The VISES of Garage Journal

[jaker10]

I took my Columbian 604 to work today and tore it down. Threw it in the parts washer, glass beaded all parts and painted. I tried my luck with the press to straighten the handle. Here are before and after pictures. I still don't know if I like it red.

 

[drivesitfar]

Thats the model but not the one i sold. I posted some link to the pictures of mine in a previous post. It has no damage to the castings around the swivel which is very rare and the jaws were hardly touched.

I picked up a second one a year later but mentally, it was like trading a new Lamborghini for a beat to hell Yugo. I lost on the deal big time, even though i made a pile of money

I hope I didn't open up any old wounds by showing mine. I actually bought mine from the 65 year old son of the original owner that didn't have any idea that the rear jaw came off and would swivel.

go take a long look at some of your other gems and you'll feel a little better.

 

[Fretters]

The decision behind the red and blue colors were a tip of the hat to America. I couldn't figure out a way to incorporate blue on the Red/White vise so i did the second in Blue and it highlighted the Red in the Craftsman logo.

The grooves on the handles would have been the perfect place for a little quirk like that. Each groove one of the colours.

I took my Columbian 604 to work today and tore it down. Threw it in the parts washer, glass beaded all parts and painted. I tried my luck with the press to straighten the handle. Here are before and after pictures. I still don't know if I like it red.

Looks good. Slightly darker shade would probably have suited the style of vice slightly better, IMHO, but looks very good nonetheless. Once it gets used, you'll not be spending too much time worrying about the colour.

 

[oldldh]

The decision behind the red and blue colors were a tip of the hat to America. I couldn't figure out a way to incorporate blue on the Red/White vise so i did the second in Blue and it highlighted the Red in the Craftsman logo.

That I understand...

I will find a 5198, someday, and I will restore it like your "Red" one, and I will not be selling it!!!

And I am going to mount it to my workbench, and I will use----gently...

 

[Filson]

I took my Columbian 604 to work today and tore it down. Threw it in the parts washer, glass beaded all parts and painted. I tried my luck with the press to straighten the handle. Here are before and after pictures. I still don't know if I like it red.

Nice vise! If you don't like the red, go with something else! Part of the joy of having stuff that's fun to work on, is well, workin' on it. If it were me (just personal preference) I would go with a darker hammered metal look, or a sort of industrial blue/green. Do what you want with it, what makes you happy. Hell, my 208 looks like a john deere tractor and my boys love it, so why not?

How was it, working the handle straight?

 

[eyeballengineer]

Here is my craftsman. don't know anything about it other than its been mounted to my table for a while. Is it American? next is my Chinese POS olimpian that never works right. Last is this 70+ year old gem I found in the trash recently.

 

[oldldh]

eyeball---That Emmert, that you found in the trash, is going to cause a lot of folks on the vise thread to increase their medication...

I like it, and I think it's begging for a "proper restoration"!!!

Arrest Me Red!!!

 

[jaker10]

Nice vise! If you don't like the red, go with something else! Part of the joy of having stuff that's fun to work on, is well, workin' on it. If it were me (just personal preference) I would go with a darker hammered metal look, or a sort of industrial blue/green. Do what you want with it, what makes you happy. Hell, my 208 looks like a john deere tractor and my boys love it, so why not?

How was it, working the handle straight?

Pain in the ****, put it in the press, had to bend it, roll and bend, roll and bend.

 

[EOC_Jason]

Here is my craftsman. don't know anything about it other than its been mounted to my table for a while. Is it American?

If you unmount it and look at the bottom of the base, it probably says "Japan"... That is where most of the foreign ones of that time were made. The ones in the USA say "Made in USA" on the side. Still an excellent vise and probably found in most older garages in surburban america.

 

[ritzblitz]

WHAT YOU FOUND THAT EMMERT IN THE TRASH!?!?!?

What can you even say to that, YOU ****! doesn't even come close.

One of those sold recently on eBay for around 800 IIRC

 

[zkling]

Pain in the ****, put it in the press, had to bend it, roll and bend, roll and bend.

One tip for straightening shafts like that. Make up a simple 3 point bending jig out of ~1" dia solid round stock welded and or bolted to flat plate. You'll need two for the table and one for the ram. With that and a little bit (or alot depending on project) of patience you should be able to straighten most any small shaft to visually and mechanically acceptable. I usually use the arbor press to get more feel into the work. The wider apart the table supports are the easier and larger radius it will bend.

 

[jaker10]

One tip for straightening shafts like that. Make up a simple 3 point bending jig out of ~1" dia solid round stock welded and or bolted to flat plate. You'll need two for the table and one for the ram. With that and a little bit (or alot depending on project) of patience you should be able to straighten most any small shaft to visually and mechanically acceptable. I usually use the arbor press to get more feel into the work. The wider apart the table supports are the easier and larger radius it will bend.

Thanks I'll try that next time

 

[jaker10]

I was offered a Morgan NO. 5 today. It is new enough that it has a sticker on it, name not cast into it. He said it was made in Illinois. $75.00 That sounds High to me, what do you think ??

 

[ritzblitz]

If no 5 means 5", 75$ is a fine price if it's in good shape.

 

[GETRIDAONE]

I was offered a Morgan NO. 5 today. It is new enough that it has a sticker on it, name not cast into it. He said it was made in Illinois. $75.00 That sounds High to me, what do you think ??

I bet it says U 5 at the bottom the silver color label with Morgan logo in black. The one I had was an import made by Eron and was painted red. Sorry no pictures, the cable for the camera is at work.

 

[jaker10]

I bet it says U 5 at the bottom the silver color label with Morgan logo in black. The one I had was an import made by Eron and was painted red. Sorry no pictures, the cable for the camera is at work.

