Welding Table and Vice

[W_KY]

I was able to pick up this welding table and vice for free. They aren't in the best shape but hard to beat the price. The table is super heavy. My plan is to put the table on a heavy set of casters. I will mainly use it as a workbench as I currently don't have a welder. The vice is a Craftsman brand but I don't know much else about it. Can ya'll tell me anything about it from the pics? (i.e. is it any good?) Any suggestions on what to do to get it in better shape? Thanks in advance.

 

[LoneGunman]

That vise is probably better than the $300-$400 vises that are out there today. Either use it as is or not the rust off by blasting it or if you don't have the capability, use a wire wheel on a grinder or drill if you have to. Degrease and paint, leave the jaw areas that touch whatever you are holding paint free as well as parts that are metal to metal, just grease those.

Theres a few recent threads in the tool forum.

*going back down to the basement (tool forum)

 

[JohnK007]

Is it any good?

Free is ALWAYS GOOD !!! Like LG said, a wire brush and a little paint and you have one sturdy bench. Nice score !!

 

[Vicegrip]

Flap wheel the bench top bare metal clean but don't paint it if you plan to use it as a welding table. a rub with some light oil if you must. Most welders just put up with some surface rust on the welding table surface than clean it off if it gets to be an issue.

 

[Palmetto]

Dont do anything to it. Just use it.

 

[tfi racing]

Just start fabricating something,that'll whip that surface into shape and clean up that vise!

 

[brad d]

you can take a belt sander to the table top and paint the legs (again no paint on top).

 

[Gota66]

Man, that was a sweet score! I am looking for something like that with no luck. Will end up spending $300-500 dollars just for materials and then the time to build.
BTW, are you in west KY? Where?

 

[W_KY]

Gota66 -- I'm around Murray, KY. We've lived here a little over a year.

Thanks for all the suggestions. I think I'll end up just knocking the rust off the table legs the best I can and put some flat black paint on them. Then I will take the rust off the vice, paint the parts that need paint an industrial gray, grease it up and start using it. I'll try to remember to take pics as I go along.

 

[Coach James]

A+ for the deal! Does the vise have a country of origin? It looks like the 5" version of my 4" C-man vise.

Coach