08-20-2016, 10:22 AM
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.
![[Image: DSCN0478.jpg]](http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd201/jimreed2160/DSCN0478.jpg)
I found two 4x4 cutoffs from the PT scrap pile and used those for stands.
![[Image: DSCN0480.jpg]](http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd201/jimreed2160/DSCN0480.jpg)
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.
![[Image: DSCN0483.jpg]](http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd201/jimreed2160/DSCN0483.jpg)
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.
![[Image: DSCN0484.jpg]](http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd201/jimreed2160/DSCN0484.jpg)
"Honey, I know you won't mind these vise parts cooling off on the kitchen table while you watch the Olympics, will you?"
![[Image: DSCN0486.jpg]](http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd201/jimreed2160/DSCN0486.jpg)
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.
![[Image: DSCN0477.jpg]](http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd201/jimreed2160/DSCN0477.jpg)
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?
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.
![[Image: DSCN0478.jpg]](http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd201/jimreed2160/DSCN0478.jpg)
I found two 4x4 cutoffs from the PT scrap pile and used those for stands.
![[Image: DSCN0480.jpg]](http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd201/jimreed2160/DSCN0480.jpg)
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.
![[Image: DSCN0483.jpg]](http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd201/jimreed2160/DSCN0483.jpg)
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.
![[Image: DSCN0484.jpg]](http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd201/jimreed2160/DSCN0484.jpg)
"Honey, I know you won't mind these vise parts cooling off on the kitchen table while you watch the Olympics, will you?"
![[Image: DSCN0486.jpg]](http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd201/jimreed2160/DSCN0486.jpg)
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.
![[Image: DSCN0477.jpg]](http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd201/jimreed2160/DSCN0477.jpg)
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?
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splintermaking.com
Please visit my website
splintermaking.com