Chris C Posted July 21, 2019 Share Posted July 21, 2019 Thanks, Frosty, I'll check on that. Thanks Jennifer, I'll keep that in my mental storage house. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris C Posted July 21, 2019 Share Posted July 21, 2019 Okay, as promised, here's a "before" pic of my new vise. (beginning to think of this hobby as my new vice!) I think it will clean up nicely. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tomas W Posted July 21, 2019 Share Posted July 21, 2019 Dang that looks nice. Do you even need to clean it up? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris C Posted July 21, 2019 Share Posted July 21, 2019 Yes...........at least to make me happy! It's covered in dusty oil........obviously from a barn or something. I want to strip it down to raw metal and get it all cleaned up. Don't care to work with nasty ole equipment. It's missing one of it's mounting bracket bolts, but, yes, it's in darned good shape. Think I did well for a hundred bucks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irondragon Forge ClayWorks Posted July 21, 2019 Share Posted July 21, 2019 Just wipe it down with fresh oil. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris C Posted July 21, 2019 Share Posted July 21, 2019 I've been breaking it down for cleaning. It looks as if the surface rust was just sprayed with WD-40 and left to dry. I hate that look. I'll get it all cleaned up. Question: I don't know the names of all the parts on a post vise, but the "nut" that receives the screw (what is it called?) doesn't seem to want to separate from the back leg. It does come out, doesn't it? There's no way to remove the handle from the screw without cutting one of the ends off, is there? I don't want to do that. Originally, my thought was to clean the rust off this with electrolysis, but now that I realize how long that post leg is, I don't want to have to make a tank that large to do it. Does the leg unscrew from the post or is it solid? If it's solid, I think I'll just wire brush the whole thing clean with my right-angle grinder. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irondragon Forge ClayWorks Posted July 21, 2019 Share Posted July 21, 2019 The nut is the screw box, it should come straight out the back, probably needs soaking in a mix of acetone & trans fluid 50/50 mix. The handle won't come out of the screw unless one end is cut off or forged down so best to leave it alone. The leg should be solid (doesn't screw off) unless someone has modified it. A wire brush is what I use for cleaning, just be sure to wear PPE they are notorious for sticking wires in ya. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris C Posted July 21, 2019 Share Posted July 21, 2019 Thanks, IFC. Figured the screw box should come out. I'll work on it. And what you say is what I figured on the handle, but did think maybe the leg would unscrew. Oh well, I'll use the brush in my right angle grinder. It typically does a nice job. Obviously did a great job of Picker77's new vice! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irondragon Forge ClayWorks Posted July 21, 2019 Share Posted July 21, 2019 Once you get the screw box out clean it inside of all the years of grime & gunk then just oil it as well as the screw. I've found that grease there will collect scale & trash quicker than oil then once in a while squirt some oil on the screw & it's good to go. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted July 22, 2019 Share Posted July 22, 2019 I think you're probably right Jennifer, it is roughest the last inch or so closed and not bad the rest of the way open. I speculate the owner who put the wear on it had a product that needed a good hold at about that thickness and rolled the edge of the threads over the top a little on the closing side. This would make it close smoothly but reversing it would put the rolled corner/burr in action and get grabby. It's probably only a matter of unscrewing the screw and dressing the threads with a file, cleaning it up and taking a look at the screw box for similar wear. Chris, the handle on your vise is nice and straight so I doubt it's had the kind of excessive force applied to it my 6" vise experienced. It's a good sign. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris C Posted July 22, 2019 Share Posted July 22, 2019 Well, I'll get it cleaned up. During it's "nakedness" I'll be able to critically assess it's condition. But from what I've seen so far, this little 4" vise is going to serve me well. I don't see any blacksmith replaced parts like the spring or anything. Eager to get it cleaned up and build a stand for it. After working with the vises at my Thursday night group, I've decided to make a "stand on it stand" for mine. I don't see me trying to rack the handle so tight as to squash a tick with it, but I also don't like the feeling that the vise might tip over with a red hot piece of steel in it's jaws. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris C Posted July 22, 2019 Share Posted July 22, 2019 Well, I'm embarrassed to say I can't figure out for the life of me how to get that durned screw box out of the back jaw of the vise.!!!!!!!!! It's as loose as a Goose, jiggles all over the place but doesn't come out. Does that round end unscrew off the box? I can't find an illustrated parts breakdown anywhere to check that out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tomas W Posted July 22, 2019 Share Posted July 22, 2019 Just tap it out with a rubber mallet or some wood. I suspect that there is an upset someplace holding in. It should slide right out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris C Posted July 22, 2019 Share Posted July 22, 2019 Been doing that.................repeatedly. Soaking it in PB Blaster and transmission fluid. Won't come out. Does the round end of the box unscrew? Should the box pull out the front or the back of the leg/jaw? