Vice problem

slowburner

After many, many years of work and abuse, my old 'Woden' 13" vice is broken.
Yes, I over tightened it - and cracked the face.
I tried welding it with my limited metal working ability but the weld didn't seem to 'take' at all. More weld ended up on the floor than the vice.
I am not sure exactly what sort of iron it is made of. Grey cast iron, perhaps.

The vice is an heirloom, I would like to keep it going.

Any advice on how I could repair it? What do I need to do to make an effective weld? Or is this is even possible?

fergal.b

I don't think it could fixed in any way that would give you the same strength back but you could bring the part to a foundry where they could make a copy of it and recast it by melting down the old one.

Double Barrel

Did a Google search and found this:http://www.brazing.com/techguide/procedures/cast_iron.asp

slowburner

Great link DB. Thanks.

makita

the best way is to braze it any engineering company would do that or the other option is get ni-rod for your own welder but this can be tricky as you have to heat the cast first and and have a higher risk of cracking afterwards in the cooling period

slowburner

fergal.b wrote: »

I don't think it could fixed in any way that would give you the same strength back but you could bring the part to a foundry where they could make a copy of it and recast it by melting down the old one.

Thanks for the suggestion. Are there foundries around that would do this for me, do you think?

slowburner

makita wrote: »

the best way is to braze it any engineering company would do that or the other option is get ni-rod for your own welder but this can be tricky as you have to heat the cast first and and have a higher risk of cracking afterwards in the cooling period

I might have a go at this if I can't find a pro to do it and if I can get the rods

fergal.b

slowburner wrote: »

Thanks for the suggestion. Are there foundries around that would do this for me, do you think?

I only know of this one in Athy http://www.athyfoundry.ie/about.htm but I'm sure there would be one closer to you.

slowburner

fergal.b wrote: »

I only know of this one in Athy http://www.athyfoundry.ie/about.htm but I'm sure there would be one closer to you.

None closer to me sadly.

slowburner

makita wrote: »

the best way is to braze it any engineering company would do that or the other option is get ni-rod for your own welder but this can be tricky as you have to heat the cast first and and have a higher risk of cracking afterwards in the cooling period

Thanks for the advice Makita. You were right, it certainly was tricky, far too tricky for a metal gombeen like me.
I bought the ni-rods and I got some advice to sit the vice jaw in sand because it is supposed to help avoid cracking as the iron cools down. I was also advise to 'take the chill off' the iron by preheating it.
I did all this and no way could I get a bond between the metals.
I was told that even if it did bond that it would more than likely crack again.

I've managed to make a real hash of the vice.
I should have brought it to a pro in the first place, if I could find one.
I should stick with what I know.
So now I am thinking of a wooden jaw, probably 25mm ply.

I shall put the old cast jaw up on the wall as a memento of former glory.

fergal.b

slowburner wrote: »

None closer to me sadly.

A few schools have there own furness for metal work maybe you could get someone to do it as a project

Or you could have a go at making your own

slowburner

That looks like fun.

TheBody

fergal.b wrote: »

A few schools have there own furness for metal work maybe you could get someone to do it as a project

Thats a really good idea. I remember (many years ago now!!) a local builder bringing in a load of tips for his kango to get sharpened in my school. It was all done using the propper processes etc. It might be worth asking anyway!!

jack of all

Great vid there Fergal, reminds me of the foundry class I did in tech school (Linen hall trade school, Bolton Street) many years ago. We made our castings in aluminium only, a little easier and more forgiving than trying to cast in iron, I'd imagine.