The VISES of Garage Journal

[bigcaddy]

I was just wondering about all used vises in general. I find them from time to time at auctions, estate sales, {

Other side}

I've posted pics before of my very first Prentiss, a No.10 with swiveling jaw, i ever bought and i cost me 60.00 bucks at an estate sale. I had no idea what i was buying but i knew i had to have it. From that point on i haven't left many vises behind at any sale i go to.

The most i've paid was 125.00 for a very clean and old Wilton which i still have to this day but 50.00 isn't unreasonable to me for a good vise.

I walked out of a sale with 3 mint Parkers plus a huge box of machinist tools for under 160.00 before and have scored Wilton Baby Bullets for less then 5.00

Just decide what you are willing to pay and get familiar with brands and approximately what they go for on ebay. If you have to sell it for any reason, at least you have some measure of what they are going for so you don't loose money. Besides, members on here will be more then happy to buy any good quality vises from you.

 

[macfarlaneseth518]

Anybody could make a case I have vices. Since I already showed my big Wilton bullet, here are some more. In case you haven't guessed yet, I am not the prissy clean type. Too many irons in the fire at any given time for excess cleanliness. Although considering what I do in a day, this is actually pretty clean and well organized from what what it -could- look like. My woodworking/cabinet bench.

 

[NedNorton]

My "new" today Prentiss 19 1/2.

 

[barney rubble]

I still do not understand what is the idea behind the swivel jaw on a vise and why you would need it to.

 

[bigcaddy]

I still do not understand what is the idea behind the swivel jaw on a vise and why you would need it to.

Its for clamping irregular shaped or tapered objects.

 

[EOC_Jason]

Someone posted a pic a few pages back (maybe further)... Imagine holding like a wedge shaped object.

 

[flashman]

Would this Chas Parker 4" be worth the $50 asking price? Maybe less in current condition with bent handle?

http://wichita.craigslist.org/tls/3244795350.html

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 2

 

[autopts]

Would this Chas Parker 4" be worth the $50 asking price? Maybe less in current condition with bent handle?

http://wichita.craigslist.org/tls/3244795350.html

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 2

Ask him whats underneath those black jaw caps. If he OE Parker Jaws are toasted. Re evaluate.

 

[Catalyze]

Flashman - It is probably a Parker 954 which was a poplular vise for Parker. If the jaws are decent on it....there is no welding or cracks (slide tail end)...then Fitty is an okay price. That isn't so low where you run out the door with it but it isn't so high that you feel guilty for owning it. The bent handle is just a common condition easily fixed. You might flip it over and look at the Acme threads on the lead screw..check them to be sure they are still square edged. If it has 1/2 turn or less slop (jaws moving from out to inward) then it's probably fine.

Ned - Great looking Prentiss!! It must be the season for Model 19 1/2's. Does yours have the swivel lock that is a Gorilla model like mine or has a handle that is easy?

Saiga - the problem with posting what vises are worth is like asking how much to spend on a date with a woman. If I post $30 somebody else will post that they spent half that and someone else will post they went on a date for free. Whatever vise I post a price on, somebody has got one for less, and somebody had one given to them. Here are some price guidelines in my head for a 4" swivel base vise:
1. Parker....Prentiss....Athol....Monarch....Reed...Rock Island....Hollands.....$60
2. Wilton Machinist.......$125
3. Swivel Jaw .......$100
4. Swivel Jaw Wilton.....$150
5. Columbian......$50 (there tons of them out there)
6. Combination (non Parker...Prentiss...Reed).....$125
7. Combination (Parker....Prentiss).....$200
8. Combination (Reed or Wilton)......$250

This is why it is hard to say what a vise is worth. Nobody else on this forum would pay the same amounts that I would pay. Guys in factory towns pay less....guys other places pay more....guys with industrial connections get them for free....estate sale guys get them for whatever they can bargain down to. Nobody likes to be told they paid too much even if the person doing it has no clue what they are talking about. So there you go....off my soapbox.
Craig

 

[EJM02]

Beautiful job, looks great!

 

[maddawg308]

In looking through GJ, it seems the common opinion is that when buying vises, if they are in good shape, $1 a pound in terms of value, is the "going rate". What if you came across one that had been restored, like some of you guys have done, stripped and repainted, new screws and hardware, no problems at all? Maybe $1.50 a pound? $2 a pound? Sky's the limit?

Going by some prices on eBay, $1 a pound is WAY too cheap, maybe not for flea markets and garage sales, but eBay prices on some vises are $5 a pound!

 

[EOC_Jason]

Would this Chas Parker 4" be worth the $50 asking price? Maybe less in current condition with bent handle?

Better than $300 some guy wants for one here in Houston, and I think his might only be a 3.5"...

Handles can be straightened out pretty easy. As others said check the jaws to make sure they are still there and not all gnarled up. Also look it over for cracks, especially on the slide and under the jaws.

You can always try to haggle, but $50 is more than fair if it's in good shape.

 

[Dustin Crawford]

Actually they were made like that. I've seen a few other Prentiss vises with that exact same slide. I can't figure the reasoning behind it but its original. Probably another patent that didn't really improve anything.

