If You Know, You Know

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I got tasked with changing out an old, beat to death 6 inch vise at work.

I went up front, collected the new one, went back to the shop and gathered up what tools I figured I would need, some bolts and a drill with a couple bits.

I have found it to be rare that you get one with the exact same footprint.

I throw all that in the back of the electric golf cart we use and went across 4 Bays to get going.

I backed up as near as I could, grabbed a couple wrenches and walked over to start unbolting the old one, only to run into this…

And immediately wanted to slap the taste out of someone’s mouth.

Unbelievable.

Back to the shop to get a cordless angle grinder, some cut off wheels and a Flap Disc.

It took me a good half hour to cut all those welds enough to pry the vise off.

I moved it and then used the Flap Disc to smooth out the tiop of the table. Then I took the base off the new vise, got it set on the table so I had room to drill 4 holes and making sure there was room for bolts and washers underneath. I used a paint pen to mark the spots and then center punched in the middle of the paint marks.

Drilled the holes, put the vise back together and bolted it down.

Much Better.

Just a taste of the kind of crap I get to deal with on a daily basis.

17 thoughts on “If You Know, You Know”

  1. I tell ya Phil … Bin thru that shit many times … I never had a camera handy … I could show ya some real corkers !!! … You’d probably be the only other person to understand !!!

  2. Any truth to the rumor the old vise has been squirreled away in your garage?

    • So you noticed the bubblegum and bird shit too, Gary?
      Surprised it didn’t break off before now.

      Leigh
      Whitehall, NY

  5. I would have loaded the plasma cutter or a torch. Things rust solid when you are a half hour from the coast.

  6. Should have mounted it a little farther in so nobody can clamp long pieces vertically. Not obvious, just so the inner jaw is about an eighth of an inch past.

  7. What was wrong with the old vise. It’s not as if they have to be pretty to work.

    • Doyle from Harbor Freight. It is very good quality. They have a whole line of products and I can highly recommend them, I have several.

      • Thanks, been looking at them, haven’t pulled the trigger yet.

        Would love to have a Wilton Bullet, but the prices are nuts.

  12. story of my life. boss gives me a 5 minute job that turns into 3 days including all the hazmat inspectors, safety/osha guys that just happen to be in the shop that day, broken/ missing tools, empty gas bottles etc.. oh, and the vip that decides a tour would be nice right about now.

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