Vintage Chief Vise Fix and Finish. Drill Press Repair

[@ivanstiles7030]

I have no idea how i missed your restoration of this little vise but I'm glad the videos came across my feed. Nicely done John.

[@shawn57187]

You missed your calling as a teacher! You're excellent and explaining things

[@RightOnJonCrane]

Right On John! I have one of those Delta drill presses! Junk! But somehow I keep it around. It occasionally gets some use in a production run. Just two days ago I cracked a cheap vise I had on a stump outside. I gave it a little too much umph on the handle. I’ll try and post a pic of it on Instagram and tag you. Ha! Thanks for the great video! “What kind of maniac doesn’t have a drill press. “ 😂😄

[@baritonfelix]

If sold in certain territories, the drill press will have a reversible plug, so you can never be sure which wire is live and which is neutral. That is what makes a dual power switch preferable.

[@Rudimentary007]

Thanks for being honest and upfront about those eBay prices I’ve noticed that too on a lot of particular tools some people have illusions of grandeur about the price of their tools.

[@ScoutCrafter]

Frank it’s funny how some tools are under-priced too! I think a lot of sellers price their stuff off other listings. 😃👍

[@wayneo7307]

Ebay is Crazy with Prices . I don't Do Ebay.

[@bigpete4227]

Taking old and cheap tools and tuning them up is something you do so well.

[@TomGunnTools]

Those holes you drilled actually give it a nice touch. One day some poor SOB is going to be very puzzled as to what the heck they do!

[@LionheartRacingSeries]

Absolutely love ScoutCrafter's videos. Love that part "what kinda maniac doesn't have a drill press". Felt so good knowing that I have one down in the shop lol.

[@richardveilleux2736]

Love your videos! Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at noon, I made my lunch and sit down at my desk and watch your video. I enjoy them and I learn something every time. This time I learn about backlash. I will be working on my vise tomorrow as it has a lot of backlash. Thank You!!

[@Fake-moon-landing.]

I've been looking around the car boots for months now trying to find a sort of crown for you to restore because you are the king of restoration. Elvis Presley of the tool world.

[@greghomestead8366]

Vice looks awesome. Have a Jesus filled day everyone Greg in Michigan

[@357magdad]

I like the natural look!

[@wayneo7307]

Me Too Magdad !

[@Traderjoe]

Nothing beats a good quality shop vice. Definitely one of the first purchases any shop needs to start off right.

[@billmccabe9601]

Always liked how my Great Uncle wired up his big Rockwell floor stand and My Dad's antique. He wired them up with an old 'starter' style switch in a tethered box 'deadman' style. You had to depress the floor switch with your foot to run the drill. The second your toe left the switch, it would shut off.

[@WeekendShedHead]

Hello Scout, Really love the vice natural look! And the contrasting wood.. beautiful 🤩 I caught a glimpse of your hardware storage in jars.. be great to see a tour of your shop one day buddy!😉 cheers Rob 😁👍

[@13thworker45]

You definitely took a less wanted vise to one someone would buy. Ice cream to flaming ice cream. I’ve said in the past you go father on restoration then most. Now Delta drill presses are my press of choice. My floor model I rescued from the scrap yard. It was hardly used. 1945 model dp220 multi speed. My other that I restored is around 1970. It’s a radial drill press. One day I’ll restore my 1938 Montgomery wards drill press. Your channel is excellent restoration site, thank You

[@ScoutCrafter]

Jess- Vintage Delta tools were awesome, it changed when Black and Decker/Stanley bought them. 😃👍

[@RobertBosworth]

Thank you for explaining backlash, I’ve always thought it was just part of owning a vise. When you called it a “dead zone,” that put it perfectly. Really enjoyed the whole vise project and that shellac finish is a good look.

[@myeeky]

Love the vise’s design and always love tool shellac. A finish that finally won’t poison the user. It is a treat to see you question product design and create a fix for that backlash.

