Im restoring an old leg vice i found in my grandmothers shed in Scotland, no idea how old,she didn't know it existed, my guess would be early 20th century. The leaf spring that separates the jaws still works, but only to about halfway open at which point it no longer wants to expand and just sits there. Could it have been designed this way or is it just old and no longer as springy as it was? If it is old how could i "respring" it so it expands fully?  Thanks

As far as I am aware, the springs used for these vises can be just mild steel.  If that is the case, just remove it, cold bend to shape and reinstall.  I assume you are aware that you do need a lower pivot bolt for proper function as well.

If spring is actually high carbon, I would heat it, bend it, then reheat treat (tempering to a peacock blue in the end).

The spring is fine, all it needs do is tip the mobile jaw past the balance point and gravity will open it as far as the screw allows. Be sure to clean and shine up the pivot bolt and hole so the jaw moves freely. 

Frosty The Lucky.

Thanks for the advice on the spring, I'll probably leave it as is if gravity is intended to help. The pivot pin i removed to disassemble the vice to bring it home to Australia

Im halfwaythrough wire brushing it and noticed what look like possibly "cracks" and some fold similiar to a post by baddayinparadise

 

 

Makes me pretty sure the vice is wrought iron along with some of the clamp parts having what looks like the layers in wrought iron. Not sure how old the vice is but I imagine rather old and it looks to be hand forged in a factory too. I've had a go trying to research companies and models etc. But I haven't found anything if anyone might know where to look or what it is that would be good. 1m long with 105mm/4" jaws. The closest thing to makers marks is could find were two dots sramped into the back of both arms, below the hole for the screw.

There is really very little chance you'll ever know who or when your vise was made. Up until the early mid 20th.C virtually every farm, shop and garage needed a vise that could take a serious hammering and leg vises are pretty low tech, even small shops could make one. Sears sold several sizes, kits and parts. During WWII and the scrap drives thousands of complete blacksmith shops went to the scrappers and seeing as most everybody had a basic setup most went too. 

You have a pretty nice looking leg vise, clean it up and put it to use. "restoring" something that is so rust pitted isn't realistic. Bringing it back into good working condition is a fine thing. They were designed to be easy to repair and rebuild.

To that point I bring to your attention two "arc welds" in the first picture, their location and condition strongly suggest your vise was built around or after WWII. Probably after when steel became available again. Of course the welds could be from a modification or who knows what. 

Lastly, Please do NOT. quote everything you want to talk about. You quoted someone quoting you in the above post. If you wish to address something someone said in a previous post maybe add their login name or maybe a sentence. JUST enough folks can connect your response to the original. We'll go back and read the post you're replying to if we're interested. Honest. 

Frosty The Lucky.

Thanks for your help frosty, its doesnt bother me about identifying it, just curious if anyone knew. As for restoring, by restore i just meant remove the rust and get it opening/closing smoothly and do the best to prevent further rust.

One last thing, I will need a new pivot bolt when I reassemble, will any bolt that fits do or does it need to be a specific type of steel since it carries a bit of weight and the jaws pivot off of it. I imagine gal wouldn't do but is there any other specifications?

Shiny, a bolt that fits is recommended. Can be galvy, stainless, brass- just made sure it fits the hole without slop. 
it does not carry the weight you imagine it might- that’s what the leg is for. Your vice looks nice. Plenty of history in it and good aesthetics too.

 

On 12/16/2025 at 11:02 PM, ILikeShinySteel said:

As for restoring, by restore i just meant remove the rust and get it opening/closing smoothly and do the best to prevent further rust.

I usually just hit them with a wire brush and then paint them or use a coat or two of boiled linseed oil. Make sure it's warm and completely dry first or it will trap water under the paint. Electrolytic rust removal works a treat if you've got a container big enough. Easy enough to find the method on the internet.

Is the jaw just not working generally, or can't get it open to work on the screw? Might be gunked up in there, might be damaged. When you do get it apart, you want no more than a light oil on the threads. Anything more tends to collect dirt and shavings and unspeakable things that gunk up and damage the threads. 

On 12/20/2025 at 1:28 AM, Nobody Special said:

When you do get it apart, you want no more than a light oil on the threads. Anything more tends to collect dirt and shavings and unspeakable things that gunk up and damage the threads. 

Came apart easily with no rust or damage to the threads, just a little gunk. Thanks for the advice on the light oil, will do. Boiled linseed the kind of oil you're refferring to? 

Currently tied up with other things but I've only got a little to go and am in the process of painting it with enamel paint, will put a photo in when I'm finished of the final product.