I have a prentiss like this as well. If you look from the front you will see the screw is actually offset from center by a good amount.


Man 293 pages and still cant find anything like my 8" morgan or 4.5" Prentiss! Dang!

 

[Canoe50]

Here is a 4" Wilton combo vise I restored and put new jaws on...

That looks great. Could you please fill me in on the paint you used. It looks to be what Wilton used on a Tradesman model I have & I'd like to do a little touch up on it.

 

[flashman]

I will take a look at the Chas Parker tomorrow. I am fairly certain he won't sell it by that time. I might get it, but I just refinished a Wilton 400 and have a Reed that I have to do as well. Might be a good vise to pick up.

 

[zoomieport]

I have a prentiss like this as well. If you look from the front you will see the screw is actually offset from center by a good amount.


Man 293 pages and still cant find anything like my 8" morgan or 4.5" Prentiss! Dang!

Look at pages 238 and 239, there is an 8"Morgan and a Prentiss #23... I know, it's my basement...

 

[zoomieport]

That looks great. Could you please fill me in on the paint you used. It looks to be what Wilton used on a Tradesman model I have & I'd like to do a little touch up on it.

Rustoleum Hammered Verde Green...

 

[EOC_Jason]

I will take a look at the Chas Parker tomorrow. I am fairly certain he won't sell it by that time. I might get it, but I just refinished a Wilton 400 and have a Reed that I have to do as well. Might be a good vise to pick up.

Someone say Reed? Pictures!

 

[flashman]

Someone say Reed? Pictures!

It is in the thread a few pages back. Ill repost them. Its small lol.

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 2

 

[flashman]

I picked up my first vise today. Its a Reed 3 1/2 in jaw. Not big, maybe 20# or so but it is in pretty good shape. The jaw gets a little stiff in some areas and it starts in the pic with the jaw open. I assume it is just from dirt and grime over the years. I had some fall out as I opened the jaw. I also tried to remove the adjustable jaw but couldnt get it off when full open. Any suggestions for this? $40 I feel was a good deal for a smaller reed vise, I know you folks will tell me the truth or not.

If you want better pics let me know, plus suggestions on clean up would be helpful. I will certainly look back at the vise restro thread a member made.

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 2

EOC, here is the Reed I bought in July.

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 2

 

[thundermug]

I'm am visiting my parents this weekend during a community-wide garage sale. I found this today for $10. My first Wilton. It has a swivel on the base and on the side. But its missing the jaws. I might sell or trade it, as I have my heart set on a smaller "bullet" style Wilton. It will do until I find the right one. I can't find much info on this particular Wilton. I haven't seen it one the site, but this one has a couple of similar features: http://garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=105823&highlight=121069

Written on side: Wilton Made in USA PAT. PEND. UX 121079
Written on bottom: 121069

<IMG SRC="http://sphotos-b.**.fbcdn.net/hphotos-snc6/285436_601221236482_1110040222_n.jpg">

<IMG SRC="http://sphotos-b.**.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn1/532192_601221286382_393686999_n.jpg">

 

[AdamLym]

Started life like this...

Took it apart, found paint to match my tool box, and turned it into this...

 

[thundermug]

Regarding the Wilton 121079 tilt I just posted: I did some more poking around, and I found the info I wanted. Its small, but not beefy enough. Not bad for $10, if that's what you're looking for.

Tonight my dad offered me grandpa's old Ward Master Quality. I used this when I was a little kid. Of course, I used it to crush Hot Wheels cars and GI Joes. The large anvil surface is pretty cool. Overall, the design is really unique. I don't need a Wilton (but I'll still look).

<IMG SRC="http://sphotos-a.**.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn1/539332_601234120662_1697359077_n.jpg">

<IMG SRC="http://sphotos-a.**.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/545439_601234185532_1205239432_n.jpg">

<IMG SRC="http://sphotos-a.**.fbcdn.net/hphotos-snc6/228109_601234240422_609251958_n.jpg">

 

[Bret888]

Those are both pretty cool designs, and very useful for the average guy. The Wilton that pivots over, would be useful when you want to set something up parallel on the bench before you squeeze it. I seem to do that a lot, and regular round tube Wiltons make it more difficult than a square beam vise.

 

[Mark in Indiana]

thundermug: What you have is a Wilton Flip Grip. They were made in the early 70's.
I posted one that I bought about 6-8 months ago, thinking it was a gunsmiths vise. Originally, it came with standard steel jaws and a set of pipe jaws. When I get around to it, I plan to make sets of flat steel and flat aluminum jaws. It looks like a great vise to work items that would be too small for my Parker Vise.

 

[C.BRAXMAIER]

Here is a 4" Wilton combo vise I restored and put new jaws on...

Zoom that looks great....

 

[Canoe50]

Rustoleum Hammered Verde Green...

Thank you. Here is a good picture of the one I have from a old thread here.
The color has more of a bluish shade to it & I'm wondering if this matches yours. I've seen different shades used on the Tradesman that appear more green, so I'm wondering if the Verde Green would be a good match for the one in the thread I provided. I'll go to Home Depot & check out the Hammered tones, but thought I'd ask first. Does yours look like the one in this old thread?
http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=8640&highlight=wilton

 

[rt dak]

My dad just picked this up for me at a tag sale for $2.

