Score!!! I am so excited!

[ichudov]

Re: Taking the vise apart and cleaning: Definitely do it. To properly reassemble afterwards, just take a lot of pictures as you take it apart.

I did the same to a super grimy old vise (for which I also paid $40). It was not as much rusted, as it was dirty.

See

Trenton Blacksmith Leg Vise

I used "marine grease" on all moving parts, and oil based paint on all non-moving surfaces.

[K. Bryan Morgan]

Thanks for showing that to me ichudov. That helps allot. I started cleaning it today and found out the jaws don't quit meet. It seems the spring is holding it slightly apart at the top where it curves through the bracket that holds it. I suppose this could be from it being closed on hard objects and the arms or jaws being slightly bent. I'm thinking of grinding the top of the spring slightly until the jaws meet. I don't think there is any other way to do it.

The clean up is progressing. I saw that the washer/ bearing between the screw arm and the vice jaw is hand made, I found a seam where it was forged together from a piece of square or possibly round bar. But, its tough going using a wire rotary brush and sand paper. I may just mount it until I can get better tools to clean it with. Or take it down to an auto body shop and get it media blasted. I still haven't gotten the two rusted bolts off. They just wont budge. The main pivot bolt seems to be peened over too. I may just have to leave them on.

[John B]

Before you start grinding anywhere, I would suggest mounting it solidly, this may pull the spring braket in.

If the jaws are out of alignment they can be rectified by heating the applicable area and reforming it to the origiinal or required shape

To renovate old rusted leg vices is easier if you have access to a solid fuel forge, just place in the fire and get them good and hot, allow to cool and then use some penetrating oil or similar and they should come apart easily enough, a large bonfire may help if you do not have a solid fuel forge

[K. Bryan Morgan]

Thanks John for the advice. I don't have a solid fuel forge yet but I am working on one. As for the bon fire idea, that would not be possible where I am. I may just get a propane torch and heat the bolts up as best I can that way. But like I said the bottom hinge bolt is peened over. It won't budge no matter what I do. The only thing I can do with that one is cut it. And I really want to keep it original. So, that all being said, I will call around to some auto body shops and see about media blasting to clean it up. I'll let everyone know how it goes.

[ThomasPowers]

I'd check the wedge on the mounting piece too and see if it's pulling the top of the spring all the way back against the back shaft of the vise. Many times the original well made fittings have been lost and a quick and dirty replacement has been improvised that may not do as good a job as the "good" ones did. (I've been know to do this when I show up at a demo and find I left the vise wedge at home...)

If there isn't too much play in the bottom joint I wouldn't worry about getting the bolt undone. Unscrew the vise all the way until the handle/screw drops out of the screwbox and you can open the vise to 90 degrees to clean thins up. You can also clean out all the old hardened grease and oil from the screw and screwbox once its taken apart.

Often the jaws on a post vise are slightly angled vertically so they are parallel only when the vise is opened to a certain distance---don't worry about that unless it's a strong angle and is parallel for a sixe of stock you don't plan to use.

It's a good idea to make a set of jaw spacers as we often work on one side of the vise making the shafts twist a bit as the screw pulls in the middle and one side is empty. They can be as simple as a set of the various thickness materials you generally work cut a couple of inches long and an end bent over to make an "L" or as fancy as heating up the larger pieces and slitting the end and folding over the flaps to make a "T" and stamping them for what size they are on top.

[K. Bryan Morgan]

Thanks for the incite Thomas, I'll do that. I will be working on it again tomorrow. Today kind of conspired against me. Hate when that happens. The part where you said to take the screw out of the screw box, I did that yesterday seemed like the right way to go about it. I hosed it out good with some AP-75 lubricant. and got all the grim and dirt out of there. Its not stiff anymore. Also the screw is in perfect condition. No wear or marring. So tomorrow I will continue with the clean up. Thanks for all the help.