The Home Machinist!

tornitore45 wrote: ↑Mon Jul 01, 2019 8:26 am I do not like the movable front jaw type. I like the rear jaw moving on dovetails like the link. (if the link works).
I had one in Italy and the jaws close parallel on all axis, you can hold a pin in a corner an file the top lengthwise.

What I have is a $50 HF that I do not mind abusing as press or anvil. If it break I am out 50 bucks.
If I ever need precision I can put the mill machinist vise in the bench vise but that need has not happen yet.


https://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=ht ... mrc&uact=8

That vise doesn't have much of a throat.

The Capri and Fireball vises are made from steel forgings.

I checked my Huer vise today; the body is steel.

I have never heard of a vise failing UNLESS it was used beyond it's design limits. Using a breaker bar (or cheater bar) certainly will exceed it's limit. Vises were not designed to be used with a breaker bar. I had a heavy vise made in Poland and it served me fine for over 20 years, until I gave it to my son. He pounded the hell out of it with an 8# sledge and it finally broke. Even a lowly HF vise will serve you unless you abuse it. That goes for any tool, and a vise is a tool.

Woodward Fab has a surprisingly low price on a Heuer vise right now.

That vise doesn't have much of a throat.

Just an example to clarify the construction which is unheard in the USA.
The design does not preclude a deeper throat.

I agree and these newer vises are ones I never saw. My first vise of sliding back jaw , was bought for a reason at the time. Work placed between the jaws of a normal vise meant the outer jaw was sticking out too far to get around easy. ( it was really cramped at that corner) I also liked the design with dovetail adjustable slides.

These particular dovetail, sliding rear jaw vises had their weaknesses by abuse. It is hard to fathom now why my brother drove 30 miles so we both bought a certain vise. Each was in a wooden crate from India but that doesn't mean it was made there. Either way, my vise has been fine and his was damaged by over stress but he knew welders and they fixed it.

Obviously rear jaw dovetail vises can not take the pounding on the anvil, but for fine work are superior.

The Yost 750-DI Earlgo mentions looks really good, but it only opens 5".

Mr. Graham, you are correct, but on the other hand I have not wished for more. I try not to make big things. It is plenty big enough to use a wood plane on a 2x4 or file a mower blade or straighten things on the anvil.
I tried to find another Columbian D44 to match the one in my other shop room, but the Columbia vise company went out of business a few years ago, and sellers on e-bay are asking too much. --earlgo

I have a Columbian D45: I didn't realize that it's special. It's just what I picked up at an auction about 25 years ago when I needed a vise. I also inherited a very old Oswego 13 1/2 B.