ACME saw vise restoration

[Todd Ferrante]

Earlier I posted a little gloat about the ACME saw vise I got at a recent auction. I've begun the restoring it, and thought I'd do a separate thread documenting the process. Hopefully this will also give me an incentive to keep the restoration moving along.

Here is the vise as it came from the auction:
http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6135/5944055890_ca1437007d_b.jpg

My first step was to remove the handle and anvil and check them out.
http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6150/5964052461_e418c534be_b.jpg

There were two problem areas immediately evident. The first was that the hardened roller in the handle had worn a groove into the face of the anvil. This groove was deep enough that the handle casting was rubbing on the anvil. Also, the roller itself was loose in the handle, so even if the anvil was flat, the casting still might have rubbed. I fixed the anvil first.

I chucked the anvil in my Taig minilathe.
http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6130/5964052515_5ea9c0e506_z.jpg

Then faced the surface so it was smooth and used a file to restore the corner chamfer.
http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6147/5964052563_db34beccec_z.jpg

Next I turned to the handle. Driving out the roller axle pin revealed the cause of the looseness of the wheel - the hardened wheel had worn a deep groove into the softer axle pin.
http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6017/5964609922_2743873850_z.jpg

I could have replaced the pin with a hardened dowel pin, or with a piece of unhardened drill rod I just happened to have laying around. In this case, the softer steel in the axle pin ensures that the pin will wear before the wheel. This is good because replacing the pin is much easier than turning a new wheel, then hardening it.

I test fit the rod, marked the length and cut it off with a hacksaw.
http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6135/5964052691_c760b317f0_z.jpg

To semi-permanently install the pin, I'll need to use a ball peen hammer to peen the ends so the pin stays in the handle. I'll put that off until the handle is repaired and painted. For now, the pin is a tight slip fit into the handle, and will stay put while testing the clamping action. If it wants to wander, I'll hit one end with a drop of super glue. That should hold it until I knock it loose.

The roller was a bit loose in the handle slot. I installed a washer as a shim spacer next to the roller to tighten things up a bit. Here are the repaired parts of the camping mechanism.
http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6136/5964052725_bda33fd937_z.jpg

Next step will be to work on the other end of the handle.

Does anyone know a source for machine shop green paint?
Todd F.

[george wilson]

That vise is not worth restoring. Send it to me. I can use it for a paper weight !!:):):)

[Niels Cosman]

hahahaha :) :) :)
man that's a sexy beast!

[Tony Shea]

Beat me too it George. Maybe george wouldn't have time for it and you might bump me up next in line for taking it off your hands. I will certainly be watching this as it progresses. But again, i also have this huge stack of paper's that only an antique USA made anvil or that Acme vise would work at weighting them down. So keep me in mind as well.

[Todd Ferrante]

The next step in the saw vise refurbishment was to work on the broken handle. I removed the handle stub and stripped the paint with a wire brush. Then, I clamped it in my Taig benchtop milling machine and skimmed the outer surface of the casting until I established a flat face. I drilled and tapped a #10-32 hole one inch from the end of the handle.
http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6011/5970231477_70e7631b4b_z.jpg

Then I took a scrap piece of steel about .25 x .75 x 6 and drilled and reamed a .250" hole one inch from one end. From my parts trays I pulled a .25 x .25 shoulder bolt (shoulder .250 in dia x .25 long, #10-32 threads) and a couple .010" thick curved washers.
http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6027/5970787762_017b0e76a3_z.jpg

Attaching the bar to the handle gives a new handle that is longer than the original and has room to grab, instead of being curved against the jaw casting.
http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6020/5970231551_7d62b8e4e3_z.jpg


When the jaw is locked closed, the handle then folds down out of the way.
http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6138/5970231583_1c4c526d51_z.jpg

Once I was sure the concept worked, I made a couple cuts to narrow the outer handle and cut a piece of fruitwood for a grip. I used my tennon jig to slot the pear so it could be epoxied to the handle.
http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6029/5970231609_673b399661_z.jpg

After epoxying, I shaped the wood with chisel, files, and sandpaper. I sealed and hardened it with a coat of CA adhesive, then buffed it with a cloth wheel and polishing compound. Here is the result:
http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6005/5970231637_2bc0133799_z.jpg

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6022/5970787918_0df68be1e7_z.jpg

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6012/5970231713_a27916024d_z.jpg

Todd F.

[Seth Ribbens]

Very nice. Threads like this are quite fun to read!

[Todd Ferrante]

Removed the side angle adjusting plates. Stripped of the old paint with powered wire brushes (grinder and hand drill). Prepared wooden dowels as plugs for threaded and reamed holes in handle. Wiped all parts clean with acetone. Spray painted with Rust-oleum hammered finish paint.

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6007/5996403990_e6bb1149db_z.jpg

Also stripped the paint from the main vice body with a flap disk on an angle grinder. Then wire brushes in hand drill. Just have to dremel the tight spaces and the vice body will be ready for paint.

Todd F.

[Todd Ferrante]

To get into the tight corners, I tried using a small wire brush chucked in the Dremel tool, but that brush lasted about 5 minutes before coming apart. I switched to a small stone and that worked better. Ground off all the surface rust I could reach, and wiped down with acetone.

I tried separating the front jaw from the main body casting by tapping out the hinge pins. Rapping on the end of one pin pretty firmly didn't even show a hint of it budging. Looking inside the vise showed that the front jaw is hinged on a single round bar that goes completely across the vise. They must have changed the design to two drivable pins at a later point in time. Rather than struggle with getting the bar out, and possibly doing irreparable damage, I left the parts together knowing that some surfaces just won't get fresh paint.

After the acetone wipe I masked the machined jaw surfaces and side pivot mating surfaces with painters tape. Then laid down a generous coat of paint, waited 20 minutes, laid down a 2nd coat, waited 2 hours, and brought the vise in the garage to cure overnight. I'll have to hit the underside surface tonight.

Here is the result:
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-TYFGONyIlh8/TjgNjT7LexI/AAAAAAAAABI/gsvC-LL3H_4/110802%20painted%20vise.jpg

Interestingly, stripping off the paint revealed that the previous green paint was not the original color. Originally the vise was covered with what looked like a black Japanned finish. That finish had been previously stripped off everywhere except around the lettering on the front jaw casting.

Todd F.

[gounthar frankfurt]

Nice job, and very interesting vise.:)

[Todd Ferrante]

Last night sprayed the bottom of the main casting.

This evening I oven cured the paint. Put all the painted parts in the oven for 1 hour at 175 deg F and then bumped the temp up to 200 deg F for another hour. Then shut off the oven and let set for another hour with the door closed. Then cracked the door and will let cool down over night. The vent van has been blowing the whole time. I'll turn it off before going to bed.

I don't think I'd get away with this step except that my wife is out of town for 4 more days, and I'll have time to air out the oven. (Shhhhhh.)

Todd F.

[Todd Ferrante]

Cleaned up the last of the hardware bits with wire brush and buffing wheel. Assembled the vise. Restoration is officially completed. I'm quite pleased with the end result. Now I just need to bolt it down and start filing some saws.
Todd F.

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-QzrRQ3rQ7Oo/Tjvhu-izJBI/AAAAAAAAAEs/0FTSVNkH88s/s1280/110804 restored ACME saw vise 3.jpg

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-0Gd15nuy79w/Tjvhuml_r1I/AAAAAAAAAEs/3mxjYGFifXM/s1280/110804 restored ACME saw vise 4.jpg

[Dave Anderson NH]

Beautiful job Todd. The vise looks like it just came off the production line.