The VISES of Garage Journal
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Chandos
Well-known member
The mother of all vises? A recent CL acquisition (as of this afternoon): Starrett Athol 926.
The vise is in extraordinary condition. No repairs, dings, misalignments. Original paint intact under the grime. PO pulled it out of a storage locker that he'd won in an auction. Noticed it when I went to pick up a pallet jack and made an offer on the spot. $200 brought it home with me. Weighs about 350lbs with the stand.
Cheers!
Chandos
The vise is in extraordinary condition. No repairs, dings, misalignments. Original paint intact under the grime. PO pulled it out of a storage locker that he'd won in an auction. Noticed it when I went to pick up a pallet jack and made an offer on the spot. $200 brought it home with me. Weighs about 350lbs with the stand.
Cheers!
Chandos
demoman
Well-known member
Nice find. There are at least two versions of this 8" vise. I have two that have the model number ground away( don't know why) and another that I believe says model 32. All three are 8 inch jaw but there is a slight difference. It should be 250# of American steel if I remember correctly! :bowdown
87Pomona
Well-known member
The mother of all vises? A recent CL acquisition (as of this afternoon): Starrett Athol 926.
The vise is in extraordinary condition. No repairs, dings, misalignments. Original paint intact under the grime. PO pulled it out of a storage locker that he'd won in an auction. Noticed it when I went to pick up a pallet jack and made an offer on the spot. $200 brought it home with me. Weighs about 350lbs with the stand.
Cheers!
Chandos
That thing is a beast! Googled it and it comes up as 225 lbs.
Low Friction
Well-known member
The listed shipping weight for the Starrett 926 is 205 lbs. The bare vise probably weight around 198. The 326 is listed as 225 lbs shipping weight.
Canoe50
Well-known member
Nice find Chandos. I picked up the same vise last summer & couldn't believe how big it was when I saw it in person. Stone cold mint & hardly used by the previous owner. Definitely my grail for big ones.
Lump
Well-known member
Nice vise, Chandos. How wide are those jaws?
By the way....YOU ****!!
By the way....YOU ****!!
dirtydogintex
Well-known member
Not sure if it's suppose to be or why (machinist background?) but these vises are mighty impressive....
even when beat up - and yours definitely isn't!!
Good find!!
454ragtop
Well-known member
KMScott
Well-known member
Thought I would add a few of my Wilton vises I bought at a Denver School Auction last Summer. It took me a while to strip the 3-5 coats of grey paint off these vises. Some day I will finish them. Old school auctions are a great place to purchase great used equipment. I was looking for a 6 inch belt sander and instead purchased these four vises for $45.0 each. These vises inspired me to start building the jaws after seeing how well the serrations held up with kids using these vises. Some of the original jaws show no damage even though they are over thirty years old.
I really enjoy reading all the posts on vises and have become hooked on bench vises. I always had Wilton's since the early 70's. After seeing all these different vises after restoration's like the Reed 4C that EOC Jason posted yesterday, I want to collect more and not just the Wilton's. Thanks guy's for sharing your pic's and stories.
I really enjoy reading all the posts on vises and have become hooked on bench vises. I always had Wilton's since the early 70's. After seeing all these different vises after restoration's like the Reed 4C that EOC Jason posted yesterday, I want to collect more and not just the Wilton's. Thanks guy's for sharing your pic's and stories.
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bigcaddy
Well-known member
Your purchase warrants a YOU ****! All of that for 180.00? If you decided to let one of those go, considering their condition, you could easily recoup most if not more then your purchase price.
If i ever buy multiple vises, i usually sell one of them to justify the costs and make the remaining vises "free". I'm actually in the process of cleaning/prepping to sell a 2nd of 3 Charles Parker's i bought at one sale last year. The first one netted me my initial investment and then some. This one is going to allow me some more spending cash for more vises.
KMScott
Well-known member
Your purchase warrants a YOU ****! All of that for 180.00? If you decided to let one of those go, considering their condition, you could easily recoup most if not more then your purchase price.
If i ever buy multiple vises, i usually sell one of them to justify the costs and make the remaining vises "free". I'm actually in the process of cleaning/prepping to sell a 2nd of 3 Charles Parker's i bought at one sale last year. The first one netted me my initial investment and then some. This one is going to allow me some more spending cash for more vises.
