a purchase  on.

[Frosty]

Same from me, screw and screw box are #1, leg length is near the bottom of the list. 

Frosty The Lucky.

[natkova]

26 minutes ago, JHCC said:

The single most important thing about buying a smithing vise is the condition of the screw. If the screw is in good condition, the next question is whether or not all the parts are present and thus if you will need to find or make anything that's missing. Next, consider the size: what the total height is, will that be a comfortable working height for you, how wide the jaws are, and if that size is appropriate to the projects you will be working on. Finally, you want to see if the jaw faces are in good shape and if they meet evenly, without gaps.

The vise in the picture does have a rather short leg, but remember that many European vises have those big plates on the sides, which can make a vise look smaller in the photo. The length of the leg is much less important than the total height.

I would never buy a vise off the internet without examining it in person first. Problems with the screw or other parts of the vise may not be visible in photos, and you do not want to waste your money on a dud.

I was thinking to go on person and see is it good vise.

TO test it its not too far from my cty.

 

21 minutes ago, ThomasPowers said:

Leg too short?  Weld an extension on!  I'll dogpile on the screw and screwbox being the most important thing to base a purchase  on.

WElll i cant weld it with my 2.5 mm electrode wich use stick welding.

It say its in good condtion i might take trp to see how it act.

 

 

But to be honest i have dilema will i buy new anvil or new vise

 

 

 

 

So you all have opinion leg is not main issue?

Even if there is no leg in vise, i tought it is important for ballance 

[JHCC]

The importance of the leg is to transmit the force of the blows down to the ground, so that they won't break the mechanism of the vise.

[ThomasPowers]

So no welding---heat shrink a piece of pipe around the leg and the extension. Or you could take it to a blacksmith and have them forge weld an extension on...

[natkova]

3 hours ago, JHCC said:

The importance of the leg is to transmit the force of the blows down to the ground, so that they won't break the mechanism of the vise.

I am still not sure about this vise, would shorter leg make anvils shorter, look where handle goes under knees part to tighten this vise almost near foot.

Does it matter which spring is used leaf one spring or coil one?

 

[ThomasPowers]

Depends on where the spring is mounted.  A spring around the screwbox will get impacted by work being hammered.  It looks like it has the more common leaf spring to me.

[George N. M.]

Nat, a couple of things:  First, I'm not entirely clear about your most recent question but I think that it is a problem with translation.  

Many leg vises have had the leg cut off.  I suspect once they were not used by a blacksmith they were converted to bench vises and the leg was in the way.  This can be corrected by welding an extension on or building up a base to support the short leg.   My primary post vise would be too short for me if the leg was on the ground (I'm fairly tall, 6'2" (1.83m)).  So, I have a block of wood under the bottom of the leg to bring the jaws up to a comfortable height.

I'm not sure I understand "woulnd shorter leg make anvils shorter".  The vise and the anvil are mounted separately and one does not affect the other.

If a spring is missing either a leaf spring or a coil spring will work as a replacement.  I have seen both.  It does not have to be very "springy" because all it is doing is moving the jaw enough to let gravity take over as you are opening the jaws.

If the screw and box are in good shape and the price is right I would buy it.

"By hammer and hand all arts do stand."

[natkova]

9 hours ago, George N. M. said:

Nat, a couple of things:  First, I'm not entirely clear about your most recent question but I think that it is a problem with translation.  

Many leg vises have had the leg cut off.  I suspect once they were not used by a blacksmith they were converted to bench vises and the leg was in the way.  This can be corrected by welding an extension on or building up a base to support the short leg.   My primary post vise would be too short for me if the leg was on the ground (I'm fairly tall, 6'2" (1.83m)).  So, I have a block of wood under the bottom of the leg to bring the jaws up to a comfortable height.

I'm not sure I understand "woulnd shorter leg make anvils shorter".  The vise and the anvil are mounted separately and one does not affect the other.

If a spring is missing either a leaf spring or a coil spring will work as a replacement.  I have seen both.  It does not have to be very "springy" because all it is doing is moving the jaw enough to let gravity take over as you are opening the jaws.

If the screw and box are in good shape and the price is right I would buy it.

"By hammer and hand all arts do stand."

My mistake I was thinking about anvil writing about vise .

Would shorter leg make vise shorter

[Frosty]

Yes, by shorter a shorter leg will bring the top of the jaws closer to the floor. You can weld an extension on the leg with a small stick welder you'll just need to make multiple passes. EZ PZ. Just cut the extension and grind the end of the existing leg at a matching angle so the weld is NOT straight across the leg. This will distribute the impact forces over a longer weld and it will be less likely to break in heavy use years from now.

Frosty The Lucky.

[natkova]

So folks height is 62 cm around 24  inches 

 

Jaw width is around 4 inches.

vise dont look that bad i think i will travel onSunday coulpe of kilometers with car for it.
When in transport do you sugeest puting vise i trunk or its better at floor of backseat?

 

[LeeJustice]

In the trunk, FOR SURE.  In the backseat, it would come forward to say hi if you hit something.  On the floor, if you were to roll the vehicle over, it would be bouncing around in there with you, again telling you hi to the head and possibly all over.  Of course, I hope that you don't have an accident.  Drive safely and be well.

[natkova]

I was afraid in trunk it can break glass of trunk.

 

[LeeJustice]

So you have more of a hatchback style trunk?

[natkova]

Yeah i have.

 

[LeeJustice]

Still safer for you.  Glass is replaceable, you can figure out a way to secure it safely I hope.

[swedefiddle]

Good Morning,

Or you can wrap it in an old blanket or tarp and put it wherever it fits best.

Don't plan on having an accident and have a good trip/journey.

Neil

[caotropheus]

On 5/19/2022 at 10:45 PM, natkova said:

When in transport do you sugeest puting vise i trunk or its better at floor of backseat?

 

I have a post vise just like this one. Most probably it is more then 100 years old and made of wrought iron. For your safety, transport blacksmith tools in the trunk of the car. Wrap it in a blanket or a tarp or a carpet if you suspect you can scratch or break the inside of your car. 

Blacksmith vises where built to be though and worked on with sledge hammers. If this specific vise survived a couple of blacksmith generations of heavy using, sure it will survive a private car transportation.

 

Don't forget to show us pictures once you get it in your possession. 

[ThomasPowers]

The issue is the driver surviving a mishap.  I have heard of a young guy taking a load of alternator cores in to a parts place in the "company beater car" who rolled it and experienced a "ball mill" situation.  Also I have heard several stories about anvils in the back of pickups coming into the cab for a visit---I put my anvils flat side against the front of the bed; often with a 2x12 twixt steel and steel. (And then I had an incident with a 50#  LG laying on it's top wheels in my van on a steep gravel road when a farmer pulled in front of me in his granny gears...It slid forward and was pushing my drivers seat towards the steering column---with me in between.)

[Frosty]

Carrying loads safely is always a concern and not always easy or possible. 

Frosty The Lucky.

 

[Irondragon Forge ClayWorks]

That is the reason I have a half dozen ratchet straps, several rolls of rope, a container of bungee cords and a cargo net in the pick-up and three or four straps and bungee in the car. Can't have too many tie downs.