The BROKEN vises of the Garage Journal...

mjozefow · Mar 4, 2011

I have been saving pictures of broken vises that I have come across in various threads, including the parent thread to this "The vises of the Garage Journal".

NONE of these are mine (most are from this site though) , though I broke a few cheapos before I wizened up.

As always...

:needpics:

Also, please indicate HOW you broke the vise, and if there was anything you could have done differently.

r07d24 · Mar 4, 2011

Ok... here's my broken Parker. I can't force myself to sell it yet, and no motivation to restore it either...it just sits there. :headscrat

I grabbed this one at a pretty hectic estate sale. I saw the price tag of $12 and put it in my bag of stash without even really looking at it much, and the jaws were open just enough to not really notice at the time anyways...realized it was broke when I got it home. Oh well, can't win 'em all.

mjozefow · Mar 4, 2011

Drop it?

mikevango · Mar 4, 2011

This is a good/bad thread. We should all post our broken vises in case other guys need parts from them. I got a little Hollands that's just beat, but if somebody could use it that'd be great.

mjozefow · Mar 4, 2011

mikevango said:
This is a good/bad thread. We should all post our broken vises in case other guys need parts from them. I got a little Hollands that's just beat, but if somebody could use it that'd be great.

I agree, in fact I will modify the thread to ask HOW the vise was broken too, so others can avoid doing the same.

bczygan · Mar 4, 2011

This thread is just too PAINFUL to continue reading, but I can't help myself.

r07d24 · Mar 4, 2011

mikevango said:
This is a good/bad thread. We should all post our broken vises in case other guys need parts from them. I got a little Hollands that's just beat, but if somebody could use it that'd be great.

I think that's a great idea! I would pay some money plus shipping if somebody had a Parker 229 jaw/slide assembly.

ajchien · Mar 4, 2011

A_Pmech · Mar 4, 2011

Interesting coincidence, I recently made a post to my new blog about cheap bench vises:

Bench Vises and Easter Bunnies

mjozefow · Mar 4, 2011

ajchien said:

Ya, I'm with ya there. On a happy note most of them seem to be the cheapos, not the old American Iron we all love so much.

autopts · Mar 4, 2011

mjozefow · Mar 4, 2011

autopts said:

Heavy part...dynamic jaw out too far?

sselander · Mar 4, 2011

even though they are broken, someone could use the parts from them to fix another.

autopts · Mar 4, 2011

mjozefow said:
Heavy part...dynamic jaw out too far?

Yep. The guys son plunked a rear end onto that vise which was open too far. Wiltons do have their weaker spots.

whelenfan · Mar 4, 2011

even broken, I still love looking at all of these vises.

srmofo · Mar 4, 2011

I have broken 2 of the cheap azz wiltons from lowes. I kept telling the boss to quit buying that ****. This third one is holding up for now.

That was a few years ago before I knew anything about quality old American vises.

mcdtommy23 · Mar 5, 2011

I' m looking for this swivel base.

Freeborn John · Mar 5, 2011

I was interested to see that the handles on every one of those broken vices were still perfectly straight after the dirty deed was done, I always thought that handles were designed to bend before the vice was damaged as a safety feature.
It seems not!

D9H 90V · Mar 5, 2011

First off Im honored to see a pic I posted of a co workers vise!

Second, Wow there is alot of destruction here, sad really

mjozefow · Mar 5, 2011

Freeborn John said:
I was interested to see that the handles on every one of those broken vices were still perfectly straight after the dirty deed was done, I always thought that handles were designed to bend before the vice was damaged as a safety feature.
It seems not!

On most of the old vises I have seen, the handle will bend before the vise breaks. Look closely at the ones that are broken due to extreme clamping pressure....all hollow. :lol_hitti

mjozefow · Mar 5, 2011

D9H 90V said:
First off Im honored to see a pic I posted of a co workers vise!

Second, Wow there is alot of destruction here, sad really

How did he break it? And which one is it?

Ritter4.0 · Mar 5, 2011

I was really clamping down on something with the Morgan Milwaukee I have at work. It clamps unevenly so I have to clamp hard on some things to get it to hold. I heard a sharp crack sound, so I might have a picture for this thread in a few months.....

mjozefow · Mar 5, 2011

Ritter4.0 said:
Morgan Milwaukee ... It clamps unevenly .

