The VISES of Garage Journal

[bigcaddy]

Here is my latest creation all finished and curing in the sun. These are the coolest looking Craftsman vises ever made

I picked this vise up last weekend and immediately got started on redoing it. I planned on doing a blue color but i found a can of Sunrise Red on the back shelf, mixed it up and liked what i saw!

Needless to say, ill be buying some more paint very soon.

I think this particular vise was made by Columbian but its hard to say. The jaws aren't pinned and its missing a number of other similar features that Colombian clones have.

The neatest thing i found was a date stamp on the slide. It's marked 6-57 so at least that narrows down the date of when these things were made.

 

[EOC_Jason]

Very nice, I especially like the pin-striping on the front.

Yeah I don't think anyone has ever said definitively who made these models, but they sure are neat & unique with the front nose and base...

To me, the jaws kind of look like a Rock Island or maybe a Morgan.

Are the castings hollow like regular Columbians'? Or are they solid?

 

[bigcaddy]

Solid. That thing looks small but weighs a ton. The base is very similar to a Reed with the square hole for the locking cleat and oversize fine thread hex nut that attaches the base to the vise

 

[coolreed]

Nice job on that craftsman Bigcaddy. I believe those are made by Columbian, for Sears but I am not 100% on that.

 

[Outlawmws]

Nice job on that craftsman Bigcaddy. I believe those are made by Columbian, for Sears but I am not 100% on that.

Yep Columbian!

 

[SweetD]

My latest acquisition, a Prentiss # 169, "SHEPARD VISE". I think it's well over 100 years old. I have done nothing to it yet in terms of cleanup. It is unusual in that it opens to over 12", yet is an exposed main screw, with a 3.5" wide jaw. Great shape.

I think the Shepard line was manufactured before the screw was made internal to the slide, like the BULL DOG line.

The base is solid cast - not hollowed out, and had a t-slot that I assume would have one of the bolts that go thru the center of the base and attach under the bench, like the #161 does.

My #161 and the can are in the picture for size perspective.





Dave

 

[SweetD]

sorry double post

 

[bl00]

Dave, I have a clipping from 1898 referring to the Shepard as "recently put on the market." If the attachment works you'll see that the front jaw has a slightly different design than yours, so yours may have been a later redesign. Prentiss was making covered screw vises with regular 3 bolt (modern style) swivel bases as early as the 1870s, maybe earlier.

 

[demoman]

Here is a prentiss( I think ) jewlers vise I got today. It is a monster with a swivel rear jaw. I have never seen one this small with a swivel jaw. 1 3/4 jaw.
It is setting on the UMD(pop can) if you look close.

 

[bl00]

Brad, that's smaller than I thought it was going to be. It's a weeeee little vise.

Did the big one from NY arrive, yet?

 

[Outlawmws]

Here is a prentiss( I think ) jewlers vise I got today. It is a monster with a swivel rear jaw. I have never seen one this small with a swivel jaw. 1 3/4 jaw.
It is setting on the UMD(pop can) if you look close.

WHERE did you FIND that? that is SO cool!

 

[893cv]

I just got this one off of ebay. 58 lbs of steel from Poland! Its going to get some paint and then I'll put it to work. I also have another modern vise from FPU (Bison), I will post more photos when I get this one mounted.

 

[autopts]

Here is my latest creation all finished and curing in the sun. These are the coolest looking Craftsman vises ever made/QUOTE]

Mr Big, Thats a excellent restoration. Did Catalyst do it? If not, you are getting very good my friend!

 

[balane]

<-- So very jealous.

Here is my latest creation all finished and curing in the sun. These are the coolest looking Craftsman vises ever made.

 

[bigcaddy]

Here is my latest creation all finished and curing in the sun. These are the coolest looking Craftsman vises ever made/QUOTE]

Mr Big, Thats a excellent restoration. Did Catalyst do it? If not, you are getting very good my friend!

i dont think im close to Catalyze resto yet but this one made it easy. it inly needed to be cleaned and painted

 

[taylorguitar]

 

[demoman]

WHERE did you FIND that? that is SO cool!

My friend bl00 found it on craigslist about a month ago. THe guy never sent it so I was a little concerned but he maile it monday and here it comes.

 

[gmwelder86]

picked this up yesterday, prentisse bulldog #55. 6" jaw opens about 10" big enough for just about anything I will need. Wish is was a swivel base but for 200 bones I cant complain. Shouldn't ever need a bigger vise for the garage. my craftsman 3.5"er almost fits inside of the jaws.

The jaws of the vise are flatened out a bit, is their anyway to reshape them to give them some more bite? They are removable and I already have them out.

 

[Outlawmws]

Nice Vise! That's a big one for sure, (100lbs) but I believe it's actually 5-1/2" jaw width; the 56 was 6" :

 

[EOC_Jason]

picked this up yesterday, prentisse bulldog #55.

The jaws of the vise are flatened out a bit, is their anyway to reshape them to give them some more bite? They are removable and I already have them out.

Very nice, I'm jealous. I've always wanted a big Prentiss... As for the jaws... If you are good with a file and have some patience, you can carve some deeper grooves in them. Or if you have access to a bridgeport and a lot of patience...

 

[georgegab]

I just purchased my second Wilton vise. This one has 5" jaws, 20" long and weighs 96 lbs.. What model is it? I can't read most numbers on it due to the layers of paint. I can't tell wehen it was made because I can't remove the dynamic jaw off. How do I remove the front end so that I can check the manufacture date? I hope I can post a picture of it.

