The VISES of Garage Journal

[autopts]

I've just finished cleaning up my first Parker, a 436 and am loving the Parker engineering, smooth operation, and stout iron. This one was used hard but still has a lot of life. To me their jaw inserts are the best. 6" jaws, about 180lbs. 3 boxes to ship, going to eBay and see what happens.

Gregg, that 436 is a Parker Classic and few out there are complete. Its throat alone is higher then a lot of vises, period. That big guy just might be going East. Very nice!

 

[EOC_Jason]

Nice Yost!! I've always loved the look of them espicially the taller stature. What's the story with the handles on certain Yost vises like this one? Did they have some sort of handle/crank you could use to lock them down more securely? IMO the run of the mill ball at the end of the handle seems more hand friendly than that design.

As someone else said, I'm sure it was a cost-cutting measure, every modern yost is like that. I'm sure it's just a huge press that cold forges the ends in one hit. Forming those nice ball ends requires a little more effort and thus cost....

 

[CNGsaves]

This blacksmith vise looks like a Reed ??

Ran across the CL listing a couple days too late as guy was just wanting it gone. He didn't list price and ended up selling for $95 . . . ouch. Snooze you lose . . . I lost.

 

[jpickar]

This blacksmith vise looks like a Reed ??

Ran across the CL listing a couple days too late as guy was just wanting it gone. He didn't list price and ended up selling for $95 . . . ouch. Snooze you lose . . . I lost.

I had a couple of those a few years back and gave them away!!!!

John

 

[Touch0Gray]

google fail

Hey....I'm new in town but I was wondering if anyone might know when this vise was made?

I was painting my bench vise and I realized it had a model number on it, so I decided to look it up ZIP.....NADA, well ONE sold on ebay, no info or picture. It is a Craftsman 5249 bench vise, 4.5 inches, solid cast iron. I can't even find out how old it is! It is a real beast, it has to weigh a good 40 pounds (estimate w/out un-mounting it and weighing it)

 

[Flatland Dave]

Here is a Parker #88 for sale a little north of Portland, OR. It looks like the rear end of the slide was damaged and someone used an end mill to reshape the area making it look like an intentional cutout.

That is the deal of the day. Wish my brother was going by. I'd give that $$ no problem.

 

[893cv]

This is my new to me Reed 405! I paid $60, not a bad deal.

 

[cclfn]

This is my new to me Reed 405! I paid $60, not a bad deal.

Well its awful dirty but I would give you $65 for it just so you don't lose any money on the deal.

I think thats pretty much in the "you ****" arena.

Wes

 

[sawbuck]

Re: google fail

hey....i'm new in town but i was wondering if anyone might know when this vise was made?

I was painting my bench vise and i realized it had a model number on it, so i decided to look it up zip.....nada, well one sold on ebay, no info or picture. It is a craftsman 5249 bench vise, 4.5 inches, solid cast iron. I can't even find out how old it is! It is a real beast, it has to weigh a good 40 pounds (estimate w/out un-mounting it and weighing it)

1998

 

[EOC_Jason]

This is my new to me Reed 405! I paid $60, not a bad deal.

You ****!

 

[TreePointer]

Nice snag on the Reed 405. Yep, you ****.

 

[va.grouseman]

This is my new to me Reed 405! I paid $60, not a bad deal.

893----If you don't go back and give the seller at least another $60.00, your conscience will consume you.

 

[bigcaddy]

Re: google fail

Hey....I'm new in town but I was wondering if anyone might know when this vise was made?

I was painting my bench vise and I realized it had a model number on it, so I decided to look it up ZIP.....NADA, well ONE sold on ebay, no info or picture. It is a Craftsman 5249 bench vise, 4.5 inches, solid cast iron. I can't even find out how old it is! It is a real beast, it has to weigh a good 40 pounds (estimate w/out un-mounting it and weighing it)

If you look under the layers of paint on the slide, there is usually a stamp or patent date marked into the metal. I've only seen one of these vises before so i don't know if all of them have date stamps. If memory serves, the design was patented around 1923

 

[Mark in Indiana]

This is my new to me Reed 405! I paid $60, not a bad deal.

I hear by nominate for an GJ "You ****" award. Congratulations!
You also now belong to the "Cool Kids With Pivot Jaw Vises Club".

 

[Mark in Indiana]

Here's my latest vise. It's a one owner Wilton 655 that I took in trade, with cash for the older Wilton Mechanics vise that I finished a couple of weeks ago. It's cool that my other vise went to a good home, this newer vise (late 90s) is low mileage, and made in USA. I hope to have this one off to a good home this weekend.

 

[893cv]

$60 was his asking price. I am guilt free! Dark green with black highlights on this one

 

[Outlawmws]

893----If you don't go back and give the seller at least another $60.00, your conscience will consume you.

All the way to than bank, but no further!

