The VISES of Garage Journal

[four.cycle]

^ It didn't explode. The paint on the widget I had painted burned. Burned paint smells something awful - stunk up the whole house! UGH!

 

[Beerhippie]

I had this all typed out and then deleted it:

We instructed ALL the people on the counter, when they sold a can of paint, to be sure to tell the customer to warm the can in a sink of warm water prior to using. (Can't say "hot" or they'll be boiling gallons of water.)
Cut our "warranty" returns in half.

And don't put it into the oven. Paint doesn't dry because of heat: it dries because of air circulation (and in the case of spray paint, the solvents drying that are under the skin.
If the phone rings and you forget you left it in the oven, it will take weeks to get that smell out of your house. (Don't ask me how I know this.)

I should note that my paint curing convection oven was purpose bought for that and lives outside. Of course, I use it to cure paint, not to warm cans up. I just wish it was larger... a lot larger.

 

[colmal]

 

[colmal]

Anyway -actually here to date a vise - Record Imp-same as mine for sale UK now- this makes it easier



changed the handle to squarish around this time, (late 50's ?) and the earlier 1930's had a Patent date on the slide. patent dated ones stopped in mid to late 40's. Patent ran out in !948
The Imp was made to around 1982 with the squarish handle.

 

[designer485]

Finished the restoration of my Wilton 9300N (broken casting by the pin holes and seized closed).

Before and after:

 

[colmal]

This is fairly good for those that may not have seen it / interested

Some German vise repairs and a good little brazing explanation- nice and simple for me with pics.

Actually quite like this ,seen a couple now, can't watch the self described experts who want to talk **** and shove their faces onscreen-this focusses on the subject -tis good.
My murky understanding of brazing is much better now as well.

 

[Mudpig]

Just picked this vise up for $20. It’s a Rock Island 542-BX, I plan on restoring it, it works/runs very smoothly. Any tips on what to look out for would be greatly appreciated. I restore old Honda ATCs, so this shouldn’t be to difficult (famous last words)..lol I have no idea if that hole aft of the body is or if it should even be there.

 

[Patrickm82]

that hole shouldn’t be there. That tail section was abused! Bad!

 

[Outlawmws]

Any tips on what to look out for would be greatly appreciated.

De-rust the tail of the slid before trying to pull the slide out as that adn the spread caused by the slide fracture can make it spread.

You will need to repair that crack, and that ha been well documented for how to by KMScott.

 

[Mudpig]

De-rust the tail of the slid before trying to pull the slide out as that adn the spread caused by the slide fracture can make it spread.

You will need to repair that crack, and that ha been well documented for how to by KMScott.

Thanks… will do.

that hole shouldn’t be there. That tail section was abused! Bad!

I thought so…the vise came out of a gas station/garage….someone must have used it as an anvil. This vise deserves better. As bad as this vise looks, it runs smoothly, open/close and rotate.

 

[RTM]

Looking at the back end, wonder if it’s been broken off. Looking at the vise sheet, should be 6-7 inches of back end when closed? Looks short to me.

 

[four.cycle]

"Palmgren" 6-inch bench vise $79.00 incl. shipping (ebay)

Finally showed up today- all 67 pounds of it. Paint got a bit scuffed up, but I doubt that's going to affect function.
6-inch jaw width, 8-inch maximum opening, 3½" throat depth.
I am sure this will be more than adequate for my purposes. If I can ever get the top of the work bench cleared off I might actually get to use it.
Nothing anywhere to indicate country of origin.
For the money, I can't complain too much.
YMMV

 

[Beerhippie]

"Palmgren" 6-inch bench vise $79.00 incl. shipping (ebay)

Finally showed up today- all 67 pounds of it. Paint got a bit scuffed up, but I doubt that's going to affect function.
6-inch jaw width, 8-inch maximum opening, 3½" throat depth.
I am sure this will be more than adequate for my purposes. If I can ever get the top of the work bench cleared off I might actually get to use it.
Nothing anywhere to indicate country of origin.
For the money, I can't complain too much.
YMMV

Nice!

