The VISES of Garage Journal

[fishwatcher]

After searching for awhile, finally found the one to replace my Craftsman. $150, so not half bad.

Great deal on a swivel base Bullet! Looks like it’s in great shape.

 

[fishwatcher]

I finally finished my Starret 015. This has 5” jaws. It cleaned up well and while it initially had a pretty rough action.. cleaning years of grime off made it smooth. I didn’t end up using anything to tighten things up (was looking into bearing washer). The tolerance was just too tight to fit anything easily found at Ace hardware and I don’t want to go through the trouble of ordering anything online. It’s fine.

Before and after pictures.

 

[autopts]

Work in progress. Dirty. Cleaned. Will degrease, reassemble, and paint next week. This is an 8400 HD. Date on key is 10-52, so a 1947 model. I bought the base, which was original to a 1750, separately. The base is correct but this vise was either sold as a stationary model, or the original swivel base was lost. To be correct it would need the 1010810 inner ring with pivot pin, instead of the locking pads that the 1750 used. but it will work this way and it locks down tight. I'll keep looking for a reasonably priced inner ring in the meantime.
Something I may do in the short term is sink a lag screw into my workbench, so that it's centered in the base. Cut off the head, leaving the lag's 1/2" diameter smooth shaft (shoulder), sticking up just far enough to sit inside the pivot pin hole in the bottom of the vise when it's assembled onto the base. That would keep the vise from moving from side to side when the swivel handles are loosened. Necessity being the mother of invention and all that.

Great Idea on that Lag bolt

 

[Outlawmws]

I finally finished my Starret 015.

That came out great!

 

[Patrickm82]

Very nice @fishwatcher!

 

[Midwest Shop Supply]

Here is a pair of Wilton C1 pipe jaws I just finished up machining. I also manufacture C2 and C3 pipe jaws as well. These are heat treated to rockwell 65 or higher, and will be good for many years of hard work! Let me know what you think!

 

[Mark Stansbury]

Just scanned this undated Champion Bolt Clipper Co. catalog. These vises are in the back.

 

[micahd1997]

Just scanned this undated Champion Bolt Clipper Co. catalog. These vises are in the back.

So glad you got that, Mark! I was eyeing it fiercely. Thank you for the catalog scans

 

[micahd1997]

Never judge book by its cover! Goodness knows, first impressions are only part of the bigger picture.

I couldn’t be more thrilled to’ve received this 1902 Prentiss Catalog X in the mail after some nerve-wracking shipping delays.

This catalog is somewhat of an anomaly. Barring a few exceptions in their very early and very late days, Prentiss identified each of their published catalogues numerically…except for this one. I haven’t yet found any sources to explain why Prentiss chose to deviate from their numbering system in 1902 only to return to it again in 1906 with the issue of the first iteration of Catalog № 49. Various other unrelated manufacturers have published their own “Catalog X” but without any apparent connection to the year or anything else. My unproven theory is that Prentiss simply wanted this catalog to stand out, make a statement, and attract customers to the changes in the product line. Indeed…Prentiss had certainly made some BIG changes…

Prentiss’ 1902 Catalog X saw the addition of an astounding 23 pages compared to their 1900 Catalog № 46. No copies of Prentiss’ catalog № 47 (issued in 1901) have been uncovered yet, so we can only compare to Catalog № 46 for the time being. Catalog X saw the introduction of both the new Monarch line and the new Anchor Line vises patented by Charles Darwin Bingham in July of 1902. It was also Prentiss’ last catalog to advertise the “solid box” blacksmith leg vises which, almost certainly, were purchased from another manufacturer and resold thru Prentiss.

Full scans of a different (but identical) copy of Catalog X can be found here: https://archive.org/details/prentiss-vise-company-catalog-x-1902/mode/1up

 

[Outlawmws]

I haven’t yet found any sources to explain why Prentiss chose to deviate from their numbering system in 1902 only to return to it again in 1906 with the issue of the first iteration of Catalog № 49.

Were there management changes in those years?

 

[micahd1997]

Were there management changes in those years?

There were not (though there would be some changes in the following years when John E Mulford would pass in 1908 and Mortimer G Lewis would pass in 1915). The 1895, 1901, and 1904 publications of the Trow Copartnership & Corporation Directory of NY lists John E Mulford as president/director and son, Edwin H Mulford, and Mortimer G Lewis as directors during that entire timeframe

 

[SkyPuncher]

Speaking of Prentiss, picked up this No. 55 Bulldog the other day. Pretty darn good shape for it's age. About what year did they go from this script to the "graffiti" style font?

 

[Midwest Shop Supply]

Here are serrated jaws that I manufacture for the Reed 2C. These are heat treated to Rockwell 65. Let me know what you think of them! Any and all feedback is appreciated!

 

[micahd1997]

About what year did they go from this script to the "graffiti" style font?

That’s a beautiful 55, @SkyPuncher. The lettering style on yours is consistent with the style that Prentiss advertised between 1911-1920 (they switched to the graffiti script in 1920). Prentiss switched from a larger meatball to the smaller size between 1917-1920 though, so given the larger meatball on yours, I’d say 1911-1917 is the likely range.

 

[SkyPuncher]

Thank you for the info micahd1997. It's great to be able to break down the timeline on these!

 

[micahd1997]

Thank you for the info micahd1997. It's great to be able to break down the timeline on these!

My pleasure! I couldn’t agree more

 

[SkyPuncher]

One last question, do you think that grayish silver is the original finish?

 

[xjawgi]

Howdy All - picked up what I believe to be an old Wilton bullet vise. It has no branding or identification on the exterior of the vise. Every other Wilton I see has Wilton branding on both sides. I am thinking someone ground the branding off at some point, but the casting looks untouched. Thoughts?

