The VISES of Garage Journal

[kapster]

Whats a drum like that weigh? Its just a semi truck drum?

 

[LeadFootDriver]

Hey guys,

I just picked up a Rock Island 574 and it looks like the swivel lock is seized. It has been soaking in pb blaster for a full day and will see if it comes loose tonight. Sounds dumb, but I just want to make sure I'm trying to turn it the right way haha. Lefty loosey right..

- Rod

 

[AL`]

I have three good American made vises. Two are Columbians, both with 3.5" jaws with swivel bases. One has pipe jaws in it and the other doesn't. I inherited the one without, and the other I picked up at an estate sale for $25. I missed out on the two monster Morgans at that sale, but couldn't complain with what I left with. My monster vise is a Yost 34C. I also picked up an Acme Handsaw Vise. It was actually part of a handsaw filing machine, but only the vise was left at an estate sale. It's pretty cool. Pics below, but I didn't include the other Columbian vise. It's the same without pipe jaws.

 

[jagleaso]

Just finished my desmond-simplex 350. Regal red, 3 coats of polyurethane automotive clear overtop. Without a doubt, this will be the last time my wife ever touches a vise.... Just started working on my next project, a nice large parker (steel)

 

[jagleaso]

The pics...

 

[bigcaddy]

Here's some pics of my new 350S that i've been slowly bringing back from the scrap pile. It was missing the guts and base but i've been able to use some donor parts to make it whole again. I'm missing the lockdowns but ill have them made and the new decal is in the mail.


Its pictured next to my 400 that was finished a few weeks ago.

 

[kukko]

Not sure if this has been posted or not, but I saw this interesting Parker on CL.
A little too rich for my blood, but pretty neat looking.

 

[hchinaski]

This vise came with the house I bought last October, I didn't realize what it was until well after we moved in. It is an early 1900s Prentiss Bulldog 52. It has had a hard life, you can see in this picture that the back bottom corner of the slide is broken off, and on the ther side, the mounting dog is broken off and has been replaced with a piece of angle iron. So, not a lot of collector value here - but it works fine and I'm happy to have it.

 

[bigcaddy]

Bulldog!!!

 

[Hangtowncruzr]

Olympia 5"

 

[Steroblan]

Love your stand, I'm picking up a wilton 500 tomorrow and I've been thinking how could I put it and my pipe vise on a pedestal. Look no further.

How does the pedestal work out? I like the idea of it but it seems to me a vise that big cant meet its potential on a pedestal. Do you have any trouble with it moving?

No problems yet. The stand weighs 250 - 300 pounds by questimate. The bus wheel hub made a great anchor and the upright 5" channel irons welded back to back with 1/2" X 13" channel for the top.

 

[Adam McLaughlin]

Not sure if this has been posted or not, but I saw this interesting Parker on CL.
A little too rich for my blood, but pretty neat looking.

Good looking Vise none the less

Adam

 

[kukko]

edited

 

[toomanytoyzz]

Here's my dad's Rock Island 597 with my little No. 93 on top.

Also got this anvil/viseoff of CL for $25 on Saturday. It's had a rough life, but still operates ok. I gave it to my father-in-law. Gonna use the base for my bench grinder.

 

[gregthor]

Hi Guys and Gals at GJ,
I got a new Parker 271 ½ vise that I picked up as a basket case knowing it was missing the “horseshoe” retainer in the front and the nut for the main screw. I thought this would be no problem since I have a Chas Parker 104 P at home that I bought for parts/repair. When I got home it turns out this Parker 271 ½ has a ¾ dia main screw and the 104 P has a 7/8 dia main screw. I am soooo disappointed. The 271 ½ looks like it had a soft life. The handle is straight, no scars on it from being used as an anvil, the swivel jaw works, totally a clean vise. If anyone has a main nut or horseshoe retainer that they want to sell please let me know. Anyways, if not, I think I will hang on to this vise for a while and hope to find parts on eBay.
Greg

 

[Rixter58]

Couple pics I snapped last nights to send to some buddies. Thought I'd post them here as well.

 

[Rixter58]

Oops. Here us the other one.

 

[gatewaysysop]

Here's my dad's Rock Island 597 with my little No. 93 on top.

Beautiful. A 6" Rock Island is still on my list of vises I must acquire one day.

 

[mdkingsley]

Thats a cool old post vise. Started the next step in getting my Charles parker 106 ready, picked up the dynamic jaw after having a new bushing installed. Have to take the jaws to a different machine shop. I think I am going to have them milled and reknureled.

 

[toomanytoyzz]

Beautiful. A 6" Rock Island is still on my list of vises I must acquire one day.

My old man got that USED when he first opened his bodyshop 40 years ago. He's 75 years old and still regularly uses it. It will be one of those priceless family heirlooms only the chosen will have the honor of owning.

 

[purpurite]

I picked up this little 4.5" Wilton Shop King a few months ago to restore and use in my garage, and it's almost finished. It's been a fun little project.

Before:

During:

After:

Still has a few things to do like a true assembly with lead screw lube, new jaw bolts, some tape leakage, etc. but it's mostly finished. I wanted to refinish it in a Hazet green/blue and found a Rustoleum that was relatively close to the Hazet powdercoat RAL color. Turned out better than I expected.

