Just wondering how old this leg vise is.

 

It's a very good looking vise. How is the screw & screw box? Made somewhere between 1905 and 1927, I think. Here is a link to the Co.

http://vintagemachinery.org/mfgindex/detail.aspx?id=11508

I can't control the wind, all I can do is adjust my sail’s.
Semper Paratus

 

If you do a search with your favorite search engine like this

Colombian vise site:iforgeiron.com there a few threads about them.

Nice, I have one just like it. How wide are the jaws?

Frosty The Lucky.

On 12/31/2023 at 6:49 PM, Frosty said:

Nice, I have one just like it. How wide are the jaws?

Frosty The Lucky.

It's quite rare for me to run into another Frosty. My dad, my son and myself are all named Forrest and we've all gone by Frosty since the day we were born. Shout out from Oregon! 

Welcome aboard Frosty, glad to have you. Kind of weird though it may be. If you put your general location in the header you'll have a much better chance of meeting up with members living within visiting distance.

When I was approaching my first day in school my parents told me I should get used to being called Jack. Soooo, I told the kids my name is Jack. The teacher told the story of Jack Frost because she had one in her class. Makes sense no? 

Well, until then I thought it was just a name until I discovered that first day Jack Frost is the trickster He's not nice, not a good guy at all! I was good with Frosty The Snowman and I ran into people in College who still thought my name is Jack. Took years and a few bloody noses to start losing Jack as a nickname.

Mother told me to NOT respond to Jack. ESPECIALLY if a teacher called me that. 

Sorry, I'm off on a sidetrack again. Oddly enough Frost is one of the most common English surnames. We're everywhere. I have close relatives all over the PAC. NW. and back to Ohio, south to Northern Mexico named Frost. 

There've been times when someone yelled out FROSTY! and I wasn't the only one to turn and look or wave. Those made for some fun conversations.

So, tell us what you want to make, Frosty.

Frosty The Lucky.

Thanks for the kind welcome, FrostyFromAlaska! Having a name like Frosty is ALWAYS an adventure! 

As for what I am making, I'm currently, for the very first time, restoring/refurbishing a Columbian Post Vise precisely like the one pictured above! The jaws on my vise are 5 1/2 inches, the top looks EXACTLY like what is in the picture. And the bottom is stamped with the number "20". It's quite the undertaking and also a privilege. I'm about 2 weeks in to the restoration and focused on taking it one step at a time and learning a lot along the way! The world of vises and steel and ALL these things is brand new to me and I'm grateful to be here and be exploring. I wish, perhaps, I would have discovered this world maybe 15 years ago before prices exploded. But, it is what it is. I'm here now. (the attached photos are of how the vise looked when I bought it)

Frosty- (this is going to get confusing!!) that’s a nice looking vise. I had one without the mount for a while. Yours looks great. Are you going to paint it red?

Thanks Ridgeway! And, to avoid confusion, I changed my name to Frosty Jr..  Please feel free to call me Frosty Jr. My sweet dad has passed and it's an honor to be his son.

As for color, at this point, I am mid restoration. I do not plan on painting the finished vise at all. I'm actually looking for advice and reading a whole bunch of things! I have soaked the vise in a homemade electrolysis tank (my first time ever doing that! I enjoyed learning how from tubalcain on youtube). The vise is now out of the electrolysis tank and I am wire brushing it down to bare metal. When that is finished, I would like to give it a protective coating rather than paint it. I live on the west side (Willamette Valley) area of Oregon where moisture and rust are absolutely everywhere. Anyway, I'm currently considering treating the vise with boiled linseed oil or CRC 3-36 or Minwax Paste Wax or plain motor oil. (primarily because I'm cheap and I own all those products currently) My personal taste leans towards the protected, bare metal look. But, I have not decided yet on which product I will use.

Additionally, I currently plan on using Lucas Oil Products 14 Ounce(s) Lucas Oil Red 'N' Tacky Grease for the internal screw and bolt area but, also, I have not yet committed 100% to that decision. I really appreciate you asking, Ridgeway! 

No, don’t use grease on the screw thread! It will hold all the forge scale and metal shavings from filing and cause unnecessary wear and stiffness. Just stick with a light oil.

Keep it fun,

David

Thanks, David!

That makes perfect sense! I'll cancel the grease application. Is 3n1 oil best for the screw or maybe a silicone based lubricant like the one I use for my garage door so it won't attract anything?

Remember that you want at least some friction for the screw to actually function, so whatever you put on the threads should actually be less slippery than you’d normally want. Your main concern here is rust prevention rather than litigation. 

Thank you so much, JHCC! That sounds like a good plan. After receiving both your comment and David's recommendations, I did some additional research and discovered an older thread within the I Forge Iron archives. The pictures/links are no longer valid but I think the information is still very relevant. In that vein, I am re-posting it here, just in case someone such as myself, who doesn't know what they are doing but wants to learn, stumbles across this chat.

