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Preserving blacksmith vise that is stored outside


ichudov

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I have acquired this blacksmithing vise today. It is 4" Trent vise, made in 1905. I fully disassembled it and cleaned up. The price was $40. The pictures below show how grimy it was and the cleaned up vise.

http://igor.chudov.com/projects/Blacksmithing/00-Tools/Trent-Blacksmith-Leg-Vise/


My plan for using it, ideally, would involve placing it outdoors next to the anvil.

I would like to finish it to minimize rusting. My present plan is to paint it with "cold galvanizing 93% zinc paint" and then with some outside paint. Then all moving surfaces I would coat with "marine grease". Would it be unrealistic to expect this vise to survive outdoors?

Anyway, it is down to bare metal now, it is not too late to ask for good advice regarding my vise.

I am in Northern Illinois, not Arizona or anything like that. I would think that if I realize that the vise is rusting, ergo if I hear it rust on a clear night, I could always take it inside.

15470.attach

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That sounds like a perfect plan. I have had a post vice mounted outside for fifteen years. I painted it with a rust conversion primer, and I grease the scew box and oil the hinge now and then. Works fine, and will stay out there till I have a much larger shop, which might be an awful long time from now.

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I've had leg vises mounted outside exposed to whatever the weather is for over 20 years without any real damage or worry. And that is in NE Iowa. I've even shoveled snow away and chipped off ice in the middle of winter to use the one.

NO, I have never ... painted ... a leg vice. Just cleaned off the major rust/grime. For me, they have "aged" much like the old farm machinery around here. The only parts that REALLY rust away are those in contact with the ground.

The big worry area is the screwbox. That is where your don't want to get too much moisture or dirt. Moisture could freeze inside there in winter, and dirt can/will wear on the screw threads like sandpaper. But a good fit, drained well, and oiled/lubed well have kept my outside vices working well for decades.

Just my thoughts to share. Take them as such.

Mikey

Edited by Mike Ameling
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I have painted it with cold galvanizing coating (2 coats) and then with oil based John Deere green paint. This is very durable stuff that I will supplement with marine grease, wherever there are moving parts coming in contact. I will also make a stand for this vise. I have a heavy cast steel object that I will use for base, a vertical piece of pipe as column, and a steel plate to bolt the vise's plate as well. I will post pix if anyone is interested.

Edited by ichudov
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Here's a pic of how I solved my vice mounting problem. And it also solved my anvil stand and workbench problem as well.

Workbench1.jpg

I made this up as a portable traveling workbench/stand. But it is now my primary work station in my "shop". I just drag it out when I travel, and drag it back into place for regular use. I do have a regular large anvil on a stump and another leg vice mounted over on a workbench in the shop, but these tend to get used the most.

Since I do a lot of small work, I made it so that the anvil face is higher than normal and recommended. This keeps me from bending over that little bit all the time when working. Bending over that little bit was a real pain in the back after a few hours. When I need a regular height anvil for heavy pounding, I just shift over to the one stump mounted anvil over to the side.

I really like that "workbench" as part of the anvil mounting. I spread my tongs/punches/tools out on it - all within easy reach. Plus the vice is 2 or 3 steps away. I even clamp an iron bar in the vice to use as a rest for long pieces of iron I am working on the anvil.

It works for me.

Mikey

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don't paint it with zinc paint other paint can't stick to it just grease it of and get some strong paint like hammerlik paint or emalia or what such things are called over in the US give it a few layers and grease/oil it plenty.

or let it rust all it want at some point it will not rust any more. just oil the screw box

DC

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Cover it yes, make sure it can get air at all times. A 5 gal bucket with part of the side cut out might be nicer than a big drum as it would only cover the mechanism, and is cheap. A hinged table that folds over would be excellent too as you get a bonus work space. The idea is to shed direct water. The paint is a good idea. I've been around boats all my life and the cables used for trailer winches are always getting wet. A simple cover doubles the life of them, as long as it can breathe. Lubrication doubles cable life again.
Phil

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Here is a picture of this vise painted. As I said, I used 93% cold galvanizing coating, plus John Deere Green oil based paint. All working surfaces have been generously lubed with Marine grease.

More pictures are here:

http://igor.chudov.com/projects/Blacksmithing/00-Tools/Trenton-Blacksmith-Leg-Vise/

15533.attach

Edited by ichudov
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It sure looks nice. I work outside too. I leave the mount outside and take the vise in when I'm done working. I wasn't sure whether it was necessary or not and didn't want to take any chances. Maybe I'll grease it up & see what happens. One fine day I'll have a little 3-sided pole barn and won't have to worry about these things so much!

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Here are the pictures of this vise installed.

Blacksmithing ==> Tools ==> Trenton Blacksmith Leg Vise

The galvanized brackets that you see are on top of the vise's mounting plate, due to use of carriage bolts that would damage the plate if I put the plate on top. I did not want to drill out the plate to preserve the vise's original condition.

Just today, I used it to make a curved handle for a rotary table:

http://igor.chudov.com/projects/misc/Rotary-Table-Crank-Handle/

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try a lanolin base lub like Inox puts a light coat that dosnt gum up like grease can protects the steel easy to reapliy when needed. I use it for hyd parts that are being stored which have to stay rust free. here in sth east Queensland Aust steel in a shed will rustwith out getting it wet (high humidity high heat) The trouble I have found with greased threads is that bits for steel & grim stick to it easily & gums up the workings. Warning for you watch out for zinc base paints as zinc is a heavy metal & heat can cause it to burn.(you wouldnt burn gal would you but zinc is as bad)

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