Here's my craftsman 5176, date code 7821. nice little 3" if it were in good condition. Would this one restore well, would it be worth the effort, and can one obtain jaws for less than the price of the imported 4.5" Wilton sold under the craftsman professional name?
The VISES of Garage Journal
- Thread starter mjozefow
- Start date
Outlawmws
Well-known member
That should restore well, not sure about jaw availability/cost.
I don't think that's a date code, based on the emblem styling, that looks to be 50's vintage
I don't think that's a date code, based on the emblem styling, that looks to be 50's vintage
Lump
Well-known member
Coolabah: Wow, NEAT vise. Man I love that offset look. And your avatar is great too!
oh -- ok this code, "7821" -- appears to have been formed with individual numbers placed into the cast (note the numbers are not perfectly lined up). Does that sound accurate? Does anyone know what the numbers mean?
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lucky find: There is a 5176 bench vise listed on page 330 of the 1952 Sears Christmas wish book. matches pretty well with mine
catalog #99N05176K
29 lbs
$13.50
see item "E". Apparently there was a 4" 36lb flavor as well. Here is the link to the full page scan....thanks to the folks at wishbookweb.com
http://www.wishbookweb.com/1952_Sears_Christmas/images/1952 Sears Christmas book page330.jpg
catalog #99N05176K
29 lbs
$13.50
see item "E". Apparently there was a 4" 36lb flavor as well. Here is the link to the full page scan....thanks to the folks at wishbookweb.com
http://www.wishbookweb.com/1952_Sears_Christmas/images/1952 Sears Christmas book page330.jpg
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Outlawmws
Well-known member
Probably just a mold or form number. Remember those forms were hand made and the number was not supposed to be seen generally.
Coolabah
Well-known member
Thanks Lump, yeh they are kinda quirky looking vices but you almost are not a proper Aussie if you don't aim to own one of 'em ! Not sure if there is a similar thing in the US ?
Lump
Well-known member
There may be...but I haven't seen one!
I've got some mates in the land of Oz, who have occasionally come to visit me at my home, because of our mutual interest in US muscle cars. One from Adelaide has been here several times. They used to haul camshafts, axles, valves (and even a supercharger once), in their luggage on the way home. But after 9-11, that isn't possible any more.
Good on ya, mate!
zoomieport
Well-known member
I would punch my Mom in the jaw for one of those Aussie-Offsets... and that Woman can take a punch!
ajchien
Well-known member
I've seen an offset Dawn two or three times at Los Angeles area flea markets. So some of them have made their way across the ocean.
Coolabah
Well-known member
I would punch my Mom in the jaw for one of those Aussie-Offsets... and that Woman can take a punch!
Not doubting your Ma (of course) but just don't try swing one of these vices at her !! Just sayin'
I guess like most good things , people take 'em with 'em ! I have no idea if Dawn exported these vices, my guess is that some enthusiast imported them or else some Aussies took their vices with them - heck I know I would !
Having said that , I have a SERIOUS hard on for some of your fantastic US vices .... think "Wilton Bullet" so I might hAVE TO SPEND LIKE 20 YEARS POCKET MONEY IMPORTING ONE.... (oops ... so sorry got so excited my caps lock turned itself on... )
*sigh* ... so many tools... so little time... I just love using these old time tools / anvils / vices etc.... will be truly sad once the Chinese tools become "the usual" ... I'll stop here because I will be verging on "politics" which I agree has no place here.
Suffice to say (hey my new program looked that up - I thought Suffice was a Southern English County ???) : I don't mind supplementing my tool collection with quality old Aussie/US/English tools ... often no cheaper than new "other COO" tools....'nuff said ....
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Lump
Well-known member
DZ Speed....Man I LOVE your old Mac bench vise. I'm an avid fan of older Mac tools, so that sucker is right up my alley! I can see that it is a combo vise, so I assume it is not really too big.
What is the width of the jaws?
Do you have any idea of the age?
Does anyone know, did Mac put their name on any BIG bench vises?
RATS! Now I've got another "jewel" to hunt for! I never knew Mac tools put their name on a bench vise!
Sigh.Lump
Well-known member
I'm second in line! I want one too!
I recently found an older Wilton catalog that shows an offset vise very similiar to the Dawn vise. The information mentioned 60 ksi ductile iron but no COO. The size range seemed to correspond with the Dawn vise sizing. I have never seen one of the Wiltons in person.
Dawn offset vise.
here you go.
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Dawn-6-i...ltDomain_15&hash=item33702254f2#ht_500wt_1377
and his baby brother
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Vintage-...rdwareLocks&hash=item3cc03348e4#ht_500wt_1377
here you go.
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Dawn-6-i...ltDomain_15&hash=item33702254f2#ht_500wt_1377
and his baby brother
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Vintage-...rdwareLocks&hash=item3cc03348e4#ht_500wt_1377
Outlawmws
Well-known member
Mark in Indiana
Well-known member
I just saw a Babco 150 at a local industrial supply house. Brand new but looked vintage and had a lot of dust on it. I'm afraid to ask about the price.
Outlawmws
Well-known member
Go ahead and ask, they may still have an old price tag on it or be using the old catalog. That could be a steal. Babco has a good rep; are they still around?