OH you are really gonna think I ****, I bought all of the vises with my winning bid Six in all for the winning bid of $45.0, the two in these pictures were Christmas presents to my two boys. One son uses his and the other doesn't. Every man should have a vise on a stand.
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Mohawk Dave
Well-known member
I might be able to pick this up. What is it? The guy says it's 6".
I don't see "Made in USA" or anything else...
EDIT: Found it. India. APEX MACHINE VICES http://apexmachinevices.com/products/benchvices/734s.html
I don't see "Made in USA" or anything else...
EDIT: Found it. India. APEX MACHINE VICES http://apexmachinevices.com/products/benchvices/734s.html
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Mohawk Dave
Well-known member
Catalyze, maybe I missed it, but what steps do you take to polish up the handles etc. I get mine clean and shiny, but nowhere near what you have. GREAT JOB!
87Pomona
Well-known member
Looks like an Import.
Mohawk Dave
Well-known member
I thought so too. Just making sure it wasn't some rare Eron or Record or never find again type thing. That machined slide is pretty cool though, at least in form.
Mohawk Dave
Well-known member
How about this one. I've been googling "made in china bullet vises" japan bullet vises" "cheap bullet vises", can't find anything like it. That cap in the back looks shotty. Ideas?
EDIT: looks to be a DuraCraft. I'll pick it up. Guys asking 20. I just got that 2hp DuraCraft bench grinder, so they can be a couple. Here's the link from this thread on another 5" one. http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showpost.php?p=1613611&postcount=2569 gotta love GJ.
Hey JMann2380, if you're listening, has that DuraCraft been a decent vise?-or anyone else that has one? Good enough to add to the collection? I don't need it...just kinda cool. Thanks!
EDIT: looks to be a DuraCraft. I'll pick it up. Guys asking 20. I just got that 2hp DuraCraft bench grinder, so they can be a couple. Here's the link from this thread on another 5" one. http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showpost.php?p=1613611&postcount=2569 gotta love GJ.
Hey JMann2380, if you're listening, has that DuraCraft been a decent vise?-or anyone else that has one? Good enough to add to the collection? I don't need it...just kinda cool. Thanks!
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I wanted to share a source for those floating t-handle bolts since I am restoring a vise and needed them.
CarrLane is one of the few places that has the swivel clamps (also known as cam lock bolt, clamping nut, or Tommy bar)
They offer black and stainless steel finishes, SAE and metric
Also with the stud or without.
http://www.carrlane.com
Look under Handles/Knobs/Screw Clamps
They call them bar handle nuts or bar handle screw clamps
CarrLane is one of the few places that has the swivel clamps (also known as cam lock bolt, clamping nut, or Tommy bar)
They offer black and stainless steel finishes, SAE and metric
Also with the stud or without.
http://www.carrlane.com
Look under Handles/Knobs/Screw Clamps
They call them bar handle nuts or bar handle screw clamps
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sixkidsdad
Active member
KMScott; I really enjoy reading all the posts on vises and have become hooked on bench vises. I always had Wilton's since the early 70's. After seeing all these different vises after restoration's like the Reed 4C that EOC Jason posted yesterday said:
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fcasadonte
Member
- Joined
- Nov 8, 2012
- Messages
- 18
I picked up an interesting Columbian D46 M, which the owner said was a NOS piece out of a local tool distributor.
Except for some latex paint splashes, this Made in USA, 6" vise retains its original paint. Was used in a professional engineers lab and had an easy life.
$50 brought it home and it was less than 2 miles away. Glad to have it in the shop.
I believe I found one other NOS picture in this same thread. Mine is a different color. Perhaps, 30-40 years old is my estimate? has a single M. Perhaps a Columbian vise expert could weigh in.
Except for some latex paint splashes, this Made in USA, 6" vise retains its original paint. Was used in a professional engineers lab and had an easy life.
$50 brought it home and it was less than 2 miles away. Glad to have it in the shop.
I believe I found one other NOS picture in this same thread. Mine is a different color. Perhaps, 30-40 years old is my estimate? has a single M. Perhaps a Columbian vise expert could weigh in.
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Adam McLaughlin
Well-known member
Hey Craig / Catalyze
BOY that came out nice, great job
Adam
BOY that came out nice, great job
Adam
Mohawk Dave
Well-known member
THANK YOU! This is very good info! and Much Needed!
