Blacksmith Post Vise - Common problems to watch out for

[@FarmsteadForge]

Interested in a printable list of the most common post vise problems? You can get that for free, here: farmstead-forge.ck.page/740597e50d

[@RRINTHESHOP]

Lets see all the repairs and refurbs. Good to see the helper in the shop.

[@FarmsteadForge]

I can't keep him out of there. He loves it and he loves to help!

[@SchysCraftCo.]

I would like to see those. Can't wait to see more updates an projects and many more videos soon my friend. Keep up the great craftsmanship and hard work my friend. Forge On. Fab On. Weld On. Keep forge lit. Keep making. God bless.

[@FarmsteadForge]

Thanks! I'll keep you posted.

[@Kirt-Davis]

Sweet! I spun a thrust washer on the lathe for a wagon tongue vise not long ago.

[@FarmsteadForge]

That's awesome! I'll have to forge one because no lathe in my shop....yet 😉

[@danieltesar7771]

Definitely looking forward to post vise fixing videos! Would love to see you forge that hardware!

[@FarmsteadForge]

Ok thank you for your feedback, it is much appreciated! Thanks for stopping by 🙂

[@danieltesar7771]

@@FarmsteadForge I'm a farrier as well and make all my own shoes and build a lot of my own tools here in Wisconsin, so I really enjoy your channel and like learning new stuff along the way!

[@FarmsteadForge]

@@danieltesar7771 Oh cool, I'm glad I have a fellow farrier along for the ride! What kind of horses do you work on most in Wisconsin?

[@danieltesar7771]

@@FarmsteadForge I work on mostly quarter horses, a fair amount of minis and a handful of workhorses. What kind do you mostly work on?

[@FarmsteadForge]

@@danieltesar7771 Quite the variety here... from mini's to drafts. Mostly ranch & rope horses though.

[@rexwilson315]

I've sent money and enjoyed every moment on peg legs. I love to rework the things. I love taking the apart soaking them in white vinegar. My dad got me hooked on the first one. Now I have 4 more to. The jaws can be realized by filling the hole that is to low now. Then re drill a new hole. Their alot of fun!!🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁

[@FarmsteadForge]

I agree, they are fun and it can be hard to stop collecting them!

[@rexwilson315]

@FarmsteadForge thank goodness the cost has slowed me down! A renter of a house I have in the country. Left me with a large mechanics vice. It not a Walton. But it solid. And old. As if I need another one to restore.

[@FarmsteadForge]

@@rexwilson315 oh it's always good to have another project - it keeps you out of trouble!

[@jrkorman]

I'll be looking forward to your follow-on videos. I picked up a post vise at an auction for $10 - Figuring what the heck. From what I can tell I've got probably 95% of all the parts so watching someone else do some of the work might help me finish this.

[@FarmsteadForge]

Wow, you got a great deal! I hope the videos will help you get it to working condition!

[@ArmySoldier1972]

Looking forward to post vice fixing videos. It would be nice to see both forged and quick fix for the spring. Army SE Oregon

[@FarmsteadForge]

Wow you sure want to put me to work 😂 I will definitely consider trying to make both - thank you for your feedback and for watching!

[@chux72vette]

Hi Jayce. Awesome about all those post vises and look forward to those videos as I think a bunch of people would benefit from that. We find them here in the south (Alabama) a bunch but boy are they in bad shape. I have my main one, (6" jaws), that I use and am being gifted another 5 1/2" one in near perfect shape, (rare), and I've helped a few smiths square them up and all. It can be a daunting task but with you making like a tutorial, I can give reference and help your channel. Thanx and tell your apprentices to keep up the great work!!~

[@FarmsteadForge]

A lot of them are in tough shape around here too, farmers and ranchers are hard on them. The crooked jaws can be a little overwhelming but there is always a way to get them fixed so I will try to do an in depth video of that one. Always great to hear from you, thanks for stopping by!

[@boblasley5640]

Bring on the repair, realign, refurb, retc 🙄videos Jayce! Mine is pretty good, but could likely use a little tweaking.

