Vise Squad

[spro]

A vise is not a press nor a press a vise.

[liveaboard]

A vise is not a press nor a press a vise.

my vise doesn't know that.

I am building a 20 ton press currently though.

[SteveHGraham]

It's nice to know you can use your cheap bench vise to apply 5 tons of controlled pressure to a part if you need to. It's even better to know you can use your homemade vise to apply 15 tons of pressure without damaging it.

[SteveHGraham]

I contacted Yost about their 8" ADI vise. A co-owner told me the actual jaw width is 8", not the 7" Amazon listed. Also, the 8" version is intended to be used at up to 11,000 lbs. of clamping force, and they test it to destruction at 20,000. Apparently, people fiddle with the specs on vendor sites, so you can't really believe what you read.

He says he personally came up with the ADI vise. Says it's at least 40% stronger than the forged version they used to make, and he intended it to be competitive with their top-end vises for 1/3 the price.

Right now, these things are available for $353, which is hard to pass up, but Fireball Tool's homemade vise makes me think fabrication would be a great idea.

Fireball used all-thread instead of square or Acme thread on the screw, and apparently, this is one reason it clamps so hard. The fine pitch makes it very slow to adjust yet easy to tighten. This is what I have read. I don't know if one really needs 40,000 pounds of clamping force, but it's interesting.

[Mr Ron]

The handle used on a vise should give you an indication of how much you can tighten a vise. The amount of force developed between the jaws is directly proportional to the amount of force applied to the handle. How tight you can tighten a vise then depends on how strong you are. Under normal conditions, the vise (any kind) can last a lifetime, but when you use a "cheater" bar to exert more force, you are exceeding the design parameters set by the manufacturer. I have never seen a vise break under normal use, but I have seen vises break when a "cheater" bar was used. A vise should never fail unless it has a material flaw (Chinese) and as long as it is not ABUSED.

I watched the video and although it was an impressive vise destruction derby, it would never deter me from buying any one of them. I decry the destruction of the Prentice vise; no respect.

I can't imagine what application would require 15 tons of clamping force.

[SteveHGraham]

The Yost vise is a really neat product, but making something way stronger for under $100 would be fantastic.

I think when you use a cheater bar on a vise, you're admitting A) you bought the wrong vise, or B) you don't know anything about maintaining tools.

[warmstrong1955]

I've seen three vises broken on the job.

One was a 10" Wilton. It got hit with and excavator bucket, and the three mounting tabs broke off.
Nice thing, is, at least 20 years ago, you could buy parts right from Wilton. Not sure if that's still the case.

Another was a 8" Jet. Another case where it got hit with a bucket, this time, and 8 yard loader bucket. Same thing.....snapped the mounting ears.
Forget ordering any parts for them, unless you have lots of time. Moot point, since Jet & Wilton are of the same feather now.

Last one, also an 8" Jet. That creampuff got poinked beyond recognition when it was attacked by a big angry mechanic with a cheater pipe. Broke the movable jaw right off.

For my home shop, my 6" & 8" Horror Freights are still in fine shape.....but I'm not an animal, so I'm not worried!

[SteveHGraham]

I notice you don't say who was driving the excavator and loader.

[warmstrong1955]

I notice you don't say who was driving the excavator and loader.

Wasn't me! Howzabout that!

[SteveM]

The swivel base on a bench vise is overrated.

My dad's vise has none and it bolts at both the top of the base and at the front into the front edge of the workbench.

I think that's a much sturdier mounting than any swivel.

Many of the swivels failed because the locking part was a bar of metal that went from one side to the other - nowhere near strong enough in my opinion.

If you need to have a vise swivel sideways, inspect the base and remember that all the force you exert on the vise is going thru that base.

I think my vise is a parker and it has no swivel. It takes whatever I hand it and doesn't so much as whimper.

Steve

[liveaboard]

I agree.
I've never met a rigid swivel vise. the value of the movement is small and the cost is high.
If I made such a thing, it would have a 1" x 8" base and some sort of insane clamp. but even that would be a compromise.

[SteveHGraham]

I use my vise's swivel feature a lot. Very handy.

The Fireball Tool vise has an unusual base with what appears to be a very strong design.

He just put up a video in which he repairs the Prentiss vise he broke.