**The below information references links and pics that are no longer valid in January 2026 when I (FrostyJr) am re-posting this.

**Original post credit for the information below goes to Glenn, whom I believe to be: "irnsrgn"

**Additionally, thank you to Shainarue for reviving this information in 2022 from the original back in 2007 which may have originated earlier than that.

***Shainarue writes, "Thanks to Glenn for providing a copy of the missing blueprint linked in this thread. The images are gone but this should serve to help others in the future."
----------
iForgeIron Blueprints
Copyright 2002 - 2011 IFORGEIRON, All rights reserved

BP0485 Vise, Maintenance and Repair
by irnsrgn

As most people have different ways of doing things, this will probably go crossways of the thinking of some. It is not intended to cause friction but is just the method and reasoning behind what I was taught and have learned thru the years.

Leg or Blacksmiths Vise --

The white arrows point to the forward and rear what I call EARS. My Grandfathers leg vise does not have this feature, but is in excellent shape. I have never heard an explanation of what their function is other than my own. My explanation is that they are deflectors to keep hot scale, filings and saw cuttings from falling directly into the the bearing surface of the front screw handle and the contact area where the screw box sets in the split part of the vise main frame. We all know that any kind of abrasive material will abrade away metal that is in constant motion. Even common dust will do this.

LUBRICATION ---

Any Heavy, Thick or Sticky Lubricant should never be used on the screw of a Vise, as it is like a magnet for any foreign DEBRIS to Stick To. The Only Lubricant that should be used on any Vise Screw is a Light Weight OIL. Light weight Oil has the ability to easily discharge or get rid of any Abrasive Debris due to its Thin Viscosity and it does not HOLD Debris to the screw like the Heavy, Thick, Sticky stuff does.

Once a week or so if the Vise gets a lot of use, the Vise Screw should be unscrewed almost all the way and a good spraying with WD40 or other very light weight oil should be used to wash the Screw Off, making sure to turn the screw by quarter turns and spraying to Wash the Old Contaminated Oil from the screw, I hold a shop towel under the screw when doing this to keep the runoff mess to a minimum.

After the Cleaning Cycle, a Liberal amount of Light Weight Oil should be applied to 4 sides of the screw. I use 10 weight Non Detergent engine oil or Marvel Mystery Oil.

A liberal amount of the same Light Oil should be squirted in the end shown by the White Arrow before the Vise Screw is Screwed Back In. Hold the Palm of your Hand tightly against the opening in the end while screwing the screw back in so it builds up pressure and the Excess Oil you squirted thru the hole will be Pushed Out thru the Internal Screw Box Threads and will push the Old Oil and Fine Debris out the other end. An old rag laid in the scissors part of the jaw legs will cut the mess to a minimum.

On Vises with a Closed End on the Screw box, there are two choices. 1. You can Completely Remove the Screw and squirt a liberal amount in the Screw box before reinserting the screw, or you can Bore and Tap the Screw box in the area shown by the White Arrow and screw in a plug before screwing the Screw back in.

Don't forget to Lubricate the Thrust bearing area near the end of the handle. This area should be thoroughly wiped clean before lubing it.

It is a Good Practice to place an Old Rag at the position indicated by the arrow when filing, or sawing to keep the cuttings from falling down onto the screw. If the Vise Jaws are open quite a ways the rag should cover the Whole Exposed Screw." end quoted material from Glenn "irnsrgn"

***(FrostyJr again) Additionally, later in that post, regarding lubrication, there are other beneficial ideas shared. I have pasted them believe and given credit to the author to the best of my ability:

** "Spray graphite works nicely on mine. - Frosty The Lucky."

*** "As far as the oil for the post vise screw & screw box. I use the same oil that I use for our hand cranked blowers and the Star power hammer, chainsaw bar oil with a little STP mixed in. It is thin enough and sticks to the metal better than light motor oil and junk doesn't seem to stick to it like grease, still it's a good practice to flush out the screw, I use kerosene with a parts cleaning brush, dry with a rag and re-oil. - from Irondragon Forge ClayWorks.

***** - from me, FrostyJr. - Thanks everyone for the feedback! This journey of restoring my post vise is wicked cool and I'm VERY grateful for the guidance and feedback. Keep it coming!!! I've got more wire wheeling to do on my vise AND I have a specific question regarding the U BOLT but I need to post some pictures FIRST! Thanks again!!

The threads on the U-bolt are pretty messed up and then also each shaft of the U-bolt is bent. I'd like to do the best I can to restore the threads and straighten the U-bolt shafts prior to putting it all back together. I have never done anything like this. Any ideas/suggestions that you may have would be greatly appreciated! If more pictures are needed, I can do that to! Thanks!