It took me a bit to figure out how to move E-mail picture here it is.

 

[zoomieport]

I was offered a Morgan NO. 5 today. It is new enough that it has a sticker on it, name not cast into it. He said it was made in Illinois. $75.00 That sounds High to me, what do you think ??

I agree with your assesment, $75 is much too high, in my opinion.

Take Care!
ZOOM

 

[mesquiteforge]

Picked up a large Wilton 09-600 today-gonna have to do a little work to get all the red paint off-but $300 for a solid Wilton-was too good to pass up.


Two others that I have yet to mount:
Rock Island 574 and a Simplex..

 

[GETRIDAONE]

It took me a bit to figure out how to move E-mail picture here it is.

That one looks a little older / different than the one I had. Mine looked very similar to the Japanese Craftsman vise with the stamped steel slide.

 

[Fretters]

Dug a couple of photo's of the other vices out. First one is a small Woden, (restored), second is a small Record.

 

[Mark in Indiana]

Dug a couple of photo's of the other vices out. First one is a small Woden, (restored), second is a small Record.

You do great work. Looks like I could learn from you.

 

[jaker10]

I Have a Chas. Parker 102 I am thinking about getting cleaned up and painted. Any one know what color it should be or left alone.

 

[bareass172]

A big thanks to Jason on here who helped me replace my old piece of China junk with this Yost 32C. Got it yesterday and got it mounted to the bench today.

 

[EOC_Jason]

A big thanks to Jason on here who helped me replace my old piece of China junk with this Yost 32C. Got it yesterday and got it mounted to the bench today.

Looking good.

A little tip, if you want to try and get those lock-down handles straight, you can use a washer or two and cross your fingers your get them to a more parallel position when they are tight. Also try to tighten up each side gradually & evenly.

 

[va.grouseman]

Originally posted by Getridaone.

I bet it says U 5 at the bottom the silver color label with Morgan logo in black. The one I had was an import made by Eron and was painted red.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


I have a cheap looking Milwaukee that's the spitting image of that red Morgan. I'd gamble that both were rebranded Erons.

 

[ritzblitz]

Don't even bother with that Morgan 5, I wouldn't want it.

 

[GETRIDAONE]

There is one Dayid's page that looks like it but says " Made In USA" on the dynamic jaw.

 

[drivesitfar]

Mesquite: I think you have some very nice old US steel there and thanks for sharing the pictures.

Jaker: any color you choose will look great on that old Columbian and maybe a little white paint pin stripping and on the letters to make that red pop might be a quick fix.

NOW who finds an Emmert vise sitting in the trash or on a scrap pile?? i'm not a fan of the other vises you have, but the Emmert vise looks very cool. thanks for saving it and if you don't want to keep it some benjamins might be in your near future to exchange for it.

 

[Grigg]

That recent Emmert vise picture reminded me of one I have.

Here's a nice picture of a bunch of Emmert and an Oliver Pattern Makers vises from a tool club meeting several years ago. They're not all mine though one of them is, and the little Emmert pictured above.

 

[eyeballengineer]

Not sure what I'm gonna do with it. I don't have the time or inclination to restore it . Might just mount it on a bench and use it once in a while.

I'd like to get a really small vise to mount on my tool cart or something like this just not fro china.

 

[coyotejake]

A big thanks to Jason on here who helped me replace my old piece of China junk with this Yost 32C. Got it yesterday and got it mounted to the bench today.

Congrats! I remember your post about your buddy accidentally breaking your vise, it's good to see you're back in business!

 

[Fretters]

Those Emmert's are lovely things. They're practically art.

 

[bigcaddy]

Art you say?

Check out this masterpiece i found at the flea market this morning. The price on the front was more then what i paid since the guy didn't want to haul it back into his truck at the end of the day

 

[drivesitfar]

Nice find Big Caddy. looks like the before vise of the row of those Emmerts that Grigg just posted.

did you get every old US standard vise and now moving over to the wood versions?

 

[bigcaddy]

Nice find Big Caddy. looks like the before vise of the row of those Emmerts that Grigg just posted.

did you get every old US standard vise and now moving over to the wood versions?

Nah, i just knew it was worth more then 40 bucks and some people go nuts over Emmerts. It looked fairly complete to so it had to come home with me.

 

[Fretters]

Nice. I do have to admit that you do have some ****, (I can use that word to describe machinery/tools as the wife ain't in at the moment ), vices across there.

 

[ritzblitz]

Amazing price on that turtleback

 

[Bhfear]

I have been out of the vise loop lately... busy with other projects but picked up this rock island today... about 5 miles away from actual rock island IL. so that's always kind of neat. Anyways I bought it because of the swivel base, I see a lot of them posted for sale with out bases so I thought it was kind of a Gem.lol.. anyways its a 4" #172. It looks like it is going to need a new spindle or maybe just some work done to that.... Off to the blast cabinet will post pics after the refurb.. Does anyone know what color a 172 would have been? and how do I find the age?

 

[bigcaddy]

I'm pretty sure the rock islands with the odd crescent shape behind the forged, non removeable jaw pads are the older variety. Date wise I'm not sure but it's an oldie, perhaps pre 1930 or so?

 

[drivesitfar]

Rock Island was taken over by the Birtman electric company in the late 40's or early 50's as I recall and they put their nice little metal badges on the Rock Island vises they sold.

since yours doesn't have the badge and doesn't look like it has the 2 little holes where it would have been then I have to agree with Caddy that it is one of their older ones.

nice find and especially since you live where it is was made which isn't always easy to do. I have several older Rock Island vises and I don't have one with those curves above the top of the jaws, but would like to own one.