The Craftsman gets a vacation! After 31 years of dedicated loyal service as the primary shop vise in my garage, I am giving the old red craftsman a break. I bought this vise new in the fall of 1980. I still have the original parts list for it from Sears. It still works perfect. It has served well and has clamped and held parts for HO trains, pine wood derby cars, go-karts, mini-bikes, muscle cars, boats, machinery and just about everything that needed to be held including parts of other vises. But my Chas Parker 239X has been calling out to me saying; “put me in coach, I want to clamp and hold! Can’t you put me in coach?” So after careful thought I decided to switch vises for awhile. The 239X is a 62 ½ pound vise. It has 3 ½ inch jaws which probably make it the biggest 3 ½ in vise there is. The Craftsman was 4 in so I am giving up a little width but I am gaining a lot of mass. The craftsman was 25 ½ pounds. Craftsman…enjoy your break you have earned it well!!
The Craftsman
In one of my weaker moments I bent the swivel handle and got mad and welded a nut on... shame on me!!
The "new" vise ready for service
The Craftsman
In one of my weaker moments I bent the swivel handle and got mad and welded a nut on... shame on me!!
The "new" vise ready for service
ZRX61
Well-known member
The before, from 5 pages back....
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demoman
Well-known member
Here is a Reed 1C that I bought a few years ago off ebay. It was brand new in the box which has a date of Feb 1969. From the markings on the box I think it was goverment surplus. I have not used it but it is a great reference for the corect Reed paint color. It even had a hang tag attached to the handle( which I cannot find for the photo) Their paint job was sloppy with runs and poor ceverage in places. The vises on GJ get a lot better paint job than production pieces. 
I do not know when Reed switched to the cheaper 1CA vises but it must have been after 1969.
Brad
I do not know when Reed switched to the cheaper 1CA vises but it must have been after 1969.Brad
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demoman
Well-known member
If you wanna sell it...
That is one big *** anvil.
That is a 500# Trenton anvil all the way from Racine Wisconsin. I actually bought it this fall from an ad on GJ. I just got it home and sorry it is not for sale. I have a line on a 1200# anvil but it is probably too expensive. Never can be too big. A good anvil will always hold its value.
I'll post more pics of the anvil if anyone is interested.
Brad
Demoman - That brand new Reed 1C belongs in a museum!! It is fun to see the original packaging and all. I just picked up a Reed 1C Tuesday night but it was blue and a little used. The paint underneath was grey like yours.
Greg
Greg
Nice find on the anvil. Don't recall that one before. Might have been the distance that kept me away. Pretty sure we have an anvil thread out there.
Was referring to the sale of the vise.
demoman
Well-known member
Sorry the vise is not for sale. I bought it back in 2007 on ebay. The seller did not say it was new or show tha box so it was like Christmas when it arrived in the original box!!!
ssffnomad
Well-known member
This is a Beat Up "Yost", Meadville Pa.
ssffnomad
Well-known member
Missing and Beat up Jaws, cut and grinding marks.
ssffnomad
Well-known member
"Reed", Erie, Pa. # 403 or # 408 ?
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I have only got to page 10 of this thread
http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=...-uZybAQ&ved=0CB0Q6AEwADgK#v=onepage&q&f=false
There is some interesting history of F. Parramore & Sons + Record vice history in the above book review.
I don't know if your query was answered , certainly the Paramo "Hi-Duty" vices are very good, they are from cast steel , not grey SG iron. Without QR they are even stronger , good for doing a bit of hammer bending / cold blacksmithing - I have a few.
They also did some QR Enginners vices that were cast steel , the serrated grips are secured by hex. set-bolts from the back of the jaws. They are very similar to to the ones by Record - I have one the equiv. of the Record 84. The QR Fitters vices - the serrated jaws are secured by cs'k screws through the jaws. Woden vices were very similar (absorbed by Record in the 1950's).
We certainly don't have the range of "Vintage" vices to collect in the UK that you do, the workshops where I served my apprenticeship had some interesting old vices - models I have not seen in years.
Record vices (now Irwin) , the best quality cast steel vices are such as the 34 , 84 , 112 , 114 and a few others.
Paramo did have a cheaper range that was SG cast iron , I suspect bought in from another maker - the name was a plastic plate bonded on - still quite a good vice for light duty as the jaw width was relatively wider than normal for the body size.
When I get time - I will take a few photographs of my vice collection , inc. some brand new 84 , 112 & 114 - for benches I have yet to make. New garage / Workshop - roof on
but 2nd fix to complete
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ssffnomad
Well-known member
Could you guys help out with Age of these Vises ? Thanks
SweetD
Well-known member
I'd say the Reed is older than the Yost, due to the Reed having the rounded "bulb" end on the main lead screw where the handle passes through.
They're both good old USA iron though. I'd guess Reed around 1920-30, Yost maybe around WWII era. Others may have opinions also.
Looks like the Reed has a a swiveling static jaw.
Both have seen their share of work, huh?
I know a guy that can make jaw inserts if you're interested...send me a PM.
Dave
demographic
Well-known member
Dunno, we don't do too bad for old vice's here. There's
Record (I have two metalworking and one woodworking versions)
Woden (I have one woodworking)
Ajax (I have one quick release cast steel metalworking version)
Fortis (seem very close to the Ajax but I don't know if they are exactly the same).
Marples
Parkinsons (nice looking and I wouldn't mind one at the right price)
Paramo
That's just the ones I could think of in a few seconds, no doubt there's a few more.
ZRX61
Well-known member
Samson, or is it Samsonia? Big red buggers.
demographic
Well-known member
Yup, Samsonia.
I've also seen a couple very like this in my local secondhand tool barn, I'll have to take a better look if there's still one in next time.
Oh and I forgot about Dohm as well.
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ZRX61
Well-known member
185lb????????