The VISES of Garage Journal

[rustiepyles]

My late 19th century 50lb Columbian post vise (before cleaning and mounting) next to my Wilton swivel jaw. I just got a 25lb Indian post vise thats getting cleaned up now.

 

[jakemac]

I've been thinking about that too. Has anybody tried never-seize??

Never-Sieze has grit in it to help keep the grease from hardening. I wouldn't use it on parts that move often for fear of the abrasive factor. It's fine for parts and fasteners that sit still for long periods, but I never use it on moving parts.

 

[GETRIDAONE]

Is that stuff similar to Coppa-(Ease|Slip), judging from their site? Definitely does put even grease to shame on it's ability to get on absolutely everything if so. You find copper colour fingerprints everywhere. I've found that stuff, (whilst I do like it and have used it until recently on the vices), suffers most of the same drawbacks as standard grease though, (I believe it uses a standard grease base?). It dries out eventually and solidifies, and it clings to any and all crud which gets near it. That's why I'm on the hunt for a replacement. Was thinking that a beeswax and graphite concoction might be worth trying?

I have both, the copper and the other one is silver color. they both are equally messy. The paste wax I use on bare media blasted surfaces lasts pretty well. I don't use it on slides or other polished parts because it tends to darken the metal.

 

[Fretters]

Cheers. Does that paste wax darken it due to some colour in the wax or due to having some minor type of reaction with the metal?

 

[drivesitfar]

i do love the conversation on this thread and usually learn something daily. the grease i was using for the last 30 years was in 2 coffee cans with plastic lids on them and an old glove inside. finally gone and i wish Gramps would have filled up a few more for me out of his 55 gallon drum. that stuff was awesome and i wish i would have taken a picture. he used it on all his logging equipment and i guarantee you it was usually over greased.

that said i'm very happy with TriFlow products http://www.triflowlubricants.com/ and was planning on ordering some of their silicone grease to use on my vises and other tools. anybody use it yet and have any comments to share?

 

[GETRIDAONE]

Cheers. Does that paste wax darken it due to some colour in the wax or due to having some minor type of reaction with the metal?

I think it is the chemicals/petroleum in the wax that reacts with the metal.

 

[zkling]

I think it is the chemicals/petroleum in the wax that reacts with the metal.

I think it is the friction and the miniscule wear from the cast iron causing the wax to darken and then fill the pours of the casting. What type of wax are you using? I've used johnsons paste wax (yellow can) for years on non metal cutting machinery and have never noticed a darkening problem.

 

[GETRIDAONE]

I think it is the friction and the miniscule wear from the cast iron causing the wax to darken and then fill the pours of the casting. What type of wax are you using? I've used johnsons paste wax (yellow can) for years on non metal cutting machinery and have never noticed a darkening problem.

Thats is what I use. I think the metal has something to do with it also. Some slides will come out great with a wire wheel and or scotch pads and others just won't shine even with washing them in between to get the built up metal off. The more you try the worse it gets with black metal dust
To much pressure will tend to burnish the metal also.

 

[Mark in Indiana]

How well do those two hold up, over time? Furniture polish as in wax polish?

Paste wax is what I use. The guide rods on a woodworking vise see little to no friction, so it's more of a clean rust preventative. I use the same on my table saw & drill press work tops.

As far as the silicone grease, It would probably hold up indefinitely with no use. Case & point, I took back a Harley vise that I made a year ago to mount it on a wood base for display. The silicone grease on the slide was intact. However, I'm more comfortable with the Lubriplate white grease on the slides of my work vises and occasionally replacing it. I only clean and re-grease the slide after I do some grinding that leaves abrasive dust or drilling that creates a lot of metal shavings.

I also keep covers on my vises to protect them from the general shop dust when not in use.

 

[GETRIDAONE]

"I also keep covers on my vises to protect them from the general shop dust when not in use"
Custom made Logo vise covers Somebody would buy those wouldn't they ?

 

[oldldh]

Covers with Logos would be a "Must Have"...

For the Vise-a-holics on this thread...

 

[nine4gmc]

Craftsman drill press vises, steady growing!

 

[Mark in Indiana]

"I also keep covers on my vises to protect them from the general shop dust when not in use"
Custom made Logo vise covers Somebody would buy those wouldn't they ?

I thought of making some with an industrial sewing machine that I learned to use. But currently the covering consists of a large cotton cloth on the vise then a garbage bag on top of it. That keeps condensation from forming on the metal and rain water off when the garage door is opened.

