Stupid, Stupid Stupid! Saw Vise

[Josh Bowman]

Ok I finally got me a nice Disston 3D saw vise. I noticed the jaws did not quite close completely in the center, but it was tight and would hold a saw, although it would wiggle a little in the center. So I took it apart and used my 6" belt sander to try and close the gap....it worked and the gap was all but gone! The next night I thought I could do even better and post my success here for all to learn from ......instead, I goofed and the edges got champered some, so there is a kind of groove on the top edge and the saw is now held about 1/16" down in the jaws. Not the best for trying to keep the teeth close to the clamping action to reduce vibration. Not only that in an effort to correct this, the jaws are no longer as tight.
Here's the millon dollar question...at least the 71 dollar one: Is this thing made of steel or cast iron? If it's steel, I can have more metal welded to the jaws then grind them back to the correct thickness...I hope.

[Sam Takeuchi]

Can't you make a couple of jaw pieces out of hardwood and glue/epoxy them onto jaws? You can adjust the fit afterward to make really tight closing jaws then. I think it's a lot safer way to remedy your problem than risk destroying the whole thing.

[Josh Bowman]

I'm really trying to keep the vise as it was....(without the bow), so I really would like it to be metel, my Brother in Law is a welder and it's hard to tell after he's made a weld where the old metal ends and the new begins. The real question is if it's steel or cast iron. Also the hardwood would have to be very thin....but it's a thought, thanks.

Can't you make a couple of jaw pieces out of hardwood and glue/epoxy them onto jaws? You can adjust the fit afterward to make really tight closing jaws then. I think it's a lot safer way to remedy your problem than risk destroying the whole thing.

[David Gendron]

you could drop it on the concret floor and if it break, it's cast iron and if it didn't it's steel. Ok be serious now... If it is cast iron you could use JB Weld to rebuit the jaw and then shape it like you want or you could add a piece of iron to the jaw with conter sunk bolt and then shape the iron part to "perfection"!
Just an idea!

[Jim Koepke]

To the best of my knowledge, your vise is made of cast iron.

One advantage to using strips of wood veneer on the jaws is it will dampen the blade to cut vibration when filing a saw.

Some saw vises actually used a material in grooves of the vise faces to hold the saw.

jim

[Bob Strawn]

Seriously, Put a Leather or felt face on it.

Bob

[Josh Bowman]

The more I think about it, I think I'll go ahead and flatten the jaw so they match each other then laminate something to them like leather. The will probable enhance the thing all in all.

What say ye?

[Robert Rozaieski]

Yep, leather is good. I put it on my old cast iron saw vise and it made a world of difference. Just make sure it is a stiff, firm leather. Too soft and there will be too much compression in it so it may not serve to hold tightly enough.

[harry strasil]

almost all cast iron saw vises have that bow in them, it springs out when clamped. FWIW

[Josh Bowman]

almost all cast iron saw vises have that bow in them, it springs out when clamped. FWIW

This one has lost it's spring, that's what lead me down the path of stupidity!

[Josh Bowman]

Thanks for all the help, I've now just put some leather strips on the jaws with 2 sided tape. The jaws now hold very tight and the leather fills in the gaps very nice........hope I havn't got it to tight now, but it holds a Disston D-8 saw very tight and stable.
Thanks again.