Fretters
Well-known member
That's definitely something I'd love to see a photo of.
Could just imagine the curtain twitchers conversations if they saw you doing something like that. 
Craftsman 5186 vise restore
- Thread starter JeremyBurke
- Start date
That's definitely something I'd love to see a photo of.
Could just imagine the curtain twitchers conversations if they saw you doing something like that. drivesitfar
Well-known member
thanks Jeremy for sharing. yes, Nines is maybe the king of rust or at least he used to be before he moved into his new digs and buys almost new stuff now. i did see he bought a rusty table saw and since Louisiana is so dang humid i bet that stuff in your hand works great if that's what he uses.
Fretters: just saw your post after i posted mine and curtain twitchers?? you are awesome and again i'm learning old English a word and a phrase at a time and having fun doing so with you probably as my lead instructor. cheers mate and i belly laughed on that one.
Fretters: just saw your post after i posted mine and curtain twitchers?? you are awesome and again i'm learning old English a word and a phrase at a time and having fun doing so with you probably as my lead instructor. cheers mate and i belly laughed on that one.
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OP
JeremyBurke
Well-known member
... curtain twitchers conversations if they saw you doing something like that.
I love actual English phases like that one. I have no idea what "curtain twitchers" are and yet I know exactly what they are. Thanks as always Fretter for your lively additions to the GJ.
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JeremyBurke
Well-known member
Well I finally did it this weekend I painted the letters and put it back together. I am calling this project complete.
I started with this.
and turned it into this.
Also this weekend I had to cut down a tree that was too close to my house so since I had the stump I took a few shots as an homage to one of the Big vise threads favorite sons.
The close observer will notice that 3 small letters got missed in the painting so I had to go back and do a little touch up.
So here is what I will do different on my next one.
1) I will fill the gouges on the body of the tool somehow.
2) I will practice painting more before so that I do better work.
Overall I am pretty happy with how it turned out for my first vise restore.
Thanks for following along and offering advise.
PS: Balane the stump shots are a sign of respect. I promise.
I started with this.
and turned it into this.
Also this weekend I had to cut down a tree that was too close to my house so since I had the stump I took a few shots as an homage to one of the Big vise threads favorite sons.
The close observer will notice that 3 small letters got missed in the painting so I had to go back and do a little touch up.
So here is what I will do different on my next one.
1) I will fill the gouges on the body of the tool somehow.
2) I will practice painting more before so that I do better work.
Overall I am pretty happy with how it turned out for my first vise restore.
Thanks for following along and offering advise.
PS: Balane the stump shots are a sign of respect. I promise.
Fretters
Well-known member
Very nice work. You should be proud of that.
Personally, I wouldn't worry, (and I don't, usually ), about gouges and absolutely perfect paint work. I'm sure none of us could ever profess to having done an absolutely perfect paint job unless the planets happen to be in perfect alignment one day, , and even if you did, things like dust, insects etc. will always do their damnedest to screw it up, (I'm sure insects have a 'Yippee, wet paint; party time' attitude). Paint is there to pretty something up whilst at the same time serving the main purpose of protection from corrosion. A perfect paint job won't last any longer than a slightly imperfect one will, and neither will usually make it through the first day of use without at least one chip or scratch.Gouges and marks, they are part of any machine or tools history. Soften them up and remove sharp burrs or ridges etc, but generally, I always leave them as is. Same as with paint, pretty is nice but functional is better. If you remove or mask too much of a machine or tools past and history, it becomes nothing more than some old thing lacking any soul, IMHO. Careless a past owner may have been, but those marks and any other surface features a piece may have acquired over its life are what makes it interesting and truly unique.
Alexbn921
Well-known member
Nice work. Really dig the blue and white. I like the freshly restore "lived a life" look. It says I care about my tools and I use them.
The DP I'm working on will get some of the dents beat out of it, but the cast imperfections will stay.
The DP I'm working on will get some of the dents beat out of it, but the cast imperfections will stay.
