Okay, so let’s talk about this thing I call the “Terry Bull”. It’s not some fancy new gadget, nope. It’s this old, heavy-as-sin bench vise I got from my grandpa’s shed. Took two people just to move it onto my workbench. Honestly, I almost just left it there to rust.
First time I tried using it, what a joke. The main screw was stiff, took all my weight just to get it moving. Clamped down a piece of wood I needed to shape, and the thing just wouldn’t hold it steady. Kept slipping. I messed up the cut because of it. Got pretty mad, almost threw my hammer across the garage. You know how it is when simple stuff just doesn’t work.
Figuring Out The Beast
So, I left it alone for a week. Just glared at it every time I walked past. But I needed a solid vise, couldn’t afford a shiny new one right then. Things were a bit tight after I decided to quit my desk job, thought working with my hands would be more… real? Yeah, real frustrating sometimes.
Anyway, I decided to give Terry Bull another shot. This time, I really got into it.
- Cleaned it up: Took a wire brush and scraped off maybe thirty years of gunk and rust. Found some old grease inside, hard as a rock.
- Oiled everything: Doused the screw mechanism, the slide bars, anything that moved, with penetrating oil. Let it sit overnight.
- Worked it loose: Spent maybe half an hour just opening and closing the jaws, back and forth, trying to get that oil worked in deep. My arm was sore afterwards, seriously.
It started moving smoother. Still heavy, but not fighting me every single turn. Then I figured out the slipping issue. The jaw faces were worn smooth as glass. Took ’em off, roughed ’em up a bit with a coarse file, just gave ’em some bite. Put ’em back on.
Making it Work
Tried clamping that piece of wood again. This time? Solid. Didn’t budge an inch. I could finally get to work properly. Managed to finish shaping that part, it was for a small table I was fixing up. Felt pretty good, actually. Like I’d tamed this grumpy old thing.
It’s not perfect, mind you. Terry Bull still needs a good shove to get started sometimes, and it weighs a ton. But it does the job now. It holds things tight, real tight. Sometimes these old tools, once you understand their quirks and give ’em a bit of care, they’re more reliable than the new stuff. Took some sweat and swearing, but yeah, me and Terry Bull, we have an understanding now. It was a pain, but getting it working felt like a small win, something I needed back then.
