Columbian vise rehab part V--jaw faces
#11
Sorry for leaving you all hanging but north Florida heat has been brutal. The shop is so toasty that I go through three tees on some days. In spite of that I managed to snag an hour today so I could move on to making faces--not smileys--jaw faces. This is a six inch vise and I thought it would look better with wider faces. Since I like to prototype and mock up, I trial fitted a ten inch piece from the scrap pile.


[Image: DSCN0532.jpg]

Yes. I like that look. The real one will have a smaller top reveal than the scrap. Also in the picture you will see the handle material. Even though I have a lathe, I did not want to take on this project so I purchased some material. Handle making will be part VI. Tune in next week for our next episode. In the meantime, let's get busy on those jaws. Sweat beads are beginning to form on my forehead. I found a suitable piece of hickory and jointed the rough edge with my LN #62.


[Image: DSCN0533.jpg]
[Image: DSCN0534.jpg]

I love those shavings!

So I milled the board into two faces and attached the front. The rear is unattached and reserved for bench fitting. I also cut the handle to length and assembled the vise. I used graphite on the rods and leadscrew as other lubricants seem to attract sawdust and get messy. A side note is that my tube of graphite ran out. Luckily I had a spare. The original was purchased sometime in the late 1960s to use on the door of my '64 Fairlane. It has been a faithful companion all these years but finally had to give up. Anyway, keeping with the bling theme, I found some brass screws to use on the jaws. Kinda gives the front a gold tooth look. 

Here is the money shot.


[Image: DSCN0535.jpg]

Thanks to all of those who have lasted this long through the journey. My next challenge is how to attach the solid maple balls to the handle. I think a new clamping fixture is in the works. Stay tuned! Same time, same Batchannel.
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#12
This is gorgeous!

I need to re-face my vise with some freshened wood; the 2009 facing is really beat-up.

One feature I put in my wooden jaw-faces was this:   I embedded a little disk of hardwood on each one, perfectly indexed to each other.  I use these little hardwood sub-faces as an alignment aid when I press together my wood-turned pen kits.
Chris
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#13
You never said how you painted the letters? That heat must be getting to you. By the way Jim, where are you from again? I can't seem to remember.

Looks great,
John.
"When I nod my head, hit it." - M. Howard.


"I think you should learn how to use hand tools before you even touch a power tool." - Sam Maloof
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#14
(08-27-2016, 03:49 AM)John Clifford Wrote: You never said how you painted the letters?  That heat must be getting to you.  By the way Jim, where are you from again?  I can't seem to remember.  

Looks great,
John.

Thanks for viewing. Tallahassee is the location. Everybody knows Florida proper--it includes Miami and MouseWorld. Some have heard of the panhandle because it includes Panama City Beach. The area where the two parts join is called the big bend area and it is where they stuck the capital. But I digress--the question was lettering. It was pretty simple but the quality of the job depends on the original casting. This vise had good casting with distinct letters. I also lettered a vise from the 1930s with not so prime casting. My guess is that they got knocked around through the years.

I started with a small can of white Rustoleum and used a makeup sponge. And yes, this project is "sponge worthy." I dabbed the sponge into the paint, wiped it on a piece of newspaper to leave very little paint on the sharp end, and then lightly touched the tips of the cast letters. It took two or three passes to get enough color on. I kept a rag handy to wipe up the smudges. And, Bobs yer uncle, there it was. It was easier than I thought it would be.
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#15
Every time I look at this thread, I think "Wow! That's really RED!" I like it a lot! Great save, Jim!
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#16
Yes looks super!!
On your handle, are you going to drill a hole in the ball?
Steve

Missouri






 
The Revos apparently are designed to clamp railroad ties and pull together horrifically prepared joints
WaterlooMark 02/9/2020








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#17
(08-27-2016, 05:13 PM)Stwood_ Wrote: Yes looks super!!
On your handle, are you going to drill a hole in the ball?
Yes. My plan is to drill a hole in the wooden balls and attach one at each end. I am still pondering it. One of the balls needs to be removable and one needs to be permanent. On metal vises, the handle is turned to make a small tenon on the end to go into the ball. I have an adjustable auger bit that would do that and I may try. Or I may take the sack of balls over and drill them all the same size.
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#18
Looks good Jim, nice job.




Steve
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#19
Hey Jim, Hey Steve;
Stay safe during the hurricane, let us know when ya'll are ok... "Us folks" here on the Gulf Coast get to experience them occasionally.
Skip


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#20
Thanks for your kind words. It is pretty quiet here this afternoon but that is just the "calm before the storm." Expect landfall around midnight or later with 50 mph winds, gusting to 89mph. We expect trees down and power out, so I will be using handplanes by candlelight. I called and added myself to the reserve labor list at the hospital but will probably just nap it out.
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splintermaking.com
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