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The VISES of Garage Journal

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lametec

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May 5, 2008
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2,099
Location
Michigan
My vises:

Kurt D688 on the mill:
My%20vises%20(1)%20(Medium).jpg


6" lump from Lowes. Looks like the current Bessey offering, but was bought probably 8 years ago or so. Cost $50-something at the time, I think. It's held up just great so far.
My%20vises%20(3)%20(Medium).JPG
 
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A_Pmech

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May 8, 2007
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8,002
Location
IL
I made another trip to Mitch's this weekend and picked up another vise. This time it's a ~150lb 6" Morgan Chicago, made sometime before the mid 1940's.

Ever rig something out of the trunk of a car? I hadn't until this morning... :spit:

carvise1.jpg


carvise2.jpg


carvise3.jpg


Mitch did a great job as always. Thanks, Mitch! :beer:
 
A

autopts71045

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Apr 19, 2010
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Illinois
A_Pmech said:
I made another trip to Mitch's this weekend and picked up another vise. This time it's a ~150lb 6" Morgan Chicago, made sometime before the mid 1940's.

Ever rig something out of the trunk of a car? I hadn't until this morning... :spit:

Its a beauty!! It will give you many years of service.
Click to expand...
 
A

autopts71045

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Messages
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Illinois
lametec said:
My vises:

Kurt D688 on the mill:
My%20vises%20(1)%20(Medium).jpg


6" lump from Lowes. Looks like the current Bessey offering, but was bought probably 8 years ago or so. Cost $50-something at the time, I think. It's held up just great so far.
My%20vises%20(3)%20(Medium).JPG
Click to expand...

That D688 almost looks new! Did you recently buy it?
 
A

A_Pmech

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autopts71045 said:
You found him a nice one. Its kinda rare to see a 6" in that nice of shape. Great original patina.
Click to expand...

He's pretty good at that. :)

This thing was barely used! The jaws are perfect and it's never been beaten on with only a few marks on the handle.

I believe he said the previous owner bought it out of the Detroit Studebaker plant.
 
A

A_Pmech

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Moose-LandTran said:
Possibly the early 1940s?
:lol:
Click to expand...

:spit:

Possibly...

I think Morgan started around 1922 IIRC, so sometime between 1922 an 1947? when they moved to Aurora.

(Somewhere in this thread or the one on Practical Machinist there's a post about the beginning and end dates of Morgan Chicago production, before they moved to Aurora)

It's interesting to note that the Morgan Aurora patterns were not completely re-lettered. They simply stripped the "CHICAGO" letters and replaced them with a different font reading "AURORA". On the Morgan Chicago vises, "MORGAN" and "CHICAGO" are one font.
 
B

BTG

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Oct 1, 2009
Messages
203
Location
Indy
A_Pmech said:
:spit:

Possibly...

I think Morgan started around 1922 IIRC, so sometime between 1922 an 1947? when they moved to Aurora.

(Somewhere in this thread or the one on Practical Machinist there's a post about the beginning and end dates of Morgan Chicago production, before they moved to Aurora)

It's interesting to note that the Morgan Aurora patterns were not completely re-lettered. They simply stripped the "CHICAGO" letters and replaced them with a different font reading "AURORA". On the Morgan Chicago vises, "MORGAN" and "CHICAGO" are one font.
Click to expand...

yep...Here's my Morgan Aurora 160. I have a Morgan Chicago 150 that has all the font the same. The "AURORA" is clearly in a different font.

Nice vice AP! :thumbup:

DSCF0001.jpg
 
Z

ZRX61

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Aug 15, 2006
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Solar Blight Valley, SoCal
Odd thing this morning... went to hit the Morgan with a bit more paint...everything peachy on the static jaw part... but it reacted on the dynamic.. WTF?? Prep for both parts was identical, paint on both parts was the same...They were fine last night, sat on the bench next to each other & this morning I get this going on.. very strange :(

I'll leave it to kick off & then do that one part from scratch again I guess..

10-6-10005.jpg
 
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autopts71045

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ZRX61 said:
Odd thing this morning... went to hit the Morgan with a bit more paint...everything peachy on the static jaw part... but it reacted on the dynamic.. WTF?? Prep for both parts was identical, paint on both parts was the same...They were fine last night, sat on the bench next to each other & this morning I get this going on.. very strange :(

I'll leave it to kick off & then do that one part from scratch again I guess..

10-6-10005.jpg
Click to expand...

Did you spray that jaw last? Sometimes my can will start spitting and I don't actually see it until the next day. Maybe it caught some overspray from something else you were using previously like a penatrating oil spray?
 
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T

thomfr

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Sep 16, 2010
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409
Location
The Netherlands
Here is mine:

Foto-SZRLFXAT.jpg


It is a near new Ridgid which I found in a liquidation.

It stil needs a stand/wall bracket instead of standing loose on my Beta Tank C25. See other topic about the mounting please.

