The VISES of Garage Journal

[jopy]

just found this on facebook market place
Never seen this brand or spelling of vise, but the patent date matches what's on the old Dawn off-sets

 

[CRSINMICH]

jopy: I've seen that spelling of 'vyce' in some journals or ads from New Zealand. I don't have them saved but that would be a good place to start looking.

 

[CRSINMICH]

jopy: I located one of those journals. It looks like Australia and New Zealand used that quirky spelling of vice/vise/vyce.

colmal: This item shows a vice that might interest you - if you don't already have one.

​

 

[alex03281996]

Just picked up this Reed 404 1/2 off Facebook, paid $150 for it... felt like a bit of a gamble since it is missing the swivel jaw pin, swivel base w/ locking mechanism, has a crappy home made handle that is probably 4" shorter than original, and I didnt know if I could get the jaw to even swivel. The guy I bought it from didnt know much about it and had it listed for a lot more before I told him about the missing pieces. After getting this home, it looks like it sat at the bottom of a lake for the last few decades with all the junk on the interior. I was able to free the swivel jaw after beating on it for about 10 minutes with a wood block as a cushion. It has probably 5 layers of paint that will need cleaned off (including a fresh one on the slide, ugh), but it looks to be in great physical shape. I carefully cleaned off the left side and found 1129 on both the dynamic jaw and main body. Interesting date... just one month after the Great Depression began. I cant imagine production for these expensive high-end vises were very high at that time.

I bought it because I really wanted a Reed with the swivel functions for my garage and I recently found a 204 1/2 for cheap that I restored. My plan is to harvest the swivel base w/ locking mechanism from my 204 1/2 to use on the new 404 1/2 once I get it all cleaned up. I will have to make a new handle (planning on threading the ends of a 12" long, 5/8" dia rod and tapping holes in 1-1/4" balls I got off McMaster) and tapered pin but that shouldn't be too hard. Is it taboo to harvest from my 204 1/2 ?? Dates are only 6 months apart, so I dont think there will be any changes to make it look awkward.

 

[Andy FitzGibbon]

Sure would like to see how they fit the hard jaws in the mold when the vise is casted. All of my Reeds had cast in jaws just like these examples you guys have shown.

I have replaced several of these cast in jaws and every time I break thru the 60 R/C I look for Copper or Nickel often used in brazing hard inserts to softer cast material. I found what looks like Copper in the 106 jaws I replaced. The Reed inserts on the R series have the round boss in the center of the jaw inserts. I’m assuming for more surface area in the casting.

How did they cast the Static and Dynamic with the finished hardened serrated jaws and then how well they align up to each other.

Fisher anvils have a tool steel face and horn that were welded in the mold to the cast iron body. Their system involved fluxing only the surfaces of the pieces that were to be welded, then pouring iron through a separate chamber in the mold, where it contacted the non-fluxed surfaces and preheated them before the anvil body was poured.

Reed jaws have so much less mass that I expect they just put them in the mold cold, or maybe preheated them in an oven.

 

[CRSINMICH]

Walkess Off-set Vyce
Donaldson, Slattery & Co
North Fitzroy, Victoria, Australia

​

 

[akasrick]

Just happened to check a browser before I shut down for the night.
no words

akasrick

 

[colmal]

jopy: I located one of those journals. It looks like Australia and New Zealand used that quirky spelling of vice/vise/vyce.

colmal: This item shows a vice that might interest you - if you don't already have one.

​

First I've seen that, only similar I have is a 4" Dawn workshop and a Littletown arriving in the next few days. Thankyou another rabbit hole.

Only time I have wished I was on Facebook or similar thou, would have hunted the Vyce down and tried to acquire it.

 

[colmal]

Arrived this morning, don't know anything about other than it's got a swivel -

May be a 489A, Parry and botts, Made in England . 3" jaws, seems quite well made, I got it thrown in with some other stuff I bought as well why not-It has a swivel - I'll look into it later on today.