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris C Posted July 22, 2019 Share Posted July 22, 2019 Another question: The jaws on this 4" vise are flat..............displaying only faint images of the original ridges. I've got a file that would easily put the ridges back in the faces of the jaws. Is that something I should do as part of the restoration.............or just leave them smooth? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tomas W Posted July 22, 2019 Share Posted July 22, 2019 Leave smooth. The box should pull out the back side away from the jaw. Check and see if there is any pins holding the box. It should be free to move but not turn. That is how they are designed. They need to float. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris C Posted July 22, 2019 Share Posted July 22, 2019 Well........................I'll look again, but I can't see any pins or other mechanical obstructions that would keep it in. This is driving me nuts.........................but it's not like I have far to go anyway! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tomas W Posted July 22, 2019 Share Posted July 22, 2019 Just beat it out use a piece of wood to protect the box threads. There must be some upset metal keeping it from coming out. Knock it forward and see if the face of the box. The front round section with the female threads. Look to see that the face is not mushroomed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris C Posted July 22, 2019 Share Posted July 22, 2019 The front...........or opening with the female threads, is not mushroomed. The box won't pull out the back that far. I can see a "key" on the top of the box that I'm assuming keeps it from turning. It's as loose as a goose, like I mentioned previously. I'll get a pen light and see if I can see back to the back of the box to see if it's mushroomed somewhere. I've been pounding on it with a soft dead-blow hammer and it doesn't even act as if it's going to budge. It only moves about a half inch before it stops. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tomas W Posted July 22, 2019 Share Posted July 22, 2019 Just leave it in and clean it the best you can. You are going to beat the snot out of it anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris C Posted July 22, 2019 Share Posted July 22, 2019 I've gotten into the back crevices with a fine pick and keep getting a nasty gritty crud out of it...............like old caked grease. With the pick I was able to verify the slot for the "key" DOES extend out the back, so that's the direction it should be going. I think I'll get there sooner or later. It's not like I have to have this vise ready tomorrow. Something is strange about that key. (it's actually on the bottom of the box and not the top) I noticed while cleaning around it that the back end is higher than the front. I'm wondering if that's what's hitting on some hard surface in the housing and keeping it from going on through the slot. I tried to pry it back down, but it won't budge. Is it supposed to be higher in the back? That doesn't make sense to me. A key in a motor shaft is parallel to the shaft. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jlpservicesinc Posted July 22, 2019 Share Posted July 22, 2019 the screw box wears and this wear creates a groove that can lock the box in place when it is turned to one side at all. This aspect can be seen and felt when you turn the screw box CCW or CW.. If this is the case the box probably has a bent wedge and is the reason you can't get it out. The other factor is that many of the screw boxes are forge brazed and sometimes the wings/wedge of the screw box gets broken wedging it in as it is still used. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris C Posted July 22, 2019 Share Posted July 22, 2019 The key (or wedge) is perfectly straight up and down.........but the back end seems to be higher than the front (out of it's slot) though there is no movement when I work it with a screwdriver, Jennifer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jlpservicesinc Posted July 22, 2019 Share Posted July 22, 2019 sometimes the ends were upset to lock the box into the vise.. I hope that is not the case but I"ve seen them nearly riveted in.. I'm also seen where they wedges/wings were upset to fill the notches some.. of course today we look at things a little differently in regards to old tools.. they were every day tools so many were modified to suit the user. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris C Posted July 23, 2019 Share Posted July 23, 2019 Jennifer, I can't tell for sure, but does the round knob on the back end unscrew or slide off? If so, I could pull the box out the front. As a side note, I'm tempted to take this thing to a high pressure car was and see if I can force the gunk out of it so it might be freed. I'm going to be cleaning and finishing it anyway, so the water wouldn't hurt. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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