12 hours ago, JHCC said:

litigation

That should read “lubrication”.  Darn autocorrect. 

6 hours ago, FrostyJr. said:

Any ideas/suggestions

Be very careful not to damage the threads. Frankly, if it works as-is, don’t bother to make any “repairs” that would risk making it worse. 

If you’re unconcerned with it being the exact replica, it would not be difficult to make a new U bolt, either from some non galvy all thread or from a piece of round stock that is tapped.

If it came apart, you can probably get it back together like it is. 

But my first attempt at straightening something like that would probably be clamping it in a vise with aluminum inserts in the jaws.  (In this case, you might need to heat the cross bar and twist the two legs of the U out of alignment to get it in the vise the right way.) 

Let's see, wow, I am so grateful for all the thoughtful comments. Thank you so much, JHCC, Ridgeway and Mike BR.

I have to confess, the generosity and kindness I've experienced these last few days on this forum has given me a wonderful pause. I've spent the last day or so thinking, "I'd like to see if I can learn some more about this group I accidentally stumbled upon." In that light, I've read the "Glenn has passed away" post by Foo and learned about this incredible person, Glenn, that began this forum 25 years ago with a vision for generosity and sharing that clearly still echoes today. I also read the "Read this First" article thoughtfully composed by JHCC and found that article, and the following comments, to be both helpful and overwhelming. Overwhelming in the best of senses. Undertaking a difficult task should feel overwhelming. The beauty inside the undertaking of an overwhelming task is when one does not feel alone. And, the people of this group alleviate any concerns of feeling alone. It's clear I have a lot to learn and I have accidentally stumbled across a great group of teachers/sharers/fellow students of life. Please accept my thanks as I move forward. All the best to you all, FrostyJr..

Back to the business at hand: First, JHCC, I found it to be a brilliant application of the word litigation! haha (auto correct has bitten me several times as well. In this case, it was humorous on a couple of levels) While it WILL be necessary to repair the threads, to your point, I totally agree, further thread damage is a concern of mine and I plan to tread lightly and take my time before moving forward with a plan of "thread revival." (ps, one leg of the U works as is and the other leg DEMANDS thread repair) Also, thank you.

Second, Ridgeway, I have considered sourcing/making a new U-bolt. And, if I can't repair the original, this will be a valid avenue of pursuit. However, I'd like to pursue revival first, if I can. The suggestion of all thread and round stock are very much appreciated as I may come back and reference them in the near future.

Third, Mike BR, This was, by far, the most difficult part in disassembly of the vise. The battered threads are begging for some attention. But, I agree, whenever possible, I do my best to live by "if it ain't broke, don't fix it." And, it's always a good reminder. My goal is to be as gentle as possible with any repairs. I'm not seeking perfection in any way for this U-bolt. Just healthy function. While I've never done it before, I think I'm following what you mean by twisting the legs of the U-bolt apart so the opposite leg isn't in the way of working on the other leg. I still don't know how I'm going to achieve that and I very much appreciate the idea.

Jr., one of the cool things about this forum is that it is a true world wide forum.  We have regular contributors from Europe, Australia, all over the USA, Asia, and occasionally folk from Africa and S. America.  And there is a true level of concern when someone is going through a rough patch.  A large part of that is due to Glenn's original rule that we just don't discuss controversial stuff like religion and politics and we keep the language at an appropriate tone for a 10 year old little girl.

And we have all levels of experience here from Green as grass newbies to Masters who have been doing this for 50+ years.  You will see some amazing work.  

The only dumb question is the one you don't ask.

Welcome aboard from 7500' in SE Wyoming.  Glad to have you.

"By hammer and hand all arts do stand."

3 hours ago, FrostyJr. said:

I still don't know how I'm going to achieve that

FrostyJr., do you have or have access to an oxypropane or oxyacetylene torch? If so, spot-heat the middle of the short side of the U-bolt — and bend one side up and out of the way (steps 1 & 2; this is called a “convenience bend”). Straighten*  and rethread** the two legs. Then spot-heat and straighten the convenience bend (steps 3 & 4). Voilá!

* Mike BR’s vise method would work fine. You could also straighten them (either hot or cold) on a wooden block with a wooden mallet. 

** Depending on how badly the threads are damaged, you can touch them up with a triangular file, fix them with a thread repair file, or recut them with a die. 

If you contact a 'Spring Shop' close to you, YOU can buy one.