I finished outfitting my No 5 today:



The portable vise stand is working out very well. I was able to set up outside (nice weather for December) and keep the mess of cutting and finishing copper out of the shop. The stand still needs a handle for moving and a tool tray.

 

[deezil]

All of these Palmgren Engineers Bench Vises are made in Argentina by Barbero S.A

 

[four.cycle]

^ That can't be all bad, then.
After all, it was Argentina that gave us the Tango.

Looks like they've been making vises since 1950, so my guess is they most likely figured out how to do it by now.

 

[Beerhippie]

All of these Palmgren Engineers Bench Vises are made in Argentina by Barbero S.A

Mine did not have Spanish in the instructions, nor any COO.

Still, worth the $60 I paid for it.

The vise stand is now very easy to move:



More scrap from the boneyard for a handle. It balances almost perfectly--I can roll it around with one hand.

 

[deezil]

I have 8 of them. They all had the Origin of manufacture on the sticker on the box. All from Argentina.

Even the two 8" x 5.5" anvil style units I bought before they sold out. 8" x 5.5" sitting on the 8" x 9" Engineers style unit.

 

[Beerhippie]

^ It didn't occur to me to look at the box label. I'm more than happy to take your word for it anyway.

Removing that painter's tape from the handle was a PITA.

 

[four.cycle]

Mine did not have Spanish in the instructions, nor any COO.

Instruction sheet was printed in English. No markings on the unit itself that would indicate COO - only the label on the box (same as @deezil)

I'm not really concerned about that. I'm sure it's probably much better than what HF is offering in the same size range, and used made-in-China "Olympia" vises start at $50-$60 bucks here on Craigslist.

Besides, I can always sell that old Parker that's sitting in the kitchen on the dry sink for twice what I paid for this one.

The manufacturer's website has a full line of repair parts and add-ons, too. What's not to like?

 

[deezil]

After the first one, I started scoring the tape and then wrapping a shop towel on the long end soaked in carb cleaner. Covered them up with a plastic shopping bag. Stuff just scraped off easy with a plastic putty knife after that.

 

[ALLFAST]

Any idea on what era/maker that this vise might be? I was thinking 1950s European, or possibly a Sawyer Tool?

 

[Outlawmws]

Why isn't it in your shop?

 

[deezil]

Any idea on what era/maker that this vise might be? I was thinking 1950s European, or possibly a Sawyer Tool?

Looks like a Williamson universal double swivel. Better get it. Ad off ebay says 1909.

 

[Beerhippie]

Instruction sheet was printed in English. No markings on the unit itself that would indicate COO - only the label on the box (same as @deezil)

I'm not really concerned about that. I'm sure it's probably much better than what HF is offering in the same size range, and used made-in-China "Olympia" vises start at $50-$60 bucks here on Craigslist.

Besides, I can always sell that old Parker that's sitting in the kitchen on the dry sink for twice what I paid for this one.

The manufacturer's website has a full line of repair parts and add-ons, too. What's not to like?

Don't get me wrong--I wouldn't have put all that work into something I thought wasn't worth keeping!

I reckon we paid for shipping on a brand-new free vise!

Any idea on what era/maker that this vise might be? I was thinking 1950s European, or possibly a Sawyer Tool?

Once you have it in hand you can get some decent pictures!

Buy first, ask questions later.

 

[Shiftless]

Buy first, ask questions later.

Best advice right there. ^^^^^^
Go get it!

 

[deezil]

Top. Barbero Modelo No6

Bottom. Palmgren Model No6

 

[ALLFAST]

Thank you guys for the quick intel. I was already too late at 0700 ish today.


