The VISES of Garage Journal

[davethorik]

It's cracked at the swivel jaw. Unless you are a good welder, it's a parts vise.

 

[autopts]

Fellas, a couple of you brought up the Harbor Freight Doyle vises. Since it was on sale thru the 9th for $129 I decided to pick their 4 1/2" which they list as a 4", Remember that Sears Craftsman that everyone thought was made by Wilton? I've long forgotten their # but it's the same darn vise. Well packaged, it's a 1745 all the way. The jaws are the Wilton style 4 1/2" with the 2 3/8" spacing. The threads are 1/4-20 and the collar is interchangeable with Wilton's 3 1/2" The spindle just might fit their 1745 however the thread was too coarse to fit properly into the 350S. The spindle handle is beefy. I have a new 5" and the spindle handle is smaller. It was packaged really well. Now I'll let it sit for a year and show you if it had the same problem that Craftsman had with paint falling off. Round channel, nice smooth casting. no backlash, I'm impressed. My replacement jaw is shown in a couple of the photos.

 

[mikeinri]

Is it really the same, or another Chinese clone?

Mike

 

[mikeinri]

Found an interesting grinder this week. It’s a Queen City 5HP model from the 50’s. It weighs in at 650 lbs and takes 14”x3” wheels. My front tires were barely touching the ground On the ride home.

Whoa, that's impressive!!!

Mike

 

[wrenchr]

Fellas, a couple of you brought up the Harbor Freight Doyle vises. Since it was on sale thru the 9th for $129 I decided to pick their 4 1/2" which they list as a 4", Remember that Sears Craftsman that everyone thought was made by Wilton? I've long forgotten their # but it's the same darn vise. Well packaged, it's a 1745 all the way. The jaws are the Wilton style 4 1/2" with the 2 3/8" spacing. The threads are 1/4-20 and the collar is interchangeable with Wilton's 3 1/2" The spindle just might fit their 1745 however the thread was too coarse to fit properly into the 350S. The spindle handle is beefy. I have a new 5" and the spindle handle is smaller. It was packaged really well. Now I'll let it sit for a year and show you if it had the same problem that Craftsman had with paint falling off. Round channel, nice smooth casting. no backlash, I'm impressed. My replacement jaw is shown in a couple of the photos.

I bought one as well. Mounted to my metal table. Prior to the sale, but I had a coupon.

 

[wrenchr]

I picked up a little Wilton clamp on vise from Amazon. Quality was pretty poor overall. The swivel did not work at all out of the box because the swivel channels were cut off-center There are carriage bolts used for the swivel, and the head was too wide to fit, due to the off-centered cuts. I had to spend 30 minutes with a dremel and angle grinder to get everything working. The Amazon reviews complained about poor quality, so I kind of expected it. I needed a very small vise for little things I do in my office, so this fit what I needed, but it's a shame that they can't seem to send a working product out the door for what they charge.

I've been tempted in the past but those reviews is why I never went through with the purchase.

 

[bastel]

I picked up a little Wilton clamp on vise from Amazon. Quality was pretty poor overall. The swivel did not work at all out of the box because the swivel channels were cut off-center There are carriage bolts used for the swivel, and the head was too wide to fit, due to the off-centered cuts. I had to spend 30 minutes with a dremel and angle grinder to get everything working. The Amazon reviews complained about poor quality, so I kind of expected it. I needed a very small vise for little things I do in my office, so this fit what I needed, but it's a shame that they can't seem to send a working product out the door for what they charge.

They look 100% like the York Lux models. Probably cast by York. Their swivel bases are very poorly made. The vise itself is ok.

 

[Mr. Wonderful]

I've been tempted in the past but those reviews is why I never went through with the purchase.

I got one of the swivel base models from the Amazon warehouse. It was a significant discount for a damaged box and some scuffed paint. I had planned on painting it to match my Pow-R-Arm anyways. Mine came in good condition and the fit and finish was great minus the box damage and paint scuffs.

 

[autopts]

Is it really the same, or another Chinese clone?

Mike

It's a Chinese clone but seems to be well made

 

[F-22]

They look 100% like the York Lux models. Probably cast by York. Their swivel bases are very poorly made. The vise itself is ok.

Yeah, even on the vintage models the swivel was horrible, too bad they still haven't fixed it up.

Very interestingly, York still has a big lineup of vises. They even sell a german pattern blacksmith post vise and some forged style vises... But what really intrigues me is their "titan" vise. Says it has a "basement plate swivelling 360°", and the jaws on the biggest model are 250mm wide, so near 10". It must be quite a beefy vise!

 

[mikeinri]

It's a Chinese clone but seems to be well made

Thanks.

