CAE Posted March 14, 2016 Share Posted March 14, 2016 Picked up a non marked 5" leg vise complete and in great shape. The Screw box must be two piece as it will not just pull out the back when the screw is turned out. Keyway from inside out and I can't break the cap loose. Soaked in WD and Liquid Wrench for a day..... Still no luck. Any suggestions.. I hate to put heat to it but is that a last resort? Same deal on the Keeper and key for the mount. It's covered with years of oil,grease and all the grime that can stick to that.. but that has kept the surface rust to a min. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted March 14, 2016 Share Posted March 14, 2016 Looks like a standard set up and not very rusty at all. I have run into problems when someone has tightened the screwbox with the alignment ridge NOT in the proper place and so has jammed it in the side of the yoke I would suggest to try buffering the front of the screwbox with a 2x4 and taping it slowly with a large hammer---lots of inertia, little speed. I have an 8# sledge and a lead brick I use for this kind of thing. Also 24 hours is considered very little time for penetrating oil to work; applying more every Saturday and trying to get it to budge every Saturday for a month is more like it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CAE Posted March 14, 2016 Author Share Posted March 14, 2016 The screw box alignment/key is OK and in the slot. There's very little room (1/8") space between the thrust washer, Cap and Jaw before key stops box as you try to pull it out of the jaw.The alignment ridge/key seems to wedge tight from the inside out. Does this mean this vise has a two piece screw box? Should the cap unscrew from the female threads? This appears to be the only way this box is coming out of the jaw. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted March 14, 2016 Share Posted March 14, 2016 can you remove the moving jaw and the screw and show a good picture of the screwbox sitting in the Yoke. No it's not a two piece screwbox and the whole screwbox should come out the back of the vise. The alignment key should not be wedged in place. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caintuckrifle Posted March 14, 2016 Share Posted March 14, 2016 50% Acetone 50% Automatic Transmission Fluid. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CAE Posted March 14, 2016 Author Share Posted March 14, 2016 Went ahead and worked on what I could as far as cleaning it up. Wire wheeled for over three hours. I've done a bit of research on the maker. I understand vices are even harder to ID than Anvils. I haven't come up with much at this point. If anyone has any idea I'd be interested. It's my thought that the 1903 was the year it was made. I have no idea what the rest of the marks might mean. Caintuckrifle I have the stuff to mix this up and will give it a try. Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted March 14, 2016 Share Posted March 14, 2016 60 should be the weight as they were often sold by the pound, most of the random numbers are probable assembly numbers plus the mold/die number on the 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CAE Posted March 14, 2016 Author Share Posted March 14, 2016 16 minutes ago, ThomasPowers said: 60 should be the weight as they were often sold by the pound, most of the random numbers are probable assembly numbers plus the mold/die number on the 3 I would have bet it weighed more than sixty while handling it but your right it comes in at 60.5# on the wifes bathroom scale. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anachronist58 Posted March 14, 2016 Share Posted March 14, 2016 I don't believe that I have ever seen a more gorgeous screw! I concur with Thomas and Caintuck's plan of attack, but I would add that when pounding from the front, keep the vise open just enough to see slack on the thrust washer. This gives you the most ideal alignment of the assembly, and spreads out the stress between the screw and box. I recently had to use a brass hammer and wedges on the backside as well as pounding from the front, but I would NOT recommend this. A brass, or harder hammer may be too hard for these potentially BRITTLE components. Thomas, I like what you say about giving time for the penetrant to work - that also goes for the pounding and cajoling. I walked away from that vise repeatedly over several days lest my ham-fisted road-rage spoil the job. Glad that I did. Robert Taylor Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CAE Posted March 14, 2016 Author Share Posted March 14, 2016 Never did get the box out. I cleaned it and female threads the best I could while still in the jaw. I can't bring myself to use any kind of hammer on the box. After getting it to the condition in the pics I greased the screw and it went back together like butter. I will continue to work on the rusted wedges day after day.with ATF and Acetone. It works flawlessly so going to leave well enough alone. Making plans for a portable stand as my shop is my garage and this sweetheart will never be seen in the condition I found it in ever again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daswulf Posted March 14, 2016 Share Posted March 14, 2016 As with a lot of things to not mar something up when hitting it... Block of wood and a hammer. But if it ain't broke... Nice Vise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anachronist58 Posted March 14, 2016 Share Posted March 14, 2016 Yep, it don't look broke to me.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted March 14, 2016 Share Posted March 14, 2016 Good point: if it's working well why do you need to disassemble it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arkie Posted March 15, 2016 Share Posted March 15, 2016 You might want to consider using oil on the screw rather than grease. The grease will more readily accumulate scale and crud, making the screw harder to turn and can add some wear to it. It's not like a piece of moving machinery, so not as much lube is necessary as most think. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CAE Posted March 15, 2016 Author Share Posted March 15, 2016 Thanks for the advice Arkie. Probably going to break it down again any way to clean the box one more time with ATF n Acetone. Still a bit of rust n grim I couldn't get to. I've heard linseed oil is a common cover coat for raw metal as long as you wipe the excess off. Good? Bad? any advice here? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted March 15, 2016 Share Posted March 15, 2016 ATF and Acetone is used a a penetrating oil for rusted items you are trying to free up. If you can find a stainless steel bottle brush that will fit the inside of the screwbox and can be chucked in a drill;a good run with a lot of WD40 will clean out crud well, then let it hang upside down for a day/week and drain. Neatest lube set up I have seen on a postvise was someone who had brazed a cap on a columbian open ended screwbox and mounted a zerk in it. So when they greased it it pushed the crud *out* of the screwbox. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CAE Posted March 15, 2016 Author Share Posted March 15, 2016 All good stuff. Loving old tools and such I couldn't bring myself to modifying them. Being that I'm nothing more than a weekend blacksmith I'm guessing it will never get in the shape it was or worse. Anyway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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