OP
JeremyBurke
Well-known member
Fretter: Thanks for your kind words. I'm not too upset about the gouges and having the character is nice. I do still need to practice painting. Also thanks for your tips in that regard. I used the paint thinner and artist brush technique you mentioned earlier in this thread when I was doing the lettering. Not to fix drips but to erase bobbled letters and redo them. I would dab the still wet paint off with a brush soaked in thinner and then dry it with a shop towel corner and start anew. I don't have the steady hand of a surgeon but I am happy with the results.
Alex: Thanks for your comments. I agree the paint does look white on the Blue but it is actually Rustoleum Hammered Silver. The Hammered doesn't show nor was it needed it is just what I had on hand that gave the contrast I wanted. Plus it matches the bare metal well and I wanted 2 tone not multicolored.
Alex: Thanks for your comments. I agree the paint does look white on the Blue but it is actually Rustoleum Hammered Silver. The Hammered doesn't show nor was it needed it is just what I had on hand that gave the contrast I wanted. Plus it matches the bare metal well and I wanted 2 tone not multicolored.
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Chasbec
Well-known member
Jeremy - That vise looks great! The lettering is awesome. It serves as an inspiration to the brand new vise project that I posted today.
balane
Well-known member
Very nice work Jeremy, looks great! Thanks for the mention too, the stump is perfect.
drivesitfar
Well-known member
Jeremy: that looks awesome and hard to believe that is your first ever vise restoration. on that note alone it will make a great BDay present for your 60 year old Dad unless you found another one for him and this one is going to mount on your nice bench.
Balane: looks like the stump with a good looking vise sitting on it is catching on. so far i don't know anybody that can turn an old vise that looks like a turd into a gem as quick as you, but your stump might need a hardwood cover to keep it from rotting away.
or maybe Jeremy will let you borrow his for pictures.
Balane: looks like the stump with a good looking vise sitting on it is catching on. so far i don't know anybody that can turn an old vise that looks like a turd into a gem as quick as you, but your stump might need a hardwood cover to keep it from rotting away.
or maybe Jeremy will let you borrow his for pictures.
OP
JeremyBurke
Well-known member
Chasbec: thanks so much. I am following along with your vise repair as well.
Balane: it wasn't even 1/50th as fast as your repairs and it might only be about that good compared to yours but I really do appreciate the kind words. I may have to use the stump again if it isn't too derivative of yours. Only issue is it on the opposite side of my house from the garage/shop area the vises get much bigger and I will have to transport in pieces and reassemble for the pictures.
Drives: Thanks for the kind words. I don't think my stump has the character of Balane's but hopefully a few Oregon winters will fix that. I think the vise is somewhere in the range of 1943-1945 based on my Sears catalog and Outlawmws thread research. Which is perfect since my dad's 70th is coming up soon so the vise is spitting distance of his age.
Here is a picture I have been hesitant to post but I think I have to just for full disclosure sake. This shows some of the flaws with the lettering and casting.
Balane: it wasn't even 1/50th as fast as your repairs and it might only be about that good compared to yours but I really do appreciate the kind words. I may have to use the stump again if it isn't too derivative of yours. Only issue is it on the opposite side of my house from the garage/shop area the vises get much bigger and I will have to transport in pieces and reassemble for the pictures.
Drives: Thanks for the kind words. I don't think my stump has the character of Balane's but hopefully a few Oregon winters will fix that. I think the vise is somewhere in the range of 1943-1945 based on my Sears catalog and Outlawmws thread research. Which is perfect since my dad's 70th is coming up soon so the vise is spitting distance of his age.
Here is a picture I have been hesitant to post but I think I have to just for full disclosure sake. This shows some of the flaws with the lettering and casting.
I noticed while cleaning that the base had these symbols. Does that mean this would have worked for a reed 204R of the same vintage.
Thanks
Super nice job!
Jeremy, somehow I missed this, probably when I had major computer issues this summer and eventually bought a new one. I have a 5186 myself that the PO did a decent job of repainting but it's gray and sometime will be re-done blue.
