The VISES of Garage Journal

[Catalyze]

No kidding, I came home yesterday to find a small clamp on style vise hanging from the doorhandle by a piece of string... I'm assuming my neighbor dropped it off..

ROFL......maybe it's the Vise Fairy. It is like the adult version of the Tooth Fairy.
Craig

 

[Catalyze]

Phil - that is one wonderful vise! You did a great effort on it. Have a slice of vise pie tonight for the work you did.
Craig

 

[balane]

ROFL......maybe it's the Vise Fairy. It is like the adult version of the Tooth Fairy.
Craig

wouldn't the Vice Fairy take your broken vises and leave money behind for new toys?

 

[bczygan]

Amazing score.
Looking at the pictures of the ruined parts of Detroit, I always imagine there must be some great vises abandoned. Would you say it is possible?

Ruins of Detroit

20 years ago maybe. All the old plants are gone. I did hear about someone going down to the old Packard or Studebaker plant and finding some rooms still full of stuff. They also found a body frozen at the bottom of an elevator shaft there last winter. Scrappers have taken all the metal out of the city. They take copper and furnaces and water heaters out of every unoccupied home. Even the one across from me. Took my AC coil right off the pad. Some guys get fried trying to take live wires off the poles.
If there are any left, they are in places I would fear to go unarmed even in the day time.

 

[Kirbot]

Just bought this 4" jaw Columbian at an auction earlier today.

Beats the **** out of the junk vise I was using!

I also have a Reed 404 awaiting restoration
And a wilton bullet, but I can't get that one loosened up.
The rust locked it up solid.

 

[Catalyze]

Very nice Columbian Kirbot! That is a double curved logo one which should be a bit older than the straight logo ones. Can I have your Reed 404? I am hoping to catch you by surprise and you will send it to me free. How did I do?
Craig

 

[Catalyze]

This was also posted in another thread, but it does have vises so I will post it here too. This is the result of too many Dr Peppers, a recycling center, and friends who think this sort of stuff is fun to build.
Craig
View media item 11083

 

[Kirbot]

Very nice Columbian Kirbot! That is a double curved logo one which should be a bit older than the straight logo ones.

Thanks, I haven't had a chance to research it at all yet.
I just cleaned it up a little, greased it, and bolted it down.

Can I have your Reed 404? I am hoping to catch you by surprise and you will send it to me free. How did I do?
Craig

Didn't work...
As much as I like this Columbian, the Reed is a much sturdier heavier vise.
Even though it has the same width jaws, it weighs about 30 pounds more!

Unfortunately, it's in REALY rough shape, but, I'll get it cleaned up one of these days.

As a matter of fact... I think I'm going to go snap a picture of it and toss it in the electrolysis tank right now.

 

[Kirbot]

And here she is.

Reed 404




The swivel jaw is still rusted solid, but hopefully a good long bath in the electrolysis tank will loosen it up.

 

[autopts]

I'll bet another Bouqet is in the offing. Actualy, I love it, its portable, doesn't take a whole lot of space and you can keep them clean by just throwing a sheet over them, and when you get old and want to sell them, your price tage will fit neaty next to each one. Its hard to say. Yours is elite but this display has definite southern class!

 

[Fantom]

This was also posted in another thread, but it does have vises so I will post it here too. This is the result of too many Dr Peppers, a recycling center, and friends who think this sort of stuff is fun to build.
Craig
[/QUOTE]

Those are so beautiful I would never want to use one! Amazing.

 

[kngkong]

Have been looking for a proper vice for a while now and finally picked up an old Record #23. Love the Reed, Columbians etc but just dont see them here.

Anyway, picked this one up today and really love the quick release feature which Ive posted a little video link to in this thread.

The current lineup.
Record 23, Chinese Irwin/Record 5, Record Imp #80

Unidentified drill press vise, Groz and an old mini drill vice which I think is off an old lathe milling attachment.

Kurt knock off angle lock milling vice

 

[BJ42LX]

Not my vise or ad but perhaps someone in the area (Northern Indiana) needs a Prentiss No. 55 vise.

http://southbend.craigslist.org/tls/2539283423.html

Huge Bench Vice - $125 (Plymouth, In 46563)

What are the specs on a Prentiss 55? Jaw width, weight, age? Seller says it opens to 11".

I don't need this at all, but it keeps calling my name. I've been watching this ad for a week...

 

[autopts]

What are the specs on a Prentiss 55? Jaw width, weight, age? Seller says it opens to 11".

I don't need this at all, but it keeps calling my name. I've been watching this ad for a week...

I called him about a week ago. Jimmy Johnson(like the race care driver" he says. Might be retired and was very nice. I was going to get it for a friend but Plymouth is a ways from NW Chicago. He said its like the photo, in great shape and that it would be the last vise I'd have to buy.

 

[zip95864]

Just received this in the mail, bought it off of eBay. It is a clamp on, but you can see it does have bolt holes for permanent mounting as well. I mostly bought it because I love the orange though:

 

[SwampCat]

Local guy has a Babco 160 vise , made in japan. Brand new never mounted. Leave it alone? Any good ? Asking 90$

 

[Harvey Melvin Richards]

Just received this in the mail, bought it off of eBay. It is a clamp on, but you can see it does have bolt holes for permanent mounting as well. I mostly bought it because I love the orange though:

Nice vise, I like the relief in the jaws to hold pipes or round stock. Most pipe jaws are a little hard on the item being clamped.

 

[chilly460]

My newly acquired Prentis 22 and Wilton 645

 

[Flatland Dave]

My ever growing collection, Athol 614, Morgan 45, Columbian D45, Reed 104, Craftsman 5 1/2, an unmarked Steel $30, not cast, and a little green foreign jobber.