Why? Those are top notch vises from what I hear.

bmwpower · Mar 5, 2011

Sounds like it was already damaged if it wasn't clamping evenly.

mjozefow · Mar 5, 2011

bmwpower said:
Sounds like it was already damaged if it wasn't clamping evenly.

That is what I'm thinking.

Ritter4.0 · Mar 5, 2011

It may have been already damaged, it is an older vise(but probably not older than 20 years if that) that the company has had for probably over 10 years and for all I know they may have bought it used. It was one that was on the bench that I got when another guy got a new bench. I had read they are good vises on here, so maybe this one has seen a lot of use by the wrong person. What I find weird is that the other Milwaukee that does not clamp evenly does the same thing mine does, on the same side I think too.

D9H 90V · Mar 6, 2011

mjozefow said:
How did he break it? And which one is it?

Its the 5th pic, first Wilton,

I cant remember what he was doing I remember he had something big clamped in it and I think he was hitting the part with a punch and a hammer, all I really remember the awful sound it made when it broke

Im pretty sure it could have been avoided by using a bigger vise or not hitting the part so hard while clamped so tight

gilbo · Mar 6, 2011

man i hope i never have to post a pic for this thread

mjozefow · Mar 7, 2011

lauver · Mar 7, 2011

Just an observation-- it looks like most or all of the broken vises are made of cast iron and not forged steel.

I broke the swivel base on an old cast iron Sears 3-1/2" vise about 30 years ago while trying to straighen a long bent pipe. I ground a v-shape along the break and and brazed it up. It's held up ever since, but to be honest, I bought a bigger vise about 15 years ago and use the bigger vise most of the time.

Has anybody else tried brazing a broken vise? I think Goodfellow posted a "How-To" thread on this subject about a year ago.

mjozefow · Mar 7, 2011

lauver said:
Just an observation-- it looks like most or all of the broken vises are made of cast iron and not forged steel.

Yes...but almost all vises are made of iron though...

demographic · Mar 27, 2011

mjozefow said:
Yes...but almost all vises are made of iron though...

Although that's true its not the full picture though.

I know that Record (England) made its Machinists vices (most of the metalworking ones that have the quick release mechanism) out of Spherical Graphite/Ductile Iron and made the mechanics vices (generally the metalworking ones without the quick release mechanism) from cast iron, and blacksmiths vices are forged.

I'm not sure which US vices are made from SG/Ductile Iron and wouldn't mind seeing something concrete that proves it as there seems to be quite a bit of confusion about it.
I'm quite sure there are plenty but I don't know which they are.

Anyone?

DodgeZ · Mar 27, 2011

harvero · Mar 27, 2011

DodgeZ said:

What brand of vise is this one?

DodgeZ · Mar 27, 2011

harvero said:
What brand of vise is this one?

not sure. I bought it at lowes around 2002

mjozefow · Mar 27, 2011

Wow, snapped that one good!

Catalyze · Mar 28, 2011

Every photo that I look at....I keep hoping it doesn't say Parker....Prentiss.....etc...
and if I see an Athol broken, I am calling Photoshop on it.....those seem to be crazy overbuilt. On the other hand, this thread made me go out and hug my vises tonight.
Craig

Sick Puppy · Mar 28, 2011

Catalyze said:
Every photo that I look at....I keep hoping it doesn't say Parker....Prentiss.....etc...
and if I see an Athol broken, I am calling Photoshop on it.....those seem to be crazy overbuilt. On the other hand, this thread made me go out and hug my vises tonight.
Craig

Well, we do all love to embrace our vices... :bounce:

mjozefow · Mar 28, 2011

Catalyze said:
Every photo that I look at....I keep hoping it doesn't say Parker....Prentiss.....etc...
and if I see an Athol broken, I am calling Photoshop on it.....those seem to be crazy overbuilt. On the other hand, this thread made me go out and hug my vises tonight.
Craig

Notice how you DON'T tend to see the ultra-heavy vintage vises in these pics? Makes ya wonder about all of the "progress" we have made... :headscrat

mjozefow · Mar 28, 2011

And no, I don't think Wilton's are as strong as people like to think...I'll take a Parker or a Reed any day, despite owning a Wilton 1780. It pales in comparison to my Reed 108.

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