The VISES of Garage Journal

[oldldh]

I suspect that Craftsman vise has had the absolute el crapola polished out of it, and then had clear sprayed all over it...

It's not "painted", it's "cleared"...

I think...

 

[Wadeh66]

I know it's a little late and there have been many opinions about cleaning up the jaws the way that you did, but I would like to thank you for your idea. Most of my restorations, i leave the saw marks and dents to keep the historic charactor of the vise. However, I have a larger Montgomery Ward vise that is too toasty to be nothing more than a beater. With your idea, I can give this vise a lot of class. I'll post pictures in the near future.

I think mine looks much better in person than it does in the pictures. I didn't take out all of the saw/grinder marks, but just enough to clean it up and make it look a little less used. I used three progressively finer files to make the final finish smooth and then put it on the wire wheel to give it a very uniform finish.

I don't regret doing it one bit and I'm very happy with the way it turned out.

 

[Radio Ron w4ron]

you could well be right.
what with the black highlights showing that would
not show through paint.
I too think someone has polished the **** out of it
and then cleared it.



.

 

[Outlawmws]

What is this color that is so appealing to the eye and is making the Craftsman vises score big on E-bay? I have a Columbian/Craftsman I'd like to paint that color. Or is it a color at all?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Cra...168140680?pt=Clamps_Vises&hash=item4176ed5988

cleaned, polished, lightly lubricated and has three coats of clear paint.

I suspect they also painted it black, then polished (again) leaving some black highlights before the clear coat.

It does look cool; I'm just not sure I'd put in that much effort an anything but a showpiece, or maybe a gun smithing vise... (Or that level of work) certainly not a shop vise.

 

[Filson]

I picked up a Wilton 1644 made in USA vise that isn't a bullet style. Has a swivel base with anvil in back. 4" wide faces with pipe jaws. I'll add pics tomorrow. Anyone have any info on these? Seems Chinese style but it actually feels pretty solid.

 

[zoomieport]

This one goes out to ---->

(don't call me EOC) Jason (I left one REED in there for you), Nick (The Godfather) Autopts, Kevin (Serrations) Scott and my partner in crime (so what if he's a cop) CBRAX...

Enjoy!

ZOOM

 

[Jarhead0408]

Wow. Very nice.

 

[Filson]

This one goes out to ---->

(don't call me EOC) Jason (I left one REED in there for you), Nick (The Godfather) Autopts, Kevin (Serrations) Scott and my partner in crime (so what if he's a cop) CBRAX...

Enjoy!

ZOOM

Woot! Love the Reed!

Hell of a collection bro - great job

 

[Wadeh66]

Wow. Very nice.

Hey Jarhead0408....I noticed we both follow another NC forum about a different type of tool. Small world...

 

[Wadeh66]

Parker owners:

Have any of you noticed if the yoke has patent dates punched into the end also? I just noticed that mine does. It's hard to see and this picture *****, but you can make out the "1867" date.

 

[EOC_Jason]

This one goes out to ---->

(don't call me EOC) Jason (I left one REED in there for you), Nick (The Godfather) Autopts, Kevin (Serrations) Scott and my partner in crime (so what if he's a cop) CBRAX...

Enjoy!

ZOOM

OMG that is awesome! Your back must be sore today from dragging all those together for the picture! LOL... Poor Reed, so lonely by itself..

 

[KMScott]

This one goes out to ---->

(don't call me EOC) Jason (I left one REED in there for you), Nick (The Godfather) Autopts, Kevin (Serrations) Scott and my partner in crime (so what if he's a cop) CBRAX...

Enjoy!

ZOOM

Zoomie, you make my day, that is one awesome picture. I am saving your pic for one of my websites if you do not mind. All of these vises would crush my living room, maybe not yours. Thanks for sharing.

 

[va.grouseman]

Originally posted by KMScott

Zoomie, you make my day, that is one awesome picture. I am saving your pic for one of my websites if you do not mind. All of these vises would crush my living room, maybe not yours. Thanks for sharing
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

That's just the bathroom, you aught to see the rest of the house.

 

[Larey]

New to me vise off CL for 10 bucks. It needs a little touch up and a new handle. Not sure of the info on it except that it is a Yost.

 

[jusridin]

Zoomie, That's very impressive. Do you pick most of them up local?

 

[JoeFin]

Here are a few pictures of a Brown and Sharp #4 Mill Vise I did a few years back

Real shame some goobers used it and poked drill bits into the body. I imagine the old girl suffered through a tenure in a High School Machine shop. No respectable machinist I know would be lazy enough not to use parallels or at least a block of wood

After filling the holes with 5095 rod and filling to "Close Enough" I like to take them back to precision on a surface grinder.