[@JimmiePorterAtStuartArts]

I’ve had problems with the similar switch contacts developing oxide. I’ve had success opening the switches and burnishing the contacts. I like your channel!

[@ScoutCrafter]

Thanks Jimmie! 😃👍

[@corymcgrath5652]

I like this two part upload thing, keeps me curious. Funny thing, I never really thought that much about basic shop tools and how they should work properly until I subscribed to your channel. Thanks for your time SC. See you Friday.

[@gardener123ful]

John: The "Chief" was my first vice, after the screw snapped in half I moved up to a Wilton, which I still own, You are certainly correct the "Chief"was an economy vice, but good to start off with.

[@TJET737]

I have one of those vise's. I didn't realize how bad it was till I watched your video. I made all the adjustments and cleaned her up. Now she's a little gem. Thank you for all your tips!!

[@thymekiller]

Love the shellac on iron. Prices have gone thru the roof lately on tools on ebay and elsewhere. Too many people have seen too many episodes of pickers. They will figure it out when they cant sell it.

[@ScoutCrafter]

You are so right, overnight prices have doubled! 😳

[@1pcfred]

Used tool prices have always been high online. You have to pay for the convenience.

[@wrod7510]

Junky vise no more John!!! Love the industrial look and the shellac finish!

[@kadmaster]

Good job as always,sir...Nice colors...Specially stripes colors...

[@RestorationbyAlabamaCreeks]

Another thing for me to fret about: backlash. I have plenty, in fact too much experience with backlash, as it relates to bass fishing with bait casting reels. Great video, thankful for the education.

[@ScoutCrafter]

😂 Birdsnest!!! 🫣😂👍

[@krishoogstraat6866]

Outstanding job on that vise John.

[@lordvengerx]

The vice restoration really came out great! The industrial look really went well with this one 🙂.

What a sweet little. vice that is now, despite it's lowly origins, glad you stayed with the raw finish, for now at least ! As always lots of instructive fixes and work arounds in this project, thanks for sharing ! Cheers AndyC.

[@wireworks616]

Great job on the vise. There's a lot of scammers turning up one You Tube lately

[@tonysheerness2427]

Nice job done on the vice, from trash to treasure.

[@toolrestoration]

Nice finish John , glad you went with that , looks classy , sometimes paint makes a cheap looking finish , now about this $1 vise challenge ......

[@peebee143]

Hi, John, nice job! Totally unrelated to this, the other week I had a flat on the back wheel of my bike. Was a Friday so I wanted to get home from work to go out to the pub. Walked my bike home, got the wheel off and the repair kit out, found the culprit and got it sorted and got into town to the pub only 30 minutes late...Trouble was, the instructions didn't say which way up to put the patch on! Now, that repair held for over 2 weeks!, just with the glue around the edge of the patch. Walked to work on Wednesday, got the repair done properly Wednesday evening. Talk about Senior moment, Ha!

[@dougbartosh5735]

Great job on the vise! I have redone 6 vises of different jaw widths! I own a machine shop in Western Pa. You do a great job with your projects!! Keep up the work!! Thank you! Doug

[@ScoutCrafter]

Hi Doug! Owning a machine shop you have just become the envy of us all!! Thanks!! 😃👍

[@not2fast4u2c]

NICE VISE 😎 That is an odd switch on the drill press to also cut off the neutral side

[@1pcfred]

Someone else guessed it might be that way because of international markets. Then they only have to change the motor and how they wire it. But it's all the same part.

[@RRINTHESHOP]

Very nice job on the vise and some great upgrades.

[@saigaking]

I really love the finish on the vice it’s really nice what a fantastic job scout A really nice size little vice way better on the slop nice and tight amazing stuff God bless take care 🙏🦅👍🇺🇸🗽🇳🇿🐿

[@diannelogsdon6107]

Good evening John. I know you said don’t pay over $10 for a Chief vise. I picked up a great Chief L4 like yours today for $15. Sorry. Hardly a scratch, very little use. Thank you for your videos, they make my day!!!! Carl

[@tango-bravo]

I learned a lot watching this vice series. I have a Miller Falls jewelers vice from long ago and it’s my favorite vice for small work.

