The VISES of Garage Journal

[mrbreezeet1]

My husband uses a vise like this in his brother's motorcycle shop. All they know is that it was made in Poland and is quite a workhorse. They have used it for over 30 years. My husband is looking for one for his shop. Anyone have one for sale?

A wilton 450, or a vise like my craftsman(not for sale) shown above?
thanks, Tony

 

[PSU Engineer]

The vise bug bit me from reading all the threads on here. I found an old C_Parker on Craigslist for $40. I think I did alright here. The jaws close perfectly with no gaps between them. The screw turns perfectly with one finger, (it needs lubed though). Thank you mjozefow for the tips on evaluating an old used vise.

What I cannot figure out is the markings on this thing. It is labled as a 22X, which by the best that I can figure is a machinist vise. But the number doesn't match anything in the catalog that Lump posted in the "everything you wanted to know about vises" thread.

 

[spongerich]

The vise bug bit me from reading all the threads on here. I found an old C_Parker on Craigslist for $40. I think I did alright here. The jaws close perfectly with no gaps between them. The screw turns perfectly with one finger, (it needs lubed though). Thank you mjozefow for the tips on evaluating an old used vise.

What I cannot figure out is the markings on this thing. It is labled as a 22X, which by the best that I can figure is a machinist vise. But the number doesn't match anything in the catalog that Lump posted in the "everything you wanted to know about vises" thread.

Very nice. That should clean up great. Model numbers changed during the years. Judging by the big-assed pin in the swivel base, I'd think it's a pretty old one, but that's just a guess.

 

[FarmerJim]

Here's an Athol 614-1/2 I found and restored by disassembling, bed blasting and repainting. It has 4-1/2" jaws and is in really good condition for it's age. The jaws fit tight and the screw turns easily. It had a 2nd coat of paint over the original and only light surface rust before I started. I've enjoyed this vise thread but now that it's done I see that it's really too large for my bench. It's for sale on the Ventura CA Craigslist if anyone is interested. Thanks... Jim

 

[PSU Engineer]

Very nice. That should clean up great. Model numbers changed during the years. Judging by the big-assed pin in the swivel base, I'd think it's a pretty old one, but that's just a guess.

Thank you, The guy that I bought it from advertised it as a 6", but the jaws only measure 3-3/4". I will just keep looking for a 6" monster like so many in this thread have already.

I guess that the big pin that you are referring to is the one on the side that has the 22X casting. It doesn't move though, so it looks like I will be trying my hand at electrolyte bath.

 

[autopts]

Thank you, The guy that I bought it from advertised it as a 6", but the jaws only measure 3-3/4". I will just keep looking for a 6" monster like so many in this thread have already.

I guess that the big pin that you are referring to is the one on the side that has the 22X casting. It doesn't move though, so it looks like I will be trying my hand at electrolyte bath.

I think Parker used that "X" sufix very early on and I'm guessing even before they applied for a patent in 1930. That knob is very unusual and could be original to the vise. That base has a Brake shoe type lockdown ( I think) and the anchor that the 2 shoes swivel on is there underneath that knob. That base could be different being built before 1930. Its in excellent conditon. All the vises in the preceding posts are all exceptional!! Great show guys!

 

[MBeaty]

I recently finished restoring a 1960's vintage Craftsman machinist vise. I created a separate thread explaining the restoration, complete with more pictures, but I thought I may as well ad it to this thread as it seems there are not too many other examples of this vise here.

Here is a link to the full restoration thread.

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=85876

Here it is before.

And here is the finished vise.

 

[ajchien]

What did you put on the jaws?

 

[MBeaty]

What did you put on the jaws?

I built some aluminum jaw covers with magnets in them. If you go the the link in my post, there are some more pictures and an explanation of their construction.

 

[Mr9two9]

New guy here. Here's a Columbian that my pop gave me. It moves pretty good but gets stiff the last half inch, it will close though. I'll prob rebuild it soon.

 

[blue dog]

MR9TO9, what did the wife say about a big old vise on her kitchen counter?

 

[Mr9two9]

Lol... not the first time something rusty and metal has ended up on the counter around here!!! But as usual, she wasn't thrilled.

