I was cleaning my vise wrong for years until a new guy at the shop pointed it out

I always used a wire brush and some solvent, which took forever and left gunk in the threads. He just showed me how to use the air gun from the bottom up while moving the jaw, and it was clean in under a minute. What's your go-to method for keeping your workholding clean without wasting time?

4 comments

4 Comments

marywilson4mo ago

Saw a tip online about using a parts washer brush with some mineral spirits. You just scrub the grooves while opening and closing the vise, gets all the chips out fast. The air gun trick is genius for dry stuff though, gonna try that next. Honestly, keeping up with it weekly saves so much headache compared to a deep clean later. Letting crud build up is the real time waster.

avery2191mo ago

Marywilson's got it right with the parts washer brush trick. I read a post from a guy who works in a machine shop and he swears by using a stiff nylon brush with some kerosene for that same thing. He said it gets into the tiniest grooves way better than anything else, especially if you work it back and forth while the vise is moving. The air gun is a lifesaver for dry chips but add moisture to the mix and you need that brush action. Weekly cleanings make a huge difference, I learned that the hard way after a stuck jaw cost me half a day. Did you try the mineral spirits yet or stick with the air gun for now?

daniel1404mo ago

Weekly cleaning? That's real dedication.

robertlane4mo ago

Wow, you've turned cleaning a vise into a full science project.