CarrLane also has another good resource for free:
http://www.carrlane.com/TrigBook/TrigBookIndex.cfm
This is a 49 page PDF trigonometry and reference guide that covers:
Decimal Equivalents
• Thread Sizes and Tap Drills
USA
Metric
• Standard Drill Sizes
• Counterbored Holes for Cap Screws
USA
Metric
• Surface Finishes
• Clamping Force of Standard Clamp Straps
USA
Metric
• Basic Numbering System for Steels
• Machinability Comparison of Various Metals
• Hardness Conversions and Tensile Strength
• Metric Prefixes
• Conversion Factors for Units of Measure
• Trigonometry Calculations
Trigonometry Functions
Right Triangles
Oblique Triangles
ganymede
Well-known member
Im no expert but the vise in your post looks a little newer than 30 to 40yrs old . More like 10 to 20.
fcasadonte
Member
- Joined
- Nov 8, 2012
- Messages
- 18
Hi Ganymede -
Yes, I agree, it is in surprisingly good condition, with Made In USA on the Static and Dynamic Jaw. That makes more sense. Perhaps the color is a key to timeframe.
Yes, I agree, it is in surprisingly good condition, with Made In USA on the Static and Dynamic Jaw. That makes more sense. Perhaps the color is a key to timeframe.
Bogdan M.
Well-known member
This is mine.
Romanian made.
I first painted it blue but I wasn't happy with the result. I did it all over again with hammered paint and I think it looks ok now.
Not very pretty in comparison with your american vises, but it gets the job done.
I would prefere a Wilton Bullet, but it would be very hard to get one here because of shipping costs.
Romanian made.
I first painted it blue but I wasn't happy with the result. I did it all over again with hammered paint and I think it looks ok now.
Not very pretty in comparison with your american vises, but it gets the job done.
I would prefere a Wilton Bullet, but it would be very hard to get one here because of shipping costs.
kapster
Well-known member
My dad has one of those and a duracraft bench grinder. Its been great, id buy one in a heartbeat for 20. If i could guess they re made in taiwan but dont quite me. Using that vise is what got it in my head that i had to have a round post wilton.
Kmscott, are you the wilton vise parts website?
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KMScott
Well-known member
Yes, I build the colored jaws you see on e-bay and on my wiltonviseparts.net I just purchased a domain name called benchvisejaws.com and considering building jaws for all the popular old vises. This will take me a while gathering all the spec's and learning all about these wonderful old vises.
Kevin
ganymede
Well-known member
Color and or origin. I bought a 4" one in early 2000's and it was made in China or Taiwan. Finish was blue hammer tone .
bigcaddy
Well-known member
I haven't had much time, considering my other projects, to focus much on my bench vises lately. Good thing its been raining and been able to steal a few minutes to refurb one of my 3 Parkers that have been languishing away in the shop.
This little guy is a Parker 271 with 3 1/2" jaws and a rear swiveling jaw. The condition, like the other 2, are excellent. Unfortunately this one got a little damaged during the breakdown. As i removed the rear jaw insert, part of the cast metal lip broke off with the insert. Its possible it was already fractured and was pulled away upon removal. At least when its installed, the piece is pinched tight and will not move.
I still need to fab up a little set screw for the handle retention spring hole and it should be done.
This little guy is a Parker 271 with 3 1/2" jaws and a rear swiveling jaw. The condition, like the other 2, are excellent. Unfortunately this one got a little damaged during the breakdown. As i removed the rear jaw insert, part of the cast metal lip broke off with the insert. Its possible it was already fractured and was pulled away upon removal. At least when its installed, the piece is pinched tight and will not move.
I still need to fab up a little set screw for the handle retention spring hole and it should be done.
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KMScott
Well-known member
bigcaddy, that is a nice looking vise, when you add the ball detent do you file a groove in your handle to locate it or do you just apply pressure and that keeps the handle from sliding and maybe add rubber stops?
On your cracked casting I have had luck welding cast iron with my T.I.G. welder and using Eutectic TigTectic 224 welding rod. I won a auction on a surface grinder last year for under $300.0 and when I picked it up the casting was broke under the handle, I did not argue for the terrible listing, I welded it with the 224 rod and it works great.