That's it so far, underneath the paint is a coat of penetrol, a rust prevention coating meant for underneath paint. Supposedly it seals it off so no oxygen can get in and further rust. My dad recommended it so I figured why not

No, boiled linseed oil is a polymerizing oil, it turns to gunk itself. Plain old moor oil 30wt is a little thick but okay. You can even use "3 in One" though its a little light. 

Ah! I just checked back a little farther in the thread and see you want to use BLO on the vise rather than to lubricate the screw. Protect vise GOOD, lube om the screw BAD.

Penetrol is good stuff.

Frosty The Lucky.

I like 3-in-1 for the screw and most light lubrication. Don't go heavy on it, and clean the screw and re-lube once in awhile to replenish it and so you don't get gunk and shavings built up that can wear the screw. More frequently if you use the vise a lot, maybe once a year if not. No BLO on the screw though. Like Frosty said, it polymerizes which makes it a sticky mess short-term, and non-lubricating long term.

BLO works great for the rest, but in my dotage I've found I like to paint them too. Bright primary colors for preference, but OD green is nice too (or is that more of a John Deere?)

Called Brunswick green, thought the paint is slightly different to actual Brunswick, its meant to be a tad darker. Thanks for the grease advice, I'll buy some light mechanical oil for the screw, good to have anyway, and I ill put BLO on the other contact areas (hinge, around screwbox for washers etc.) Obv not the jaws though

A thin smear of blo on the jaws can’t hurt, especially if you are not forging every day. It’s amazing what flash rusts in a shop even with a little temperature difference.

 

is the Brunswick green related to Brunswick stew??

Doubt it related to to the stew, I think Brunswick is a place somewhere is germany, maybe the stew came from there? 

I definitely won't be forging everyday, I'll also use it for other things when I'm not using the forge but it won't be getting daily use. But it does have a coat of penetrol on the jaws so that should stop the light spot rust, though if it does rust it wont be hard to clean off with steel wool. And I think wd40 would be fine on the jaws

Brunswick Pool/Billiard Table Felt?

Maybe it is related to the felt, but going completely off a guess but i think the name brunswick green is related to the brunswick rifle, a muzzle loading rifle from brunswick germany, and the british rifleman wore a dark green, probably where brunswick green came from. Also probably where pool/billiards brunswick felt got its name

Ah ha! So there may be at least a connection. It’s one of those things that if it isn’t true it ought to be.

Swedefiddle, I have one of those billiard tables! Great accoutrement to an otherwise cold and creepy basement.

3 hours ago, ILikeShinySteel said:

i think the name brunswick green is related to the brunswick rifle, a muzzle loading rifle from brunswick germany

Close. Brunswick green was indeed named for the German city of Brunswick (now known primarily as Braunschweig, which gives its name to the famed braunschweiger sausage, a close relative of liverwurst), since that is where this particular pigment was first produced (in 1795) by combining copper filings with ammonium chloride. It's one of a number of pigments named for their places of origin, whether naturally occurring (umber, sienna) or chemically synthesized (Prussian blue). 

8 hours ago, swedefiddle said:

Brunswick Pool/Billiard Table Felt?

No, that's from the Brunswick Corporation, founded in Cincinnati, Ohio in 1845 by a Swiss immigrant named John (Johannes) Brunswick. 

Beat me too it on Brunswick green. For the food, it's a southern hunter's stew that originated in Brunswick, VA or Brunswick, GA - people with a love of etymology and southern cooking argue about which far too much. There's pretty good evidence for both and the original recipes from each are a good bit different. Please see James Beard, Murk Kulansky on the subject and an insane number of subreddits for less informed but more entertaining versions.

Very cool and interesting to learn how this stuff started, funny coincidence with the felt I suppose. 

I'll look into the ingredients and ratios of it and might try making some brunswick green because I happen to have some ammonium chloride that I bought, 2kg, for an experiment in displacing the Ca/Na cations in bentonite to make home-made bentone 

Been really busy for last few months but finally found the time to finish the vice and assemble it.

Went with 3in1 light oil for the screw and used some grease for the pivotots working a treat and the jaws line up almost perfectly, quite happy considering the age and that its dont have the original bolt.

Overall im very happy with it, I just need to make a sturdy stand for it; the plate is at least 4 inches taller than my existing workbench, which isn't all that sturdy as is.

Good Morning,

Looks good!!

What i do is, I put a section of Clutch Release Bearing (thrust roller bearing) where the thrust washer is (I leave the thrust washer in place). I am a Mechanic, so I save one from when I am replacing a Clutch Assembly. Talk to your local Mechanic and ask him to save one for you, instead of sending it out with the scrap metal.

This makes it easier to tighten and loosen the Vice.

If you are having a problem with the Vice being too tall, you can adjust the length of the post (make it shorter). There are no Post Vice Police!!!

Neil