oil or grease on vise screw threads?

[atch]

So I disassembled my Craftsman vise and painted it red. I reassembled it and put 3-in-1 oil on the threads.

1. Should I have used grease instead?

2. Should I clean the threads and grease them?

3. Should I clean and re-oil with the Mobil Vactra #2 Way oil that I recently procured?

Note: I seem to be unable to get pix from my phone to my computer right now. Otherwise I'd post pix of the refurbished vise.

 

[Leroy]

Grease is the normal application but oil is better than nothing.

 

[atch]

Ok.

I'll replace the oil with grease.

Thanx.

 

[lilredex]

On a Record vise, there is an oil hole exposed when the movable jaw is half way out. So, oil.

 

[c39er]

I use both..and plenty as I use my vises constantly.

 

[sweetk30]

i got one with automotive glitter on it and its working good . . .

automotive glitter = anti-seize for the kids ears .

automotive herpes = anti-seize for adults .

 

[nadogail]

I am fond of a thin coat of white lithium grease.

 

[CJseven]

I use fluid film

 

[FSrepair&fabrication]

I use aluminum never seize on my vises. Works well and doesnt attract dirt as badly as grease, and doesnt wash off as quickly for the ones mounted on trucks that are parked outdoors.

 

[matt_i]

Where's Bondo when we need him?

In m shop I would choose Mobil Vactra #1419 which has tackifiers in it. Similar to chainsaw lube in the sticky-ness but its not a low-grade throwaway base-stock. Oil will "creep" to the places you need it, grease tends to get smashed out of the way.

The Mobil Vactra is not bad but the #4 with ISO220 viscosity would do better.

I would avoid EP-oils such as "rear axle lubricant" if there's any bronze involved as it slowly corrodes the bronze.

 

[Stuart in MN]

Use whatever you want. If you think about it, probably 90% of the vises out there in use have never been lubricated and probably never will be, but somehow they still work.

 

[astroracer]

Use whatever you want. If you think about it, probably 90% of the vises out there in use have never been lubricated and probably never will be, but somehow they still work.

Exactly! Nothing to worry about, oil or grease is fine. I use silicone spray on mine as it doesn't collect grit from grinding and cutting.
Mark

 

[Danno1]

.



I use whatever grease is handy at the time...



.

 

[fsae0607]

I brush on a thin coat of moly grease. Works great on my Wilton.

 

[Farmall450]

Use whatever you want. If you think about it, probably 90% of the vises out there in use have never been lubricated and probably never will be, but somehow they still work.

Ding ding

I generally brush on synthetic caliper slide grease

 

[Bogie1632]

Ding ding

I generally brush on synthetic caliper slide grease

x3. Brake grease works great on trailer jacks too. But just about anything that works as a lube works on a vise.

V/R
Bogie

 

[vrinner]

Use whatever you want. If you think about it, probably 90% of the vises out there in use have never been lubricated and probably never will be, but somehow they still work.

Wait...what??? I'm supposed to grease my vise?

 

[RegeSullivan]

Never thought about adding grease or oil... I mean what the hell for, I'm usually wiping it off!

 

[atch]

Thanx everyone.

When I first put this thing back together after sandblasting and painting (obviously not on the screw itself) I turned it in and out a few times. It didn't stick but wasn't as easy to turn as I thought it should have been.

I took it apart and put the 3-in-1 oil on the threads and it turns much easier. From now on I'll occasionally take it apart and put some Mobil Vactra #2 on the threads.

That being said, however, my two large vises have never, to my knowledge, been lubed. One is a 5" Olympia Tools Chinese thing with serrated jaws that I bought new 30 +/- years ago; and probably from Sam's Club. It doesn't get much use. The other is a made in the USA 4" Simplex 418 vise with smooth jaws that I bought used about 30 years ago. Who knows how old it is. I use this one a LOT.

They turn well. Maybe I'll lube them too and see if they turn easier.

 

[Earp69]

Graphite is a great lubricant that will not pickup grindings like grease or oil does. Just my opinion

 

[ken w.]

I use either Onelube or Super Lube grease. It makes a big difference. You don't notice it until you run it in and out about 3-4 times. But , any lube is better than no lube.

 

[losdudes]

I have used WD40 to clean off 50 years of old grease and dirt. After it's clean I just use a lite coat of WD40. No issues

 

[Danno1]

.


BTW, I also put grease on the upper and lower sliding surfaces. And just when I put the vice into service. It's not a PM item (with me anyway).


.

 

[NUTTSGT]

I have used WD40 to clean off 50 years of old grease and dirt. After it's clean I just use a lite coat of WD40. No issues

If I have ever lubed up my vise, which I don't remember doing, it was probably with WD-40 or something similar.

 

[coljar]

I use grease on the threads and bottom keyway of the Wilton bullets, but I use something thin like penetrating oil on the out barrel of the slide so I can just wipe the debris off.

 

[losdudes]

As long as we keep them clean shouldn’t matter what we use. A clean machine is a happy machine.

 

[James-W]

I put on a VERY light coat of lithium grease. But I don't use my vise all that often anymore. Way back when I used it a lot more, these days not so much. As I have gotten older I do less and less repair work that requires a vise.

 

[Stephanorf]

I just use bearing grease. It is messy, but a thin film on all the moving/sliding parts seems to do a good job.