 

[Olinrj]

Here are better picture from my earlier post, #5774. Sorry about the pop-ups.
The metL former vise, mounted to the bench has the Vee jaw inserts but non of the pins or rollers. Need to find them somewhere now that I know to look for them.
The Craftsman is a 5-1/2" and appears to be in good shape. Anyone have opinions on it as a general vise for a garage? I did identify it as Japanese, but could not pin down a manufacture date or company.

 

[EOC_Jason]

The Craftsman is a 5-1/2" and appears to be in good shape. Anyone have opinions on it as a general vise for a garage?

Have a 3-1/2" Craftsman (Japan) at the shop, it's a tough little vise. I've pounded the **** out of stuff and it has never failed. My father had to thread some pipe and those cast-in jaws don't really hold worth a darn, he put a cheater and used a pipe wrench on the handle to get more of a grip and bent it some and gnarled it all up. Nothing that a little pounding back flat and some sandpaper couldn't fix.

It now mostly sits on a shelf in retirement since I've gotten a bigger vise. Still gets brought out for little jobs or when I need a vise elsewhere since my others are bolted to heavy stands.

 

[munepit]

My HF vise broke. Shocker. It was 3 yrs old. I picked up 4 vises for $60.00 on CL today. Don't know if it was a good deal or not.

Allied 4
Craftsman 5210
Littco 112
Vulcan 2

 

[EOC_Jason]

Allied is a Chinese made. The company is an "import distributor". There is one Allied like yours on eBay, but it's an 8". The few that I have seen like that (and copies) are all intact so they can't be *that* bad. Considering you spent $15 for it, I wouldn't worry if it did break.

The others those are classic American.

For $60 I would say you did all right, they look to all be in pretty good shape.

 

[Catalyze]

Greetings one more time!
I got the PowRscrew Wilton vise finished. I posted a fair bit of photos in its own thread but here are a couple for this thread.
http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=158676

Before:
View media item 22044
After:
View media item 23818
And of course a halftime Patriotic Salute to Wilton vises...no wardrobe malfunctions here.
View media item 23820
It took me 2 1/2 weeks to get the Verde Green....but thanks to a GJ poster, it got painted!
Craig

 

[north]

Them are some awesome looking Wiltons.

 

[C.BRAXMAIER]

Greetings one more time!
I got the PowRscrew Wilton vise finished. I posted a fair bit of photos in its own thread but here are a couple for this thread.
http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=158676

Before:
View media item 22044
After:
View media item 23818
And of course a halftime Patriotic Salute to Wilton vises...no wardrobe malfunctions here.
View media item 23820
It took me 2 1/2 weeks to get the Verde Green....but thanks to a GJ poster, it got painted!
Craig

Catalyze, I was thinking of having *** with my wife tonight but after seeing this, it can wait untill next week..

 

[Outlawmws]

I picked up 2 vises today: A Littlestown No. 900,and a Nice Stanley DP vise that I finally found the No. of when wire wheeling the main screw head: a No. 992A w/2-1/4" jaws.

It's different as it has a Swivel/Slide base with a Quick release lever to lock it down. I think this one gets mounted on board I can easily clamp to my DP table, and then use the Vise lock for fine tuning location.

It cleaned up nice and I think I can live with the paint as is. The paint looks to be 95% there or better, and actually looks nicer in real life than in the pics, and I'm 99% sure the black is original. No S.W marking on this one (but it also has (900) (with the paren) marked on the screw head ) So after 1934, but before 1950 when they went away from the black paint.

As I found it:

And after clean up. The slide and lock work silky smooth! Shown slid one way:

And slid back the other way,it also rotates easily:

Markings:

And then Littlestown as found, "Barn fresh" - 3-1/8" jaws:

 

[Catalyze]

Brax - I am speechless.....really....wow...LOL

Outlaws - a couple of really handy vises.....the Stanley is a great bench vise with all its swivel and size....lots of time you just want another hand to hold something tight and a Reed 4C is a bit of overkill
Craig

 

[cbacres]

Neat little vise I picked up today at a estate sale.

C PARKER CO- No. 21
Pat May 28, Nov 26 Dec 17 1867

Great shape and works fine. Swival lock goes through bench, handle hangs down, bottom plate of vice bolts to top of bench, provides a surface to swival on.

Thought for sure they would want $ 20.00 or so.

Then they asked if I would give $ 5.00 for it. Sure, why not, I only have about four just sitting around now, whats one more.

Really nice made vice, pads still have fair amount of cross hatch pattern left.

 

[DandDMachine]

I have 2 vises I dont know much about. The smaller one has a Luther Quality vises sticker on it. It clamps to the side of the bench. Anyone know anything about them? The other has only a MW logo on it. Anybody have info on that one?

 

[Catalyze]

CB - a great looking Parker and very complete too. Usually the ones with the anvil horns on them were mechanic's vises and they got beat on like a rented mule. Yours is in great shape for the age and style.

DD - I have no clue on your two....smarter heads than mine will show up soon.
Craig