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First Bullet Resto...

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Buckgnarly

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...now I know why people fall in love with this old American Iron. Here's the original thread on it, I thought about selling it, but after restoring it no way. 61 years later it gets a new face and a new lease on life with me.....

Original post...
http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=253411


Before....





After....I did not want to make this a high polished vise, it will be a working vice in my nasty, dirty garage. So I just cleaned the rust and old paint off, gave it a quick rough polish and some oil to prevent rust on the bare metals. Paint is Green Hammertone.








While I had the paint out, figured I'd hit the railroad anvil I got from a member lotsoftools on here. Link to another here...
http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=252857

 
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zkling

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Great job :thumbup: The hammered paint really seems to work well on the old bullets.
 
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Garage Junky

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Looks really good. How do you like the hammertone paint? I used it to do a vise before too and I think it helps minimize old scaring and imperfections versus regular paint. Great color choice too.
 
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Buckgnarly

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Garage Junky said:
Looks really good. How do you like the hammertone paint? I used it to do a vise before too and I think it helps minimize old scaring and imperfections versus regular paint. Great color choice too.
Click to expand...

Yup, the Hammertone is all I am ever going to use now on. Really covers up the past beatings, to the point it makes old stuff look better!:thumbup:
 
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383 240z

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dang you!! I was just looking at my old Greenerd 3 ton arbor press, and a bench vise. Might just have to blast and paint them all pretty. Then the mill, then my Delta 17 drill press. I really need to stay off this site. It cause me to do to much work. Keith
 
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Todd.Brock

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My Wilton is that same damn color b/c I didn't want to wait for verde green to ship. It's not the most durable paint on the world, but has held up pretty well to garage use.
 
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Greatwhitewing

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Not to nit pic but I'm pretty sure that's a crane rail not a railroad section. Railroad is light duty compared to cranes.

Nice job, almost too nice to pound on though...
 
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Carla

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Notice the important detail about Buckgnarly's Wilton vise......

That one has been modified, to have smooth jaws with the retaining screws on the outside, as the Wilton works did with their largest vises.

This allows for convenient change of the jaw faces, from steel to other materials, such as brass, copper, or hardwood, to suit the nature of the work being held.

Its one of the 'old toolmakers' tricks' from many years ago, and is a very useful modification for any vise, except those with 'welded on' jaw facings, such a the Reed or Athol.

cheers

Carla
 
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Fretters

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Nice work. Looks good. :)


Carla said:
Notice the important detail about Buckgnarly's Wilton vise......

That one has been modified, to have smooth jaws with the retaining screws on the outside, as the Wilton works did with their largest vises.

This allows for convenient change of the jaw faces, from steel to other materials, such as brass, copper, or hardwood, to suit the nature of the work being held.

Its one of the 'old toolmakers' tricks' from many years ago, and is a very useful modification for any vise, except those with 'welded on' jaw facings, such a the Reed or Athol.

cheers

Carla
Click to expand...

Out of curiosity, what was the reasoning behind that? Is it more that the insert faces don't have screws in them, hence are less likely to marr a surface, or is it just that the screws are less prone to stick when mounted that way?
 
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Buckgnarly

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Fretters said:
Nice work. Looks good. :)




Out of curiosity, what was the reasoning behind that? Is it more that the insert faces don't have screws in them, hence are less likely to marr a surface, or is it just that the screws are less prone to stick when mounted that way?
Click to expand...

I have heard more surface area for grip, also no screws so a true no marr surface.
Whoever did thus to the vise, did a damn fine job of drilling. Just for fun I tried to see if one insert fit better than the other on each jaw, and both fit perfect on either.:rocker:
 
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W0rLDWaR4

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How much do these cost? I guy offered me an old one like in your first picture that has 4" jaws, bullet type, for 150. Is that a good deal?

By the way, great turn out!!
 
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Carla

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Fretters said:
Nice work. Looks good. :)
Out of curiosity, what was the reasoning behind that? Is it more that the insert faces don't have screws in them, hence are less likely to marr a surface, or is it just that the screws are less prone to stick when mounted that way?
Click to expand...

Hi, Fretters,

The reason for setting a vice up with easily interchangeable jaws relates to the work one may be doing........if one works on delicate, high finish mechanisms, such as some toff's Hollands 'game gun', or similar, on which one mustn't risk marking the fine scroll engraving, a set of soft-wood jaws is a practical necessity......sometimes even wooden jaws may mark a part, and lining them with sheet-cork is prudent.

I've used strips of 'balsa-wood' tack-glued to wooden jaws for some delicate parts, in which the balsa-wood crushes to hold the little delicate parts firmly but safely.

For other classes of fine work, one might make up copper or cast Babbitt jaws, which may be 'expended' on the job at hand, when the workpiece is ever so much more valuable than is the vice and its jaws..

Tufnol or Delrin jaws will be suitable for some work, as well, with 'nest' configurations milled to hold the delicate parts firmly without any risk of marking or scarring.

It was a common practice, years ago, for the old-timers to have quite a few sets of interchangeable jaws to their vices, to suit the work at hand.

cheers

Carla
 
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Buckgnarly

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It's final (for now) resting place.....took over for a beat ***, welded, Irwin China 4.5.....that now resides who knows where after someone grabbed it from my "Free" pile at the top of the driveway! May both provide many more years of service, though my money is on the Wilton!

 
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