It was advertised as jumping the Hell's Canyon of the Snake. It wasn't Hell's Canyon by a long shot--Hell's canyon is miles wide at the narrowest--it was a narrow basalt gorge upstream from the real thing.
All I got was what I could pick up on "junk week" and built into something I could ride.We worked in the fields from about age eight. Picking berries, peas and beans for the most part. Some farmers were great to work for, others were slave labor (they had cute tricks to avoid paying us kids--word got around and those folks had trouble getting the harvest in).
We had Schwinn Stingray Kraters:
That was essentially the same bike I had--right down to the springer forks and softtail--and imagine my surprise to see it's still being sold today--almost 60 years later!
We'd build jumps. We'd jump the bikes. We'd make the jumps higher. Lather and repeat until a bone or bike was broken. Move across the hill about ten feet and start work on a new jump next to the now-new "widowmaker".
Broken bike frames were taken to old farmer DiMartini, who'd stick-weld 'em back together. The frames, of course, always re-broke adjacent to the weld so eventually you had a giant knot of weldment on the frame--or several.
The build up was incredible, then.
yostvises.com
I also have a Cadet (4.5”), but it would have been a pain to unbolt and move just for a picture.Yost has sales every so often on their website and this little RIA-4 is on sale for a great price. $36.98.
I know most here go for larger, vintage, USA made vises.. but has anybody here bought and used one for their smaller vise needs?
Yost Model RIA-4 Yost 4 Inch Compact Bench Vise with 360 Degree Swivel
The Yost RIA-4 4" compact bench vise with 360-degree swivel base mounts to a workbench to provide light-duty clamping action. The 360-degree swivel base adjusts the direction of the jaws for proper placement. Hand-tightening the two lock knobs on the base secures its position. The hardened steel...
I haven’t bought from their site so buyer beware. I’d get one but I have the clamp-on Wilton version, bought used and cleaned up.
Here’s Wilton’s Super Junior version, made in the Czech Republic.
Annexation of Czechia followed soon... It is not very public, but VW actually admitted it and paid Tatra a million German marks in '65, but that is pocket change compared to the sales. At the time, a beetle cost about 4500 German marks and in that year alone, they sold 1.2 million of them. Total sales of the beetle ammount to about 230 billion US $ when adjusted for inflation to today if we account for the 1965 prices. It's very likely the million they paid in 1965 went into someones pocket in the eastern block to hush down the situation.
Ive made a little progress on 3 of these vise.Here are some of my vises Ive picked up here and there!
Wilton waiting on restoration!
Congratulations on the Prentiss, Zoda! The 19s are a fun size, and to be honest I don't see many in that style. Prentiss' 1936 catalog (attached) advertises your same style of #19 (specifically note the swivel base plunger lock). However, the catalog advertises it with the sideways-arc lettering, a style that Prentiss began using as far back as 1925. However x2...YOUR #19 showcases the post-1936 badge-style logo as well as serial numbers that are recessed into the body of the vise. The Charles Parker Co acquired the Prentiss Vise Company in late 1947 and made several easily-identifiable changes to the Prentiss vises. Your vise was made no earlier than 1936 and certainly no later than 1948. This part is pure speculation, but I suspect that the presence of both that style of swivel base plunger lock + the presence of the badge-style logo indicate that your vise was made in the 40s during Prentiss' final years.I scored this pretty clean Prentiss 19 over the weekend rite around the corner from my house. No major damage no cracks or missing parts. The swivel jaw and pin had been painted over and I assume not moved in many years. It didn't take much to get them moving though. I removed the swivel base and the spindle nut. The hole for the swivel base bolt almost lines up with the hole for the swivel jaw pin. So once I drove out the pin that holds the spindle nut in place and removed the nut I could use a punch to drive the swivel pin out from below. I felt like a genius when I came up with the idea of using a three small blocks of steel to make like a bridge over the spindle nut pin on the bottom side and then use a c clamp to drive the pin up into the empty space. This worked wonderfully. I then gave the swivel pin a few taps with the punch which didn't seem to have any effect so I hit it with the torch. Once it cooled down I flipped it back over gave it a few whacks and the pin fell rite out GREAT. I then gave the swivel jaw a few taps and once the paint broke I was able to remove it with my hands. You can see in the pictures how clean the surfaces are and the screw is in great shape the handle is a bit bent but that's no big deal.
The smooth jaws seem to be permanently or at least semi permanently riveted in is that normal?
Can anyone tell me the approximate year of manufacture I am guessing 1930s dose that sound rite?
Soaking in simple green now I may put it in evaporust next depending on how it looks afterwards. Then maybe just some light oil for now I'm nit sure yet if I want to paint it or leave it naked.
Micah
By "the jaw style", are you referring to the detachable steel jaws on page 4? Looking at the pictures that you posted, your jaw faces do appear to be detachable and have screws (though it looks like the faces of the screws might be covered with some kind of putty maybe?). Looking at the sides of the jaws on your vise, I can see the separation of the detachable jaws from the jaws of the vise. Prentiss stopped making their older style, cast-in jaws by 1911 once Charles Bingham patented them (Bingham actually supervised the vise department at that point in time).
Agreed - the tool room vise does show the later-style badge logo (similar to your #19). However, I tend to believe that if Prentiss had gone to the trouble to create, print, publish, and advertise their new catalog in 1936, they would've wanted the vises that customers bought to match the vises that they advertised. If we're taking the company-issued catalogs as gospel (which I generally do), the illustrations tell me that Prentiss was only manufacturing the tool room vise (#504) and their Bull Dog line with the badge-style logo. Again, it's speculation, but I theorize that Prentiss later transitioned into manufacturing their entire line of machinist's vises with the same badge-style logo that they initially used only for the #504 and the Bull Dog line.
BTW: That magnetic chuck cost around $90. The purpose-made Magswitch DP vise base is $504. The mag chuck is a little higher profile, but for saving 400 bucks I can live with it.I've been wanting a magnetic-base drill press vise for a while now.
Today I have one:
The 22 lb magnetic chuck is massive over-kill. I had no idea how massive these puppies are--and I might replace it with a smaller one--I think this thing could lift my car! But the vise sure ain't budging when locked down, and no more fumbling for clamps while holding the vise where I want it.
I haven't seen it often, but every now and then I see a good repair on a slide like that. Here's one example
It kind of looks like a version of the No. 2 vise shown in the vise info thread linked here.
www.garagejournal.com
Measure the part sticking out the **** end while fully closed.
No, it’s all smooth. I’m assuming with the style and color of paint slobbered on it someone was using it in the 1960’s for hobby usage, maybe some types of model building? There are some scuffs and gouges on the top of the jaws, but hasn’t lived too hard.
