Reed 105 S Vise Restoration

[gregthor]

Dear Garage Journal friends,
I am restoring my Reed 105 S and thought I would document it and make posts along the way. Actually, nothing new here and probably everything about restoring a Reed vise has already been written on GJ but I thought I would do this anyways. Here is the vise, it has "105" cast into the casting and there is a machined pad with the letter "S" stamped on it. I believe the S is for swivel. The vise weighs in at 94lbs and has 5 inch wide jaws. So far I have found no cracks or weld repairs and the handle is straight, the jaws line up good and not much in the way on any part of it being used as an anvil so this should be a short restoration.

The first thing I did was remove the set screw.

Next I soaked the 2 piece threaded collar with liquid wrench.

Next I used a punch and hammer to unscrew the collar.

I unscrewed the handle as I unscrewed the 2 piece collar and all of the sudden I had the 2 piece collar in my hand.
Next pull the main screw out. This vise had a .133 inch shim and not much lube on the screw.

Next remove the swivel handle and flip the vise over. All the sudden I can't get my photos to be smaller!!! Sorry I'll try to figure this out later!

I had to make my own extra large screw driver out of a piece of scrap sheet steel and a vise grip (hey don't laugh it worked fine..)

Here are all the swivel parts.

Next we remove the pin that holds the main nut in place.

On this vise I had to get the torch out and heat it a little, then hit it with a punch. Then I had to get a block of wood and knock the main nut out. This photo is getting ready to hit the wood and remove the nut.

Here is the nut and pin. In this vise the nut was tight as could be, absolutly not a floating nut. I think re installing the nut will be the hardest part of this job.

Finally all the parts went into the parts washer and then I put duct tape on the slide (ram). I am going to send these big parts to the sandblaster on this vise because I will be out of the country in South America next week. So when I get back they will be ready to paint. Normally I use electrolysis, a little sandblasting at home but this time I will send it out. Besides there is not much detailed lettering on this vise that I am worried about getting washed out from the sandblasting.

 

[autopts]

One very nice Reed and great step by step photos for those with Reeds wanting to restore. Keep us posted. Thats a later Reed. It wasn't long after that Columbian started making them for Reed.

 

[gregthor]

Nick,
I just dropped the big parts off at the sandblaster.
Do you know if it is supposed to have 2 swivel handles? My Reed 204 has 2 swivel handles, but it is an old Reed. Aslo I followed your photos instructions on this post and it was really funny when I finished it several photos were too big but ended up on the post small?? I think when they were big I should have left them alone, instead I made them smaller. Soon I hope to get this photo thing figured out.
Greg

 

[autopts]

Nick,
I just dropped the big parts off at the sandblaster.
Do you know if it is supposed to have 2 swivel handles? My Reed 204 has 2 swivel handles, but it is an old Reed. Aslo I followed your photos instructions on this post and it was really funny when I finished it several photos were too big but ended up on the post small?? I think when they were big I should have left them alone, instead I made them smaller. Soon I hope to get this photo thing figured out.
Greg

My photos do the same thing the 1st day. Leave them 640 X 480 and by the next day, they correct themselves. I thought it was just me. Funny eh? The 5" should have 2 swivel handles. Some, but not many 204's had them. I might have had one at one time.

 

[gatewaysysop]

Very nice photos and great write up so far, very good info. Thanks much for sharing this. It will come in handy if/when I get my hands on a Reed. Haven't had much luck yet.

 

[bibman]

Thanks for the photos, I am trying to disassemble a Reed 204 and have been stuck on removal of that bottom screw.

 

[gregthor]

Hi guys,

Thanks for the kind words!

bibman - Sometimes it helps to give that bottom screw a few good solid whacks with a large hammer right on the head as if you are trying to drive it in farther but actually loosening the rust and pushing the opposite direction on the threads than what happens to them during tightening.

Greg

 

[gregthor]

Dear Garage Journal friends,
I just got back from Columbia, South America yesterday and now I am working on the Reed 105 again. I picked up the vise parts from the sandblaster today. The parts look great. It was $20 for the blasting. I am really happy no cracks or weld repairs uncovered!

Last week while the parts were being sandblasted I was in Columbia for a business trip visiting a foundry. During the foundry tour in the casting clean up area I saw a vise. (I always look for vises when I am on shop tours) I got permission to take a few photos of the South American vise. I will get back to the Reed in a minute but I thought I would share the vise pictures from my trip. However, I must say.... Warning the following vise photos are graphic and some vise collectors and restorers may find the photos disturbing..........

This is the first URSUS vise I have ever seen. I don't know anything about them but I do know this vise has been used a lot!!