 

[Brad54]

Here's an Athol 614-1/2 I found and restored by disassembling, bed blasting and repainting. It has 4-1/2" jaws and is in really good condition for it's age. The jaws fit tight and the screw turns easily. It had a 2nd coat of paint over the original and only light surface rust before I started. I've enjoyed this vise thread but now that it's done I see that it's really too large for my bench. It's for sale on the Ventura CA Craigslist if anyone is interested. Thanks... Jim

The vise is NEVER too big for the bench.
Typically, it's that the bench is too small for the vise. Adjust your course accordingly!

-Brad

 

[Brad54]

Here's most of my vises:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=78155&id=1616311739&l=0c3da0b03c

....assuming the link works?

Great looking power hacksaw! I scored a bunch of blades for one, so naturally I then had to find a saw to use them on... stupid free blades...

Got a small saw in the basement, waiting its turn. Only paid $20 for it, but it needs a thorough restoration.

-Brad

 

[Brad54]

New guy here. Here's a Columbian that my pop gave me. It moves pretty good but gets stiff the last half inch, it will close though. I'll prob rebuild it soon.

Nice vise.
Check the last couple inches of the part that slides through the housing, and see if it has any hammer marks on it. I have a Columbia (smaller than that one, but weighs about 45 pounds), and it was real tight the last couple inches--it had some hammer marks on the slide, and the corners were mushroomed over just a little bit and created interference with the main assembly as it passed through. Once I touched those divots with a grinder, everything moved freely.

-Brad

 

[asp]

My CP 975 was very stiff when the end of the slide was going through the body. I took a file to the high spots. They're the only shiny areas in the picture below. I'd prefer a file to a grinder for this sort of operation. It's easy to slip and take a big chunk out with a grinder but it's nearly impossible to do that with a file.

 

[autopts]

Lol... not the first time something rusty and metal has ended up on the counter around here!!! But as usual, she wasn't thrilled.

That Columbian combo is a beauty. 50+ years old at least with the "T" style jaws. Those old Craftsmans are beasts. That was the time when the "Craftsman" name meant quality. I'd say your Columbian was made about the time those craftsman were made. Late 40's, early 50's.

 

[RedVise]

Two clamps on vises I came across recently.

I have posted the first one in a Who / What is this thread, thought I bumped it over here to see if anyone is familar with this guy.
Older clamp on with a hole in the anvil. No soft jaw. Anyone.. Bueler ?

Second is a nice little Reed clamp on pipe vise, with a bent base, but still a neat find.

Also bought home this right angle set up, possibly used for welding. It has a Taiwan Globemaster and a USA Vacu vise on it.

Brian L.

 

[bmwohio]

Here is my humble little 5" HF Vise on my homeade workbench. Just a weekend warrior

 

[Fuelfed]

Thanks guys. Thanks to this thread I've become a Wilton vise addict.
Just picked this up from an old Ford machinist in Detroit. I plan on restoring it in the next few weeks. It's a 4.5" and is stamped 1 56. At fifty years old, it's got no plans on retiring.

 

[jon619]

I keep buying vises, it's getting ridiculous. Here's the most recent pickup this weekend. It's a Wilton Tradesman 1760. It's missing the swivel base and pipe jaws. I did find some replacements for ~$10. Not sure if they're going to be garbage quality. I figure one of these days I'll take a machine shop class and build a swivel base plate. It cost me $35.

 

[autopts]

I keep buying vises, it's getting ridiculous. Here's the most recent pickup this weekend. It's a Wilton Tradesman 1760. It's missing the swivel base and pipe jaws. I did find some replacements for ~$10. Not sure if they're going to be garbage quality. I figure one of these days I'll take a machine shop class and build a swivel base plate. It cost me $35.

Thats alot of vise for $35. If those pipe jaws have a hole in the center for the mounting screw they will probably work. I think the Wilton Tradesman was the only vise that had the pipe jaws mount from a screw in the middle of the jaw.

 

[bczygan]

You won't see a photo of my latest vise. It is an 8" Parker. I've been looking for this vise for the last 2 years and finally found it. Parker is my favorite vise and an 8" one will be 250 or 300#!!! And the one I found was only $25!!!

The reason I don't have a photo is that it sold in 2 hours and I didn't see the CL ad for 2 days........