[@FarmsteadForge]

Thanks Bob I'll give it my best shot!

[@michaeledwards5954]

I recently picked up a small one for $50 from a junk store. Missing the spring and all the attachments. Had a great weekend stripping it down and forging all the missing parts. It's now fully functional and an important part of the workshop. Rebuilding old tools is very satisfying, looking forward to seeing how you do it.

[@FarmsteadForge]

Great find! It is a very satisfying task, I enjoy rebuilding them also. I have a whole playlist on different ones I have fixed if you are interested in checking it out. Thanks for watching!

[@David-hm9ic]

This is my first view of your channel. I have my grandfather's post vise. He passed almost 50 years ago. It's overall in nice condition but the original mounting system is gone and a heavy steel plate was welded onto the vise. The spring and associated pieces are also missing and a substantial coil spring has been substituted. Looking forward to tips to make it more like it was originally.

[@FarmsteadForge]

I have a playlist linked in the description with videos on forging a spring and different styles of hardware. If you could figure out what brand it might be that would help figure out what the original hardware looked like. It was pretty common practice to weld plates on as use and abuse wore the original hardware out.

[@MASI_forging]

Looking forward to new post 👍👍

[@FarmsteadForge]

I'm excited to get in the shop and get to work on them!

[@systemspike]

Just brought two for quite a bit (but a third of what I’ve seen them advertised for ) . Wish I’d seen this video beforehand .

[@FarmsteadForge]

Ya they have gotten outrageous with the blacksmithing craze! I have links to repair videos in the description if those might be helpful to you.

[@mireillelemay3638]

I have 4 old post vises and they all have a problem. Looking forward to your next videos. I need some tips on how to fix these.

[@FarmsteadForge]

This upcoming Tuesday I'll post a video on fixing the one with really crooked jaws (the one I spin at the beginning of this video). Did you see my post vise playlist? So far I've fixed the one with a bent leg, forged a new spring, and built two different kinds of hardware. What problems do yours have?

[@mireillelemay3638]

I will definitely watch all your post vise videos. Two of my vises have crooked jaws and a third one has the spring and other pieces welded together so it's not working very well. The fourth is actually working fine, but the jaws are a bit worn out (they are rounded). I have been searching KZbin for videos of post vise restoration and I didn't find much. Your series on the subject is very welcome!@@FarmsteadForge

[@FarmsteadForge]

@@mireillelemay3638 Best of luck with your post vises, I sure hope something in my videos is helpful to you. If you have any questions or issues that I don't address in my videos please feel free to reach out and ask!

[@Couchgoblin]

Thank you for the tips. Useful information.

[@FarmsteadForge]

Glad it was helpful!

[@TheMoonlightCraftsman]

This may be a dumb question but what is the advantage of a post vise over a regular heavy duty vise?

[@FarmsteadForge]

Not a dumb question at all. The advantage of a post vise over a regular vise is that they are made to be pounded on hard for upsetting steel. They are solid steel so they won't break. The heavy duty vises are cast and will crack or break under that kind of pressure. Thank you for asking!

[@therdgenrx7]

Purchased my first post vise. Its an indian chief but the leg has snapped around the forge weld, like in your other video. What is the point of the leg? Do i need it? Ahould i weld some mild steel on it? Been benging your videos, very entertaining great information.

[@FarmsteadForge]

The leg is very important on a blacksmith post vise because it supports the whole vise. Otherwise, the hardware can slip around without it. It also supports the vise when you are using it to upset something. The leg is made to take that specific abuse without breaking. Mild steel would probably work just fine as long as it is the same size. An easy fix would be to cut the break off flush, then grind that and your new piece both down to a short, blunt taper (kind of like the end of a pencil) and butt them up together, weld nice and hot until it is flush. After you can lightly grind your weld down if you'd like. If you have a way to heat only that portion (coal forge or torch) then you can carefully dress it with a hammer to make it look like a forge weld. When you mount it, it is important that the very end of your post is not only resting on the ground but secured in something - could be a knot on the floor or a piece of steel. That's probably how the forge weld broke - by not having the leg secured in something and then someone really reefing on it. I hope that helps, I'm glad you are enjoying the videos, and if I can find a post vise with a broken or cut off leg I'll gladly make a video about how to fix it. Thanks for watching!