[@crr8297]

Thank you for the video, good job making that vice nice again. Yes, disconnecting both sides of the AC line is for safety, I would use a heavy duty DPST toggle switch and make a plate to mount it. If you really wanted to you could wire in a relay and use a lighter duty switch to activate the relay

[@nicknicoletti9778]

The natural casting color looks great especially with the cleaned up labeling and lines. Seemed like a fun project. Light duty user vise.

[@805ROADKING]

Well done Mate!! Beautiful job!! If you don't use it for a vise then you at least have a very impressive looking Door Stop eh!!☻

[@ScoutCrafter]

Or boat anchor! 😂👍

[@jpsimon206]

You're absolutely right that the machine washer on the inside serves the same purpose as a thrust washer on the outside of a dynamic jaw. But the thrust washer is a pleasure to use every time, dead smooth action. The only other comment I wanted to make was in reference to these precision washers you have mentioned twice. I have several sets of these in a whole gamut of sizes. They mostly hail from the days of horizontal milling machines, so eBay is regularly flooded with collections very cheap. I have found these incredibly useful for virtually any project. Just having a decent supply of shim stock that you are certain about the dimensions is a very powerful tool. When they were originally made, they are carefully ground on both sides out of excellent HSS. You can find collections that look like they've been at the bottom of the ocean and they clean up excellently. Just be on the lookout for an creases and throw those away immediately. Might be tempted to get the larger sets. It's pretty easy to find ad hoc spacers in the one to two inch range and larger. So the sets of 1,000 spacers, 5 thou, etc tend to come in quite a bit more useful. They almost always come with a perfect one inch hole or perhaps one and a quarter. If you happen to use a hydraulic press, you might consider ordering some dowel pins of the same diameter in a variety of sizes, helps keep your stack up aligned. These spacers and planar jacks/adjustable parallels I'm personally convinced are the best kept secrets in the shop world. I think they are useful regardless of what type of work you do. Every time you transition to a pencil, you are compounding error.

[@ScoutCrafter]

Great tip JP!

[@paulhunt598]

Perfect opportunity to have shown indicating actual backlash and dimensioning the lash with an indicator, then machine your spacer to an optimal size... you have a lathe. Most likely Delta standardized swithch part numbers. Many machines have 120/240V motor options. 240V requires switching both hot legs.

[@matthewpeterson3329]

Cool vise. I'm sure you're aware but it's worth mentioning for viewers who want to take on a small project like this... thrust washers! On the spindle, inside and outside of the dynamic jaw, will make a vice glide like glass and make closing and opening effortless. They are cheap and available at most hardware stores and all over the internet. High end vice companies always use them, and I have incorporated them into all my bench vices. It will turn a Corolla into a Cadillac. Thanks for the great content!!!

[@robertphillips93]

Yes, indeed! Also called spring washers, I believe . . . they can be especially useful if the vise is used for lighter clamping tasks -- with or without soft jaws. They can turn backlash into an asset.

[@tonymaiettasr.7340]

I think the vise looks very good for a cheap vise. I vote to leave it as it is. Thanks for another nice informative video.

[@jackthompson2132]

Nice finish up John. Thanks for the heads up on the delta drill ! Thank You for sharing!

[@timeflysintheshop]

I like it! Good choice putting the shellac on the vice! I am gonna get that set of spacers from tractor supply next time I am there! My old vice has had a frustrating backlash as long as I have had it. I have wanted to address it for a while now. Maybe I can make that a quick project!

[@lotsatrains]

Fantastic looking vice cannot believe it was only $1

[@BencoVintageMachineWorks]

It's apparent how the quality of some well known brands went down in more recent years. Most of the old Delta machinery was very well built. Hopefully, one day you will find a nice vintage cast iron drill press at the poor mans flea market. Maybe you can wire up an old toggle light switch instead. The Chief vise looks great with the shellac!