 

[banditbigdog]

I grabbed this 6” Eron 150 thinking it was one of the British made units. I guess it’s Japanese. Oh well for $45 it doesn’t seem too bad. Not a ton of info on here about these

Overall contour and lines somewhere closely resemble a Paramo, not exactly the same but there is a resemblance.

 

[dannyr]

Arrived this morning, don't know anything about other than it's got a swivel -

May be a 489A, Parry and botts, Made in England . 3" jaws, seems quite well made, I got it thrown in with some other stuff I bought as well why not-It has a swivel - I'll look into it later on today.

yup Parry & Bott of Birmingham UK, also made fixed version of this and a vise like the Stanley corner vise - better known for levels and auger braces

 

[colmal]

yup Parry & Bott of Birmingham UK, also made fixed version of this and a vise like the Stanley corner vise - better known for levels and auger braces

Thankyou,

This is about as deep into the rabbit hole as I am going, but will look out when I peruse any tool catalogues.

There was a mention elsewhere that Fry's may have owned P & B




Makes sense to me, I'm assuming the P & B is pre 1971, cause I can see where the Rabone Chesterman got it's inspiration.

 

[colmal]

Just happened to check a browser before I shut down for the night.
no words

akasrick

A fine example of precision machinery and tough, enjoyed the way they put the Dynamic jaw in for the first time.

And thankyou, been close a couple of times but fortunately never have and never will buy India made after looking at this.

 

[akasrick]

A fine example of precision machinery and tough, enjoyed the way they put the Dynamic jaw in for the first time.

And thankyou, been close a couple of times but fortunately never have and never will buy India made after looking at this.

He certainly earned his pay that day.

akasrick

 

[Shiftless]

For sale near me asking $100. (3 inch jaws)

”Oh, the humanity…”

 

[RTM]

For sale near me asking $100. (3 inch jaws)

”Oh, the humanity…”

Saw that, closed the ad, shook my head.

 

[Jayman17]

For sale near me asking $100. (3 inch jaws)

”Oh, the humanity…”

I'll bet you couldn't get your wallet out fast enough!

 

[Shiftless]

I'll bet you couldn't get your wallet out fast enough!

Or not !

If it was free or close to it, and much closer, I might have considered picking it up and seeing if any parts were still good enough for somebody to use. At $100 or even $50 I’m out.

 

[RTM]

Or not !

If it was free or close to it, and much closer, I might have considered picking it up and seeing if any parts were still good enough for somebody to use. At $100 or even $50 I’m out.

I was looking for a swivel base on it, I found an inexpensive 4” vise that I may pick up soon.

 

[Shiftless]

 

[TheRealZeus]

For sale near me asking $100. (3 inch jaws)

”Oh, the humanity…”

Tough ‘ole bird.. Good hardware had a rough life.

 

[Shiftless]

Tough ‘ole bird.. Good hardware had a rough life.

What’s your theory about what sort of abuse caused that crater on top of the fixed jaw tower?

 

[Outlawmws]

What’s your theory about what sort of abuse caused that crater on top of the fixed jaw tower?

My guess is cutting torch. How the jaw survived I've no clue

 

[four.cycle]

You know... if I owned a Wilton vise and needed spare parts, and that unit had the right pieces that would be usable, I'd buy the guy a cup of coffee if he delivered it to my house.

 

[TheRealZeus]

What’s your theory about what sort of abuse caused that crater on top of the fixed jaw tower?

Hacksaws, torches, hammers.
Worthpoint pic for angle example… deductive logic would tell one to probably use one’s work-holding device apparatus in a offset manner, but perhaps there was not space available, or the thought does not occur to dig-dug(s) from the previous shop(s). Another theory often applicable, & a likely common denominator is; ‘usually/probably because the person(s) who destroyed it, didn’t own it.’ I don’t think this was done in the day, given I see the trifecta of hacksaws, hammering, & fire working as a team, to f-up that gem… *+Hammering apparent, or likely, from the missing static shelf. They all tell their story, albeit, usually leaving you with more “WTF!?..”

