saw vise sacrilege?

[Jeff Hallam]

So, I have a Grammercy saw vise which I enjoy using and I believe to be a quality tool. It was not cheap and I don't want it to rust away on me as it is bare metal as sold.

On my shelf I have some leftover "Pontypool Asphaltum" japanning paint from the days when I would buy ebay planes and fix them up as users. This stuff really does match the original japanning well and would likely afford it some protection from nature. On the other hand I would be defacing a new tool!

I'm interested in the popular opinion on this one (I attempted to put a poll on this post). What about just oiling it instead? Leave it raw?

Cheers,

Jeff

[Brian Holcombe]

Oil it, then avoid worrying about it.

[Jim Matthews]

I oil mine.

I'm constantly nicking the near face when filing.
Would a file cut through the paint, or chip it off?

[Malcolm Schweizer]

I had always assumed in the pictures it was some sort of stainless steel. At the price I am surprised it does not come with some sort of finish.

I would do a baked oiled finish. Here are details: http://benchcrafted.blogspot.com/201...-iron.html?m=1

[Jeff Hallam]

I do the same thing. I think it would cut through the paint.

[Tony Zaffuto]

It's a tool and meant to be used! Mine is as I received it, about 4 or 5 years ago, except for the file nicks and occasional blood drips/drops/splatters (it's a workshop!).

[Brian Holcombe]

A scratched up paint job is sure to look worse than light surface rust.

[Jeff Hallam]

Perhaps. In a way I'm just looking for a use for the leftover paint as it doesn't come cheap and I don't intend on restoring any more planes. Imagine that a Stanley #4 looks better with scratched up japanning instead of lightly rusted cast iron on the top surfaces, but I understand what you're saying.

[Charles Bjorgen]

I have that same saw vise and voted to leave it alone but things in my shop don't tend to rust very much. A simple coat of paste wax would protect the vise and leave it in its original condition in case you ever decide to sell it.

[Moses Yoder]

There are a lot of hard to get to areas on that vise. I would occasionally oil the moving parts but other than that I would just let it rust. It will only rust a light coat on the outside since ideally it is only rusting due the water vapor with no other corrosives. If you want to keep it from rusting for a long time I would make a wooden box to keep it in that is sealed pretty tight and only get it out to use. The box can be scrap ply or whatever, it does not have to be ebony.

[Mike Holbrook]

Renaissance Wax "By Appointment to Her Majesty The Queen"...
Highland Woodworking says..."We use Renaissance Wax even more often on tools and jigs than on furniture. On tablesaws, bandsaws, jointers, planers, hand planes & plunge router posts it is an unbeatable corrosion inhibitor and friction reducer. It has the wonderful property of polishing metal smoother and smoother with every use—after a few years your jointer beds and plane soles will be as smooth as glass. We apply Renaissance Wax with a fine Scotch-Brite pad or 4/0 steel wood, putting it on as thinly as possible and buffing it vigorously with a soft cloth after a very short wait. It takes two or three coats to do a thorough job the first time out, but single coats thereafter will maintain a nearly perfect surface."

[george wilson]

RenaissanceWax is the preferred wax of the conservation depts.in Col. Williamsburg. I use it myself.

[Jeff Hallam]

Thanks for the tip about Renaissance Wax. Saw vice aside, I like the feel of a coat of wax on furniture but am all too aware of it's typically poor durability. This might be a worth a try. I do have some Minwax furniture wax which I could use in the meantime.

I've decided to go with either oil or wax and then leave it alone. The paint can wait for other projects down the line, maybe i'll fix up a beater #4 for my daughter to learn on.

[Michael Kellough]

Boiled linseed oil looks good on steel and iron, even if it's already a little rusty.
I used to gather up old stuff at garage sales and after a little cleaning just wipe the whole thing with BLO.
Takes at least overnight to really harden but it's extremely durable and natural looking without being slippery like wax.

[Derek Cohen]

This is a saw vise, not a Patek Phillipe Calatrava. It is designed to be used, and it is expected to show its wear. You will not extend its life with paint. You may in fact harm it by obstructing movement. I may wax the surfaces - if I remembered - but otherwise I would only worry about rust if I saw any developing. Then and only then would I consider permanent solutions.

Regards from Perth

Derek