[@bigvicsworkshop]

I like when you make a tool better than it's worth as well Mr. John... your talents never disappoint! The switch fix was nice too... I'd never would had thought of that! Good stuff!

[@johnkelley9877]

This was a fantastic tutorial and i learned how to tune up a vise! I have a Littlestown vise that I want to restore and your tutorial are a big help. I like the shellac finish as opposed to the painted finish as it is a nice change of pace. Thanks for sharing this.

[@scottjohnson136]

A mini course on flap disks, belt sanders and disks used on yor bench grinders. I continue to pick up bits and pieces from videos but havent figured out all the buffing and polishing disks you use. Thanks for sharing your great skill set!

[@ScoutCrafter]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/nIq3iHumapulick

[@scottjohnson136]

thank you for reply!

[@ddblairco]

another wonderful video. thank you Scoutcrafter

[@terryrogers1025]

That is now at least a $30 vise, looks great. Like the finish you gave it and the backlash is spot on, good job. Thanks for the update and the video.

[@jimjohnston7688]

Great job on the vice, turned out so nice. Lots of good tips on how to tune up a vice.

[@tonylenge424]

The vise , once cleaned and polished, looks good in so many colors including natural. Great project, enjoyed watching.

[@scottwallace5180]

In the UK we work on 230 but the neutral can still give you a shock so all switching must be double pole isolation.I’m sure it the same for you guys in the USA as only a voltage under 50v is classed as being safer. Great show regards Scott

[@1pcfred]

Neutral can shock you if it is daisy chained with other circuits and current is flowing. In the UK you do ring wiring. Here that'd be considered janky wiring. But it does happen. Any voltage over 36V is potentially hazardous. Electrocution is a funny thing though. There's a lot of variables involved.

[@davidpeterson5186]

I just got a monster Charles Parker vise at auction last weekend. It has two flaking coats of paint on it and when I refinish it I will follow your lead.

[@troon5488]

I like the industrial finish also. I like the way you picked out the detail.

[@davidcoats1037]

Looks great! Well done and thanks for talking about backlash. Take care 😃👍🏼

[@brainache555]

I've seen some manufacturer's use a spring between the handle and the vice to fix the slop

[@miketownsend6108]

I used a light switch

[@jamesellery9238]

Just found you, love the channel. I just purchased an older vise that I suspect was made in China, but the interesting thing to me is that it has a heavy duty spring to prevent any lash or slop in the vise.

[@Everythings_Adjustable]

That looks so nice now 🛠👍😊

[@GuntersGarage]

Boy you really made something out of that little vise. Your more patient than I am. If that drill press was mine and givin me constant troubles it would be someone elses problem, lol.

[@ScoutCrafter]

LOL It’s too big to throw out now that I am old and weak! 😂😂👍

[@alexstools]

Green! Does look like you've had fun on that project. I have vises that use a spring, so there's no end play, but they're hard to take apart and put back together, they must've had a special clamp or something in the factory.

[@metalwork.]

Nice video... Regarding the drill press...nothing beats old American made from The 1940s and 50s...strong and never wear out.

[@ScoutCrafter]

You are so right!!!

[@aroundthehousewithpat31]

I’m not an electrician but I think that switch is used in case the polarity on the outlet is reversed or not wired correctly. Awesome restoration as usual.

[@1pcfred]

That's my guess. Or they just got those switches cheap.

[@ko2fjb]

Hey, always enjoy your videos and tips. On my drill press I use a regular house switch. It's been there for years and if it craps out it's only a few bucks to replace it.

[@joeheilm]

That was an amazing transformation. The newer delta stuff sucks. One of these days i want to own a radial arm drill. Great fix on the switch. Cheers

[@diegonavas]

I was kinda hoping you would paint the vise purple. It would look really cool with the polished accents.

[@larrynelson734]

I love what you did with that vice. I love that industrial look. Great job. Now that I know how to fix vices. I need to work on mine. 😎❤....