 

[Mohawk Dave]

Looks really good ApexSpeed. What is that wedge on it? To split things?

 

[tomshep]

Why not move your box to the right side of the bench and move the bench towards the door? That way you can put your vise on the left side of the bench and have better access to use it.

Tom

 

[tomshep]

Left side you might end up with alot of slag or grind metal in your tool box. Right side could be a fire hazard if you use the vise for welding and cutting.

A stand alone would be ideal in your case. My homemade pedistal works out well.

I think you need a heavier base so it won't accidentially move when being used.

Tom

 

[purpurite]

Looks really good ApexSpeed. What is that wedge on it? To split things?

Thanks! The vise has a round pritchel hole for holding blacksmith tools, but you really wouldn't use this vise for anything like that. The chisel would be used for hot cutting--heat part, place on chisel, hit with hammer, part falls off. It's obvious this one has never been used for that purpose.

 

[write2dgray]

Okay, now what is this?!
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=221177640037&ssPageName=ADME:B:SS:US:1123

I'm sure somebody NEEDS it .

 

[87Pomona]

Okay, now what is this?!
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=221177640037&ssPageName=ADME:B:SS:US:1123

I'm sure somebody NEEDS it .

Looks like a pipe vise.

 

[Outlawmws]

Hi Guys and Gals at GJ,
I got a new Parker 271 ½ vise that I picked up as a basket case knowing it was missing the “horseshoe” retainer in the front and the nut for the main screw. I thought this would be no problem since I have a Chas Parker 104 P at home that I bought for parts/repair. When I got home it turns out this Parker 271 ½ has a ¾ dia main screw and the 104 P has a 7/8 dia main screw. I am soooo disappointed. The 271 ½ looks like it had a soft life. The handle is straight, no scars on it from being used as an anvil, the swivel jaw works, totally a clean vise. If anyone has a main nut or horseshoe retainer that they want to sell please let me know. Anyways, if not, I think I will hang on to this vise for a while and hope to find parts on eBay.
Greg

Someone had a thread where they were casting the collars out of brass/bronze.

 

[Lkdelta]

found this in the bottom of a storage box from Granddads cellar
Bolted it on dads new bench

 

[Lump]

NICE, Delta!

Congrats on finding a family-heirloom vise!

 

[LeadFootDriver]

Here's my dad's Rock Island 597 with my little No. 93 on top.

Also got this anvil/viseoff of CL for $25 on Saturday. It's had a rough life, but still operates ok. I gave it to my father-in-law. Gonna use the base for my bench grinder.

Seeing you have a few Rock Island vises around, do you have any info on the company or a link to some info on them?

I'm trying to find out when my 574 was made. I found some casting number while cleaning it up and would like to find out what they mean.

TIA

 

[Jeep Monkey RTR]

Picked up these three vises today for the a grand total of free.

The little one in front is a Wilton 9450. The middle (BIG) vise is a Morgan 80 vise and the one in back is a Reed 3C. Going to restore them and stick em next to my Wilton 450S (not pictured. This Garage journal is creating a monster.

 

[87Pomona]

Picked up these three vises today for the a grand total of free.

The little one in front is a Wilton 9450. The middle (BIG) vise is a Morgan 80 vise and the one in back is a Reed 3C. Going to restore them and stick em next to my Wilton 450S (not pictured. This Garage journal is creating a monster.

How the hell did you get 3 vises for free?

 

[Lump]

Wow, Jeepmonkey. You are the winner of the YOU **** award for today, for sure!!

 

[Jeep Monkey RTR]

How the hell did you get 3 vises for free?

I am the lead project manager on the demolition of a closed foundry. Been eyeing these for about 6 months got permission today from the General Manager to take them before they ended up in a scrap yard.

 

[Jeep Monkey RTR]

How the hell did you get 3 vises for free?

Wow, Jeepmonkey. You are the winner of the YOU **** award for today, for sure!!

Thanks for the YOU ****! Its a real GJ honor that I never thought was an acheivement I would be lucky enough to receive.

 

[Mark in Indiana]

I am the lead project manager on the demolition of a closed foundry. Been eyeing these for about 6 months got permission today from the General Manager to take them before they ended up in a scrap yard.

Thank you for saving those vises from being melted down and made into
HF tools.

 

[kapster]

Ive been looking for a wilton "bullet" for a few years now, a buddy gave me the shop king and that held me back for awhile but recently got back on the hunt. Bought this wilton 500 from a member here, still need to clean it up and find a place to mount it. Havent decided if i want to paint it.

Picked up the columbian pipe vise at an antiques place. Any ideas how old it would be?

 

[autopts]

Ive been looking for a wilton "bullet" for a few years now, a buddy gave me the shop king and that held me back for awhile but recently got back on the hunt. Bought this wilton 500 from a member here, still need to clean it up and find a place to mount it. Havent decided if i want to paint it.

Picked up the columbian pipe vise at an antiques place. Any ideas how old it would be?

That 500 is a beauty and its a later 98 or newer. if your going to use it, leave it alone.

 

[kukko]

I saw this on ebay recently. I hope someone here got it and can post more info about it.