Parts for Old Woodworking Vise

[foster239]

I have an old Columbian Vise (model: 9-R-2) with a bronze release gear
that seems to slip in some locations. Does anyone have a fix for this
problem or a place where you can buy parts for an old vise?

By the way, Columbian is now owned by Wilson Tool and division of WMH
Tool Group (Jet, Powermatic, etc.) and they say they don't have parts.

Thanks

[AAvK]

You mean the half nut?

I donno but these folks make the Morgan woodworking vises which should be
very close in design, you could ask them to send you pics of their half nuts just
to see if it is at least close enough: http://www.milwmal.com/home.htm Relate
the size of the vise to them of course.

I asked a machinist about making a copy of mine so I wouldn't wear out the old
one, which is an extremely soft brassy kind of metal... $70 ??? Good grief.

--
Alex - "newbie_neander" woodworker
cravdraa_at-yahoo_dot-com
not my site: http://www.e-sword.net/

[foster239]

Alex,

I contacted Morgan Vises and they sent me a bronze part used in one of
their vises that worked in my vise. Thanks a lot for your suggestion.

Steve Foster

[AAvK]

Glad to help.

I just went through a storm of the same thinking, but in order to preserve the original
part and not wear it out. I sent them (manager at Morgan) a series of pictures of the
half nut along side of tape measure and complete explanation of the thread sizes. He
replied and said they are the same size, but no doubt made of the same soft brass
material. He told me $25, what did you pay?

[foster239]

He sent me the part and it is not exactly the same but very very close.
I put in in my vice and it seems to work very well. He said it was
made of Bronze, I think silicon bronze. I paid him $15 which was the
price on the parts list he sent me. If it continues to work well, I
might buy another as a spare. I would rather have a bronze part to
wear out then a steel screw. Thanks again for the tip on where to get
it.

foster239

[Bob Massie]

Hi, I have acquired a 10" 9-R columbian wood vice. It slides back and forth freely. Fliped it over, removed 2 lg screws, removed cap and nothing there to move jaws when handle turned. Where might I find this part that goes on the center threaded rod ??? please help

--
For full context, visit https://www.homeownershub.com/woodworking/parts-for-old-woodworking-vise-82002-.htm

[J. Clarke]

On Fri, 1 Jan 2021 23:01:02 +0000, Bob Massie
<24b590c4a556fe22...@example.com> wrote:

>Hi, I have acquired a 10" 9-R columbian wood vice. It slides back and forth freely. Fliped it over, removed 2 lg screws, removed cap and nothing there to move jaws when handle turned. Where might I find this part that goes on the center threaded rod ??? please help

Here's a thread from someone else with the same vise and missing part.
<https://www.lumberjocks.com/topics/52709>
Here's a discussion that was cited in that thread:
<http://zengrain.com/desmond-stephan-and-morgan-vise-half-nuts/>

I don't know how helpful they are but Milwaukee Tool & Equipment
apparently has a half-nut that can be adusted to fit without much
effort.
<http://www.milwtool.com/v_wood.htm>

Other options get more difficult:

You can get regular steel nuts with Acme threads from McMaster for not
a lot of money, but they won't function in a vise without some work
being done on them. This might be as little as grinding to fit or may
require some welding.

Failing that you'll likely have to make a part or have one
made--doesn't take a lot of lathe to do it--a Harbor Freight 7x10 will
do it but by the time you've bought the lathe and associated tools
you've paid for several good new vises.