The VISES of Garage Journal

[Mr. Wonderful]

I just picked up this Wizard vise. I never heard of the brand before so I took a chance. Any one know about these?? Model 4H4837.

 

[Outlawmws]

Wizard was a Western Auto Supply "house brand" so likely made for them by one of the vise companies of the day -compare features for a Mfg ID.

Maybe start in the exposed screw vise thread Shift just started?

 

[Mr. Wonderful]

Wizard was a Western Auto Supply "house brand" so likely made for them by one of the vise companies of the day -compare features for a Mfg ID.

Maybe start in the exposed screw vise thread Shift just started?

Oh nice! I didn’t know there was one, thanks!

 

[Shiftless]

Wizard was a Western Auto Supply "house brand" so likely made for them by one of the vise companies of the day -compare features for a Mfg ID.

Maybe start in the exposed screw vise thread Shift just started?

Thanks for the promo Outlaw. Go here to my new thread celebrating the lowly exposed thread vise.

Show off your old exposed thread bench vises

For a long time I have noticed that Garage Journal folk seem to regard homeowner grade exposed screw vises as nearly worthless. Sure, everybody can drool over a Reed or Rock Island or Morgan or Prentiss (and others) with 6 inch or wider jaws and weighing so much that normal fellows can’t even...

www.garagejournal.com

 

[four.cycle]

1937 Western Auto Catalog snip below.

the "H" followed by #### (number number number number) aligns with other Western Auto/Wizard part numbers (exclusive of the "4" preceding the "H")

I'm completely out of my league on "vise" - that's just a wild guess.

 

[Josh Dekubber]

Cleaned up my Reed 204 R and started cleaning up my Parker 974 1/2 but I need a bigger socket to remove the swivel base on the Parker. I was planning on painting the Reed but I'm not sure now.

 

[colmal]

Cleaned up my Reed 204 R and started cleaning up my Parker 974 1/2 but I need a bigger socket to remove the swivel base on the Parker. I was planning on painting the Reed but I'm not sure now.

I'm putting my Woden 9" woodworking vice together over the next couple of hours, spent so long cleaning it and came up with a nice burnished look, painted it a satin clear as didn't want all the work to be covered, looks really good, my first natural finish - (just experimenting with finishes)

Yours look the same, I'm voting for a clear paint or Blo ( no BLO for me as not practical)

 

[Josh Dekubber]

I'm putting my Woden 9" woodworking vice together over the next couple of hours, spent so long cleaning it and came up with a nice burnished look, painted it a satin clear as didn't want all the work to be covered, looks really good, my first natural finish - (just experimenting with finishes)

Yours look the same, I'm voting for a clear paint or Blo ( no BLO for me as not practical)

I look forward to seeing a picture of your vise with the clear finish?

 

[colmal]

I look forward to seeing a picture of your vise with the clear finish?

Soon , it comes up darker, more of a gunmetal look -, I'm going to do my 6" SQ Dawn the same now.

 

[genog]

I have a need for a real small bench vise...
Not certain that this little Craftsman fits the bill, but I'll use it until I find something smaller

 

[Josh Dekubber]

I have a need for a real small bench vise...
Not certain that this little Craftsman fits the bill, but I'll use it until I find something smaller

Nice! I polished one up just like that.

 

[ALLFAST]

Hello everyone, first time poster and vise owner here, just finished restoring this Columbian 108, need to buy some jaws but all done besides that. Came out of a Ford steel factory that it's been working in since the 50s, this color was chosen because it's a late 50s Ford blue. Next to a 5.5" vise in the pictures.

Welcome and sweet vises!! Looks like Skyview Blue ? Very nice tribute there !

 

[colmal]

I remembered before photos for a change , Woden 9" QR, I think this is a 40's/50's example -, but those that would know more than me.

Complete, one small chip on static, QR post bolts were snapped off (had 1 sneaky bolt holding it with a couple of threads) tapped the 4 wood mounting holes as well and a piece of tin holding the screw - hmmm.

 

[colmal]

Nice smooth operation, no play, QR is going to be good.

I'll remove the 7" Dawn and replace it, I keep inside and just take outside, clamp the wood block on a bench when needed, UH and somehow my 7" Dawn has shrunk, it's been good, but bigger is better.

Handle, screw and slides have been dry sanded and wire brushed after molasses, wiped with WD40/grease - unpainted/unpolished.

Painted with a Satin clear, 2 heavy coats as I couldn't quite tell how much I was doing -Tin was light when I finished, but came up well.

Still have to attach the wood holders and bolt to base and I'll start using it tomorrow.

 

[KMScott]

Restored another Rock Island #75. Check out my jaws. Always have fun cutting out the cancer and replacing it with heat treated toolsteel. I like the Black Oil finish, left all the battle scars. Vise was grabbed up in Marketplace in 9 hours. Happy to get another vise back to work.