Man this is addicting

 

[chickenfarmer]

My new Wilton 101027/28. got it for $5 and saved from being scrapped

 

[Nightshift]

My new Wilton 101027/28. got it for $5 and saved from being scrapped

Nice find Chicken ... what are those 2 screws doing in the top of each jaw? Never seen that before. Bill

 

[autopts]

My new Wilton 101027/28. got it for $5 and saved from being scrapped

Chicken, you stole it! I think thats Wiltons best model ever and most popular.
Bill, I think the machinist might have made his own custom liners and held them in place with those screws.
Flatland..A very nice collection.

 

[canuckian]

My new Wilton 101027/28. got it for $5 and saved from being scrapped

Damn.... Nice find!! And you got the swivel - bonus!!! I have the same one Without the swiveland it's by far the nicest 4 inch vise I've ever used.
Congrats!

 

[mjozefow]

Just received this in the mail, bought it off of eBay. It is a clamp on, but you can see it does have bolt holes for permanent mounting as well. I mostly bought it because I love the orange though:

Cool old vise. I like it.

 

[SweetD]

Thanks to GJ member bl00 , I believe I have ID'd the maker of this vise. It's an "Illinois Iron and Bolt Co." vise, made just outside of Chicago. It's got interesting jaws that are 2" in height, which seems pretty beefy for a jaw that is 4.5" long. It's been sitting a long time, and needs some TLC, which it will get. I've never heard of I I & B before, so I'm hoping it's fairly rare.

Anyone else have one, or seen one like it before?

Cheers,

Dave

 

[Catalyze]

I hate Net Nanny at work. It filters out anything from photo hosting sites....sigh. So I can't see Dave's pieces. However....
Chicken - you did well and deserve a slice of vise pie for the rescue! Very nice vise and a shame that it almost died.

Flatland - Wowzers! It is hard to believe that all those vises followed you home. That Athol just stands out though. Those things are so overbuilt it is funny.
Craig (is that my boss I hear heading this way?)

 

[les_garten]

I just bought one of those 6" Yost vises that were such a good deal. I want to pull the slide out and put a few coats of WAX on it. What would be the best way to do this?

And what would be the most durable Wax?

I was thinking of degreasing it and putting on a few coats.

 

[chickenfarmer]

Yea nightrider, I agree with autopts, they would've been for some type of custom brace or something, I do think they were custom. I feel sorry for the sucker who had to thead those holes

 

[Nightshift]

Yea nightrider, I agree with autopts, they would've been for some type of custom brace or something, I do think they were custom. I feel sorry for the sucker who had to thead those holes

It would only take me 5 minutes to drill and tap those 4 holes (not that I would actually do it to a Wilton) ... the jaw inserts is the hard metal (not yours as they look like bronze). I think it would look better on your bench chickenfarmer if you tossed the screws, filled the holes with putty and painted over to make them disappear. Just my $0.02 worth. Cheers, Bill

 

[Gary Indiana]

I think it would look better on your bench chickenfarmer if you tossed the screws, filled the holes with putty and painted over to make them disappear. Just my $0.02 worth. Cheers, Bill

I'd screw tight longer bolts into the holes, cut them off and grind flat, then touch with a drop of paint each.

Nonetheless, with those screws or without, really great vise and the price was right.

 

[Harvey Melvin Richards]

Here's my 1948 Wilton 4 1/2" x 8" Still works like a dream and the action feels slick.

I just picked this Wilton up yesterday. It's got 4.5" jaws but only opens to around 6". I haven't even tried to figure out it's age or model number yet.

edit, It looks like it's a C-1.

Nice Border Collie, balane.

 

[scout127]

Here is my Vise. I Just got it this week but hope to check it out this weekend.

 

[autopts]

Since I didn't see any older Yost 41C's I thought I'd put this one in before it goes on the auction block. Its in nice condition.

 

[mazak mark]

That is a cool lookin vise! I have a thing for combo anvil vises.When is it going to the auction block?

 

[balane]

This one won't be here for long but I'll put some pics up anyway. I'm going to sell it because I don't need it. It's a Columbian 504, very clean inside and out. I'll hate to see it go but it just won't get any use here.

.

 

[autopts]

That is a cool lookin vise! I have a thing for combo anvil vises.When is it going to the auction block?

I'll list it this fall when it gets colder and ther guys start scanning Ebay more. Right now its slow!

 

[Catalyze]

Everything I ever learned about Wiltons, was from reading posts by autopts and then quoting it as my own.

Balane - that is a lovely old Wilton. It has that classic bulbous look to it and I really like the smooth swivel base on it. Great looking tool.
Craig

 

[Catalyze]

autopts - what is the jaw width on that great looking old Yost? You just have to love the pre WWII round nose vises. That is a very clean looking vise and it still has its pipe jaws too. Great looking survivor!
Craig

 

[Catalyze]

Here is a fun thing I learned today about Prentiss vises. Basically the main nut from a 5" Prentiss will fit a swivel jaw Model 21 or a Bulldog 265. The Bulldog main nut has 21 cast right in it. If UPS hadn't lost the dynamic jaw of my Model 21, I could tell you if the lead screw would swap over too as far as length. The other nut in the photo is from a Model 22.
Craig
View media item 11280

 

[autopts]

autopts - what is the jaw width on that great looking old Yost? You just have to love the pre WWII round nose vises. That is a very clean looking vise and it still has its pipe jaws too. Great looking survivor!
Craig

They are 4" or 4 1/2" I'm not sure. Its one of those styles I'm really not in a hurry to sell off. The top anvil is nice also. Those had class!