The VISES of Garage Journal

[bigcaddy]

Saiga,

Thats a lot of iron sitting on your bench! I don't remember if you posted info about the last vise on the right but i looks like a Vanderman? I've got about 4 of those laying around my shop, waiting to be restored. I think they are about 150 pounds each if i'm not mistaken and thats why the sit unrestored. I don't want to have to wrestle them around


Hes a much smaller one i finished yesterday. Came out of a guys garage and looks like it was never used. Just look at the top of the jaw inserts for hacksaw marks or hammer dings

[ckadams00]

Wilton 2.5" 820 "baby" just cleaned up with a Wilton powrarm junior swivel base.
These were made prior to 1957 by Wilton in Chicago and then the remaining stock was sold out of the Schiller Park Wilton plant until depleted. The keyway is usually stamped with the date sold & boxed - mine is stamped Jan '73.

Everything but the endcap was original and in great shape. The original color was basic grey.


I repainted both with Rustoleum hammered grey and clearcoat.

[Saiga]

Reed 002.jpg

AMF 005.jpg

#5 001.jpg

1. It is a reed 305
2.It's marked AMF which i think means Athol Mfg Co 147lbs.
3.Prentiss#5 i just found

[Bret888]

Originally Posted by Saiga

Attachment 215673

Attachment 215674

Attachment 215675

1. It is a reed 305
2.It's marked AMF which i think means Athol Mfg Co 147lbs.
3.Prentiss#5 i just found

I have to find old Reed literature and study up. This is what I thought the 300's were, but the newer ones must all have an S or N on the end?
http://www.plumbersurplus.com/Prod/R...108732/Cat/638

[Provincial]

Originally Posted by Saiga

Attachment 215673

Attachment 215674

Attachment 215675

1. It is a reed 305
2.It's marked AMF which i think means Athol Mfg Co 147lbs.
3.Prentiss#5 i just found

AM & F would mean "Athol Machine and Foundry Co.", which is the official name of the Athol vise maker.

[Bigshed]

Here is my Vise 6 inch american scale. Opens to 10 1/2 inches wide. Weights about 180 lbs mounted to a 1 inch thick steel plate attached to an old differential housing axle flange. This adds another 50 to 60 lbs.
I did some work for a old pipe fitter back in 1975 on his car. He ask what he owed me I told him I needed a vise. What great deal.

[gilbo]

well for this quick 603M, resto, i went with a sage green

[traction]

Here is my newest old vise. I have no idea who made it or when...help identifying it is appreciated. It has roughly 3.75 inch jaws. The only markings are the ones in this side shot

[demoman]

Here is a Parker brochure I picked up recently. Enjoy

[BJ42LX]

Damn. That's an OLD vise.

Old.

Originally Posted by traction

Here is my newest old vise. I have no idea who made it or when...help identifying it is appreciated. It has roughly 3.75 inch jaws. The only markings are the ones in this side shot

[Bret888]

Originally Posted by demoman

Here is a Parker brochure I picked up recently. Enjoy

Thanks for posting that Demoman. Do you have any idea what year it is from?
Do you have, or know of any Reed literature from over the years? I am curious when they made the changes to the screw ends and jaw faces, when some models were in production, and when they were not.

[Catalyze]

Thanks for the posting Demoman!!
I should have stopped in for a tour when I was up in Clay Center a few weeks ago.
Craig

[demoman]

Originally Posted by Catalyze

Thanks for the posting Demoman!!
I should have stopped in for a tour when I was up in Clay Center a few weeks ago.
Craig

Craig - Why didn't you come on over. You were only 50 miles away from Scottsville. You would not have been disappointed. What was going on on Clay Center?
Brad

[demoman]

Originally Posted by Bret888

Thanks for posting that Demoman. Do you have any idea what year it is from?
Do you have, or know of any Reed literature from over the years? I am curious when they made the changes to the screw ends and jaw faces, when some models were in production, and when they were not.

Please look at some of my former posts. I have the thre old Reed catalogs I have posted on here. Unfortunately there is little info to date the catalogs.

[gatewaysysop]

Originally Posted by demoman

Here is a Parker brochure I picked up recently. Enjoy

Thank you for sharing sir, these are awesome!

[Catalyze]

Clay Center is the Holy Grail for turn of the century Brunswick billiard tables. I only thought vises were heavy until I looked at jumbo framed billiard tables. This trip was the groundwork for the North Carolina move next year. Hopefully, house hunting will include a room just for one of those gorgeous old tables. I have been trying to swear off vise purchases since I have to move them all across country next year.
Craig

[bigcaddy]

Here is my Reed 2C all cleaned up and finally mounted to its new stand beside my toolbox at work.

Its funny for me to think that will all the vises i have in my growing collection, i didn't have one of my own at work! There was a Columbian at the weld table but thats outside and a distance away from my box. Its not fun to try and tap a hole in something when it raining out, like today. I finally was able to settle on this particular Reed and fabbed up a base for it. I don't mind doing the assembly but my welder was in the shop and i let him tackle it. Hes 70 and makes good welders look like amateurs. It took him about 5 minutes to cut 4 holes and burn two welds.

It stands 35" from floor to the top of the 9/16" thick mounting plate. The base is 1 1/8" thick steel and weighs in at about 140lbs. The center post is schedule 40 4" pipe. Vise and base make the total weight about 260lbs

[Bret888]

nice set up! there are vises everywhere in here. about 2/3 reed and 1/3 wilton. 4-8" plus a 6" morgan that i know if.

[Outlawmws]

Nice setup BC! Kind of ironic though, that you are in the pipe fitting business, and you picked a vise without any pipe jaws!

[bigcaddy]

Originally Posted by Outlawmws

Nice setup BC! Kind of ironic though, that you are in the pipe fitting business, and you picked a vise without any pipe jaws!

A 2C is a combo vise and the pipe jaws are in there! Those 4 circles under the jaws are locating pins that hold the inserts in place. That was the deciding factor in picking that one for my office.

The best part is that we are so busy right now i'm working 10 hour days and probably wont be able to even get near that vise for a month At least i can feel comfortable knowing in the back of my mind its there for me when i need it.