Ok, now back to the Reed 105. The swivel base had the worst casting surface I have ever seen. However it is flat and this is on the bottom so no one will see it.

The static jaw was in great shape except it had a few " beating" witness marks on the back. I think I will leave these as is for now. Since I am painting this vise a flat color I think this will be OK and I like the idea of not using any JB weld. I might change my mind on this later.

The dynamic jaw needed a little work. One of the pins holding the jaws was missing so I installed a 1/4 X 1 3/4 pin.

Next I draw filed the slide ram to remove burrs.

Then I cleaned it up with the cone wire brush and then the emery disc.

Since none of the pins holding the jaws in wanted to come out easy I decided to not remove the jaws and just polish them up in place with a file wrapped with sandpaper.

Finally I hit any rough areas with the emery disk, then cleaned with surface cleaner, then primed with self etching primer.

Now the parts are primed and I don't need to worry about any flash rust growing on my freshly sandblasted parts.

All the other parts have been soaking in the parts cleaning tank for the last week and I will work on them next.
Greg

 

[gregthor]

Hi Guys & Gals,
I put some more time in on the Reed this week. I painted it Rustoleum Camouflage Ultra Flat Deep Forest Green with white lettering. I am really happy with the way it turned out and I decided with the flat color that I would not Bondo the small dents with JB weld. They are hardly visable with the flat color and now I can say the vise has had no repairs, welds, etc. I picked the color because it is a big beefy vise alot like the heavy duty military stuff from the 60's. The pin striping was with Testors and I use a #1 round brush. It took forever to do the Reed logo. Next time I will try taping off the oval and painting it all white and then doing the top of the words Reed. I think that would be better than painting in between the letters like I did.

Meanwhile the other small parts are doing time in the electrolysis tank and should be out Saturday.

And not related to this post but I was a baaaad boy on CG lately. Here is a picture of my new baby. My new Prentiss Bulldog #516. That handle is 15 1/2 inches long!! Jaws ars 5 inch. I haven't weighed it yet.

 

[SweetD]

Lookin' good with the Reed! I have one I need to get after this winter.

And, as a huge Prentiss fan / owner...nice Prentiss vise!

Dave

 

[gregthor]

Sweet D - Thanks for the kind words! Is that the Silver Reed on the other post? That is a nice one! What color will you paint it? I have another Reed 204 that I will do this winter but it is an old one and I mean old. I was at Smithsonian Museum over Thanksgiving and they had a photo of Edison's lab at Greenfield Village where they have Edison's actual lab and it had a vise that looks just like my old Reed 204. (But then again on the other post I thought it was a Reed and it was a Rock Island..which means I really don't know vises...)
Greg

 

[SweetD]

Sweet D - Thanks for the kind words! Is that the Silver Reed on the other post? That is a nice one! What color will you paint it? I have another Reed 204 that I will do this winter but it is an old one and I mean old. I was at Smithsonian Museum over Thanksgiving and they had a photo of Edison's lab at Greenfield Village where they have Edison's actual lab and it had a vise that looks just like my old Reed 204. (But then again on the other post I thought it was a Reed and it was a Rock Island..which means I really don't know vises...)
Greg

Yes that's my Reed I'm talking about. I absolutely am painting it Craftsman Red, since it was made for Craftsman and obviously displays the Craftsman logo.

We are planning a trip to DC and the Smithsonian this year with the kids - I will be on the lookout for that Edison pic - classic!

I have several Prentiss vises...and the one I had (since gave to my brother for his b-day this year) that most closely resembles your awesome # 516 is this one:

A #514, which is a hair smaller than yours, but of the same vintage...

Dave

 

[gregthor]

Dave,
Nice 514! As a Prentiss fan you probably noticed my Avatar is a Prentiss 92. My main vise on my bench is a red Crasftman. If you read my thread "vise handle replacement" you can see it in the background. I bought that vise new in 1980 but I believe it was made in Japan so not a Reed or Rock Island. Some day I will restore it and paint it red also.
Greg

 

[SweetD]

Dave,
Nice 514! As a Prentiss fan you probably noticed my Avatar is a Prentiss 92. My main vise on my bench is a red Crasftman. If you read my thread "vise handle replacement" you can see it in the background. I bought that vise new in 1980 but I believe it was made in Japan so not a Reed or Rock Island. Some day I will restore it and paint it red also.
Greg

Here is my main vise:

What do you know, a #92!

Small world...

Although I may replace the #92 with the Craftsman (Reed) when it's done...

