Looky what I found

Andrew Harrington · (#1)

Was hiking yesterday in a forest preserve and came on an over grown field. I waded through it a ways as I saw an OLD Ford pickup buried in the underbrush. I like old Fords. Looked like there was once a farm there, all sorts of scrap, tools and rusted old buckets littered the field...and this.

Went down the way a bit and found the house that the field belongs to, met a nice old woman, and asked if it was alright to haul off some of the stuff in the field. She said the farm burned down a couple years back and I could have it all. Ha!! Usually the case when it's the case. This, a couple old pick axe heads and a cross pien head made it home with me.

Pretty cool.

Stay up

justin king · (#2)

Score! It's about time someone liberated that thing-hate to see something like that go to waste. How much does it weigh?

Andrew Harrington · (#3)

Hey Justin,

Yeah, it made my Sunday. It weighs about 80 lbs. I'll clean it up this week. The rust is not deep at all though. Definitely my best "find" this year.

Stay up

Henrik Y · (#4)

My friend saw one in good shape in a container at the recycling center but when I got there they had already taked that container away and it was to late to get it

Svet_P · (#5)

Nice find.

Can't wait to see this babe rust free and painted.

The scrap yard used to be my favourite place back in the day. The guys who work there "filter" the scrap by picking out the good and useful things away, so you can always go there and browse their Special Junk Heap that consists of tools and gear in good shape.

Trish Davis · (#6)

You left the truck!?

Nice haul, Andrew but really ...what year is it?

Andrew Harrington · (#7)

Yeah Trish, I left the poor truck. All but the frame was pretty well done for, and even that...The year of the vice, I didn't look. I know, I know....I'll have a look for the makers mark and part number if I can get away to do some work today. If not tomorrow.
It's got quite a few years of work on it. I'd say at least 60 considering the truck which was obviously from the 40's, based on the split windshield and long engine comp. Also the horse shoes. I was hoping to find the anvil that went with it. In fact, I did...two lengths of rail track. Not what I'd expected when I found the vice but pretty neat just the same.

I'll get back with the specifics later.

Howard Fairchild · (#8)

Nice find, Andrew. Any wrought iron to be found there?

Andrew Harrington · (#9)

Oh...I'm sure there is. There are horse and buggie riggings and all sorts of other things that could be iron.

jim frank · (#10)

I love my post vice. What a great find!

Andrew Harrington · (#11)

Yep. Still working on getting the screw to budge. Heat, liquid wrench...try repeat.

jim frank · (#12)

Maybe a little Naval Jelly first, to remove some surface rust, so the liquid wrench will penetrate easier?

{edit} BTW, nice website. Is it brand new?

Andrew Harrington · (#13)

yep. Very new in fact.

I'll give the jelly a try.

Jens Butler · (#14)

Andrew, Nice Find !
I'd use a Little propane torch to heat the screw a bit, just enough melt a little parafin ( plain 'ol candle wax ) into the threads. The heat will draw the wax all the way into the threads and and break the rust bond. It should break free as soon as it cools to room temp. We use this trick in the engine shop at my work, to free exhaust manifold bolts that have been rusting for 60 + years. Hope this helps.

Jens

Norman B · (#15)

Naval Jelly!
Can you still get that stuff anymore? Where!!! Oh, what is it?

My brother and I went thru a whole 6 oz jar of that lovely pink stuff (my dad had saved for years and never used) restoring half a dozen 16" long woodworking files someone left in a bucket for a few years. Got them for next to nothing.

Joe Nelson · (#16)

Looks like Loctite still makes it.

http://www.loctiteproducts.com/produ...id=47&plid=169

Norman B · (#17)

Thanks much!!!!!!
Did a search for suppliers - zip; that's annoying.

Howard Fairchild · (#18)

Permatex also makes Naval Jelly. Lowes, H.D., WM, Auto stores, etc...
You might try Electrolysis.
I used it on some old hand planes I had to take rust out of tight places on.
Here's a tutorial.
You should watch how long you leave it in there, as I forgot a shear steel blade in it overnight...not pretty with holes in it...
It will work well for what you're doing.

jim frank · (#19)

Howard, that's a great link. I do a lot of electrolytic etching, polishing, and electrochem stuff. I hadn't encountered anyone usijng electrolytic rust removal before.

I see from your posting count that you haven't been here long, so if no one else has said it, welcome to SFI.

Howard Fairchild · (#20)

I've only been here 11 months longer than you, Jim...
Thanks. I haven't been too prolific in my posting,though...

Lance davis · (#21)

Great find! where I live in saskatchawan is like mecca for stuff like that. My mom thinks I am crazy bringing old junk home all the time. A guy I know found a 64 galaxy in the bush and after a litle air in the tires and cleaning the carb managed to drive it home. I see the car around town all the time.

Thomas Barnett · (#22)

all you need is the spring.

how wide are the jaws?

Andrew Harrington · (#23)

Yeah, a spring would be nice. Right now I have a small pry bar, which while it works, takes some fanagling to work out with hot billets in general.

The jaws are 5" wide. It's still a bit stiff, but coming along.

Stay up

Andrew Harrington · (#24)

In the end, heat and hammer won the day. I used two torches, one mapp and one propane, and heated it up until it smoked where things mate. Then I hammered all over the body before trying the arm. Took about 5 minutes of heavy blows to break the rust. But it worked. Now the screw is all greased up and working like it should.

Thanks for the advice everyone.

Stay up

Thomas Barnett · (#25)

Always nice to see a tool come back from the dead like that. Enjoy!