# Tool Restorations >  Need help on welding a broken 150lb vise slide

## CharlesWaugh

So today I got an American Scale Co. #78 vise for $275, just a touch under $2/lb so not too bad.
Especially since it has the swiveling jaw! Yipee!
It has 6" wide jaws in almost perfect shape.
No pipe jaws, but I'll put with that.
:-)

The rub is, the slide is broken as you can see.

My plan is as shown in the pics - to cut the break square, chamfer everything nicely and oxy/acetylene braze in the steel pieces with flux-covered brazing rod.

I'll MIG weld the two steel pieces together first, and drill them and the slide in two places (tapping the slide) so I can bolt it up before I go to braze, so nothing drifts or shifts.

Does this sound like a sound plan? Or does it look a bit dim?
:-)

From rooting around the web-O-tropolis, it seems that pre-heating a bunch helps, as does cooling it VERY slowly.

I'm really stoked to finally have a monster-killer swivel-jaw vise.

BTW: I love that the vise nut has 'VISE' cast into it.

Thanks!

The pic from the ad:


On the bench:

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## NortonDommi

I take it that you don't have the missing bit? I can see nothing wrong with the plan. Have you thought about replacing the missing bit with Cast Iron? 
There are usually old stoves kicking around somewhere with Cast Iron sides that would be of a thickness close to what is need although a piece that had to
be machined to size would be best.
Cast Iron is not that hard to weld with Oxy/Acet. Abrasive blasting and cleaning the weld area, using the correct flux and pre and post heat are necessary.
Most welding shops sell bare Cast Iron rod which is easier than old piston rings, broken scrap etc.
The advantage of welding/Brazing with a Cast Iron rod is that it machines the same and the colour match is perfect. Stippling with a needle scaler or a light sand after grinding/machining to conture makes the repair undetectable.Datasheet_MG240 Bare Cast Iron Rod.pdf

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## CharlesWaugh

Nortie,
Yes that missing bit is missing.
I've got the steel stuff on hand and the repair requires two different thicknesses.
So I'll try with what I have on hand.
:-)

Color is of no importance to me, so brass-type brazing it is!

Currently I'm grumpy b/c when I was breaking loose the swivel jaw i had to use a big chain-wrench that I have and it slipped and I slipped and tumblbed backwards onto my left wrist which feels rather broken. That was an hour ago.

After splinting it and icing it it feels better, but it sure as heck don't want me to move it!

Tomorrow it may be time to see the docs or it may not. Time will tell.

Upside: Now I have a good war story to go with the vise!
: - )

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## trigger

Rounding the edges of your patch would surely relieve stress when it cools down,especially that you are not using cast.......for the insert ?

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## ltcmikesr

Yep, but sounds like a ton of work. Got one from harbor freight for a good prices, and they shipped it for pennys, lot cheaper than driving 35 miles with my f250 and then 35 miles back home. Good luck!

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## marksbug

eye wood, add some addtional reinforcements after fitting the missing part, so as to take some strain off that area.

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## marksbug

oh I see the vise squad busted you!!!! that sucks, big time. I would take some time off and think on it fer a while ,especially if it cracked part of your handle....

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## CharlesWaugh

Update: I got the vise 'fixed'.
:-)

I say 'fixed' because after thinking about it a while (always good for me to do before diving in like a drunk diving into a frozen swimming pool).
I realized that the back corner makes no difference really, when the vise is clamping, the force is on the top of the slide, not the bottom edge.
Yes, the sides give the bending strength so the slide doesn't bend or break.
If I simply avoid putting big things in the vise and jumping up and down on the handle to tighten it, I can live with a less-than-like-new solution.

Here's a cruddy shot of it (the vise is mounted now and it's hard to see that back side of the slide)

I attached a hunk of 3/4x1-1/4 to the slide with a 1/4-20 SHCS, and then welded the end cap on and put three more 1/4-20's through it into the slide. 
It works!

Kinda (rather!) lazy-boy slummo solution, but it made me happy. (low bar there!)

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## marksbug

eye wood also add a patch over that broken portion, possiably screwed or welded or both.remember **** happens....especialy when you expect it least and need to get it done.

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## CharlesWaugh

JB Weld! 
That's the ticket!
Maybe with some fiberglass cloth thrown in for good measure.
I'm bein' kinda silly here, but now I think about it...

Makes perfect sense.
I'm on it!

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## marksbug

no jb.... no glass... you already have a good foundation for the extra support, do it right, do it one time and forget about it for ever....execpt for the war stories.

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## CharlesWaugh

The only war story is that as I was trying to break lose the swiveling jaw, a little 'mishap' occured.
You know, water REALLY likes to wick in those thin flat spaces and turn to solid rust!

So, after liberal applications of Kroil and Mouse Milk, I was using a big chain wrench on the rear jaw to get it turn, and as I leaned on the cheater bar, the wrench slipped off, I was stupid enough to not have one foot behind me, and down I went - backwards!

Of course, my left hand flew back to catch my fall on the concrete floor . . .

Yeah, pain, swelling, darn near shock-induced passing-out, arguing with my wife about going to the emergency room, I said "NOW!", she said 'honey, the wrist will be OK till morning, even if it IS broken' (what a woman!)

Mr Grumpy-Pants finally agreed and off to bed on the couch with my wrist iced and elevated. Not much sleep, but four days later . . . 

Yeah, she was right. And it wasn't broken. 
[sheepish grin]

BTW, my wife is the best! I mean, 38 years of ME?!
What a woman!

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marksbug (Nov 11, 2020)

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## marksbug

30+ for me....I think we have all been their and done that in some sort of way..( wrist or something else) I once ended up in the top of a pine tree with a broken limb...well it sounded like a limb breaking.....but as it turned out it was me...now how to explain that to mom...@ 14 years old on a 61 mile long island in the Pacific a boy just cant be without his motorcycle. as it ended up I was walking out the door and my shirt caught the door handle spun me around hit the ground and crack!!!.....till we got to the er..and the dr said so what kind of dirt bike do you have?, we get these all the time.... and I got the look from mom....I stuck by my story for 45 years....I told her a few years ago.. the fun part was getting out of the top of that tree!!! ( just to clear things up I was not on my motorcycle when I broke it!! also it wasent even my motorcycle that didnt break it!!!...it was my brothers. and thats just one war story...you should hear about the time I cut off half my foot..on haloween no less.or 3 days lator on cutting off half my ass!!! or the time...oh never mind. no wonder why I dont trust DR's!!!!( also the 4 years of antibiotics to treet cancer) be ware them greedy sob will kill you and send a bill with a smile for doing so.

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## marksbug

I tend to add extra support to almost everything....I would hate a broken wrist from just cracking walnut shells..or peacan shells

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