The VISES of Garage Journal

[wrenchguy]

Re: A couple vise pics 4 newer members here.

some r from P-Machinest and vises of g-journal. i use these as desk top photos rotating every couple weeks. i'm wanting to figure out how to get on desk top and they change out automatic every few minutes or so. any help? i got a mac book.

driveit, 3rd pic is a r-i 577 under that oilpan. (notmine but neat recycle use)

thanks and happy hoildays.

 

[oldldh]

Ho! Ho! Ho!

 

[BFBOB]

Re: A couple vise pics 4 newer members here.

Hey, WrenchGuy, is that Aeroplane yours? Is it for sale? Also looking for a Parker 94 to keep my Parker 63 1/2 company. (I like the Art Deco era - can you tell?)

some r from P-Machinest and vises of g-journal. i use these as desk top photos rotating every couple weeks. i'm wanting to figure out how to get on desk top and they change out every few minutes or so. any help? i got a mac book.

driveit, 3rd pic is a r-i 577 under that oilpan. (notmine but neat recycle use)

thanks and happy hoildays.

 

[drivesitfar]

awesome accessory for your Rock Island 577 that sits outside. also is that your Prentiss on the bench of the old repair shop or is yours bigger? since my 577 is almost 180 pounds I saw the picture from the side next to your Prentiss and your Prentiss looked over twice as big hence the 400 pound #. 275 is still huge.

love the pictures of the old shops with our old vises and grinders and tools just sitting around waiting to be used. don't forget to include the vise playing like a horse for your grandkids on your screensaver grouping. sorry can't help with a Mac, but you can choose random pics changing for screensaver on Windows so maybe Mac has same option.

Merry Christmas and anybody wake up and find a vise under their tree?????

 

[wrenchguy]

Re: A couple vise pics 4 newer members here.

The streamliner pic is from practical machinist vise thread, not mine. there has been some on ebay few months back. no vises in these 3 pics are mine, just desktop pics i use. thanks 4 looking.

Hey, WrenchGuy, is that Aeroplane yours? Is it for sale? Also looking for a Parker 94 to keep my Parker 63 1/2 company. (I like the Art Deco era - can you tell?)

 

[gregthor]

Merry Christmas Garage Journal Friends!!!
Thanks for keeping my favorite thread alive.

Here is an old one. I may have posted this one before. My mind is not what it used to be... A few years back Whirlpool (the washer & dryer people) had their 100th anniversary and this photo was in an article about the company. Can you identify the vises? Isn't that cool a vise every 4 feet on the bench.
Think about the vise in this production environment. All the wear on the main screw probably happened over about 1/2 inch of travel.
The photo brings back memories of my Dad's machine shop I worked at in my teens. His shop had the same windows and I remember making and standing on those wood grates on the floor.
Greg

 

[jrsmyd]

So I scored two vises today when visiting my grandma for our annual family Christmas gathering. She said both vises were her dads. She is 94 for perspective. She said the blacksmith vise is around a hundred years old. May be older. I don't know. Couldn't find any markings on it and it is very rusted, but works.

The Fuller is in excellent condition, almost like new. It has never seen the outside, and wasn't abused. All I know is it is a mechanics vise. Other than that, I know nothing about the company, where it was made, if it is a quality vise, etc.

 

[autopts]

Happy Holidays all!
I had this 3" Yost Muskegon that I cleaned up. I don't think it was ever mounted and used however all 3 bars were missing. There isn't a user mark on it. I'm thinking it got legs ran out without the spindle and swivel handles. The jaws are untouched. The is no model #. I'll call it a 203.

 

[Mark in Indiana]

So I scored two vises today when visiting my grandma for our annual family Christmas gathering. She said both vises were her dads. She is 94 for perspective. She said the blacksmith vise is around a hundred years old. May be older. I don't know. Couldn't find any markings on it and it is very rusted, but works.

The Fuller is in excellent condition, almost like new. It has never seen the outside, and wasn't abused. All I know is it is a mechanics vise. Other than that, I know nothing about the company, where it was made, if it is a quality vise, etc.

