Replacing my Vise- What should I do?

ErichKeane

Making scrap at ludicrous speed.
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Alright, so here's the deal. I have an old Kurt D60 (Casting date in '79). It has been working more or less fine, but is pretty worn (and spent its years in a high school). The ways are cut up in a few places, so I have to be careful about laying parallels, and the top of the movable jaw is chewed up, so holding in the 'wide' mode is pretty unreliable.

I tore it apart last night (including picking out the thrust bearing in 90 pieces with a chisel), cleaned it up, and realized it is in pretty awful shape. I already knew the cuts in the ways were pretty bad, and the drill holes in the top of the moving jaw sucked, but I thought about having it welded up and reground. However, the drill holes in the movable jaw are through some really thin portions, including through the nut and into the half-sphere area. The metal is really thin in spots, and likely on its last leg. My welder told me that its likely not worth fixing the moving jaw at all.

I tossed it on the surface grinder and cleaned up the ways, and will likely put it back into service (as a backup) once the rebuild kit comes in.

That said, I want to replace it with something in better shape (and without the holes in the ways, which cause problems pretty often for me). Here are my options:

1- There is an older unmolested D50 on craigslist for ~$150. Not sure how I feel about downsizing from a 6", but I figured I'd surface grind the ways flat and it would be perfect, since it IS a Kurt.

2- Buy a cheap 6" milling vise (Shars/etc) for about the same, and grind the ways. I saw a "Build Something Cool" video doing this, and it seems like a lot of work to square up the fixed jaw as well as the base. Hopefully I'd luck into one with a very flat base plus a square fixed jaw.

3- Buy a GMT 6" vise (~$400: https://www.glacern.com/gsv_690). They seem alright, but I fear that I'd just be overpaying for an imported vise.

4- Suck it up and buy a DX6 (~$550). This is expensive, and will pretty much devastate my 'toy' budget, but seems to be the Caddy of manual machine vises.

ANY other suggestions? Something obvious I'm missing?
 
It sounds like most of your issues are with the jaws. Buy or make some new ones.
 
It sounds like most of your issues are with the jaws. Buy or make some new ones.

It isn't the jaw faces, it is the big movable jaw piece. I am not sure what to call that. The 'nut' is >$100 and that movable jaw is likely at least to that, at that point I'd question the value math, I'd still be stuck with a ways that makes using a sine-bar or a parallel error-prone.
 
It isn't the jaw faces, it is the big movable jaw piece. I am not sure what to call that. The 'nut' is >$100 and that movable jaw is likely at least to that, at that point I'd question the value math, I'd still be stuck with a ways that makes using a sine-bar or a parallel error-prone.
You should be able to find a d675 for under $250 that is functionally close to new, just not perfect cosmetics. I would stay with 6" jaws or 8" if you have the room.A new dx6 does have the 9" capacity!
 
What is wrong with the movable jaw?

The top of it was drilled to death with apprentice marks. Additionally, it seems that someone machined it (poorly) in the past.

I ended up just sucking it up and picking up a S&D DX6.
 
The top of it was drilled to death with apprentice marks. Additionally, it seems that someone machined it (poorly) in the past.

I ended up just sucking it up and picking up a S&D DX6.

Are you happy with your S&D DX6? I was thinking about doing the same. Can you even see the scratches or dents?

Ted
 
Are you happy with your S&D DX6? I was thinking about doing the same. Can you even see the scratches or dents?

Ted
Its pretty awesome! There is 1 void in the base casting that doesn't effect anything, but otherwise it is a great looking vice! I haven't got it trammed in or anything yet, but thats my next step.
 
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