 

[spongerich]

You won't see a photo of my latest vise. It is an 8" Parker. I've been looking for this vise for the last 2 years and finally found it. Parker is my favorite vise and an 8" one will be 250 or 300#!!! And the one I found was only $25!!!

The reason I don't have a photo is that it sold in 2 hours and I didn't see the CL ad for 2 days........

I cried just reading that.

 

[hoffmand]

I started a thread when I got this vise but figured I'd put it here since it's kind of unusual

 

[meatsis]

hey spongerich did you score that 8inch parker? you refer to it as your new vise. but you said it sold in 2 hours

 

[mjozefow]

I cried just reading that.

I'm with you there. A mongo Parker is on the list of "need to owns".

I'm always amazed at what a craze this thread has started. It seems many good vises have been given a new lease on life through the loving restoration of GJ members!

 

[spongerich]

hey spongerich did you score that 8inch parker? you refer to it as your new vise. but you said it sold in 2 hours

Wasn't me... Biggest I've managed to find is a 6" Athol that I stupidly let go by at auction for $135. If I hadn't just bought a 6" Morgan 2 days before I wouldn't have been so cautious.

 

[donahuehr]

Help. My husband is looking for a 6" vise made in Poland with the letters fipu stamped on it. The rear jaw moves and the vise swivels. Thanks for any help.

 

[Fuelfed]

You won't see a photo of my latest vise. It is an 8" Parker. I've been looking for this vise for the last 2 years and finally found it. Parker is my favorite vise and an 8" one will be 250 or 300#!!!

This one will cost you a little more than $25.

 

[Gary Indiana]

Help. My husband is looking for a 6" vise made in Poland with the letters fipu stamped on it. The rear jaw moves and the vise swivels. Thanks for any help.

I spotted one like you described sold a few months ago on a Polish auction website.

Its jaws are 150mm (6") wide, it swivels and the rear jaw moves. IMO, these would not be available anywhere in the US, unless they were imported here at some point in the past.

 

[oldjacks]

Here is a rare Porter-Ferguson fender or sheet metal vise the only one I have ever seen. Can be rotated into various positions and the jaws are also adjustable to hold wider items.

 

[Vettman]

Here is a rare Porter-Ferguson fender or sheet metal vise the only one I have ever seen. Can be rotated into various positions and the jaws are also adjustable to hold wider items.

Complete with the "property tag"

 

[Fuelfed]

As a newbie, I'd like the to know the difference between a Wilton Cadet and a Wilton Bullet Machinist from the same era. Obviously the shapes and jaw widths are different, but is there a purpose difference? Was the Cadet a cheaper model? Like a first generation Tradesman but from the 1960s?

 

[Eagle Point]

Here is my Grandfathers blacksmith vise from a long time ago.

 

[Call me the Breeze]

Hey Guys, A friend of mine has this old vise and was wondering if anyone knew the MFG. He cant seem to read the casting anymore. I scanned through all 80 pages trying to find another like it with no luck. The handle has an unusually long nose. He figures it is at least 50 - 60 years old. Thanks.
View media item 7254

 

[Amitygravel]

Here's one I found a couple of days ago. No name or numbers on it that I can find anywhere. 3.5 inch jaws , about 16 in long and jaws open up to about 8 inches. For no bigger than it is its fairly heavy but I don't have any scales to get an exact weight. Had to give 50 bucks for it but doesn't look like its had any abuse. I'm really suprised there are no markings on it since it seems like its well made.

 

[mjozefow]

Here's one I found a couple of days ago. No name or numbers on it that I can find anywhere. 3.5 inch jaws , about 16 in long and jaws open up to about 8 inches. For no bigger than it is its fairly heavy but I don't have any scales to get an exact weight. Had to give 50 bucks for it but doesn't look like its had any abuse. I'm really suprised there are no markings on it since it seems like its well made.

I'm fairly sure that is a Parker. They claimed that model was "nearly unbreakable" as I recall. Look at some of the old vise ads in the article in my sig.

 

[asp]

That jaw shape is definitely a Parker. I've never seen that model before. Very neat- Thanks for sharing.

 

[Amitygravel]

Thanks guys. I was really surprised there are no markings on it at all. I don't know if you can tell in the photo , but one feature I've never noticed on a vise before is the bevel just behind the flange for bolting it down. It will require the benchtop edge to be beveled for the bolting flange to be against the benchtop.