Kevin
On your cracked casting I have had luck welding cast iron with my T.I.G. welder and using Eutectic TigTectic 224 welding rod. I won a auction on a surface grinder last year for under $300.0 and when I picked it up the casting was broke under the handle, I did not argue for the terrible listing, I welded it with the 224 rod and it works great.
Kevin
bigcaddy
Well-known member
thanks, kevin. The handle has not been modified but the bit of metal that presses against the handle has a profile that matches the curve of the operating handle. Just imagine you are prepping to weld tubular steel. One piece has to be notched so they **** together correctly.
As far as the broken piece of metal goes, its fairly small and almost not worth the effort to repair. Since welding entails grinding, i don't want to have to resurface the machined areas where the jaw inserts rest.
fullthrottle24
Well-known member
Kevin,
I will be looking for vise jaws for a prentiss 91 in near future. I just need to get them off as they are stuck pretty well.
KMScott
Well-known member
Please be patient, I am way behind in building the Wilton jaws, in fact I am still building new jaw sizes, but have snuck in a few new jaws for the Prentiss # 20, #21 and Starrett 926 vises. I am not selling them yet and won't until late Summer. It is a slow process setting up fixturing and just being sure the jaws will fit and not returned. There is nothing worse then building scrap jaws.
Kevin
I know some folks here don't particularly care for these vises. Personally, the first time I saw one...I knew I had to have one. I paid too much for this one off Ebay, but it's complete and I wanted it.
Definitely a style of a time gone by...but style none the less.
Definitely a style of a time gone by...but style none the less.
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Dear friends at GJ,
Just finished this Lakeside 25 and thought I would post it here since you don’t see too many Lakeside vises. I recall seeing a few lakeside vises but never one like this. This one looks like a miniature old Reed or Prentice. Most lakeside vises are more like a utility or home shop vise. Lately I have seen a few red vises on “the vises of garage Journal” and I liked the way red looks on a small vise so I decided to do this one in red (and I found a can of red paint so I didn’t have to buy one….). It has 3 3/8 wide jaws, opens to 4 ¼, it weighs 21 lbs.
When I put it together it had a terrible rub when I tightened the handle. I had to grind some off the face to let the screw work smooth. Usually I have to add shims here.
It still had a bad rub so I found the main nut rubbed on the dynamic jaw. I had to grind off a 1/32 to make clearance.
Then it still had rub when I unscrewed the vise open. I had to add a chamfer to the collar to clear the casting. The spot face in the dynamic jaw cavity was not large enough and rubbed on the collar. Finally it works smooth.
It seems they were just trying to use standard components in a smaller casting vise. However, this is a really nice vise. Notice how the handle is a large handle with 1 1/16 balls on the end like a regular vise and notice the support under the dynamic jaw for good down force resistance. Doesn't the black knob on the main screw look way to big for the vise?
Looks like someone else needs a good rub, Katie says "finish the vise and rub me under my chin".....she has been sitting next to me the whole time I was fixing this vise.
Greg
Just finished this Lakeside 25 and thought I would post it here since you don’t see too many Lakeside vises. I recall seeing a few lakeside vises but never one like this. This one looks like a miniature old Reed or Prentice. Most lakeside vises are more like a utility or home shop vise. Lately I have seen a few red vises on “the vises of garage Journal” and I liked the way red looks on a small vise so I decided to do this one in red (and I found a can of red paint so I didn’t have to buy one….). It has 3 3/8 wide jaws, opens to 4 ¼, it weighs 21 lbs.
When I put it together it had a terrible rub when I tightened the handle. I had to grind some off the face to let the screw work smooth. Usually I have to add shims here.
It still had a bad rub so I found the main nut rubbed on the dynamic jaw. I had to grind off a 1/32 to make clearance.
Then it still had rub when I unscrewed the vise open. I had to add a chamfer to the collar to clear the casting. The spot face in the dynamic jaw cavity was not large enough and rubbed on the collar. Finally it works smooth.
It seems they were just trying to use standard components in a smaller casting vise. However, this is a really nice vise. Notice how the handle is a large handle with 1 1/16 balls on the end like a regular vise and notice the support under the dynamic jaw for good down force resistance. Doesn't the black knob on the main screw look way to big for the vise?
Looks like someone else needs a good rub, Katie says "finish the vise and rub me under my chin".....she has been sitting next to me the whole time I was fixing this vise.
Greg
Outlawmws
Well-known member
Nice job Gregthor, and give that pooch a scritch under the chin!