Also had to deal with a couple a screws that were too rusted in to remove by conventional means, and ya I mean Impact Driver and a 2lb hammer

If I remember right Brown and Sharp used a 1/2" x 14tpi slot head screw, which I had to make on the lathe. Other then that it was just some clean up of all the parts

Add a little paint and here is the finished product - complete with original handle

Well that's my vise !!

 

[Outlawmws]

And a VERY nice job getting back into action! Well done!

 

[ganymede]

^^^^^
Nice job on that B&S !
Especially for filling in the drill holes.
I have a soft spot for their tools.

 

[Outlawmws]

And Zoomie, this explains why my Compass won't quite show true magnetic north...

I have to ask, are you missing ANY model No.'s?

 

[Low Friction]

New to me vise off CL for 10 bucks. It needs a little touch up and a new handle. Not sure of the info on it except that it is a Yost.

Nice Yost machinist vise. Bargain price. You can probably just straighten that handle. I normally remove the spindle/handle and bend it straight clamped in a vise.

 

[Filson]

New to me vise off CL for 10 bucks. It needs a little touch up and a new handle. Not sure of the info on it except that it is a Yost.

I can't see a model number by the pics - can you tell us what model it is? Yost is still in business making high end vises - and that is definitely a modern-era model. Find out what model it is and look it up on yost's website (http://www.yostvises.com/) to find more info about your particular vise.

I can say this - for $10 bucks you basically stole the sum *****. They are NOT cheap vises! Well done!

 

[balane]

Parker owners:

Have any of you noticed if the yoke has patent dates punched into the end also? I just noticed that mine does. It's hard to see and this picture *****, but you can make out the "1867" date.

I don't know the answer to your question but I have another question to add. What is the threaded hole for in the end of Parker's bulb? I can't think of a single use for that but I know they must have put it there for a reason.

 

[Mark in Indiana]

I don't know the answer to your question but I have another question to add. What is the threaded hole for in the end of Parker's bulb? I can't think of a single use for that but I know they must have put it there for a reason.

1. The threaded hole takes a slotted set screw & spring that is used to push against the handle to keep it from dropping fast and pinching your hand.

2. I looked at my CP 205 (Pat. 1930 on the body casting) with a jewelers loop and couldn't find any stampings.

 

[rtvinc]

Wadeh66,
having a hard time seeing where you are seeing the stamp..on the ball by the hole?

 

[Larey]

I can't see a model number by the pics - can you tell us what model it is? Yost is still in business making high end vises - and that is definitely a modern-era model. Find out what model it is and look it up on yost's website (http://www.yostvises.com/) to find more info about your particular vise.

I can say this - for $10 bucks you basically stole the sum *****. They are NOT cheap vises! Well done!

I think that it is this vise as I have a 3 stamped on it just like this image.
http://www.yostvises.com/heavy-duty-vises/bench-vises-swivel-base/3-machinist-vise-swivel-base.html

 

[balane]

Just got the big Parker mounted. I showed a photo of the notch I had to make in the bench. My camera ***** for colors. The vise is actually darker, called Italian Olive and it's the same color as my old Craftsman bench power tools. I'm really happy with how the Parker turned out. It's my new everyday user for sure, been looking for a nice, big vise for a long time. If I have one complaint it's that I'd like a little more throat depth but I'm happy to live with it.

At 130 pounds this vise was just too heavy to drag out to the tree stump for photos.

.

 

[Outlawmws]

1. The threaded hole takes a slotted set screw & spring that is used to push against the handle to keep it from dropping fast and pinching your hand.

2. I looked at my CP 205 (Pat. 1930 on the body casting) with a jewelers loop and couldn't find any stampings.

1. Wasn't there a "detent" slide, disk, ball, something so the spring isn't sliding directly on the handle?

 

[Radio Ron w4ron]

What is this color that is so appealing to the eye and is making the Craftsman vises score big on E-bay? I have a Columbian/Craftsman I'd like to paint that color. Or is it a color at all?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Cra...168140680?pt=Clamps_Vises&hash=item4176ed5988

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I like the looks of this polished vice. I spotted a smallish vice at a local
antique shop yesterday for only $9, I think I'm going to go back and buy it
and see if I can polish it like this one. I think cleaning it with the soda blaster first
and then going at it with a wire brush in the hand drill will work
pretty good. Then giving it a coat of gloss clear to finish it off.
I'll try and post some pix of the project as I go.
I really like the vice in the attached photo especially the anvil on the back.





.

 

[zoomieport]

Thanks for the kind words gentlemen!

Zoomie, you make my day, that is one awesome picture. I am saving your pic for one of my websites if you do not mind. All of these vises would crush my living room, maybe not yours. Thanks for sharing.