 

[Outlawmws]

As usual, beautiful work Dr. Scott.

 

[Josh Dekubber]

Nice smooth operation, no play, QR is going to be good.

I'll remove the 7" Dawn and replace it, I keep inside and just take outside, clamp the wood block on a bench when needed, UH and somehow my 7" Dawn has shrunk, it's been good, but bigger is better.

Handle, screw and slides have been dry sanded and wire brushed after molasses, wiped with WD40/grease - unpainted/unpolished.

Painted with a Satin clear, 2 heavy coats as I couldn't quite tell how much I was doing -Tin was light when I finished, but came up well.

Still have to attach the wood holders and bolt to base and I'll start using it tomorrow.

Nice work! Looks great

 

[Firstram]

Restored another Rock Island #75. Check out my jaws. Always have fun cutting out the cancer and replacing it with heat treated toolsteel. I like the Black Oil finish, left all the battle scars. Vise was grabbed up in Marketplace in 9 hours. Happy to get another vise back to work.

Those jaws ROCK!

 

[Shiftless]

Those jaws ROCK!

I think we all share that opinion. KMScott is certainly the master.

 

[CRSINMICH]

colmal: Here's a Woden 189B2 from a 1958 catalogue. It's also in a 1964 catalogue.

 

[IRQVET]

Cleaned up my Reed 204 R and started cleaning up my Parker 974 1/2 but I need a bigger socket to remove the swivel base on the Parker. I was planning on painting the Reed but I'm not sure now.

Are those blued or painted?

 

[Josh Dekubber]

Are those blued or painted?

I just finished wire wheel cleaning them and haven't decided how to treat or finish them yet.

 

[XJSuperman]

Oof, been a long time since I've browsed this thread. Here's one I'd like help deciding on what to do with:

I've had it a few years, but never used. Its broken as you can see, and I have no idea who made it or what model it might be. I cannot locate any markings on it. Could very easily be some overseas ****, but just as easily could be a nice vise. Should I junk it, sell it, or get it fixed (welded up)?

 

[RTM]

I've had it a few years, but never used. Its broken as you can see, and I have no idea who made it or what model it might be.

Depends on how much you value your time.

I paid $10 for mine, supposedly from the 80s. Some of them are decent, some are ****. Olympia is one name I see occasionally, but most are Asian alphabet soup names, or no names.
Just googling
Dual Rotation Vise
Brings up lots of images, but add the word parts, and nothing with the same shape comes up.

 

[Outlawmws]

Get it apart and see in the inside castings look like the caves leading to Hades. If so, its likely Asian...

 

[royce]

Restored another Rock Island #75. Check out my jaws. Always have fun cutting out the cancer and replacing it with heat treated toolsteel. I like the Black Oil finish, left all the battle scars. Vise was grabbed up in Marketplace in 9 hours. Happy to get another vise back to work.

So handsome Kevin

 

[fishwatcher]

Restored another Rock Island #75. Check out my jaws. Always have fun cutting out the cancer and replacing it with heat treated toolsteel. I like the Black Oil finish, left all the battle scars. Vise was grabbed up in Marketplace in 9 hours. Happy to get another vise back to work.

This looks considerably better than new! Awesome work.

 

[neophyte]

Oof, been a long time since I've browsed this thread. Here's one I'd like help deciding on what to do with:

I've had it a few years, but never used. Its broken as you can see, and I have no idea who made it or what model it might be. I cannot locate any markings on it. Could very easily be some overseas ****, but just as easily could be a nice vise. Should I junk it, sell it, or get it fixed (welded up)?

This is one of the Asian made Sawyer/Nutyp style vise clones.
Since the vise cracked, it’s likely a grey flake iron version.
The older Asian versions were better and more faithfully made to the original US Sawyer/Nutyp design, and may have been better quality than some of the current cheaper grey iron versions.
Currently, you can purchase a Yost 750DI, or a similar Capri vise, that basically uses the same design, for $160-$300, and both versions are made out of ductile iron, which should be much harder to break.

If you want to practice brazing, the broken vise doesn’t seem to be in bad condition otherwise.
And maybe the parts would be useable on other Sawyer/Nutyp vises or clones.

 

[XJSuperman]

If you want to practice brazing, the broken vise doesn’t seem to be in bad condition otherwise.
And maybe the parts would be useable on other Sawyer/Nutyp vises or clones.

After further discussion (specifically on shop rates), it looks like its getting sold or scrapped. I don't need to sink $75 bucks or more into fixing it. I could, but for my specific use-case with what I have vs what I need here, I don't need to spend money on it. Just hate to see something that could be usable get junked.

 

[RTM]

And maybe the parts would be useable on other Sawyer/Nutyp vises or clones

Just hate to see something that could be usable get junked.

Pull off the non broken bits, list it in the classifieds here, or sell the whole thing on your local CL as a parts vise, or try one of the many freebie sites like Freecycle, as a parts, or very light duty vise.