$60 was his asking price. I am guilt free! Dark green with black highlights on this one

 

[va.grouseman]

$60 was his asking price. I am guilt free! Dark green with black highlights on this one

I've got Reed vises in my saved searches on E-bay. I'll be watching/waiting on that one. Don't make me wait too long.

 

[893cv]

I've got Reed vises in my saved searches on E-bay. I'll be watching/waiting on that one. Don't make me wait too long.

There is a Reed 403 on ebay. Give it a look.

 

[EOC_Jason]

These aren't the Reed's you're looking for.... *waves hand like a Jedi*

Well, at least I have my 4 that I really wanted. Still kicking myself in the foot for not bidding higher on that MINT 224.5 a while back, even though it was missing the base.

 

[autopts]

This is my new to me Reed 405! I paid $60, not a bad deal.

Honestly, I don't say this often, but you ready do ****!!

 

[rusty65]

Re: google fail

If you look under the layers of paint on the slide, there is usually a stamp or patent date marked into the metal. I've only seen one of these vises before so i don't know if all of them have date stamps. If memory serves, the design was patented around 1923

Here is a ad for that Craftsman vise. I also have one and I mounted it on a drum from a truck.

Sent From Snap On Headquarters deep in China.

 

[BJ42LX]

Any idea what model this is? The owner said there are no model numbers on it anywhere. The jaws are 4.5". I was thinking C1. But without markings who knows?

 

[EOC_Jason]

If the jaws are 4.5" wide then it's a C1...

 

[mooseye]

Big one rescued from going to the scrap yard for $40, little one was a freebie in need of repair.



Uploaded with ImageShack.us

 

[Filson]

Big one rescued from going to the scrap yard for $40, little one was a freebie in need of repair.



Uploaded with ImageShack.us

Nice Reed 206! Great save!

 

[oldldh]

$40.00 that's a YOU ****!!!

FREE---that's a YOU REALLY ****!!!

Ya dun gud, Bubba...

 

[Provincial]

Here is a good photo of a Union-built 4" Parker vise. It shows the shape of the later jaws pretty well. Portland, OR Craigslist.

http://portland.craigslist.org/clc/tls/4064169824.html

 

[Provincial]

Who's going to snap up this bargain on a 6" Columbian for $1,000.00?

http://portland.craigslist.org/clk/tld/4063831654.html

I already have a 206M2 and don't have a spot for this one!

 

[TreePointer]

Time to sell my 6" Columbian!

(Mine is in much better condition.)

 

[Filson]

Here is a good photo of a Union-built 4" Parker vise. It shows the shape of the later jaws pretty well. Portland, OR Craigslist.

http://portland.craigslist.org/clc/tls/4064169824.html

I have a 6" though the jaws are of later design than this. Hope someone pics this up!

 

[jakemac]

I picked up this 3" Littleton #900 at a yard sale this morning. I don't really need another small vise, but for $1 I couldn't leave it behind. I'm infected.

 

[va.grouseman]

Big one rescued from going to the scrap yard for $40, little one was a freebie in need of repair.



Uploaded with ImageShack.us

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Mr. Mooseye-------If the Columbian brings a thousand, what will you ask for the 206?

 

[CecilTheTurtle]

Just picked up this little 3" Union-made Parker beauty this afternoon off CL. Seems to be a transitional model as the vise says New Britain CT but the swivel handle still says Meriden, CT. Everything works perfect, nary a scratch on 'er, just some surface rust that should buff right out. Best part? $30!

 

[CecilTheTurtle]

INteresting. Looks like Catamount's Parker he posted a while back has the exact same errors in the Union nameplate as mine does. Must have made the error in the casting itself.

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=70161

 

[Filson]

Who's going to snap up this bargain on a 6" Columbian for $1,000.00?

http://portland.craigslist.org/clk/tld/4063831654.html

Looks like I might have to sell my 208

View media item 33213

 

[Filson]

Just picked up this little 3" Union-made Parker beauty this afternoon off CL. Seems to be a transitional model as the vise says New Britain CT but the swivel handle still says Meriden, CT. Everything works perfect, nary a scratch on 'er, just some surface rust that should buff right out. Best part? $30!

Man that's a cool little thing! Have any info on the specs?

 

[ritzblitz]

It looks like that union Parker was made to be a non swivel and was adapted to an old Parker swivel base, hence the old swivel handle?

 

[Filson]

It looks like that union Parker was made to be a non swivel and was adapted to an old Parker swivel base, hence the old swivel handle?

The elevated area around the holes on the side tell me it was most likely made as a swivel, but perhaps the original swivel base was lost and it got replaced with this.

The round design also lends to a swivel, instead of having the overhang front design to catch the edge of the work bench.

 

[TreePointer]

Looks like I might have to sell my 208

View media item 33213

Whoah, that's the John Deere special edition model. Worth at least 3X the standard model!