# Painting a Kurt vise?



## HMF (Apr 8, 2011)

Hey Guys!

I bought a used Kurt vise for my mill.
I've disassembled it and cleaned it up a lot, now I'd like to paint it, but I have no idea on what type of paint would be most suitable.

What's the best way to prep it? 

As for paint, someone has suggested Brake caliper paint, paint since it is resistant to most oils etc and dries fast too!


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## bleonard (Apr 8, 2011)

I like Hammerite blue for all of my vices


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## ChuckB (Apr 9, 2011)

Rustoleum rattle can or brush.. 

strip to bare metal, wire brush, degrease and wash with detergent, wipe down with acetone or lacquer, let dry.

paint on bare metal, no primer. 

Only apply any additional coats while initial coat is still wet to tacky or orange peel will occur.

If regular Rustoleum, let it dry for a couple of days. 

Rustoleum High Performance paint dries a lot faster.


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## ChuckB (Apr 9, 2011)

Re-Read my post.. I am talking RUSTOLEUM !! Different from regular paint.. and yes.. it will orange peel if it is dry and you give it another coat ..(unless you wait a couple of days or so) I am talking about giving it another coat during the initial painting session.. Here is the general rule for Rustoleum: Do all spraying within one hour or after 48 hours .

I tend to use primer with other brands of paint, but with Rustoleum, I find that my results are much better without it. It sticks to the raw metal very well. 

Recently, and foolishly, deciding to have an open mind, I strayed from my tried and true method, and regret it.. (This was the result of my reading how primer is a must, results better, etc..)..  never again..the finished coat came off from regular use, exposing the primer. Never had that problem with well prepped bare metal.

I am talking bare, raw metal. Not galvanized or treated.


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## ChuckB (Apr 9, 2011)

Yes.. I probably should have removed the jaws, and left them bare metal.. I needed to use the vice to rebuild my flywheels asap so decided to just paint over them and remove them at a lated date, which I since have.

I never said primer was not recommended, did I ??

I'm not going to debate this any further.. If you want to use primer, go ahead. I choose not to with fantastic results.

Sometimes if you experiment and veer away from what is written in stone, better results can be achieved. 

I will continue to stick with what works for me. Why would I want to do different?


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## randyjaco (Apr 9, 2011)

I have painted quite a few machines and vises with Rustoleum. I have found that I get better results when I first use Rustoleum primer. I usually power wash and then degrease with paint thinner via a pressurized air siphon. That usually removes the grease and loose paint. I then give the item a good coat of primer and let that dry at least 24 hours. I then put on heavy coats of paint, usually with a 24 hour wait between each coat.
 Later on, the machine or vise has been in use and the paint has been scratched or damaged, I degrease with the thinner and just repaint. It usually matches perfectly with evidence of the repaint. The reality is Rustoleum is pretty good paint and as long as it goes on a clean surface it will usually work with or without primer or special techniques.
The main reason I use Rustoleum is its ease of use and ease of access. There is no magic to using it; and it is very forgiving. I have heard all kinds of stories as to special epoxy paints and what not, but all paint will scratch or get damaged with use. With Rustoleum it is just a matter of degreasing the surface and hitting the spot with some fresh paint.

Randy


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## Skeetshooter01 (Apr 10, 2011)

Heavy,greasy,rusty and dirty is what most of my hobbies consist of. If you're looking to get back to a good solid surface for paint what I have used is "Easy Off" oven cleaner.It will loosen crappy paint and grease. Usually Cast iron looks like new.
Just need to wipe the surface with xylol prior to painting to remove the flash rust! Then Put the enamel paint to it!


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## ChuckB (Apr 10, 2011)

Skeetshooter01 link=topic=1599.msg9562#msg9562 date=1302431002 said:
			
		

> Heavy,greasy,rusty and dirty is what most of my hobbies consist of. If you're looking to get back to a good solid surface for paint what I have used is "Easy Off" oven cleaner.It will loosen crappy paint and grease. Usually Cast iron looks like new.
> Just need to wipe the surface with xylol prior to painting to remove the flash rust! Then Put the enamel paint to it!



On some of my real crusty projects, I have used pool acid to remove the rust to get it to the clean bare metal.


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## randyjaco (Apr 10, 2011)

Chuck,

I use pool acid too when I encounter heavy rust. Just be careful, it will bite you if you let your guard down. You can easily loose an eye or get chemical pneumonia. Easy Off is good for goo, but a good pressure wash( 2000+ psi) will do wonders and allow you to use less chemicals. The resulting surface rust is minimal and easily removable. If you dry it quickly, you won't even get that.

Randy


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## hammertime715 (May 9, 2016)

Sent from my SM-N910V using Tapatalk


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## davidh (May 10, 2016)

i used a horror-freight powder coat system for an old one a year ago. . . that worked quite well also. . .


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## Tony Wells (May 10, 2016)

+1 on the Rustoleum High Performance. That's good stuff. Dries quick, durable. Hard to beat. Nozzle is upsized to allow faster coverage, which if you're not used to, can lead to runs and such. It's easy to get used to though.


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## derf (May 11, 2016)

I scored a used Kurt vise a year ago and cleaned it up and powder coated it. Tip:
polish all the roughness away from the casting to get a smooth finish, then pre bake to cook out any embedded oils before applying powder. The result is a nice smooth finish that cleans up 100 times easier than the factory finish.


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## Billh50 (May 11, 2016)

I have used Rustoleum and Brake Caliper & Wheel Paints. The toughest one I found was the brake caliper paint. Stood up to gasoline, oil, also does not chip easily. Powder Coating is good but I find it dents real easy as it never truly hardens. At least all the motorcycle frames I have seen will take a set with a finger nail.


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## derf (May 11, 2016)

If it takes a set with a fingernail, it wasn't fully cured. For most powder it is recommended 375-400 degrees for 20 minutes, but for larger parts and those with more mass it may take up to an hour and a half of bake time.


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## kd4gij (May 13, 2016)

I get great results with Rustoleum, Caliper paint or High temp engine enamel. None of those need primer. My go to clean and prep is the blast cabinet. Living in Florida if it is hot out and it usually  is  I sit it in the sun till it is nice and worm. If not the heat gun comes out.


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