 

[Outlawmws]

Also know that for a new Asian from HF last I saw, they could be had for about $70.

 

[micahd1997]

MORE Prentiss Vise Company history…

Recently I connected with a gracious resident of New York whose grandfather, Peter Ottersland, worked as an engineer for Bagley & Sewall in Watertown, NY until the late 1940s. During this time, he invented several items, the patents for which his granddaughter was kind enough to ship and allow me to borrow. However, she also included this beautiful, 160 pg. Bagley & Sewall catalog from 1905. Upon opening the box, I couldn’t help but get a little excited. Yet ANOTHER small but fascinating connection between the Prentiss Vise Company and Bagley & Sewall, the company who produced their vises for over 70 years.

Most obviously, the font used on the covers of both catalogues is one and the same. The printed date inside the Bagley & Sewall catalog is 1905. From the best records I’ve found, Prentiss began issuing their catalog #49 no later than November 1906.But there’s more…Bagley & Sewall’s primary business was in manufacturing paper-making machines. As such, it only makes sense that they would utilize their own machines (at least in part) to produce their catalog. A note inside one of the first pages reads, “The Cover of this Catalog was made on one of our Special Machines.” We can assume that the management of both the Prentiss Vise Company and of Bagley & Sewall communicated, choosing to mutually settle on this font (among other design features) for both catalogues. Other records mention that catalogues for the Prentiss Vise Company were printed at Martin’s Printing House on John Street, NY. Whether or not Martin’s owned a B&S machine or B&S made the covers in-house and then commissioned Martin’s to print the internal pages, I’m not sure.

I’ll be scanning all 160 beautifully-illustrated pages of this catalog within the next month and uploading it for public consumption. A huge thanks to Ottersland’s granddaughter.

 

[Oregon rock crusher]

Here is a Record 773 clamp on vice I picked up yesterday. A substantial vise for a 3-1/8" clamp on. It needs a bench of 2-1/2" - 5" thick for the heavy clamp to get a bite and with the spikes in the base of the vice and the swivel pad it will take a bite! I don't see another 773 in this thread but there is one from ranger08 in the vise info thread. https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/threads/vise-info-thread.355753/post-10632902 Pic 5927 is from his post of a different vice. I think these 773 vices are pre-war and I haven't found reference to it in any of the catalog links yet found. Ed.

 

[ranger08]

hi Ed i found some info to suggest 1950s to 1960s

 

[Oregon rock crusher]

hi Ed i found some info to suggest 1950s to 1960s

I guess I just assumed earlier. Was it a catalog page or something else you came up with ranger? The recess behind the handle in the barrel of the spindle is something I've seen on other British vices like Woden that I've also believed to be earlier. Thanks for the info. Ed.

 

[M635_Guy]

Cleaned up my Reed 204 R and started cleaning up my Parker 974 1/2 but I need a bigger socket to remove the swivel base on the Parker. I was planning on painting the Reed but I'm not sure now.

Both of those are absolute hotness without paint IMHO. Whatever you decide to do, congrats on a couple cool examples!

 

[ranger08]

I guess I just assumed earlier. Was it a catalog page or something else you came up with ranger? The recess behind the handle in the barrel of the spindle is something I've seen on other British vices like Woden that I've also believed to be earlier. Thanks for the info. Ed.

no catalog ref's i could find, they were made for railways so were probably marketed direct to railway companies or govts
re age 50 to 60s refers to my one and who i got it off, they may of been in manufacture for some time before that as construction is similar to a "75" and a "74" and may well reflect a similar period of production

 

[Josh Dekubber]

Both of those are absolute hotness without paint IMHO. Whatever you decide to do, congrats on a couple cool examples!

Thank you! I'm really liking the raw look. I just want to treat them the best way possible so they don't rust.

 

[Oregon rock crusher]

Thanks for that ranger. I've seen some topics in British discussion forums regarding RR usage for the 773 but not much on the time frame they were in use. Maybe something definitive will pop up one of these days. Ed.

 

[MadeByMiller]

I'm a bit late posting this since they've been live on my website for a little over a week now, so I apologize (I've been so busy!), but my Swiveling Mini Vise Stands are now available for purchase! The perfect mate to your No. 24 Mini Vise.

If this is your first time seeing the stands and vises, let me give you some info: I launched the No. 24 Mini Vise (pictured on stand) late last year to great enthusiasm from the you all. I knew the vise could only be topped by creating a stand for it. Not just any stand though, the coveted swiveling/portable railroad stand! Now you can purchase a No. 24 Mini Vise and M0317 Swiveling Mini Vise Stand (sold separately) to make a pair that will be sure to stand out in your collection. Just as the No. 24 is fully functional, the stand performs just like the full scale thing - with pivoting vise mount locked down with dual set screws.
Please, check out my website for more detailed information, images, and dimensions.

www.madebymillerllc.com