JavaScript is disabled
Our website requires JavaScript to function properly. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser settings before proceeding.
I have that exact vise and love it. I use it for light hobby type work on my desk.

It is a $20 vise that clamps to the edge of a table like a C-clamp. I would never even think to use it to remove or install a barrel nut. Someone once taught me to use the right tool for the right job.

Anyone who does mechanical work needs a good vise on a sturdy bench. Get that Wilton. You will have it the rest of your life and so will whoever inherits it.
 
May be worse off than I thought... feeling dizzy, and I have a hell of a head ache. Head ache doesn't mean much, I'm used to those... they don't call me mygrainman for nothin. The dizziness is a little alarming tho. I'm just glad it didn't brake my glasses... that would have sucked to have to order new ones and wait a week before I could see good again.
I've had over 20 confirmed concussions. Did you get sick to your stomach?
 
I was driving home one summer day when I saw this big green vise attached to a really solid steel table parked by the side of the road.
The guy was fixing a flat tire on his trailer and I pulled over to ask him what he was doing with the table/vise and he said that he was moving it from his business that he had just sold and had no place to store it
I offered him $100.00 cash and he said that would be great and he followed me home and helped me move it into my shop.
I have beat the living crap out of stuff chucked up in it and it's one tough vise.
The table is 6' long with big drawers under the table and it's built even tougher then the vise.

vise 001.JPG
 
So to play the devils advocate here.

You took a small vise put hundreds of pounds of torque on it then added heat which increased the stress on the vise as the metal expanded and your surprised it broke?

In 1984 I bought a pair of Chinese made heavy 4" bench vises I have put so much force on one of them it took a 4' cheater bar to do it. I have torn the thing off the Work bench 3-4 times each time BUSTING good grade 2 or better fir 2x4's in the process. I have used up to 32 ounce ball pen hammers on it formed all sorts of steel with it. I was a Custom Knifemaker for 14 years.

My call is you exceeded the tools intended use.

But I am glad your ok to do it again.
 
I have that exact vise and love it. I use it for light hobby type work on my desk.

It is a $20 vise that clamps to the edge of a table like a C-clamp. I would never even think to use it to remove or install a barrel nut. Someone once taught me to use the right tool for the right job.

Anyone who does mechanical work needs a good vise on a sturdy bench. Get that Wilton. You will have it the rest of your life and so will whoever inherits it.
It works excellent for a third hand, but That's as far as I'd trust one after this... lesson learned.... the hard way.
So to play the devils advocate here.

You took a small vise put hundreds of pounds of torque on it then added heat which increased the stress on the vise as the metal expanded and your surprised it broke?

In 1984 I bought a pair of Chinese made heavy 4" bench vises I have put so much force on one of them it took a 4' cheater bar to do it. I have torn the thing off the Work bench 3-4 times each time BUSTING good grade 2 or better fir 2x4's in the process. I have used up to 32 ounce ball pen hammers on it formed all sorts of steel with it. I was a Custom Knifemaker for 14 years.

My call is you exceeded the tools intended use.

But I am glad your ok to do it again.
I didn't heat the vice. just the barrel nut... I wasn't even using a cheater bar when it broke. I realized that there had to be some sort of lock tight in there because most AR barrel nuts are torqued between 40&80ft lbs, and if pulling back on it with all I had didn't budge it.. Heat was the only solution. I just heated with a propane torch around the the nut until I saw what I assume was grease or thread locker boiling around the barrel extension. The vice didn't even get warm. I can't say I had all my weight in it because I was sitting in a chair beside the vise which was clamped to a grinder stand.. one hand on the wrench and the other on the stand to keep it from tipping over. I was quite surprised when it broke...After seeing stuff boiling out the back I assumed I had released the locking compound and it would break free easily, so I wasn't even pulling that hard on it.
I've tightened and loosed several barrel nuts in this vice without any problem before this. I don't know what Ruger puts in there but it's some strong stuff.
 
Last Edited:
Well I put on a football helmet, and a had at it agian. this time with the 4" Craftsman vise I have out in the shop.
IMG_4622.JPG
Ya.. I should have done in the first place, but it's cold and dirty out there and I didn't want to put pants on last night... and it's nice and comfy in my gun cave. Won't be making that mistake again though... I'm gunna install a bigger vice in the gun cave so I can work pants free... and have the right tool for the job.
As I figured, it really didn't take a lot force to brake it free. there was definitely some sort of super duty thread welder in there that needs heated to release. A shorty 1/2 ratchet and about a 10" piece of cut off 12 guage barrel as a cheater bar(together about the same length as a standard 1/2 ratchet which I couldn't find) and just a little tug, and it came right off.
The PRI barrel wrench is awsome... it has 5 very tightly fitting pins that completely encircles the barrel.
anyway job done.. lesson learned, and scar earned.
IMG_4615.JPG IMG_4617.JPG
I will be getting another one of those vices believe it or not... it rotates on 2 axis which is super handy for building lowers. well worth $20. maybe if I show them my wound I'll get it for free. I just won't be using it for anything that involves any kind of force.
 
