Columbian 505 vise replacement jaws

[SDMike]

Neighbor brought me an old, very large, heavy Columbian model 505 vise with one of the jaws badly broken. He asked me if I could fix it for him. I found a place online that sells them for $169.95 + shipping. These jaws are NOT the bolt in style. They are in the shape of a "T" with the leg of the "T" having a slight dovetail to it and appears to slide into place from the end. He does not want to spend $169.95. Is there a better alternative to to fix this vise? Thanks

Mike

 

[Stephen Newell]

You would probably have to drill and tap some mounting holes but there are generic vice jaws available. Here is one. https://www.zoro.com/wilton-inserts...MIo_7txpSpjwMVDq7CCB0GrgkgEAQYASABEgIaVPD_BwE

 

[Ericp351]

Thread thru crack at appropriate angles. stich with good grade Thead rod. repeat. V and braze any remaining troubles. File and enjoy, just don't ask the gentleman that can't open their Maalox bottles to help. Ain't rocket science!

 

[SDMike]

You would probably have to drill and tap some mounting holes but there are generic vice jaws available. Here is one. https://www.zoro.com/wilton-inserts-5-in-jaw-pr-2904110/i/G5403517/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=surfaces&utm_campaign=shopping feed&utm_content=free google shopping clicks&campaignid=21417797641&productid=G5403517&v=&gclsrc=aw.ds&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=21417804934&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIo_7txpSpjwMVDq7CCB0GrgkgEAQYASABEgIaVPD_BwE

Thank you for the link, but I have looked at these types, and they are not tall enough. The jaws of this vise are about 1 1/3" tall, and are the full height of the cast part of the jaw, just not the top half.

 

[SDMike]

Thread thru crack at appropriate angles. stich with good grade Thead rod. repeat. V and braze any remaining troubles. File and enjoy, just don't ask the gentleman that can't open their Maalox bottles to help. Ain't rocket science!

Here is a photo of a vise like the one I am trying to repair. Half of the top of the left jaw is broken and gone. No crack, just gone. I probably could cut the break clean and v-out and weld in a piece, but then how do I harden it? Just looking for a better idea.

 

[Stephen Newell]

Thank you for the link, but I have looked at these types, and they are not tall enough. The jaws of this vise are about 1 1/3" tall, and are the full height of the cast part of the jaw, just not the top half.

Here is one that is an inch wide. https://absupply.net/irwin-t5d-repl...jaw-plates-5-screws-for-5-mechanics-vise.aspx

 

[NDIHC]

It looks like there are Columbian 505 vices listed for sale in the $300-$400 range. I think I'd bite the bullet and fix it right. Or put the $180 or so into it to fix it, sell it for $300, buy a 5 inch Irwin for $120 and have a new vice for free. Lot of monkeying around to save $180 though. And the Columbian is most likely a better vice to start with. How much time and effort do you want to put into cobbling something together to make it work? By the time you buy some jaw inserts and drill and tap to make them fit, you haven't saved a whole lot and it won't be as strong as if it had the right inserts in it.

 

[BarnyardEngineering]

If the vise were more common, or the jaw design was standard, you could find some cheap Chinese knockoff aftermarket jaws for $29.95, but it isn't, so there isn't.

So you either buy the OEM parts, have them reproduced at a machine shop, or cobble something together. Maybe you have a buddy with a machine shop that can whip you up a jaw out of some scrap he has laying around for a case of beer? If you had to pay a machine shop full price to reproduce the jaw, $169.95 will look cheap. That will barely pay for the material and an hour of shop time.

 

[matthies]

Here is a photo of a vise like the one I am trying to repair. Half of the top of the left jaw is broken and gone. No crack, just gone. I probably could cut the break clean and v-out and weld in a piece, but then how do I harden it? Just looking for a better idea.

I have one similiar to yours and the jaws were also pinned in, when I was using the vise as an anvil (I guess), the top half broke off also, threw the broken part away and laid a bead across to hold jaw in. No problems with so far. Another vise had no jaws and welded in a pair of jaws from a destroyed vise, again no problems. Don't know why you would be worried about hardness.