Wow! Those vises are in amazing shape!

 

[bigcaddy]

Merry Christmas Garage Journal Friends!!!
Thanks for keeping my favorite thread alive.

Here is an old one. I may have posted this one before. My mind is not what it used to be... A few years back Whirlpool (the washer & dryer people) had their 100th anniversary and this photo was in an article about the company. Can you identify the vises? Isn't that cool a vise every 4 feet on the bench.
Think about the vise in this production environment. All the wear on the main screw probably happened over about 1/2 inch of travel.
The photo brings back memories of my Dad's machine shop I worked at in my teens. His shop had the same windows and I remember making and standing on those wood grates on the floor.
Greg

They look like Athols but its not a very clear picture.


Merry Christmas everybody!!

 

[balane]

Happy Holidays all!
I had this 3" Yost Muskegon that I cleaned up. I don't think it was ever mounted and used however all 3 bars were missing. There isn't a user mark on it. I'm thinking it got legs ran out without the spindle and swivel handles. The jaws are untouched. The is no model #. I'll call it a 203.

Wow, that is a really nice and clean vise. Somebody is going to love it!

 

[MeentSS02]

No great stories, no cool resto...opened a box and plopped it down on my bench (Ridgid F50):

Seems like a nice vise that should meet my light usage needs for a very long time.

 

[TreePointer]

No great stories, no cool resto...opened a box and plopped it down on my bench (Ridgid F50):

Seems like a nice vise that should meet my light usage needs for a very long time.

Smooth lines and almost aerodynamic looking. Perfect for Dayton, OH.

 

[MeentSS02]

And for anyone looking for mounting ideas, here's how I did mine...

Started with a 1/4" plate of 7075-T651 aluminum...essentially it is used as a big washer:

Edges were bit rough though:

Sent the plate to Phoenix Specialty Coatings (forum member CudaChick1968 on here) to have it cleaned up and powder coated. She did a fantastic job cleaning up the edges and shot it with Wetstone Black wrinkle:

The vise base can be separated from the rest of the vise, making it easier to get everything in place and cinched down:

Picture of the through-bolts/nuts/washers from the bottom...had to do some careful measuring and drilling to clear the various obstructions that hide under the Lista cabinet tops, including the drawers:

I had to make a bit of a compromise on the mounting location...I could only get the static jaw to clear the bench on the front side. That's how it will be used the most, so I didn't mind:

Now let's see how long it takes to get some scratches in everything.

 

[MeentSS02]

Smooth lines and almost aerodynamic looking. Perfect for Dayton, OH.

That's a big part of what drew me to the F-50...it's a very nice looking vise.

 

[bigcaddy]

No great stories, no cool resto...opened a box and plopped it down on my bench (Ridgid F50):

Seems like a nice vise that should meet my light usage needs for a very long tim

Was that bench in the kitchen or garage?

Wherever you installed the vise, it looks fantastic and extremely clean. Now its time to start getting things messy

 

[bluebolt]

And ARP 12 point stainless bolts to hold it down! That shop is too clean!

 

[MeentSS02]

And ARP 12 point stainless bolts to hold it down! That shop is too clean!

Good eye Wasn't sure anyone would notice those.

 

[wrenchguy]

i'd b afraid to set foot there, nice though. good luck,
wrenchguy aka bizbag

 

[jrsmyd]

Went to some local flea markets today in my area and found some gems for sale.

This Wilton looks new. Was hard to turn though; guessing to lack of grease. Asking $245

This gem was made in my home state. I thought was cool. Asking around $95. Don't remember exact price.

I know I've seen this vise on here. Can't recall the name. It was in great shape. Asking $97.

What does everyone think of the prices?

 

[drivesitfar]

Blue vise posted last is a Polish vise and could be your best buy especially if the jaws are 4 inches or wider. front jaw stays in place while the back jaw moves backwards.

 

[jrsmyd]

Blue vise posted last is a Polish vise and could be your best buy especially if the jaws are 4 inches or wider. front jaw stays in place while the back jaw moves backwards.