Last Edited:
Well I put on a football helmet, and a had at it agian. this time with the 4.5" Craftsman vise I have out in the shop. Ya.. I should have done in the first place, but it's cold and dirty out there and I didn't want to put pants on last night... and it's nice and comfy in my gun cave. Won't be making that mistake again though... I'm gunna install a bigger vice in the gun cave so I can work pants free... and have the right tool for the job.
As I figured, it really didn't take a lot force to brake it free. there was definitely some sort of super duty thread welder in there that needs heated to release. A shorty 1/2 ratchet and about a 10" piece of cut off 12 guage barrel as a cheater bar(together about the same length as a standard 1/2 ratchet which I couldn't find) and just a little tug, and it came right off.
The PRI barrel wrench is awsome... it has 5 very tightly fitting pins that completely encircles the barrel.
anyway job done.. lesson learned, and scar earned.
View attachment 431461 View attachment 431462
I will be getting another one of those vices believe it or not... it rotates on 2 axis which is super handy for building lowers. well worth $20. maybe if I show them my wound I'll get it for free. I just won't be using it for anything that involves any kind of force.

Ummmm I'm going to go out on a limb and suggest you wear pants around that new vise - you don't want to risk damaging that right tool for the most fun job...
 
I've had over 20 confirmed concussions. Did you get sick to your stomach?

Do you worry about CTE? I'm at about 10 for sure and possibly 15. I just hit my head on door frame of the car the other day, not even hard, and felt symptoms, like I'm prone now or something.

Well I put on a football helmet, and a had at it agian. this time with the 4.5" Craftsman vise I have out in the shop. Ya.. I should have done in the first place, but it's cold and dirty out there and I didn't want to put pants on last night... and it's nice and comfy in my gun cave. Won't be making that mistake again though... I'm gunna install a bigger vice in the gun cave so I can work pants free... and have the right tool for the job.
As I figured, it really didn't take a lot force to brake it free. there was definitely some sort of super duty thread welder in there that needs heated to release. A shorty 1/2 ratchet and about a 10" piece of cut off 12 guage barrel as a cheater bar(together about the same length as a standard 1/2 ratchet which I couldn't find) and just a little tug, and it came right off.
The PRI barrel wrench is awsome... it has 5 very tightly fitting pins that completely encircles the barrel.
anyway job done.. lesson learned, and scar earned.
View attachment 431461 View attachment 431462
I will be getting another one of those vices believe it or not... it rotates on 2 axis which is super handy for building lowers. well worth $20. maybe if I show them my wound I'll get it for free. I just won't be using it for anything that involves any kind of force.

Glad you are okay, could of been much worse.

Does the metal seem weak on the inside of the casting?

Post up if you find a good deal on a vice, I also need one.
 
Glad you are okay, could of been much worse.

Does the metal seem weak on the inside of the casting?

Post up if you find a good deal on a vice, I also need one.

Yes the metal seems very weak inside the casting.. cheap chinese pot metal... and since it rotates on a second axis, it has extra holes drilled in the side for the locking screw... weakening it even further.
It's great as a third hand, like I said before, but that's about it. Now were it machined from good steel, It would be just fine. you can tell from the picture it looks like compressed sand where it snapped...
IMG_4620.JPG
 
Last Edited:
Yes the metal seems very weak inside the casting.. cheap chinese pot metal... and since it rotates on a second axis, it has extra holes drilled in the side for the locking screw... weakening it even further.
It's great as a third hand, like I said before, but that's about it. Now we're it machined from good steel, It would be just fine. you can tell from the picture it looks like compressed sand where it snapped...
View attachment 431500

I have a few pre ww2 vices I am not ever going to use. You are welcome to one if you pick it up. I live in the Orchards area. PM me if you are interested..
 
Do you worry about CTE? I'm at about 10 for sure and possibly 15. I just hit my head on door frame of the car the other day, not even hard, and felt symptoms, like I'm prone now or something.



Glad you are okay, could of been much worse.

Does the metal seem weak on the inside of the casting?

Post up if you find a good deal on a vice, I also need one.
Yes I worry a lot about it. We e also got serious issues with dementia in my family. I'm not gonna beat this wrap I feel. Having ADDHD bad, and being the youngest boy in a family takes it toll. I was hellbent for leather. Wife REALLY is worried. She's a great lady.
 
@Gaucho Gringo gave me a heck of a good deal on a new vice today... $0.00. He refused any compensation although Ida been happy to pay for it... A nice vintage 3.5" Wilton. Already bolted it down and put it to use. No worries that this one will fail me:)
The NWFA brotherhood comes through again.:s0155: IMG_4626.JPG
 
Last Edited:
Doesn't have to be even a big tool from Harbor Freight,
was bending a lip on a 1/8 of aluminum, I had bought a set of some needle nose from there for small stuff around the bench. I grabbed just the tips of the needles and barely any pressure as it wont take much to bend that thin of aluminum, sucker snapped in half jammed me in the thumb took a nice chunk of skin out. Didnt hurt, but I was like hmmm steel needles bending 1/8 aluminum and the steel breaks ? WOW. Should have grabbed the craftmans not again not to knock that store but anything I buy there last like 4 days and breaks. So that and the others went in the trash ...........
 
Harbor Freight sells lots of CHEAP Chinese tools. CHEAP tools are CHEAP tools, and the buyer should know they are cheap tools. Sometimes you only need cheap tools, sometimes you need good tools. I have a vice I know would stand up to blows form a 12 pound sledge hammer. It was expensive. A Harbor Freight vice would have cost fewer dollars but been more expensive as it would have failed long ago. Buy tools up to your tasks.
 

Upcoming Events

Tillamook Gun & Knife Show
Tillamook, OR
"The Original" Kalispell Gun Show
Kalispell, MT
Teen Rifle 1 Class
Springfield, OR
Kids Firearm Safety 2 Class
Springfield, OR

New Resource Reviews

New Classified Ads

Back Top