Mike

 

[gdocktor3]

It's either a Lewis or a Prentiss on the Lewis pattern.---The crack can be repaired by a professional machinist who knows how to weld cast.---It's probably 130 years old.---Made back in the 1800s.---It's rare and you should buy it if their not asking a mint.

My father gave it to me. What’s the best course of action in your opinion? Should I sand blast it down? Sell it as is? I already have a large vise, don’t really need it, but would keep it for nostalgia purposes if it could be cheaply repaired. What is something like that worth in current condition and in repaired/repainted condition?

 

[Shiftless]

Whatever you do, don’t sand blast it. The patina of age is a valuable part of that vise. If you want to keep it for sentimental reasons, that’s a very nice thing to do if you can display it in a place you will enjoy looking at it and showing it off to visitors. If you are just going to put it in a box in a damp basement, why not sell it or trade it away to a collector who would like to have it on his/her vise shelf.

 

[Willy Wilson]

Got a RI 5A today.

 

[wrenchr]

My father gave it to me. What’s the best course of action in your opinion? Should I sand blast it down? Sell it as is? I already have a large vise, don’t really need it, but would keep it for nostalgia purposes if it could be cheaply repaired. What is something like that worth in current condition and in repaired/repainted condition?

I highly recommend Shiftless's response.

 

[gdocktor3]

Whatever you do, don’t sand blast it. The patina of age is a valuable part of that vise. If you want to keep it for sentimental reasons, that’s a very nice thing to do if you can display it in a place you will enjoy looking at it and showing it off to visitors. If you are just going to put it in a box in a damp basement, why not sell it or trade it away to a collector who would like to have it on his/her vise shelf.

Well how much is it worth like that?

 

[Shiftless]

Well how much is it worth like that?

Will it fit into one or two large USPS flat rate boxes?
Unless you can find a local buyer, shipping large vises is costly and involves building crates or at least heavily reinforced double cardboard boxes.

(PM sent)

You could list it on the GJ classifieds for some arbitrary price and say best offer considered.

 

[Andy FitzGibbon]

Yeah, even on the vintage models the swivel was horrible, too bad they still haven't fixed it up.

Very interestingly, York still has a big lineup of vises. They even sell a german pattern blacksmith post vise and some forged style vises... But what really intrigues me is their "titan" vise. Says it has a "basement plate swivelling 360°", and the jaws on the biggest model are 250mm wide, so near 10". It must be quite a beefy vise!

Only weighs 100 lbs, though.

 

[Blkgsr02]

Hoping to get information on this Reed 204 1/2R hydraulic foot pump vise, dated 7/44. Connection is through the main nut at the bottom of the swivel base. Foot pump is made by Brucon Co. out of San Francisco, Ca. Per the tag, they called it "adjustable power control unit". I wasn't able to find much info on the internet on Brucon Co. or Reed ever making a hydraulic vise like this. Searched through all Reed catalogs and can't find it listed. Could this be an after market by Brucon Co adding their hydraulic foot pump to some of the Reeds? Any info on Brucon Co and the foot pump is appreciated. Let me know if additional pics is needed.

 

[va.grouseman]

Gdocktor, your vise is really rare.---Few ever come up for sale, and even fewer Lewis Swivel Jaws come up for sale.---Not sure just what it would take to repair it but it's worth a pretty good investment.---A lot of fellows on this sight would love to get their hands on it including me but I am advising you to hang on to it, it's an heirloom.---Just go to eBay and type in Lewis Vise and look at some of the prices their asking for the Lewies's.
Have you ever heard of powder welding or Eutalloy Eutectic Thermal Spray Torch Powder Tips Machinist Welder?---I have one, and if you V-grind the cast iron on an item, and powder weld it back in, it is a perfect weld.---You can get all kinds of powder for all kinds of applications, cast, stainless, iron, copper, etc..---It is real expensive to get started so I suggest finding a machinist that can do that kind of work.---That vise is worth the cost.---Or just leave it just like it is and be proud you have it.---It's rare, pass it down to one of your kids if you have some, and tell them it was your Grandfather's.

 

[Ole Slewfoot]

https://patents.google.com/patent/US2387102A/en. Marvin Wallace seems to have been a fairly prolific inventor. A slightly later patent looks almost exactly like the pump as produced.

-1944 Pacific marine review-



I found a federal supplier code for Brucon(09161) listed as late as 1974 but not much else.

 

[Blkgsr02]

https://patents.google.com/patent/US2387102A/en. Marvin Wallace seems to have been a fairly prolific inventor. A slightly later patent looks almost exactly like the pump as produced.

-1944 Pacific marine review-

Thank you! I did see the patent drawings but not the article. So it is true this was a conversion kit add on to the Reed vise.