I was reading back through your earlier posts and mentioned wanting a barr metal protected look, without paint. Im currently restoring a leg vice of my own and after wire brushing I used wd40 to stop it from rusting and when ready I decgreased it and cleaned with microfibre cloth and metho to remove all dust &residue. I then coated it in a product called "penetrol" its pretty good, it's some mix of oils that sets and leaves a protective coating designed for sealing away metal to prevent further rust. Doesnt really affect texture of the metal either and has a nice finish. Im painting mine with enamel as well for extra protection, but I would recommend using penetrol or similiar products, rather than plain oil/grease 

Not the best photo but it shows the finish. 

Good luck

Edit* I live in brisbane and its ridiculously humid here and penetrol has worked flawlessly for my dad's truck. 

One other thought: before you straighten or replace the U-bolt, try to work out why it bent in the first place.  If the legs are misaligned with the forces they see, a new or repaired bolt may bend back the same way pretty quickly. 

It's also possible that it won't fit in place with the legs straightened.  (I can't be the only smith who's jammed something together any-which-way so I could finish a project, and never got around to redoing something that worked.)

To quote the late ThomasPowers, there’s nothing half as permanent as a temporary solution.  

Y'all are just too cool. Thank you all so much for the gracious replies!

1. George N.M., thanks for the warm welcome from balmy Wyoming! I have many dumb questions and I plan to ask them all! Yahoo!

2. JHCC, I do not have access to an oxy torch yet. That might come in 2027. But, I've seen enough videos to understand the method you are referring to and the drawing you supplied is spot on. I very much appreciate the visual reference! Thanks also for the various thread repair with file suggestions. I'll need to wait until next weekend to take a crack at the threads. I think I'd like to see if I can make some progress with a thread repair file. But, need to acquire that item first. I have a tap and die set but I don't want to remove too much material when repairing the threads. At least, my goal is to remove minimal material to regain function. One step at a time! (ps, I have accessed the "Frosty T Burner Build" and I'm looking in to building that in February, maybe, but I digress. It's not an oxy torch. But, just a baby step in that direction. Another shout out to Frosty, for generously sharing his expertise in that regard as well.) 

3. Swedefiddle, agreed! I may need to go the route of a brand new u bolt. Presently, I'm romantically tied to the idea of using the original. But, time will tell.

4. ILikeShinySteel, I love the idea of using penetrol and had never considered that before! Us people that live in humid climates totally understand the constant and relentless nature of rust! I am adding that to the short list of potential protective coatings. Your vise looks fantastic!!

5. Mike BR, I REALLY appreciate this suggestion as that thought had never occurred to me. I'm now going to dry fit the vise and give it a thorough examination to try and figure out why both of those u bolt legs got bent in the first place. Especially since there really isn't any reason for them to be bent. It's a bit odd, for sure.

6. JHCC, so true. Beware the temporary that "works for now......"

THANKS EVERYONE FOR ALL THE HELP!! I have been SLOWLY making progress!! And I am THRILLED to report that the threads on the U bolt are looking FABULOUS!!!!!!

Over the course of the last few days I have acquired my very first tap and die set. Through unpredictable circumstances I had the opportunity to spend more than I planned on an Irwin/Hanson tap and die set and so I did. While it was a lot of money for me, I paid about 1/3 of retail. And, as we all know, good quality usually costs a lot. So, here we are.

So, AFTER I acquired the t&d, I still didn't wanna cut a bunch of metal off the threads. So, I ACCIDENTALLY DISCOVERED, that our good friends at AutoZone would loan me a Thread Chaser/Restorer Set for FREE! You pay a full price deposit and then that is refunded to you when you return the thread set! Amazing!! That set was SO HELPFUL! Not in the obvious sense. BUT, in the sense that, while the thread file and thread bolts WERE helpful, what they MOSTLY helped me determine that I had NO CHOICE but to use the Irwin T&D set to cut the threads and hope it came out. So, that's what I did and it took A LOT of work. But, I coated the parts lightly with cutting oil and went slowly and just worked my way down back and forth and back and forth like I saw in a youtube video on "how to use a tap and die set if you're 51 and have no idea what you are doing" (nailed it!)

Anyway, more to come as one leg of the U bolt accepts the repaired nuts just fine but the leg of the U bolt that has a sharper turn towards the tip will NOT accept the original bolts as they are too deep and won't make the bend without re-folding the threads again. So, now I need to brainstorm how I can gently straighten that 1 leg of the U bolt just enough to allow the nut to thread on. On the other leg of the U bolt the nuts thread on like a song with only 1 finger! It's so smooth now! Yahoo!!!

I'm trying to attach pictures that show just 1 leg repaired and then both legs of the U bolt repaired. I sure hope this information is helpful to someone else in the future. That would just be awesome!

I don't know how obvious it is, but, one of those photos shows 1 leg repaired and the left side still mangled. Then, the other photo shows the threads on BOTH legs looking SPECTACULAR!!!! Now, I just need to repair that bent tip on the one leg..............tbc