When to pressure wash your handtools

[JimReed@Tallahassee]

There comes a time during tool refurbishment when you just have to bring out the big guns. That time arrived today for me. Last week I took possession of a large Athol vise. When I say large, I mean 65 lbs of greasy cast iron. It came carefully wrapped in old (clean) tee shirts and newspaper. I managed to get it up on my cleaning workbench and strip it into manageable chunks. But it was as greasy as a summertime ham. Bench cleanup was going to be really messy. That is when I decided to bring out the big gun.

Now you might ask why I am posting a machinist vise story on the woodworking hand tool forum. Good question--here is my logic. Handplanes are great tools, but once they entered the world of cast iron, they entered the cast iron repair world also. I use a variety of vises in my shop, but my machinist vise really gets a workout when I am dealing with a rusted basket case plane. If you are a woodworker, you need a good vise for that inevitable repair. This vise might be a little overkill, but it will come in handy when circumstances arise. So back to our story. Here is a picture of everything gathered--pressure washer ready to go, vise parts ready, Mercury Marauder at a distance and safe from overspray.


I found two 4x4 cutoffs from the PT scrap pile and used those for stands.



Here is a picture of the static jaw. If you look closely, you will see the remains of a black japan finish. This vise was painted silver and blue with some yellow, but the original finish in the corners is that plane ole japan that was common on Model T Fords and Stanley handplanes.



I wiped the water with a pair of old cotton socks and then left the pieces to bake in the north Florida sun. After about twenty minutes, they were warm enough for cooking.



"Honey, I know you won't mind these vise parts cooling off on the kitchen table while you watch the Olympics, will you?"

 
The other goody box of parts were cleaned and oiled last night. Then they were left to soak in 3 in 1 at the parts spa.



So there you have the cleaning of the WW I vintage Athol vise. It is in pretty good shape for its age. There was ancient metal swarf inside the base, which indicates that maybe this vise was used in a machine shop. I will continue to clean up the last bits of grime and then give the whole thing a good coat of BLO. Well, everything but the machined surfaces. Then it is on to the paint shop. I am undecided on the color. Black would be authentic but dark green might be snazzier. Opinions?

[Rob Young]

Helps to put all the parts on the truck dashboard before power washing. Kill two birds with one stone.  Just ask Estrogen Hostage in the Basement...

[JimReed@Tallahassee]

I found a "before" picture of the vise.

[bandsaw]

Dishwasher works great - those dish soaps can really cut the grease!

[rwe2156]

Degreaser and a media blaster would do a better job IMO.

[tshiker]

My vote is for the green! Maybe Forest green 

[JimReed@Tallahassee]

Right now the front runner is burgundy red with yellow raised letters. Hammered green is second choice. At least the blue and white are gone.

[Trusty Rusty]

I have the same vise.
It was my grandfathers. It is a beast.
Used it in our heavy equipment shop for 20 years before I retired it to my little shop.
It's never failed me and brings back memories of Pappa every time I use it.
Rusty

[clovishound]

Paint it bright pink. NOBODY else will have one that color. It will be unique.

[JimReed@Tallahassee]

Here are the color candidates. Black, red, dark green, aubergine (purple), and hammered grey. The red does not show true in the photos--appears a little too orange. It is candy apple red and is the color used on my recent Columbian woodworking vise. That vise looks great in red. This vise was originally painted in black asphaltum, just like Stanley handplanes of the era. I found the japan finish in all of the corners and on some of the surface under the blue, silver, and cream (faded white?). 

My favorite so far is the aubergine. This vise casting has pock marks from old age, weather, or from poor casting. I think a dark and vibrant color will help to draw attention away from those flaws. I also really like the purple.