 

[RTM]

Slewfoot found the ad I found, it looks like this might be the patent. This is not in DATAMP.

US2387102A - Vise - Google Patents

Look at link 1 here

Official Gazette of the United States Patent Office

books.google.com

 

[Ole Slewfoot]

That 1941 patent covers the vise end and the 1944 patent by the same guy covers the pedal unit

 

[Willy Wilson]

Rex 701 i got today.

 

[Smitty]

Rex 701 i got today.

Nice find, those rarely come up.

 

[four.cycle]

@Debcrow -

RE: "Wilson"

Wilson / K.R. Wilson Co., Buffalo, NY / Ford specialty tools / http://krwilsontools.com/ / https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/threads/k-r-wilson-the-whole-danged-repair-shop.477302/ /

K.R. Wilson Co. of Buffalo, NY, is the only "Wilson" I've unearthed other than a couple of early 19th-century brace makers in New England and what I believe to be somebody's idea of a practical joke (see attached below.)

The "problem" with K.R. Wilson is that catalogs are almost non-existent, and they made a gazillion different specialty products to cater to the Ford dealership market.

There is some K.R. Wilson material available at ITCL

 

[dbovair]

Did a quick restoration on this Littco No 112
I probably won’t use it much but I liked all the embossing it had on the side.

 

[GhostintheMachineShop]

Found an interesting grinder this week. It’s a Queen City 5HP model from the 50’s. It weighs in at 650 lbs and takes 14”x3” wheels. My front tires were barely touching the ground On the ride home.

Hey Smitty, that thing is a beast. I may have a supplier for the 14" wheels if your needing or wanting some new. It's a weekly auction, local pickup here in StL. Let me know, so many big grinding wheels go unpurchased because well, who needs a 14" grinding wheel? (Besides you that is)

 

[GhostintheMachineShop]

.

 

[Shiftless]

Ghost:
Nice Wilton!

BTW:
Your post should be in the classified section and not on this thread.

 

[GhostintheMachineShop]

Ghost:
Nice Wilton!

BTW:
Your post should be in the classified section and not on this thread.

Shite. My bad. Can I move or just delete it?

 

[Shiftless]

You can copy and paste it to the classifieds.
And then edit the post here on the vise pages to just say (deleted).
With the change, members can no longer fully delete a post but they can edit it down to something meaningless. Sometimes I edit a post down to a single period dot.

 

[rckymtnab]

Today was monumental! I finally got my Wilton vise mounted!

This came out of the mechanics shop at Edmonton motors, a mainstay on Jasper Ave since 1951.

 

[Shiftless]

Update on the 5128
The main body was too big to fit upright into my crock pot so I soaked it in a 5 gallon bucket at “room” temperature which in my unheated garage even in our mild climate means for the last week 50 degrees. SG doesn’t attack this paint at that temp even if it soaks for 4 days. So I put it on its side in the crock pot for 6 hours and then on the other side for another 6 hours. Then a quick pressure wash and here I am.
This left some original paint in the crevices which again matches the purplish dark blue I first uncovered. Next step is primer and (my best guess to match) original color factory paint.

There is certainly no doubt about who made these great vises for Sears back in the ‘40s. The 4 hole base, the cast in jaws, and the adjustment screw on the back screams “REED”.

(baby bullet for scale)

 

[Smitty]

Update on the 5128
The main body was too big to fit upright into my crock pot so I soaked it in a 5 gallon bucket at “room” temperature which in my unheated garage even in our mild climate means for the last week 50 degrees. SG doesn’t attack this paint at that temp even if it soaks for 4 days. So I put it on its side in the crock pot for 6 hours and then on the other side for another 6 hours. Then a quick pressure wash and here I am.
This left some original paint in the crevices which again matches the purplish dark blue I first uncovered. Next step is primer and (my best guess to match) original color factory paint.

There is certainly no doubt about who made these great vises for Sears back in the ‘40s. The 4 hole base, the cast in jaws, and the adjustment screw on the back screams “REED”.

(baby bullet for scale)

I have a baby bullet from the same mold.

 

[Smitty]

abc

 

[Vwpower]

 

[Graeme]

Not sure if I posted my fortis 3 jaw here or not?



And this is my latest, another 3 jaw called a fixie, by jerrims.
This one seems SUPER rare, I can find nothing about this vice at all.
It's 6" wide and currently being stripped and cleaned.


If anyone has any info on this at all, I'd love to hear it.

There is an advert for a different, 4", fixie 3 jaw in an old buck hickman catalogue, but this version seems to not even exist!

 

[TheRealZeus]

So.. any chance you might have some more picturesplease? I am sure others want to see more too