 

[Mark in Indiana]

Craftsman drill press vises, steady growing!

Looks like they had babies.

 

[exmaxima1]

Never-Sieze has grit in it to help keep the grease from hardening. I wouldn't use it on parts that move often for fear of the abrasive factor.

It seems to be marketed as a "high-pressure lubricant" containing metallic and graphite particles. I would tend to think that it exactly what you would want on a vise screw....

Where did you hear it was abrasive??

 

[zkling]

It seems to be marketed as a "high-pressure lubricant" containing metallic and graphite particles. I would tend to think that it exactly what you would want on a vise screw....

Where did you hear it was abrasive??

Graphite itself is abrasive. Never seize is not a repeated friction lubricant as it is more of a thick corrosion preventer. Hence the "never seize" name. For the occasionally used threads you are not going to wear out the threads. But for something that is constantly taken off and on and off and or, or a vise screw that is repeatedly transversed it will wear away.

I usually use Red N' Tacky for my general purpose shop grease. Plus it is a fun color.

 

[balane]

Speaking of Craftsman drill press vises, here's one I recently finished with.

.

 

[Fretters]

Cheers for the info on the wax all.

Graphite itself is abrasive.

I'll stop appearing to be argumentative one day. Honest. Quite the opposite with graphite though. It's been used for donkeys years as a dry lubricant, and for good reason.

 

[exmaxima1]

I usually use Red N' Tacky for my general purpose shop grease. :

I'll try that! It says it is "fortified with Anti-Sieze", whatever that could mean...

 

[Hamm01040]

Hello all-

This is my first post here. I have been reading this thread for a long time and have been motivated to buy an old vise and restore it. I finally found a vise that I want to invest the time/resources restoring. It is an American Scale CO. Also says KC MO NO 522. It is a 6" vise that opens to about 15". I weighed it along with the stand it is attached to and it weighs 348lbs. If I had to guess, I'd say the vise weighs about 200lbs. I'll try to figure out how to put pictures up as soon as I can.

Thanks for the inspiration.
Steve

 

[skorpio]

"I also keep covers on my vises to protect them from the general shop dust when not in use"
Custom made Logo vise covers Somebody would buy those wouldn't they ?

Vise cozies?

 

[Fretters]

Graphite itself is abrasive.

I will actually rescind what I said earlier and rephrase. Just been double checking on graphite, and you're correct in that it apparently can be abrasive in certain circumstances, namely the absence of any moisture. Not a scenario that's likely to occur in normal use though.

 

[Fretters]

I also keep covers on my vises to protect them from the general shop dust when not in use.

Sweet, I'm not the only sad git on here. I tend to cover all of my machinery too, barring my two main vices, the little Record and the Parkinson. They tend to get used frequently, so it'd likely be more hassle than it was worth covering and uncovering those all of the time.

 

[Fretters]

Hello all-

This is my first post here. I have been reading this thread for a long time and have been motivated to buy an old vise and restore it. I finally found a vise that I want to invest the time/resources restoring. It is an American Scale CO. Also says KC MO NO 522. It is a 6" vise that opens to about 15". I weighed it along with the stand it is attached to and it weighs 348lbs. If I had to guess, I'd say the vise weighs about 200lbs. I'll try to figure out how to put pictures up as soon as I can.

Thanks for the inspiration.
Steve

Welcome. That sounds like a monster of a vice you've picked up there. Can't wait to see the photo's.

 

[Hamm01040]

Pictures of my American scale No. 522

 

[zkling]

Vise cozies?

I'll stop appearing to be argumentative one day. Honest. Quite the opposite with graphite though. It's been used for donkeys years as a dry lubricant, and for good reason.

No worries. Back in a former hobby I use to machine graphite nozzles. Used an old beater lathe and did it outside. Machining graphite you will realize how abrasive it is not only on the machine but the cutting tool life is drastically reduced. There is a local EDM shop that specializes in custom graphite electrodes and they use specially designed VMC's that have extensive way covers, again to prevent the abrasive dust and slurry from wearing away at the machine.

I'll try that! It says it is "fortified with Anti-Sieze", whatever that could mean...