I am pretty sure the jaws are at least 4 inches. I might pick it up then. It was pretty cool to see it move backwards. Didn't expect that.

 

[drivesitfar]

if you are not working with huge items the Polish vise is a definite winner and a nice conversation starter in your shop/garage.

the other bright blue vise to the right of it might be an English made Record which is another nice vise if the price is ok. make sure it says Made in England if you might want to buy it. good luck

 

[jrsmyd]

if you are not working with huge items the Polish vise is a definite winner and a nice conversation starter in your shop/garage.

the other bright blue vise to the right of it might be an English made Record which is another nice vise if the price is ok. make sure it says Made in England if you might want to buy it. good luck

I opted not to shoot a pic of the blue one since it was a china made vise. It wasn't worth gracing the pages of this thread I would have been stoked if it was a Record though. Those are beauts.

I'm keeping my eyes open on some estate sales in my area. I found a machinist estate sale I want to go to that has some amazing vintage stuff there. Can't wait to see what I find.

 

[bigcaddy]

I didn't have much time to get anything done since its been a busy Christmas but was able to take a few pictures of my new acquisitions for the collection.

They both got a Christmas makeover since they had to look good. I had guests coming over for a party!

The Hollands is a number 24 with 4 inch jaws and a swivel base. Not 2 weeks before i bought that one, i picked up a Hollands 14, same vise with a fixed base.


The Craftsman is on the smaller size, 3 ½"" jaws, with a model number of 05195. Its not as clean as my other similar Craftsmans, but still well built and shows little to no wear.

I hope you all had a great Christmas or just spent some quality time with family in the past few days. With that said, i've got to return to mine and enjoy some more holiday celebrations.

 

[oldldh]

Big---If only your Craftsman was one of the grownup 5197/5198 variety...

I'd have to put a "Godfather" on you, and make you an offer, that you couldn't refuse...

 

[gregthor]

I finished this Chas Parker 974 just before the holidays. My wife came home from work a while back and said a friend from work had lightening hit their pole barn and the fire totally destroyed the barn and all the stuff inside. They just live a few miles from us. My wife and I were talking and said there must be something we can do to help. So after a few minutes we thought… hmm…what is the second thing he will need after the barn is re-built?? Right! A vise!! (The first thing is a work bench to put the vise on) So I went to my “stuff waiting to be restored” pile and dug out this Chas Parker 974. After an e-tank bath some degreasing, I checked it all over and found no cracks, no weld, a straight handle and nice jaws. Perfect! Just right for a gift. So I repainted it, lubed it and fine-tuned the backlash out of it. Tonight we went over to his house and gave it to him. He really appreciated it. Funny thing is someone had already given him a work bench so he can mount it and began using it soon.

 

[Ross/Kzoo]

I've got one for sale right now on Craigslist:

https://post.craigslist.org/manage/4249894770

 

[drivesitfar]

Wow. nice vise and better story. too bad about the barn, but i'm betting he likes having neighbors like you.

 

[Recoil Rob]

Absolutely the best Xmas story....

 

[wrenchguy]

nice and proof of good will.

 

[sasquatch12]

The Vise (Blue One ) posted back at post #12081 is a polish or where ever Bison Vise. I have that same vise in a 5 inch, nice vise, very smooth.
Bison stuff is usually good quality at least in machining items they produce.
Not sure if they're still made, but i believe those vises,, at least mine, are around 20 years old, Bought mine almost mint from an electrician who just wanted to downsize some stuff, paid $15.00 for it. (Mine was a light green colour.)

 

[jrsmyd]

I finished this Chas Parker 974 just before the holidays. My wife came home from work a while back and said a friend from work had lightening hit their pole barn and the fire totally destroyed the barn and all the stuff inside. They just live a few miles from us. My wife and I were talking and said there must be something we can do to help. So after a few minutes we thought… hmm…what is the second thing he will need after the barn is re-built?? Right! A vise!! (The first thing is a work bench to put the vise on) So I went to my “stuff waiting to be restored” pile and dug out this Chas Parker 974. After an e-tank bath some degreasing, I checked it all over and found no cracks, no weld, a straight handle and nice jaws. Perfect! Just right for a gift. So I repainted it, lubed it and fine-tuned the backlash out of it. Tonight we went over to his house and gave it to him. He really appreciated it. Funny thing is someone had already given him a work bench so he can mount it and began using it soon.