Around 0300 I saw a fresh Sunnyvale CL ad under “benches” , which included hauling off the bench/all of the drawers full of vintage hardware, the parts bins, and the attached vise ( “It’s worth $75” was the sellers point-Ah yeah, no doubt about THAT) for $200.

I texted the ad to Geno at 0430 and he contacted the seller by 0800 but it was too late…

There was no doubt that it was the 200 pound 6 inch behemoth which looked to be in stellar condition; lesson being always search CL under vise, Vice, Bench, and workbench!

Hopefully someone here scored it…

 

[Shiftless]

Hopefully someone here scored it…

It wasn’t me.
But I did spend a minute or 2 enhancing the poor photo to see if somebody could recognize the markings or general design. Here is my input on the question of what it is.
Hopefully a GJ member scored that vise and can post details.
Is this circled area a model number?

 

[deezil]

Jacked up post on my end.

 

[deezil]

Williamson Universal Double swivel.. Blacksmith tools has one in his collection. https://www.instagram.com/reel/CxJk4rnrSTl/

 

[four.cycle]

Lesson being always search CL under vise, Vice, Bench, and workbench!

^ run your search on Craigslist for multiple keywords like this: vice | vise | bench | workbench

 

[Shiftless]

Williamson Universal Double swivel.. Blacksmith tools has one in his collection. https://www.instagram.com/reel/CxJk4rnrSTl/

Great call!
I thought I just imagined the 802 part on that blurry pic. It’s an 1802 all right!
And that lumpy looking stuff on the swivel base is really nice cast in lettering,

 

[deezil]

Great call!
I thought I just imagined the 802 part on that blurry pic. It’s an 1802 all right!
And that lumpy looking stuff on the swivel base is really nice cast in lettering,

I think you are seeing the pat date of 1902 but yeah that's what it is. Looks to be an F model. This company was bought by Yost and they later produced a version of it.

 

[colmal]

 

[ALLFAST]

^ run your search on Craigslist for multiple keywords like this: vice | vise | bench | workbench

I’ll try this four cycle; I usually search one at a time-
I had some strange “security issue” notations when I tried posting my first reply a few hours ago…Actually had posted a more clear reply than the one that is here. I appreciate all of the replies and suggestions from you all.

There’s no doubt that beast was anything less than the 6 inch/200# model “I” as it FILLS the corner of the bench.

 

[ALLFAST]

Here’s the original advert picture. The letters cast into the base, as highlighted by VSI Agent Shift, are an obvious dead giveaway of its lineage ! What a treasure that would have been

 

[four.cycle]

I’ll try this four cycle; I usually search one at a time-

^ Too time consuming.
When I'm looking for free lawnmowers, the search string is:
mower | mowers | lawnmower | lawnmowers
that way they all come up with a single search.

And I don't even bother going to "lawn and garden" or "tools" - I just search the entire "For Sale" section... that way you get all the oddballs that people list in "General" or "Antiques" or whatever.

(* upper left hand corner: note there are 4 listings in "Baby and Kid Stuff" *)

Easy peasy:

 

[Patrickm82]

Here’s the original advert picture. The letters cast into the base, as highlighted by VSI Agent Shift, are an obvious dead giveaway of its lineage ! What a treasure that would have been

That is a bummer that thing got away! What a beauty!!

 

[ALLFAST]

^ Too time consuming.
When I'm looking for free lawnmowers, the search string is:
mower | mowers | lawnmower | lawnmowers
that way they all come up with a single search.

And I don't even bother going to "lawn and garden" or "tools" - I just search the entire "For Sale" section... that way you get all the oddballs that people list in "General" or "Antiques" or whatever.

(* upper left hand corner: note there are 4 listings in "Baby and Kid Stuff" *)

Easy peasy:

Duly notedMany thanks!

 

[Shiftless]

That is a bummer that thing got away! What a beauty!!

I think we can all agree to that sentiment.

Lets think positively, Maybe a flipper bought it and it will appear again on C/L or FBMP.