Broke my vise. Saddest day ever...

[asphalt]

I'm so sad I almost cried. I was in the shop today trying to straighten a bent 12mm axle. I put some nuts on it to protect the threads then like a dickhead I put it in the vise thinking it would be easier to shim it in the vise and not screw around with the V blocks and the press. Well I pulled on the vise handle pretty hard, OK like an a##hole I hung on it and POW! Broke right through the round channel at the base of the front clamp.

Broken 6" Wilton Machinist vise. The vise is older than me and I loved it. It was my dad's. Replacement cost is crazy (more than a Miller 185 MIG Welder) and I hear that Wilton doesn't honor the warranty on there new made in China vises anyway. I do so much work with a vise I can't imagine using a piece of crap. Now what can I do?

Anyone think I can weld it? (Cast Iron judging from the exposed metal in the crack).

 

[4X4HIGH]

Ouch. I have a Wilton vice at work that i've literally beat the piss out of and it's still holding strong. I have a smaller Wilton vice here at home and it's not nearly as large so i'm alot more careful with it. The vice i have at work cost close to $2000.00 today.

 

[rdn2blazer]

All you can do is try weldinf it, it will or wont weld. I bet it's Ductile cast iron so it will weld. Remember it's only a vise, don't abuse it man! You knew what you should have done cause ya said it, V blocks and a press. Sorry that happen to ya man.

 

[Desert Rat]

Since it is an old one, maybe they will honor the warranty, but you would get a cheaper one in return.

 

[thatK30guy]

Wow. Never heard of a Wilton vise breaking til now. I've heard that these are about the best vise's on the market.

 

[rdn2blazer]

Wow. Never heard of a Wilton vise breaking til now. I've heard that these are about the best vise's on the market.

Wilton, Starret, Palmgren are awesome vises. There are other good quality vises out there. They ALL are insanely priced though.

 

[gone huntin]

All of our benches at work have the cheap Wiltons on them,15 to be exact. So far in eight years we've broken 6 of them. Two of them were mine.

 

[asphalt]

All of our benches at work have the cheap Wiltons on them,15 to be exact. So far in eight years we've broken 6 of them. Two of them were mine.

Has anyone tried to fix any of them or do you just replace them? I'm in the middle of moving so I don't have the time to fix it myself (or the skill) I think I'll bring it to a friend who is a professional welder. And see what he says. Hoping he can braze it since it's cast iron. He used to weld on reactor cores and builds bicycle frames as a hobby. One of the few guys who I trust to weld on my motorcycles.

 

[asphalt]

The Wilton lives! The welder ground out the break and matched up the pieces and welded the hell out of it. He promises me that it will hold up to any normal use it will see. Took it home, cleaned it up, fresh coat of Bridgeport Gray epoxy, greased and reassembled. Now it's bolted back on the bench where it will stay for another 40 years hopefully.

Rebuilt the floor jack and changed out some ballists on the shop lights. Now maybe I can get some time to change out the A/C compressor on the K5. Just in time for the cold weather.

There's never enough time in a the day.

 

[rdn2blazer]

Pics man!!! Pics!!!