Thread: Heavy cast iron wheel for leg vice

The weight of the wheel should not matter as long as the bench has decent mass. You would not want things to tip when fully extended. As to turning the wheel some weight can be an advantage.
Regards
John

No that would be no good at all. Someone might get hurt.

Send it to me and I will dispose of it safely.

15 kgs? Jaysus!

This one weighs 1.2 kgs. For momentum, around 1.8 kgs would be better, but that might too easily break the failsafe device built in to the vise.
HNT FACE VISE 1.jpg

Good Morning Matt

If the 15 kgs weight, per se, is too much then perhaps the bench it too lightly built. Lesson there.

On the other hand, 15 kgs plus 250 mm diameter equals a hell of a lot of torque, inertia, momentum......... Over enthusiastic tightening could damage delicate work. But if you are a gentle soul then it should work well, very well.

Suggest that you go ahead. You can always change the wheel later. That cast iron wheel will be a real point of differentiation with your bench!


Fair Winds

Graeme

Thanks for the feedback, glad to see I might be able to put this wheel to good use.

My measurements were off, its 380mm (15 inches) but my weight guess was pretty close, its 14kgs.

I was initially thinking that the large diameter of the wheel might be to much, but I guess it would be great for keeping the vice thread reasonably low, but with the benefit of not having to bend over.

It will be a while before I build my bench, but I will put up another photo of the wheel once I have cleaned it up. Not sure on how I should finish it yet? once I clean the paint off I may just oil it with linseed oil to keep it natural looking.

If it was yours, how would you finish it off?

IMG_5034.jpg

Take care as that paint on it may be lead based so a mask gloves and overalls when you clean up the wheel. The linseed oil would likely need to be baked on. I think someone on here posted something about that a couple of years ago so have a look back at some of the old bench builds.
It's going to look great on a leg vice.
Regards
John

Originally Posted by orraloon

Take care as that paint on it may be lead based so a mask gloves and overalls when you clean up the wheel. ....

Hi Matt

Good advice from John. If you use a paint stripper then there won't be any dust, and you won't grind the cast iron surface.

Old cast iron machinery was often painted black - "stove paint" ???

Personally, I like the finish of Killrust paint - a one pot epoxy enamel from Watyl. Excellent smooth coverage, but it will totally mask the character of the cast iron substrate. Besides metal, I often use it on wood and MDF.



Cheers

Graeme

I'd be doing electrolysis in a foot bath salt electrolyte (Na2CO3).
This will remove the rust and paint.
Then I would use what Graeme recommends , ie Killrust Epoxy enamel.


I'm curious about the 14 kg.

A solid disc of iron 380 mm in diameter and 25 mm thick will weigh 17.6kg and given the spokes on your wheel occupy less half the area a spoked wheel would then weigh ~8kg.
Have you actually weighed it?

Get it sandblasted, then powder coated. Might cost a bit but will last for yonks.

Hi Bob

I weighed myself (92kg) and then weighed myself holding the wheel against my chest (107kg). Probably not the most accurate method so I took a kg off for good measure. The rim is 38mm thick and the centre section is 100mm by 80mm. There is also a rod sticking out the front and the back, its hard to see from the photo I originally posted.

IMG_5035.jpg IMG_5036.jpg

Originally Posted by Mattgj

Hi Bob

I weighed myself (92kg) and then weighed myself holding the wheel against my chest (107kg). Probably not the most accurate method so I took a kg off for good measure. The rim is 38mm thick and the centre section is 100mm by 80mm. There is also a rod sticking out the front and the back, its hard to see from the photo I originally posted.

OK that makes more sense, a 38 mm thick solid wheel will weigh around 26 kg so half that is 13kg.
All good.

Matt that wheel can be made to look excellent I think, despite my continuing misgivings about the excess weight - although you will quickly learn how much hooch to give it for the right spin.

As someone suggested, you could bake the linseed oil on which will give it a nice brown/steel look (several thin coats required). Or you could get a gunsmith to blue it for you, which might also look good.

I have also seen steel/cast iron deliberately rusted and while the rust is still "bright" it has been finished with polyurethane, or you could use Penetrol, which will stop the rust in its tracks (i.e. won't progress, but will also keep it bright. It is a particularly good look if you want to introduce a rustic look (which I think would look fabulous). I have some steel roofing sheets down the back that I coated with Penetrol 4 years ago, and there were some bright rust spots on it - not desirable in roofing sheets. After two years being stacked up outside with no protection from the weather the rust spots were exactly as they were when coated.

If you like the rust idea, and need to get more bright rust you can simply paint it with vinegar or some mild acid and/or leave it in the rain for a as long as it takes.

Another idea that might work - don't take all of the paint off - rub it back with a brush and or scraper, incorporate some rust with acid/rain and then stop it with Penetrol. You can still go over the Penetrol with Polyurethane if you wish.

Yeah - I'm keen on the rustic look!

You could also try japanning. My recipe and technique is in a thread titled DIY japanning. An excellent and cheap finish.


If it were done when it were done, ‘twere well it were done quickly

If that was me, and I will first put up my invisible force field.
I would think about getting it chromed or copper dipped.

The copper could look nice!
Or satin chromed too would look cool.

I like black chromed heaps as well.

Cheers another Matt,