[@Resto-Scraps]

Nice man! What a cool little vise. I actually have a Parker vise I got it for $5 at the swap meet it's beat up but it works great

[@negotiableaffections]

Superb job, John and [within its operational specs] it IS a desirable vise!

[@mrbenmall]

That looks great. You're giving me the itch to do another crappy vise.

[@RickShort21]

Great tips. Thank you.

[@Dardrum]

Excellent job on the vise Scout. really like the industrial finish too.

[@bobjoncas2814]

...GOOD JOB, HAVE A GREAT DAY.

[@edp9743]

If the motor on the drill press has the option for dual voltage, 120 /240 both leads that power the motor need to be broken in the switch therefor a DPST switch.

[@EuphJL]

Yes, you need a DPST for 240 volts.

[@brianlittle3452]

I suspect that your drill press is wired to accommodate both 120VAC and 240 VAC. To switch to the different voltages, would have to change the motor wiring and the pug. Some countries like England use 220VAC. As far as the switch goes, I would look at using a standard spec grade 120-240 volt double pole 20 amp switch. Could use an outdoor aluminum box on the front of the drill press. This switch would out last your drill press.

[@1pcfred]

We use 240 VAC. We just center tap it for 120 V circuits. But if you use both hots it's 240 V. If you have an electric range or a clothes dryer it'd run on 240 V. I have a few 240 V outlets in my garage.

[@1pcfred]

The vise came out great! My guess why they switch the neutral is in case your house wiring is wrong.

[@ScoutCrafter]

Paul- That makes sense!

[@1pcfred]

@@ScoutCrafter someone in another comment thinks it's for the international market and that's likely the reason. That way they can source one part for all markets.

[@wayneo7307]

Hi Scout , Great Video . Very Interesting and Informative . Great Tips On Repairs. I Need to Do That Exact Backlash Repair on My Vise . Great Timing for Me . Thanks Scout !

[@lewiemcneely9143]

Got an old Delta timing belt drive chop saw from the ex dad-in-law. Put a belt in it and it was great BUT it was made tough. The new is junk. My old huge Makita is bullet proof but it's old too, just like all my stuff except the DeWalt but it ain't new wither. Happy week, John and Blessings! No red on the vise? I like the gray but you must be feverish.

[@geobrown9413]

I'm betting that saw is a Delta 34-080. Mine broke off the armature shaft at the drive end....junk!

[@TheLoxxxton]

Very nice finish on the vice. It maybe cheap but I like it!!

[@lotsabirds]

Great Job!

[@57WillysCJ]

Always like those raised straight lines, I always think of the early jets and rockets when I see them. As to the vise quality, it looks like a scaled up version of the little bench screw on clamp vise. Only made for small lite work but scaled up the inherent flaw went with and magnified. I bet the shop at the manufacturers factory didn't use them. I can just picture an old tool maker yanking it off a bench and throwing on the floor at the feet of the company president. Those old guys were not affraid of their job.

[@ScoutCrafter]

😂. Guys with enough “F-U” time where they could speak the truth! 😃👍

[@alanr4263]

I love the No 25 vise

[@ScoutCrafter]

Me too Alan- That vise just looks awesome! Candy Red! =D

[@adude7050]

Great job on the vise I will have to find myself one to use n my new place.

[@Resto-Rob]

Great Video!

[@jpsimon206]

You referenced this two videos ago, but I feel like not enough people know about the wonders of using a vice inside of a video. I custom built my main workbench to be the exact height to be an outfeed table for my table saw but it is basically a roubo bench in style. I built a custom tail voice on the other side that opens up 48 in. This is my small scale press, but more importantly, I have a small set of shelves with various vices mounted two double plates of plywood with the lower plate 1 inch smaller all the way around. This Platen drops into the tail vise and give me the option of a half dozen different smallervices capable of tilting or swivelling. I have even used three on occasion. You might think with a stack up this tall I would be sacrificing rigidity, but not at all. The bench itself is very heavy which certainly helps, but the weight is very efficiently transferred down to the legs. I think maybe a lot of people don't bother to make the custom Platen, personally I really think it is worth the trouble. I've made the same type of platens for various benders, that tell vice has sort of become my spot to lock down anything that needs tremendous rigidity. Because of this, I'm a particularly big fan of machine videos or drill press vices that have index surfaces on all sides. And I don't care what kind of work you do, you will benefit from ordering a pair of 123 blocks. I promise you that your workflow will improve drastically, doesn't matter if you make bird houses or space shuttles, they are just a fantastic tool