 

[TheRealZeus]

What’s your theory about what sort of abuse caused that crater on top of the fixed jaw tower?

I just showed an old timer.. *an older-old-timer.. he suggested thermite? .. I said I think that would have kept going…..

 

[TheRealZeus]

why not?.. a neighbor I just showed, said it’s been used as a base to hold fireworks right side up… So launch pad.

 

[TheRealZeus]

Pretty sure it’d be a little bit more scorched.. what you do got is a sweet looking handle, which means worth looking at the screw & the nut for salvage in another vise, maybe an endcap… part horse, or a beater for rage-work.

 

[TheRealZeus]

IMO… there’s a few dudes in here who have brought worse back from the dead…

“Cleaner her, cause you love her..”
Ole boat motto.

 

[merkyworks]

Slap some JB Weld in the divots, grind down jaw studs sticking out the back and a quick shot of rattle can. Sell that puppy for $300 easy haha

 

[Mr. Wonderful]

I finished up a very rough Oswego 24-1/2”. I don’t know how common these are but I have only seen a handful. Definitely a first I’ve seen with an A and B marked on the static and dynamic.

 

[Beerhippie]

^Ooh! Shiny!

 

[12vx2]

Found this on FBM. Rigid 4" in pretty good shape other than surface cosmetics. Only $30!

 

[SkyPuncher]

Nicely done, Mr. Wonderful! Good heavy vise. Made me dig mine out and look at what size it is!

 

[Shiftless]

IMO… there’s a few dudes in here who have brought worse back from the dead…

“Cleaner her, cause you love her..”
Ole boat motto.

Guilty as charged your honor.

This Columbian Craftsman got attacked by a grinding wheel so the previous owner let me have it for a song. I stripped it down to bare metal, primed and Filled the Grand Canyon sized gouge with epoxy putty and then primed again and painted it to match one of the 2 tone combos offered on a new 1957 Chevrolet Bel Aire. The style line on these vises reminds me of tail fins from back in the day.

 

[micahd1997]

For any fellow Parker vise enthusiasts out there:

I've recently been working with the Meriden Historical Society to locate and scan any documents that they have on hand relating to the Charles Parker Company. Among those documents (all of which will eventually be publicized) is this very interesting letter written by the Department of Justice with a request for the Charles Parker Co. to cooperate with an ongoing investigation into the company regarding "alleged violations of the federal antitrust laws with respect to the industrial vise industry". There isn't any accompanying detail to explain how exactly the Charles Parker Co. had violated the antitrust laws (which deal with the illegalization of monopolies in various industries), but hopefully these details surface.

 

[Outlawmws]

1961? wasn't that after the Union buyout, and possbly after they stopped making Parker branded vises?

 

[micahd1997]

1961? wasn't that after the Union buyout, and possbly after they stopped making Parker branded vises?

That threw me as well, Outlaw. However, I've seen newspaper clippings to indicate that, since Parker only sold its vise division to Union, other Parker departments continued. Not being legal expert, I'm not sure if Union would've technically been on the hook for those violations, or if Parker would be. I guess it's also possible that the DOJ just didn't have the most up-to-date information on the recent sale of the vise department to Union

 

[Outlawmws]

Union would have been on the hook. - Maybe the Parker vise operations were still labeled Parker?

Columbian would also be in the picture as at one point Columbian claimed to be the largest Vise manufacturer in the world?

 

[micahd1997]

Maybe the Parker vise operations were still labeled Parker?

Possibly. Here’s a couple of the newspaper clippings that I mentioned (from 1960 and 1961). The 1960 clipping refers to the Charles Parker Co as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Union Manufacturing at that time. Even though Union was technically higher up the chain of command, I don’t know that it would’ve been incorrect for the DOJ to still address the Charles Parker Co.

Columbian claimed to be the largest Vise manufacturer in the world

Makes me wonder if Columbian ever received a similar letter, especially given that its controlling partner (Warren Tool Corp) purchased the Parker Vise Division in the early 1970s. As an accountant by trade, I’m easily fascinated by these behind-the-scenes economics.