My first Wilton vise was purchased on Sept 2011. It's a 450N and has 4.5" jaws. It was made in mid 1977. Both were made in Schiller Park, Ill.

I can not post a picture. george

 

[EOC_Jason]

George - To post a picture click on the "Go Advanced" button. From there scroll down below the text box and you will see a link that says "Manage Attachments"... That is how you attach pictures...

I thought you just open the dynamic jaw all the way till it's not in the threads anymore then you just pull it out the rest of the way?

 

[EOC_Jason]

The Mighty Reed 4C is Complete!

Finally finished putting together my Reed 4C. At first I wasn't sure about the Hammered Gray color, but now that it's all together I think I really like it. I'm also including a few before / after pictures to show how much crud and rust was on it!

Now I just need to find a place to mount it!

 

[BJ42LX]

How Much for a Record No. 3?

I'm selling this Record No. 3 on Craigslist. I'm not a Record vise aficionado, so I'm not sure what to ask. What say you vise experts? How much should I ask?

 

[SweetD]

Dave, I have a clipping from 1898 referring to the Shepard as "recently put on the market." If the attachment works you'll see that the front jaw has a slightly different design than yours, so yours may have been a later redesign. Prentiss was making covered screw vises with regular 3 bolt (modern style) swivel bases as early as the 1870s, maybe earlier.

Thanks for the info - I'm not sure whether the one I have is older or newer than those models shown in your clipping, but it is definitely larger than the ones offered there - who knows?



Dave

 

[greeze]

Re: The Mighty Reed 4C is Complete!

Finally finished putting together my Reed 4C. At first I wasn't sure about the Hammered Gray color, but now that it's all together I think I really like it. I'm also including a few before / after pictures to show how much crud and rust was on it!

Now I just need to find a place to mount it!

 

[Outlawmws]

I just purchased my second Wilton vise. This one has 5" jaws, 20" long and weighs 96 lbs.. What model is it? I can't read most numbers on it due to the layers of paint. I can't tell wehen it was made because I can't remove the dynamic jaw off. How do I remove the front end so that I can check the manufacture date? I hope I can post a picture of it.

My first Wilton vise was purchased on Sept 2011. It's a 450N and has 4.5" jaws. It was made in mid 1977. Both were made in Schiller Park, Ill.

I can not post a picture. george

 

[countrytech]

I got this Chas Parker for a couple bucks on CL looking pretty old and the slide was welded kinda rough. Wire brushed it, smoothed up the weld, and a couple coats of Rustoleum - here's the results.

 

[Outlawmws]

That slide looks to have been welded a couple of times...

 

[gregthor]

Re: How Much for a Record No. 3?

BJ42LX - I'm selling this Record No. 3 on Craigslist. I'm not a Record vise aficionado, so I'm not sure what to ask. What say you vise experts? How much should I ask?

Look back at Post #6078. I sold that Record #3 vise on Ebay for $58.07. I was really thinking it would have gone closer to $2/lb or about $80 bucks but the buying market set the price! Not sure I answered your question but at least this is a comparsion.
Greg

page 304

 

[PCO6]

If it helps I paid about $40 for a Record No. 3 a few years ago and feel that I got a good deal. I put new jaws on it for about $33 but I haven't got around to restoring it yet. It works a lot better than it looks!

 

[BJ42LX]

Re: How Much for a Record No. 3?

Thanks Greg. I put it up on CL for $65. We'll see what happens.

Ebay is tough for vises because of shipping.

Look back at Post #6078. I sold that Record #3 vise on Ebay for $58.07. I was really thinking it would have gone closer to $2/lb or about $80 bucks but the buying market set the price! Not sure I answered your question but at least this is a comparsion.
Greg

 

[C.BRAXMAIER]

Just finished my C1 here it is....

 

[BJ42LX]

Just finished my C1 here it is....

Beautiful!

What did you do to the handle and slide to get them to shine like that?

 

[autopts]

Thats a class setup my friend!!

 

[autopts]

Beautiful!

What did you do to the handle and slide to get them to shine like that?

Catalyst flies in on his space ship and does the polishing overnight

 

[EOC_Jason]

Beautiful!

What did you do to the handle and slide to get them to shine like that?

When I want something to shine like that, I usually use a wire wheel, then wipe it down with acetone to make sure the metal is clean. Then use a buffing wheel on my grinder... Takes time and several wheels / compounds... but it can be done...

 

[bigcaddy]

Here is my newest addition from todays hunt. It's yet another Columbian but a Red Arrow model. Another first for me but it should shine up nicely.

 

[taylorguitar]

Has anyone ever gotten a response from Wilton if you tried to contact them? My experiences are they are completely non-responsive!

 

[Catalyze]

Yes Sir.....I have emailed them and called them. Both times I got a response: an email and in the other case a real person on the phone. When I was trying to fix the PowRscrew Wilton, I chatted with them by email several times.

Bigcaddy - what a wonderful job on the Craftsman!! Funny thing when you wrote that you had to work to get it "free" off the bench....I just naturally assumed you were trying to get it for nothing

Jason - very nice 4C job....the gray is a great color and compliments the size nicely

You folks are knocking out some very good looking USA Iron!! I am rewiring my trailer among other "chores"....soon it will be time to get back to a Reed and Athol waiting under the bench.
Craig