Broken Vise - Can It Be Fixed?

I stupidly broke my vise. I've attempted to attach a picture. Can it be fixed?

No picture, but yes more than likely a good welder or machinist can fix your vise.

Only things you can't fix is a broken heart, crack in concrete and I can't remember the other crack you can't fix.

Big question is how much are you willing to pay a professional welder?

I would buy new.

The crack of dawn!

I bought a 10# box of Cast iron welding rod a while back that was $360.00 and 5# of coated brazing rod on Friday that was $125.00. It would have to be a very expensive vice to justify the repair bill I would think. I am assuming it is some sort of casting or it probably wouldn't have broken.

I have a large Columbia vise that my dad brazed back together sometime in the late 40's or early 50's where the screw is for as long as I can remember and I use it almost daily sometimes with a large hammer beating on stuff.

I have a large Columbia vise that has been brazed back together sometime in the late 40's or early 50's where the screw is for as long as I can remember and I use it almost daily sometimes with a large hammer beating on stuff.

Please disregard the post above this one, it is not correct! I am not sure my dad did the brazing. Gene

show to a welder and ask if a weld is practical or worthwhile, do not make him give an exact price as it would be offensive to him.

If it is cast steel, probably. If it is cast iron, maybe, but it takes a welder that knows how to weld cast iron successfully. Might cost more than the vice is worth.

My dads vise has been brazed together for as long as I can remember.

Clamp it back together. Drill small holes into both pieces, going thru the break. Drill and tap the holes in the parent part. Drill clearance holes in the broken piece. Grind back the edges of the break. Bolt it together. Now weld it together. The rod is expensive, but with the right rod, even a novice welder can do it. Google it. The number of bolts and the size are your decision to make. No warranty implied

Still one more crack.

About 30 years ago I learned not to beat on a vice... My weld has held up I made a yard vice out of it so far so good. It must be cast steel I don't remember ever buying a special rod.

I have another the screw socket broke I welded it up its still earning its keep. Its a no name WELL HOLD ON I went a scratched on it, its a parker P-5 so I googled it. My dad was a tool and die maker I did get it from him.

I remember some are Malleable steel/iron are one are the other. What ever that means.

I got that vice at yard sale. Came with the bafly repaired swivel mount. I ended up drilling a through hole and making it a fixed base vice. Fine for light duty stuff.

Depends what is broken, and how it was broken. Depending on the vice, the whole casting might be bent some prior to any welding. If ya can't post a picture, describe where the break is with as much detail as possible.

As someone else said, if you can't weld, then the cost of having a professional do it comes into play on the overall value.

(quoted from post at 18:50:45 08/01/21) I stupidly broke my vise. I've attempted to attach a picture. Can it be fixed?

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I'm all for fixing stuff, but in this case the first thing I'd do is to search ebay and the 'net for a replacement.

If someone out there is selling one for a reasonable price there's no reason to muck around trying to "fix" yours, IMHO.

That looks strong enough to moor a tug boat to Hobo

(quoted from post at 13:40:09 08/02/21) I have a large Columbia vise that has been brazed back together sometime in the late 40's or early 50's where the screw is for as long as I can remember and I use it almost daily sometimes with a large hammer beating on stuff.

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That's what anvils are for.

Ding ding ding, Chillidawg gets the prize. All tools, machines and equipment can be designed for a purpose and many older things can be used harder than intended and still function. Many things were designed to have an "abuse" factor included so these things lasted in the real world. Vices included. But vices like this post is talking about were never designed to be used as anvils or holding metal to be beat on with or without heat. Most of us including me have or occasionally use them for that. I have an old well used but not terribly abused Prentice vice and I have abused it a couple of times. Not trying to say a good quality cast iron vice won't take it, but it wasn't designed to be used like some get used. And this is important to remember, "all things have a breaking point".

Good quality cast iron vices like Prentice, Yost, Columbian and many others might be able to be brazed/welded back together and hold for most home shop purposes. But cast iron {not cast steel} has some unique characteristics some good and some unforgiving. Welding and brazing can be deceiving on cast iron. I have had good luck welding cast iron in repairs but I hate it. Better casting have better chances but industry for many reasons got away from cast iron many years ago for good reasons. I love good quality cast iron vices but I won't buy one that was repair welded, just won't. As stated above why would you choose to buy a repaired cast iron vice? I have seen some very nice looking welds both electric and brazing repair on steam locomotive boilers for instance. The weld looks good till you cut the part out and get to see the back side of the seam. Same thing though different form applies to cast iron. You might get a good repair but the weld your looking at is not really telling you the whole story of how the "root" of the repair went? The outside build up is the easy part of the repair. Cracking is much the problem with cast iron. In some applications where there is not stress pulling things apart and brazed or welded repair may be just fine. But cast iron is not a flexible metal. Great in some applications but not high impact apps. So you want to heat and beat on a repaired vice? I suggest you watch your toes.

I have spent a goodly amount of time working in various railroad shops in the east and mid-west saw lots of very big vices and abuse of vices on almost daily basis. Good chance a repaired cast iron vice will work for many home shops that are not anywhere near the type of work in a fab shop or railroad heavy industry shop. But again watch your toes they were not built to replace an anvil. I think as guys many of us start grunting like Tim the Tool Man Taylor when we see a large {subjective term} vise and look for the nearest 15 lb sledge hammer so we can bend .5" steel to a 90 degree angle. I broke one vice in my life so far and it was because I abused it past the tipping point. No serous loss as it wasn't a wonderful old Columbian or Prentice, but the point is I ruined it out of abuse it was never designed to take. Go forth with care when abusing your vices with a BFH.

To each his own. Regards, John.

Many a vice has been broken and brased and worked for years.