[@therdgenrx7]

@FarmsteadForge Thank you. Yes, that is very helpful.

[@jasonzelle3571]

Hi bud! I think the vise you showed that had some red paint on it, has the spring bar in upside down. ? . May be a culprit that needs fixing! Cool video!

[@FarmsteadForge]

Ya it is an old leaf spring that has been welded in upside down. That vise has been really abused so I have just left that one alone since I have others that are in better condition. Thanks for watching!

[@quanghuynguyen6950]

❤❤❤❤

[@FarmsteadForge]

Thank you!

[@NYl-bu7pd]

You left out that some time the cooler on front jaw is worn down I had problems on big eight inch vise it built up weld I guess lol down in albuquerque

[@FarmsteadForge]

Ya they can have a lot of different problems - I was just going over the issues that these particular ones have. Thanks for watching!

[@GoldmansGarage]

Threads and bends

[@FarmsteadForge]

Ok thanks

[@GoldmansGarage]

One of the best places to mount one is at a 45 degree angle on the corner of a long workbench. The utility is shocking

[@FarmsteadForge]

That does work well, unfortunately the way my shop is setup I can't do that.

[@quanghuynguyen6950]

Hà nội việt nam thanhs you .Xin cám ơn nhiều nhé xin

[@FarmsteadForge]

Thanks, I'm glad you enjoyed it!

[@BobBob-il2ku]

What would you consider a good price?

[@FarmsteadForge]

Depends on the condition and how bad you want it! I probably wouldn't go over $150 for one unless it was really nice - or really big! I just picked one up at an auction for $30 that needs a spring and hardware made for it.

[@bcbloc02]

I wish I still had the post vise that came out of my slave quarters but somebody stole it years ago. 😞

[@FarmsteadForge]

That's too bad, a lot of those old antiques tend to "walk away." We had a lot of antiques from my Grandpa that just disappeared.

[@genecurrivan2799]

Dead threads and thread box... What to do??

[@FarmsteadForge]

The one I have is still working, but some guys fix them with all thread.

[@madeinsweden7776]

Are they not beautiful.I got 2 postvises.Just need one but couldnt help buy another one.

[@FarmsteadForge]

I know the feeling.. .it is pretty hard to stop collecting once you start!

[@daz.r1994]

I have a vise that look the same as them. It clamps to the table.

[@FarmsteadForge]

That's pretty cool, I wouldn't mind picking one up like that someday. Thanks for stopping by!

[@daz.r1994]

@@FarmsteadForgeI have never seen a vice like this till i see your video today. What year was the these vises made do you know.

[@FarmsteadForge]

@@daz.r1994 Most of mine were probably made in the late 1800's - the early 1900's. It is very rare that you find a date or a makers mark on them.

[@robertlonis9350]

What a cutie

[@FarmsteadForge]

Why thank you... oh are you talking about the baby? 😂 Thanks for stopping by!

[@gwcstudio]

Buy a new one. Mine is straight and strong and cost less than an old wrenched-out piece of junk.

[@FarmsteadForge]

Definitely nothing wrong with that option! I just love breathing new life into old tools, I think they are worth saving because I refuse to live in the throw away society that is so prevalent today. I was at a blacksmithing conference this weekend and the guys that had new ones didn't have much good to say about them. Thanks for your comment.

[@Anti-Groomer]

Wow...why would someone ever use such a poorly designed vice? It is so impractical...cartoonish even. Those are scrap metal....

[@FarmsteadForge]

These are specifically designed for blacksmithing, they are solid steel with no castings. They are the only thing that will hold up to the heat and pounding. A little research will show that they are in fact very valuable among the blacksmithing community. Thanks for your comment.