Were Saw Vises Japaned?

[Greg Crawford]

I just got an old, no-name saw vise that needs some cleaning. After removing the rust, I want to get the metal protected, but I'm not worried about trying to match the original finish. The finish that is still on it is glossier than most old plane bodies though. Were saw vises japaned the same as planes, or were they just painted? If I want to strip all the finish, and it is japaned, will paint remover take it off?

Thanks,

Greg

[Mike Brady]

Any of the saw vices I see around have remnants of what looks like japanning left on them. Strong stripper will remove japanning, but I have just cleaned off the peeling and chipped finish and repainted with engine paint. If you ever want to truely rejapan, you can start the removing cycle over again and do it from scratch. I use the aerosol stripper from Home Depot, but *Warning* it is murder on your hands. You must wear stripping gloves that will withstand the remover. Follow the stripper with bead blasting if you have access to it.
Some day I am getting some of the Pontypool japan finish from Liberty on the Hudson and redoing all of the marginal japanned tools that I have. Just be prepared to not use them for about a month while the stuff hardens.

[Greg Crawford]

I didn't know about the Pontypool. Thanks Mike.

[Ken Shepard]

According to the 1918 Disston catalog, saw vises (they refer to them as "saw clamps") were japanned.


Ken