(I haven’t blown it apart to check the slide for a date code yet.)

 

[Outlawmws]

Grinding would show so its "As cast"

the main nut retainer screws are socket head, so not Wilton factory, but the swivel nuts look early?

I'm guessing Wilton made a run for someone else to brand, OR its a school casting knock off. disassembly should tell you more.

 

[RTM]

I may have found a source for Verde Green hammered Rust-Olem. $52.51 a can. Too rich for me.

Rust-Oleum 7219830 Hammered Metal Finish Spray Verde Green 12-Ounce

Huge amount of items at rock bottom prices

warehousesoverstock.com

Was just in the hardware store looking for Evaporust, guy next to me is looking for a light green spray can. "Painting vintage tools?" I asked. Rock tumbler. Your price of $53 was a bargain, he found it up to $149 a can. Recognized the pain in his face, he was gonna try hammered pewter. He didn't want to brush or spray.

 

[jawstight]

There are apparently two distinct catalogs for 1965 Parker Vises. One is No. 65, and the other is No. 65A.
In the 65 catalog, the Eclipse Vises have an A suffix to their model numbers. In the 65A catalog, those same Eclipse Vises have a B suffix. The B vises are considerably heavier.

Yet in the scans I've seen there appear to be no physical differences.

Why the two distinct catalogs?
Was the material used different?
Are there markings or any other means to identify the different variants by sight?

Thank you!

 

[JustVicingIt]

Hello all. Picked up an old work bench recently. This little blue vise was in it. It’s just the screw and mounting hardware. This sticker was on it but I can’t figure out who manufactured it. Anybody have a clue?

 

[Beerhippie]

Hello all. Picked up an old work bench recently. This little blue vise was in it. It’s just the screw and mounting hardware. This sticker was on it but I can’t figure out who manufactured it. Anybody have a clue?

It's a classic wood-working bench vise. I think it was made in England.

 

[ChefRex]

What would make you think that?

 

[ChefRex]

Hello all. Picked up an old work bench recently. This little blue vise was in it. It’s just the screw and mounting hardware. This sticker was on it but I can’t figure out who manufactured it. Anybody have a clue?

Let's see the rest of the bench.

 

[senlow]

What would make you think that?

I'm sure it was a wild *** guess.

 

[Outlawmws]

The partial sticker is clearly England. I'm leaning Record or Paramo from the blue...

 

[JustVicingIt]

Yeah, I was thinking Record maybe. Similar styles seem to be in that vein. Just the holder for the turning handle is different from current offerings

 

[JustVicingIt]

Let's see the rest of the bench.

It was a weird cobbled together mess. But the bones were good. $40 for it. Needs cleaning and I already took it apart and got rid of the garbage add-ons. Now to reglue and fix it up. Need to add a new board for the tool tray but that's fine. It'll make a good overall work table.

 

[JustVicingIt]

Two main components ready to be sanded and fixed up.

 

[dannyr]

The partial sticker is clearly England. I'm leaning Record or Paramo from the blue...

Agree - certainly Record sold separate vise screw/nut hardware for commercial or individual bench makers own designs.

 

[CRSINMICH]

From a 1971 Buck & Hickman catalogue
In a 1950's catalogue the nut and collar were painted black

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[Patrickm82]

Grabbed these two vises at an estate sale this weekend. A nice Craftsman 5247 clamp on and this beast for its size Lewis tool co. vise. Hoping to find more info when I clean it up.

Edit: after looking through some of @micahd1997 Lewis catalogues I think it’s a 96. Hopefully someone will confirm.

 

[Jayman17]

It was a weird cobbled together mess. But the bones were good. $40 for it. Needs cleaning and I already took it apart and got rid of the garbage add-ons. Now to reglue and fix it up. Need to add a new board for the tool tray but that's fine. It'll make a good overall work table.

Be sure to leave on the period correct wood paneling.

 

[JustVicingIt]

It’s already in the trash lol

 

[CRSINMICH]

Patrick: Your vise certainly looks like a Lewis #96. This 1896 Lewis Tool Co. catalog entry shows a diagonal shoulder or line on the side of the vise and one of your photos looks like it is there. The LT Co NY seals it. Nice find on a rare vise!

​

 

[Patrickm82]

Patrick: Your vise certainly looks like a Lewis #96. This 1896 Lewis Tool Co. catalog entry shows a diagonal shoulder or line on the side of the vise and one of your photos looks like it is there. The LT Co NY seals it. Nice find on a rare vise!

​

Thanks CRS. I wish I wasn’t missing the lockdown handle but what can a guy expect for a 100 + year old vise!

 

[Jeff232]

Hello,
I just joined and was wondering if someone could point me to a place where i can easily find new vise jaws for my parker 63 1/2. They seem pretty basic and im sure someone makes a set that would fit, hopefully someone here knows exactly which ones to get. Thanks!

 

[Eric Brown]

Hello,
I just joined and was wondering if someone could point me to a place where i can easily find new vise jaws for my parker 63 1/2. They seem pretty basic and im sure someone makes a set that would fit, hopefully someone here knows exactly which ones to get. Thanks!

Welcome to the group. Nice looking vice. How wide are the jaws and do you need the replacements to be the same style?

 

[jawstight]

Welcome to the forum.
If you don't need them to be checkered or steel, they're pretty easy to fabricate yourself out of brass or aluminum if you are handy with your hands, have a drill press, and can buy a counterbore bit ($15-$30).
I've made a couple of sets out of brass that are smooth faced. Going over to a friends house later this week to either put horizontal grooves on their face or checker them. Not sure yet which. He has a shaper, I have no machining tools.