Sawyer Tool Co. Vise Rebuild

[sho92]

Here's my new edition I picked up from CL last week. It's a Sawyer Tool Co. 4". I already have a 4 1/2" Oswego Tool Co., which I believe was bought by Sawyer or was just a name change. When I saw this Sawyer, I had to have it to make an, almost, matched set. One of the little details I really like on these vises is the O with the T inside logo on the dynamic jaw.

This Sawyer is in in decent shape, it's definitely been beaten on during its life. The handle is covered in dents, and unfortunately the dynamic jaw has a chunck taken out of the corner.

I plan on rebuilding/restoring this one, but nothing over the top. I'd liike to clean it, paint it, polish up the handles and use it. Since my Oswego 4 1/2 is in great original shape, this Sawyer is going on a post and will be used for persuasion.

So, after all that I have a few questions for the group. I've seen people do vinegar baths, and others use electrolysis. Is there a benefit to using one over the other, or using both? If both, which comes first?

 

[sho92]

The vise came apart very easily this afternoon and I've now got it soaking in white vinegar. I was surprised how easily it all came apart, nothing was even hand tight, but I don't think it had even been apart either. The screws holding the front jaw were almost ground down to nothing.

On that note, I'll be replacing the screws and hopefully the jaws. I remember seeing someone on the HUGE vise thread that makes new ones. I'll definitely be searching him out and seeing if he can help me out.

 

[ganymede]

Nice, no frills vise. That missing chunk isn't a big deal. You can probably just blob a bit of JB weld behind it and I bet it'll look fine all painted up.

 

[Fretters]

I plan on rebuilding/restoring this one, but nothing over the top. I'd liike to clean it, paint it, polish up the handles and use it. Since my Oswego 4 1/2 is in great original shape, this Sawyer is going on a post and will be used for persuasion.

Nice vice.

So, after all that I have a few questions for the group. I've seen people do vinegar baths, and others use electrolysis. Is there a benefit to using one over the other, or using both? If both, which comes first?

They both work. Vinegar tends to be a tad more aggressive but not overly so. Either will work. I use electrolysis over acidic methods due to preference. Acids can pickle or etch certain surfaces somewhat, whereas electrolysis will just touch the rust and no more. I will occasionally drop odd bits in some citric acid though.