I don't mind at all!

Zoomie, That's very impressive. Do you pick most of them up local?

That's a tough question, I guess it depends on your definition of local, LOL!

I assume you mean, do I buy them on Ebay or hunt them down via Craigslist...
I would say 90% of mine (there's a lot more, these are just the Wiltons...) were off CL. As far as local, I drive all over for work so anything 4 hours or less I consider local. I have driven further (16 hours to South Carolina), to get them, but at a certain point you have to consider the economics of it. I have bought (and sold) several on Ebay, but usually it's either an uneducated listing, or a "white elephant" that I've been on the hunt for...

 

[zoomieport]

And Zoomie, this explains why my Compass won't quite show true magnetic north...

I have to ask, are you missing ANY model No.'s?

I pretty much have it whittled down to "hundred series", and they are all swivel base... So, to answer your question, I am still looking for an 800S in the shape I want it and the price I want it. I would also like to find a 400SJ, I have the 350SJ and 450SJ, but the last couple SJ's I saw sell on Ebay were pricey!

Sorry about the compass, I'll send you a new magnet!

 

[jakemac]

Sorry about the compass, I'll send you a new magnet!

I'd be careful about opening that package. The magnet may have a string on it to steal the vise off your bench !

 

[Mark in Indiana]

1. Wasn't there a "detent" slide, disk, ball, something so the spring isn't sliding directly on the handle?

My 205 and a 924 1/2 that I did both had the spring making direct contact on the handle. I didn't like that set up so I left them so loose that it made no difference.

 

[bigcaddy]

Here is my submission for the day. Flea market finds from a picker buddy of mine that has an eye for tools of any kind but he usually saves the vises for me until i pass on them.

2 mid grade Wilton mechanics vises. Both are in excellent, nearly unused condition. The lighter blue one has some minor surface rust and thats it. Its never been hit with anything, let alone clamped on something.

 

[Outlawmws]

I pretty much have it whittled down to "hundred series", and they are all swivel base... So, to answer your question, I am still looking for an 800S in the shape I want it and the price I want it. I would also like to find a 400SJ, I have the 350SJ and 450SJ, but the last couple SJ's I saw sell on Ebay were pricey!

Sorry about the compass, I'll send you a new magnet!

I'd be careful about opening that package. The magnet may have a string on it to steal the vise off your bench !

Hmm maybe I can do a little "reverse polarity" and steel one of the Baby Wiltons!

 

[flashman]

Well, last post for me with this vise until I can get the swivel locks in. Apparently it is 8-10 days for processing before shipping so I have a ways to go until this vise is safe and useable. It does look good though and I think I may do black lettering to help offset the copper

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 2

 

[zoomieport]

Well, last post for me with this vise until I can get the swivel locks in. Apparently it is 8-10 days for processing before shipping so I have a ways to go until this vise is safe and useable. It does look good though and I think I may do black lettering to help offset the copper

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 2

Well done!! I love that color, very sharp!!!

 

[Wadeh66]

Wadeh66,
having a hard time seeing where you are seeing the stamp..on the ball by the hole?

It's faint, but it's between 3:30 and 6:00. It looks like it was stamped on after it was machined. Not the best light in my garage and I only have an iPad camera. It definitely says 1867...

 

[PT Doc]

This one goes out to ---->

(don't call me EOC) Jason (I left one REED in there for you), Nick (The Godfather) Autopts, Kevin (Serrations) Scott and my partner in crime (so what if he's a cop) CBRAX...

Enjoy!

ZOOM

Holy cow. Wow.

 

[Wadeh66]

I don't know the answer to your question but I have another question to add. What is the threaded hole for in the end of Parker's bulb? I can't think of a single use for that but I know they must have put it there for a reason.

You can see the patent drawing below, which makes it a bit clearer.

The hole on the yoke on my vise isn't actually threaded, or no longer is threaded.

However, the 1867 patent cast into the yoke retainer cap, and the fact that it's stamped onto the end of the yoke itself, leads me to believe that mine was an early production after the patent. I might be wrong though, and I'm going to keep looking it over as soon as a find a good deal on one of those lighted magnifying glass...my eyesight now *****.

 

[Wadeh66]

1. The threaded hole takes a slotted set screw & spring that is used to push against the handle to keep it from dropping fast and pinching your hand.

2. I looked at my CP 205 (Pat. 1930 on the body casting) with a jewelers loop and couldn't find any stampings.

Thanks for checking yours Mark. I'm being a bit **** about finding out all I can about my vise....wish I had asked about it before my papa passed on in 1995, but these old tools and a couple of old tobacco pipes are the only things of his that I have.