[@ScoutCrafter]

I agree! A few years ago I purchased a pair of asian 123 blocks and was amazed at the quality, they were beautiful and cheap! About a year ago I ordered a different pair and the finish wasn't nearly as nice. The tolerances were on but the edges of the blocks looked like they were hand filed by a unskilled apprentice!

[@jordanambargis3871]

Very nice and informative. Thxs

[@SachsVDE]

The double switch is very useful and safer.If You use a single switch for example when your machine is pluged on a socket and its off maybe the part that is direct is the Phase and current always runing through the wiring it will find the weakest point to discharge even dangerously..!! About the old Switch just put inside contacts with a syringe a few drops of Diesel, it will work..🌟💡

[@Vandal_Savage]

Does anybody remember when Paul Sellers put out a video on how to restore/use hand routers and the second hand market price jumped from £5 each to over £100 each?

[@Fake-moon-landing.]

Do they make good vices in Miami? Cool series back in the day.

[@ScoutCrafter]

Don Johnson was a better actor then most people realize. 😃👍

[@colinfblair]

Love the finish, thanks again for the video 😀

[@scottjohnson136]

Once again great video! I have learned alot from you. If time permits, I would like to learn more about your refinishing tools. When to use what type, I have seenyou yse several different buffing wheels. I had no idea how useful a flap disc is untill watching you use it. I guess a mini course on flap disks, belt sanders and belts you use, andbuffing

[@ScoutCrafter]

Scott- Check out this video! kzbin.info/www/bejne/nIq3iHumapulick

[@patrickomalley7460]

Great job thanks

[@lv_woodturner3899]

The vise looks better than new. As you said, it still is a weak design, but a pretty design. I think the Delta switch was chosen to be used for 120V or 240V depending on the country of use. FYI, we have the same NOVA DVR XP lathe. The controller board auto-detects input voltage so can use 120V or 240V. The board however is limited to 15Amp. Hence on 120V input it is rated at 1 3/4HP. With 240V input it is rated at 2.3 HP according to my manual. I have my XP lathe connected to 240V since I have the circuit and wanted to get the maximum HP. Sadly, Teknatool has a switch on the left end of the lathe which only switched the black (hot) wire. To make matters worse the white (neutral) wire is soldered to the controller board. Hence I have to use a wall mounted switch which is double pole single throw to control the feed to my lathe. I have a "new" style Delta Unisaw table saw purchased in late 2009. I love the design of this saw. Sadly when Black and Decker sold Delta Tools to a Taiwan company then things have not gone well. I used to have a Delta planer, a two knife machine with manual locking of the head. If I locked the head I did not have any snipe. I gave this away when I purchased a DeWalt 735 planer with thre knives and "auto-locking" head. I now have snipe, no matter what I try to eliminate. It seems some of these machines have snipe and some do not. I miss the old Delta planer. I would be happy to manually lock the head to eliminate snipe. With the DeWalt, I find myself trying to avoid using the machine so that I do not have to deal with the snipe on the boards. Dave.

[@ScoutCrafter]

Dave- I really like the Nova DVR- I would prefer a simple rotary switch instead of the electronics but the Lathe is built so well. I was able to bring it down the basement by myself! 😃👍

[@lv_woodturner3899]

The new NOVA lathe have 5 presets AND a rotary switch. I agree a rotary switch is so much easier/faster to change speed. Dave.

[@nescobaraloplop9468]

My favorite too. Time for another $1 restoration challenge!