Outdoor vise

[Gordon Maney]

Is there anything really good besides grease to use to treat a bench vise that would get outdoor exposure?

[Bruce]

Evening Gordon,
I have thought about that before, around here all of the power companies/plumbers etc. have a vise on mounted on their tailgate or intergrated into the maintance rigs. I suppose we might have to ask a Lineman that one? Over on the welding web, theres a thread at least 20 pages long, a SAGA, the tale of resurrecting a frozen vise, that if in good working order, has a value of 7-800 bucks! Check it out. http://www.weldingweb.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=580

[JimmieD]

You might look around for white lithium grease or Lubriplate. They both come in an aerosol can that sprays out a sort of foamy thickened lubricant that sticks well and is fairly resistant to weather. The big deal is it's easy to just blast the old screw with a quick shot when it needs it and it lasts quite a while.

I sometimes use a small pump-spray can of Dura Lube also, and use it as a pre-lubricant because of molecular bonding properties, then later hit stuff with Lubriplate as needed. Worked for me, until the rear-ender that totalled the back end, and lots more, of my Town Wagon as it also wiped out my bumper-mounted vise! Sure miss that vise....
JimmieD

[Dodgeum]

I have had this vise dated "1891" since I was 15 years old. It's used outside and I just coat it with used motor oil every so often. It is one heavy vise. There are other marking on it but have mostly worn off through the years.

[RickL]

Looks like some type of plumbers vise for working with pipe. What size are those rear cutouts?

There is an article in this months WoodenBoat magazine about making your own wooden vise for woodworking.

Rick

[Dodgeum]

The openings are about 1- 1/2" and 2-1/2". Looks like it was some sort of pipe vice.

[Monkey Man]

I personally use either deodorised fish oil or lanolin oil on my outdoor vice, keeps it clean, rust free and running nicely, however - I do cheat a bit on the thread and apply a bit of marine waterproof grease to stop the airborne dust making a home in the essential areas :-)

Regards - MM :-)

[Gordon Maney]

Originally posted by Dodgeum
I have had this vise dated "1891" since I was 15 years old. It's used outside and I just coat it with used motor oil every so often. It is one heavy vise. There are other marking on it but have mostly worn off through the years.

How did you come by such a vise at the age of fifteen?

[Dodgeum]

My older brother and I we hired to clean out this old abandoned house on Cape Cod where we found the vise. It was so heavy that it had to be moved in pieces. It stayed in my parents cellar for 30 years and then I got it and brought it south with me. It is mounted on an 8x8 that is 5 plus feet in the ground. I don't use it much but when I do its worth its weight in gold, well silver anyways.

[Gordon Maney]

You used lag screws to fasten down the top board?

I am not sure where I could go around here to get an 8x8.

[HWooldridge]

I use synthetic Mobil 1 in my truck and momma's Suburban so I pour it into 5 gallon buckets at change time. I keep this stuff for use on the hay baler, cutter and rake. I also pour it on the M37 winch and would put it on an outside vise if I had such an animal.

[fuzzyalex]

If you are lookin for pretty on non-moving parts- Anchor Paints makes a anchor paint that is like cold-galv only comes in a gallon or more and contains zinc chips- it is a HD paint that is medium grey in color. I have them shake the can several times (in the mechanical shaker) when I pick a can up, and I would take it to the local hardware store to be shook on my way to the jobsite I would be using it at- the suspended metal particulates all settle to the bottom and can take a while to stir up if you leave it sit for a bit. A gallon of this paint weighs twice if not more than a regular gallon of paint! VERY HEAVY DUTY STUFF!
If you like colors other than grey, I used to get an epoxy based paint for Sprint Skids- the steel framework that outdoor cabinets and equipment Sprint PCS uses. I painted one with my shirt off once, it took more than a week for it to wear off of my skin after some determined scrubbing! It comes in two parts, but I don't recall the manufacturer. I recall a red striped 1/2 gal can for part B and a gallon can for part A and we got it from Sherman Williams I think...

[Dodgeum]

The 8 x 8" is a full size (full 8") piece of pressure treated lumber that I got off a movie set that I worked on, "Instinct" was the movie. The top piece of wood is held down with 4- 6" lag bolts an the vice is held with 2- 8" lag bolts. Notice the big screw down under the vise under the overhang, the vise was meant to be mounted on a work bench not how I have it, but it works.

[Gordon Maney]

I like the idea of it being mounted on a post.

[HWooldridge]

Put it on a steel post. A piece of 6-8 inch pipe with a plate on top. More robust than a wood post and acts as a good ground to weld on.

[Sickcall]

I used a very large pulley from an old industrial air compresser. Its more like a flywheel, about 24" in dia by about 10" in depth. It must weight over 100 pounds. I welded a 4 inch pipe on it and a mounting plate for the vise. Being so bottom heavy I can put very large objects in the vise and still be stable. It will also roll around on a hard surface like the driveway to where ever I need it.

[rumplecat]

The folks who make Kroil oil also have a treatment for outdoor use, you may want to check their website.
James G.

[Sickcall]

CRC makes a wax based corrosion inhibitor, I think its called CRC 3-26 or CRC 6-26. Its made to stop corrosion in marine enviorments. I use it on board ships all the time to lubricate and protect.