I'm not saying it is the best, just been good for an all around grease for me. I'd be interested in knowing what Blane and autopts use on their vise restorations. It appears autopts uses a similar red looking grease

 

[jakemac]

Pictures of my American scale No. 522

I think that that vise is way too advanced for a beginner restoration. The best thing for you to do is to send it to me for storage while you practice on cheap chicom **** until you're ready to tackle such a difficult project.


OBTW - nice find on a great looking vise, and welcome to the forum

 

[jakemac]

Vise cozies?

You beat me to it !

 

[HunterMike]

I thought I would share my first 2 tries at restoring. These are not the monsters some have posted, but here we go.

First up:

4" Torco by Wilton

Thanks to EOC Jason, Fretters, and Outlaw for help with tear down. Before and after pics:

 

[HunterMike]

Inspiration for the 3.5" Craftsman:

*Note to self: I need a tree stump!

 

[Hamm01040]

I think that that vise is way too advanced for a beginner restoration. The best thing for you to do is to send it to me for storage while you practice on cheap chicom **** until you're ready to tackle such a difficult project.


It's on its way. Hahaha! I am going to take my time on the restoration and make sure it's done right. I hope that I will have to buy many tools as an excuse to assure a proper restoration.

Steve

 

[zkling]

Those look awesome HunterMike

 

[epossum]

I've used johnsons paste wax (yellow can) for years on non metal cutting machinery and have never noticed a darkening problem.

Question for you about Johnson's paste wax. Do you use it on woodworking machinery that comes into contact with wood you plan on finishing? I was afraid to use it because I thought it might contain silicone which is a bad thing to get on wood as it will mess up clear finishes (causes what they call "orange peel"). I tried to find out from the maker and sent their customer service a request to tell me if that product contains silicone. The response I got back was "we're not telling you". It's been a while now but it seems like they mentioned trade secret or something like that. Gee, I asked nicely and even told them why I was asking. It seems to me they could have at least told me it was OK to use on my woodworking machines or not. SO, what's the bottom line on the Johnson paste wax - silicone or not, or has it ever caused a problem with anyone's wood finish? Since a lot of you guys are using it on your woodworking vises I'm thinking it must be OK. This isn't really off-topic (too much) as I'm getting ready to fix up a Wilhelm Baum woodworker's vise.

Thanks for any advice, info, etc.

 

[zkling]

Do you use it on woodworking machinery that comes into contact with wood you plan on finishing?

Yes, every exposed surface in my shop gets either paste wax or way oil. We have a very humid environment and things basically rust in front of your eyes without something on them. Been using the paste wax for years on table saw top, jointer tables, drill press table and column bandsaw tables, even hand planes. Never had an issue, I got the recommendation from some veteran wood workers that build things I couldn't even dream of. I just put on a heavy coat, rub it in, let sit for a few min and then buff it off with a clean rag till the rag comes back clean. I think there is something higher grade called Renaissance wax but that is a bit above my current pay grade. I think I'm still on the same yellow can that I bought years ago.

 

[ShadowRuleZ]

Star vise anyone? Don't know much about it but I figured I'd save the picture in case someone else ever runs across one.

 

[nine4gmc]

Vise cozies?

 

[Fretters]

No worries. Back in a former hobby I use to machine graphite nozzles. Used an old beater lathe and did it outside. Machining graphite you will realize how abrasive it is not only on the machine but the cutting tool life is drastically reduced. There is a local EDM shop that specializes in custom graphite electrodes and they use specially designed VMC's that have extensive way covers, again to prevent the abrasive dust and slurry from wearing away at the machine.

Came across that point regarding electrodes whilst I was checking up on graphite earlier. From what I could gather, it's not the graphite which is the abrasive stuff there but rather the adhesive/binder they use. That's only what I briefly read from one source though, so it's not verified as fact.

Another thing I hadn't realised about graphite is that it apparently increases the effects of galvanic corrosion. I suppose that's due to it's good conduction properties.

 

[Fretters]

*Note to self: I need a tree stump!

I think we could all do with one. Nicely done on those. The detailing looks good too.

 

[Fretters]

Star vise anyone? Don't know much about it but I figured I'd save the picture in case someone else ever runs across one.

Don't know if they're related, but I seem to recall that Seneca Falls? used the Star name for some of their lathes.

 

[Garage Customz]

I had posted a few weeks ago about digging thru my Dad's old tools finally and finding some cool stuff. Well check out the Vise I found stashed away on one of my shelves that was his.
It says The Chas. Park Co. Merident OT USA Nov 22 1910 Model # 202
Anybody know anything about these?