After Stews recent post on his vice and my comment about not being happy with my vice, I thought I was in real luck today when I picked up this Draper Machine Vice. The vice was rusted closed but when I got it home and got a bit of WD40 on it to open the jaws, I found the bottom surface had damaged hole marks

OK, no sweat, I`ll mill a slot in the base and then bolt the new surface piece in place. At this point, note the 6 screws right at the front of the vice?!?
So I removed the base.... what is with the base piece? I`m just curious but I can`t see what it does since the main casting is the same shape and could be clamped??

Started to unscrew the random bolts at the front....wondering what the heck these are for and then....



Oh dear, perhaps this is one for re-weighing in as scrap!! Certainly not time at present for any

on this one but perhaps on the top shelf for future. I`m guess a hole new bottom plate with fixed jaw would need to be machined?
Anyway, I think I may have been rescued from my vice predicament.....

thanks to a fellow madmodder!
Chris