Thom
 
Z

ZRX61

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Solar Blight Valley, SoCal
autopts71045 said:
Did you spray that jaw last? Sometimes my can will start spitting and I don't actually see it until the next day. Maybe it caught some overspray from something else you were using previously like a penatrating oil spray?
Click to expand...


Both pieces were right next to each other & were sprayed at the same time, nothing else had been sprayed in the garage so no contamination from silicon or Kroil etc. Can wasn't spitting. It was colder when I sprayed... but that would affect both parts, not just one... Complete mystery...
No biggie tho, easy enough to refinish the part.:thumbup:
 
Z

ZRX61

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highland512 said:
Thanks for the compliment, not sure about your other question though? :headscrat
Click to expand...
Some vises have a piece on the bottom at the front edge that hangs below the bench surface. Someone asked the same thing about that green Athol I have. None of mine have it, otherwise I'd show ya a pic of the piece.
 
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K

KDT

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Nov 28, 2009
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98223
Found a Wilton 5" vise - should I buy it?

This is one of my favorite threads and I've been lurking for a while hoping to pickup a vise worth restoring and posting the results.

Anyway,I bumped into this one but I have no idea what a fair price would be for it or if it's even worth the effort of restoring. It's nothing like the massive chunks of iron I've seen posted here but I do like the lines on the thing.

Any ad-"vise"? :beer:

Thanks!

<a href="http://s104.photobucket.com/albums/m184/ktoyn/?action=view&current=019_crop.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i104.photobucket.com/albums/m184/ktoyn/019_crop.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

<a href="http://s104.photobucket.com/albums/m184/ktoyn/?action=view&current=023.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i104.photobucket.com/albums/m184/ktoyn/023.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

<a href="http://s104.photobucket.com/albums/m184/ktoyn/?action=view&current=021.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i104.photobucket.com/albums/m184/ktoyn/021.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

<a href="http://s104.photobucket.com/albums/m184/ktoyn/?action=view&current=020.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i104.photobucket.com/albums/m184/ktoyn/020.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>
 
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ZRX61

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They're always worth restoring, with access to the right stuff (plastic/glassbead blaster) you can accomplish miracles very quickly.
Plastic will remove paint & other **** (10 minutes)
Change media in cabinet (couple of minutes)
Glassbead will strip the rust etc & leave it very clean (another 10 minutes)
Mask it off (5 minutes)
Rattlecan of Rustoleum (3 coats @ 2 minutes each)
Wait for paint to dry (a day)
Hit the ends of the jaw supports & the anvil part with the die grinder/3M scotchbrite pad (mere seconds)
Lube the screw
Assemble (5 minutes)

Sorted.

Add more time for buggering about with JB-Weld to fill divots/damage, sanding etc

Not including waiting for paint to dry, the Columbian & Erie show in posts 903, 905 & 911 took less than 2 hours to sort out both of them.
 
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OP
M

mjozefow

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Apr 9, 2009
Messages
2,111
Location
Lafayette, IN
ZRX61 said:
They're always worth restoring, with access to the right stuff (plastic/glassbead blaster) you can accomplish miracles very quickly.
Plastic will remove paint & other **** (10 minutes)
Change media in cabinet (couple of minutes)
Glassbead will strip the rust etc & leave it very clean (another 10 minutes)
Mask it off (5 minutes)
Rattlecan of Rustoleum (3 coats @ 2 minutes each)
Wait for paint to dry (a day)
Hit the ends of the jaw supports & the anvil part with the die grinder/3M scotchbrite pad (mere seconds)
Lube the screw
Assemble (5 minutes)

Sorted.

Add more time for buggering about with JB-Weld to fill divots/damage, sanding etc

Not including waiting for paint to dry, the Columbian & Erie show in posts 903, 905 & 911 took less than 2 hours to sort out both of them.
Click to expand...



Take the jaws off: three hours, 15 f-bombs and 22 sonofa*****s :lol_hitti
 
S

spongerich

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Apr 17, 2010
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Location
Monroe, NY
Re: Found a Wilton 5" vise - should I buy it?

KDT said:
Any ad-"vise"?
Click to expand...

The newer versions of that seem to go for around $40-50 on eBay, but I suspect they're Chinese. It's probably a pretty good medium duty vise and should give you may years of service while looking cool at the same time.

I'd offer $25 and start there. There's not much resale value there, it's more a matter of how much it's worth to YOU. Personally, I'd walk away from anything over $50.
 
F

foreman22

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Oct 6, 2010
Messages
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First time to the site. Had to share my find and try to get info. Reed 32 bench vise. Wanted to add a picture but haven't learned how. This is the first vise like this I have seen and I probably have 10 bench vises. The swivel base is unique. Weighs about 70 pounds and has fixed flat jaws and removable pipe jaws.
Thanks for a place to share.
 
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