stripping old paint from vise

[scale]

I have a wilton drill press vice that has one of the tabs broken off and is full of drill marks. I got it extra greasy but everything works great on it and the jaws are good.

I cleaned it up and degreased it but now i am thinking i want to prime and paint it. What very little green paint remains wont come off with just general wire brushing and id like to get that off before masking and priming it.

What works best? I had some chemical gel stripper at one time but that stuff was garbage. It woudnt take paint off of anything i tried it on so i threw it out. This isnt a show piece but a fun hobby and this thing is a monster. It works great for clamping things i am working on. $5 well spent i would say.

 

[Davefr]

Methyl Chloride based stripper (or aircraft stripper) used on a warm day has never failed me. It's nasty stuff and requires PPE. Don't use it indoors.

 

[Doc995]

Fill a bucket with Simple Green and submerge it....it'll take some time but it's effective.

 

[Shiftless]

Methyl Chloride based stripper (or aircraft stripper) used on a warm day has never failed me. It's nasty stuff and requires PPE. Don't use it indoors.

Methylene Chloride based strippers work great. But lately I’m using a different approach.

Warm Simple Green undiluted. Soak for a few hours or overnight and paint almost falls off by itself. I use a small brass wire “toothbrush” tool and running water to rinse away old paint. It degreases at the same time.
The solution is reusable and not a disposal problem at all. My local HD sells 2.5 gal. jugs for $20

This 60 year old vise had at least 3 layers of paint on it. I got the crockpot free at the recycling/reuse facility. It was missing the glass lid but otherwise it works great.

 

[Packard V8]

Since your vise evidences hard use, it's not going to be a show pony. And since the remaining paint is so tight it resists removal with wire brush and stripper, why obsess over it being on there? Just paint over it.

jack vines

 

[scale]

thanks for the replies. I might actually strip it and i might just use BLO on the bare metal afterwards. I have some Wilton green but this one is such a "user" that there may be no prettying it up with paint.

 

[Outlander]

I got the crockpot free at the recycling/reuse facility. It was missing the glass lid but otherwise it works great.

You saying you use the crock pot to warm the Simple Green, with the part immersed?

 

[Shiftless]

You saying you use the crock pot to warm the Simple Green, with the part immersed?

Yep.
That’s what I do with relatively small parts. Parts that are too big to go into the crock pot go into a big galvanized bucket. To warm the SG, I have a discarded 8qt. stock pot and warm it up on the kitchen stove. Then pour it into the bucket down in the garage. It will stay warm for a few hours. I just leave it overnight and that usually works. A guy could insulate the bucket, or maybe use an old ice chest. ???
Different paint acts differently.
With the crock pot I start on the HIGH setting and then switch down to low once it’s hot. With the crock pot, I don’t leave it on all night. Switch it off and let the part soak overnight.

The crock pot will also greatly shorten the time needed to derust objects soaking in Evaporust.

Warning: Stay away from your kitchen crock pot. If you’re caught using that for these pursuits, I can’t be responsible for difficult times with your S.O. Get your own crockpot from the thrift store or ??? If you have to, buy a new one for the kitchen and put the old one to use cookin’ parts in the garage.
.
.

 

[BFBOB]

... and don't to the Simple Green heat/dip indoors either. It's not toxic, but that "fragrance" will permeate the house. Even cold, it sends its scent far and wide.
When I first used it I thought it smelled pretty nice - I soon found out there's such a thing as too much of a good thing! And the smell clings to my hands relentlessly.

Before starting the inevitable discussion, I like the scent of WD-40, but have heard others say it stinks to high heaven. Eye of the beholder ...

Just be aware that in case ... shall we say, "other occupants of the house" find the smell objectionable, it can easily fill up the whole house, and then you'll be in the doghouse.

 

[Shiftless]

You’re absolutely right BFBob.
If you’re working in an attached garage or basement area, yes...the odor will permeate. Personally, I don’t find it objectionable but many do. Now that the weather in most of the country is moderating, just put your project outside.

There are other products similiar to SG that might smell better. Purple Power lilac might appeal to some. I haven’t tried Purple Power but I would bet it’s just as good. Anybody want to run a scientifically controlled comparison test?

 

[Outlander]

"Crock Pot Upgrade" thread soon to be started

"Show me your Crock Pots"
"Thread of awesome crock pots"
"What did you do in your crock pot today"
"Crock pot deals"

Need I go on?

 

[Shiftless]

(I’m still laughing)

 

[ZRX61]

Crockpot method with regular laundry detergent works just as well as SG

 

[Shiftless]

Crockpot method with regular laundry detergent works just as well as SG

I didn’t know that!
So like for about a gallon of water how much (powdered? Or Liquid?) detergent do you add?

 

[ZRX61]

Not much, maybe 1/4 cup or so. Powder kind


Incidentally.. it also works if you have bare metal cooking pots & pans (aluminum or stainless) & incinerate some food into a carbon like residue that appears to be welded to the pan. Just bring water/detergent to the boil & then turn the heat down to simmer for a while.

 

[zkling]

I'll have to try the hot simple green. My favorite method is sodium hydroxide mix in a stainless pot on a turkey fryer.

Really hard to find any good paint stripper around here anymore. My favorite Jasco paint and epoxy stripper got banned at Lowes last year.

 

[Craftfab]

I used CitriStrip recently to take a few layers of paint off a vise that would not come off with brushes or wire wheel. It worked great, took barely any scrubbing with a nylon brush and all clean bare metal.

 

[Air21]

I use ethylene glycol 50/50 with water (the cheap green antifreeze) in a Crock-Pot to strip away everything under the sun.

One weekend I have an old chest cooler I want to drill for a hot water heater element to make a big cleaning hot-tank since I can't fit half a Corvair block in my Crock-Pot

 

[Doc995]

What about powdered Tri Sodium Phospahte in a crock pot? Would that be effective in paint removal?

 

[neophyte]

Methyl Chloride based stripper (or aircraft stripper) used on a warm day has never failed me. It's nasty stuff and requires PPE. Don't use it indoors.

The nain issue with Methylene Cloroxe paint stripper, is that respirators don’t work against the fumes, so you need a fresh air respirator system, $$$$, or you need to use yhe stripper outside with a fan blowing the fumes away.

The info about the respirators came from someone at 3M, who seems to be the major respirator manufacturer in the US.

The main advantage is that if it’s going to work on the paint, the MC stripper tends to work very quickly, so you can get an idea whether the stripper will actually work.
MC also penetrates thru the paint, detaching the finish from the substrate.
Some paints require specialty paint strippers, or don’t strip easily after decades.

 

[Outlander]

The common element (pardon the pun) is the crock pot. Good thing garage sale season is upon us

 

[barrybeefburger]

tagged

 

[yhprum]

I vote for sodium hydroxide or drain cleaner in a crock pot.

 

[Outlander]

A clever entrepreneur would buy Crock Pots at garage sales, powder coat or paint them then re-sell them "temperature controlled rust remover containers" on eBay for outrages amounts of money.

Half the chemicals mentioned probably can't even be shipped, let alone cross provincial/state lines!

Doesn't mean I'm not going to try some of these suggestions. Sadly, no crock pot is large enough for my trailer project.