Very cool of you to do!

 

[jrsmyd]

The Vise (Blue One ) posted back at post #12081 is a polish or where ever Bison Vise. I have that same vise in a 5 inch, nice vise, very smooth.
Bison stuff is usually good quality at least in machining items they produce.
Not sure if they're still made, but i believe those vises,, at least mine, are around 20 years old, Bought mine almost mint from an electrician who just wanted to downsize some stuff, paid $15.00 for it. (Mine was a light green colour.)

I wish I could get that one in my pic for $15! It was extremely smooth operating. A very nice vise indeed. I will admit I have my eyes set on a Wilton bullet vise more vintage than the one in my first pic. The premium they seem to command is a little hard to swallow, but if I can find one for a bargain price I'm all over it.

 

[oldldh]

Gregthor---

You get my "Ya Dun Gud, Bubba" for today...

Give yourself a pat on the back...good neighbors, and "nice guys" are getting hard to find these days...(I'm old and a bit cynical...)

 

[Mark in Indiana]

Went to some local flea markets today in my area and found some gems for sale.

This Wilton looks new. Was hard to turn though; guessing to lack of grease. Asking $245

This gem was made in my home state. I thought was cool. Asking around $95. Don't remember exact price.

I know I've seen this vise on here. Can't recall the name. It was in great shape. Asking $97.

What does everyone think of the prices?

JMO: I think that vintage vises are under valued for the quality that you get compared to what's available in new vises. However, from what I've seen in the various markets, I think the Wilton and American Scale are selling at retail to high retail. The 3rd. vise (looks like a Bison from Poland), is a reasonable price. In fact I would grab that one if I were closer. My Dad has a 3" Bison that is considered a light duty and its quality is tops.

 

[Mark in Indiana]

I finished this Chas Parker 974 just before the holidays. My wife came home from work a while back and said a friend from work had lightening hit their pole barn and the fire totally destroyed the barn and all the stuff inside. They just live a few miles from us. My wife and I were talking and said there must be something we can do to help. So after a few minutes we thought… hmm…what is the second thing he will need after the barn is re-built?? Right! A vise!! (The first thing is a work bench to put the vise on) So I went to my “stuff waiting to be restored” pile and dug out this Chas Parker 974. After an e-tank bath some degreasing, I checked it all over and found no cracks, no weld, a straight handle and nice jaws. Perfect! Just right for a gift. So I repainted it, lubed it and fine-tuned the backlash out of it. Tonight we went over to his house and gave it to him. He really appreciated it. Funny thing is someone had already given him a work bench so he can mount it and began using it soon.

You did a great thing for your friend. I'm sure that he will always look at it fondly.

 

[RedVise]

Here's a couple small vices I picked up yesterday, can anyone help identify a possible origin? The mini-blacksmith vice is very cool, works great and is in fine condition. The larger one with the steel rule attached operates super smooth and opens to 2". I cannot locate any forging/casting marks to indicate a manufacturer.. Any help would be greatly appreciated as they will be put up for a new owner$$$

View media item 36342

Wow Sweet !! I like the clamp on vises, and those two are unique. That handle with the wood knob, does it look like it is original?

Brian

 

[Mark in Indiana]

Here's a couple small vices I picked up yesterday, can anyone help identify a possible origin? The mini-blacksmith vice is very cool, works great and is in fine condition. The larger one with the steel rule attached operates super smooth and opens to 2". I cannot locate any forging/casting marks to indicate a manufacturer.. Any help would be greatly appreciated as they will be put up for a new owner$$$

View media item 36342
This one looks a lot like my Vindex, manufactured by the National Sewing Company, (circa 1930?). I dig the crank handle. Your other vise looks great too.

 

[Hopalong604]

Work vise