Yes the base will fit a Reed 204R and a 2C as well. My Reed 206 has both 6 and 4C markings
great vise. Some leave gouges and scrapes as battle wounds.
fyi with your electrodes you only have to clean the rust off the part where you clamp the charger cable to. You can leave the rods in there for a long time. They get a ton of buildup and look gross as hell, and eventually start to disintegrate but they keep working just the same.
Actually I wonder if it gets better with the more barnacle buildup because it is like adding more surface area and direction to the rod?
fyi with your electrodes you only have to clean the rust off the part where you clamp the charger cable to. You can leave the rods in there for a long time. They get a ton of buildup and look gross as hell, and eventually start to disintegrate but they keep working just the same.
Actually I wonder if it gets better with the more barnacle buildup because it is like adding more surface area and direction to the rod?
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JeremyBurke
Well-known member
Bluebolt and 1982fxr thanks so much for your input and comments guys. It was a lot of fun to redo this vise and Dad really liked it as a gift.
drivesitfar
Well-known member
82: are you positive about that? i still need to set up my first Electrolysis tank, but everybody was saying to clean off the entire anode (rebar or steel).
do you have any pictures of your tank that maybe you can post on this thread because if i need some information when setting up mine i'm going to check this thread for answers?
http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=237752&highlight=homemade+electrolysis
Jeremy: did your Dad like his workbench you really spiffed up for him too or has he seen it yet? since the Craftsman vise is going to end up on the butcher block bench your made him can you post your pictures of it on this thread?
do you have any pictures of your tank that maybe you can post on this thread because if i need some information when setting up mine i'm going to check this thread for answers?
http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=237752&highlight=homemade+electrolysis
Jeremy: did your Dad like his workbench you really spiffed up for him too or has he seen it yet? since the Craftsman vise is going to end up on the butcher block bench your made him can you post your pictures of it on this thread?
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JeremyBurke
Well-known member
Drives I haven't officially given dad the bench yet. But I will post pictures once it is finished and in his shop.
Edit: also I haven't mounted the vise to his bench yet. I will if he wants but I figured it's his shop and I didn't want to decide for him where to put it. And since you asked here is the bench just about finished.
And this is from a recent trip to Colorado that I just like.
Edit: also I haven't mounted the vise to his bench yet. I will if he wants but I figured it's his shop and I didn't want to decide for him where to put it. And since you asked here is the bench just about finished.
And this is from a recent trip to Colorado that I just like.
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Smokeshow69
Well-known member
Just finished your vise thread and thought you did a really good job on it. I like how you left the dents and scrapes from over the years on it! It has a nice character look to it! I am sure your dad will be proud!
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danstead
Well-known member
Jburke,
Awesome thread regarding your Craftsman 5186 story. Thx for sharing! I learned a lot.
Awesome thread regarding your Craftsman 5186 story. Thx for sharing! I learned a lot.
OP
JeremyBurke
Well-known member
Smoke and Dan thanks for the kind word. I really enjoyed this restore. It was a fun gift to give my dad for his 70th.
Joe Bendix
Member
I use 3 in One -Silicone Dry Lube. I coat all bare metal with it, and then dry it with a hair dryer (otherwise it takes days to dry!). I lubricate all moving vise parts with it, including the main screw. It prevents rust and lubricates very well! And it does not collect dust and dirt, like grease and wet lube does! I also cover all painted surfaces with it. When dry, it acts like car wax and lasts very long. it does not damage the paint & keeps it shiney, while keeping bare spots from rusting!!! -Joe
steaks&anvils
Well-known member
It seems that every stuck swivel jaw pin needs it's own removal technique. If you don't get and answer here try asking on the big vise repair thread (use lots of photos):
VISE REPAIR 101 all vise repairs, lubricants, sources for parts and the tricks to fix
I'm starting this thread to help me because i'm going to restore quite a few vises and I've only paid to have that done or done some basic repairs so far in my 60 years. as with all tools different manufacturers all do things a bit different and some makers even do different things on their own...
www.garagejournal.com