I'm seriously considering getting the Reed powder-coated. Rattle can paint does no justice. And I don't have a sprayer (yet)...

Dave

 

[gregthor]

Dave,
We should start a new thread on Prentiss's. It is interesting to see they had at least 3 styles of lettering, horizontal like your 92, arched like my avatar and in a circle like your 514. I wish I knew the approx years for each verison.
Greg

 

[SweetD]

Dave,
We should start a new thread on Prentiss's. It is interesting to see they had at least 3 styles of lettering, horizontal like your 92, arched like my avatar and in a circle like your 514. I wish I knew the approx years for each verison.
Greg

Well, they stopped making Prentiss vises in the late 40s to early 50s I think...so we can count backwards from there...

I think the #92 I have is from the early part of the century...maybe the teens or 1920s...

I can't really see yours in the avatar, but it looks like the lettering is "sideways" on the side of the vise...maybe even earlier than mine...

I can tell you that the Parker company bought Prentiss and moved production to Meriden, CT at some point, maybe in the 1940s...but any Prentiss that says "New York" on it is prior to that...so it's old...

I love the Prentiss style, from the engineering to the lettering. I own eight Prentiss vises as of today, from very small to quite large (but not the most giant)...don't tell my wife!

Dave

 

[gregthor]

Hi Guys & Gals,
I made some more progress yesterday.
The parts finished doing time in the electrolysis tank. They came out looking like this.

Next I clean the parts in the mineral spirits cleaner and then hit them with a steel wire wheel but my 31 years old Craftsman bench grinder died. I had to spin it by hand to get it going for a few years but now it totally died.

So my son loaned me his delta with a brass wheel. I am trying the brass wheel instead.

I always wear these when cleaning up parts on the wire wheel. The brass seems to grab more.

Here is how the parts look after brass wheel cleaning.

Next I remove some burrs and file off the dents on the handle.

Finally with the handle I polish with sand paper, then Mothers, and finally wax to stop rust. Of all the handles I have polished this one did not shine up very well. I am not sure what material it is made out of but I wish it shined more. Oh well, it is just a vise.

Now the fun part starts. Assembly!!! I gently tap the main nut is place until it bottoms out. I put it in exactly how it came out. One end had a chamfer ground on it.

Then I drive the pin in. It did not go in as far as it was when I took it apart but hitting it any more would have mushroomed it. Funny how you put something back together with the exact same parts and it goes together different?!?

Then I cover the main screw with anti seize lube and spin it in and out a few times. If you are ever going to pinch your finger in the handle this is the time.

On the swivel I put a thin layer of anti seize also.

Next comes installing the swivel handle. I had to paint mine because it was a little too rough to polish.

I completely cover the dynamic jaw with anti seize where the screw inserts.

I also lube the split collar.

Now comes the screw assembly. Install the screw as shown. Don't forget the shim that goes in here. Then the split collar. Note the grooves on the outside of the collar.

You have to screw each a little at a time. First the collar then the main screw.

I tapped the collar until it was a little snug. Then backed off about 30 degrees. The vise worked well and the dynamic jaw went in and out smooth.

Look inside the hole for the set screw. That is not the set screw you see but the grooves in the collar. The groove should be in the middle of the set screw hole so the point of the set screw engages in the groove of the collar. Next install the set screw. On my vise when I tightened the set screw, the jaw did not slide smooth so I backed off the collar another 30 degrees and retightened the set screw. Actually not tight but a little snug. Now the dynamic jaw worked smooth all the way in and out.

And now the finished shots. Normally I don't paint the end of the replaceable jaws but these wouldn't come out easy and there was really no reason to take them out so they got painted. I know it looks better but oh well, it still looks ok to me. I hope you enjoyed the read. Greg

I almost forgot the famous size comparison photo!!

 

[autopts]

Thats a very nice restore Greg. Keep an eye out for anchor and swivel handle. I think Reed Used 2 handles on their 5" vises. Very nice!!

 

[gregthor]

Thanks, I think it should have 2 handles also. My Reed 204 has 2 handles. I ran a wanted ad for another anchor and handle but struck out. I think I will bump it up and see if I have any luck this time. Until I find the parts, I will need to put a bolt or a plug of some sort in the hole.

 

[6PTsocket]

You know that Reed is still in business, right? A handle might not be that much. I think they are in Erie , PA.

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

 

[Shiftless]

I'm glad that this excellent thread got revived.

Edit: 2 months later...I guess it didn't

 

[hoggiles]

I just picked up a old Reed 105 vise. Anyone know how I would go about finding a nut for the lead screw? The vise has two patent dates 1912 and 1914.