The VISES of Garage Journal

[JasonJ]

One more when she was outside...

CLICKY FOR THE FULL GALLERY

 

[scrapdaddy]

That Ridgid is a late-model one when they were simply re-branded Columbians...

http://www.viseparts.com/product_p/ba-10106s41.htm

I would just keep the brass jaws...

Thanks Jason,

I have two of those Ridgid's, so I thought of putting steel jaws on one.

Thanks again for the link.

Ron

 

[Clik]

"Enjoy"? Is that a cryptic message of some sort. I can't read the rest.

 

[oldldh]

Jason----


Ya Dun Gud, Bubba!!!


And the color choice was right on the money!!!!


However----


I have bad news----


You're still missing a 5195, a 5197 and the "Ever Elusive"5198!!!


However----


I have good news----


You are ahead of me!!!

 

[Hot Chop shop]

One more when she was outside...

CLICKY FOR THE FULL GALLERY

How did I let that slip through my fingers??? That cleaned up real nice... You know its true love when you bolt it to the bench.

 

[G20-Budo]

Jason, great job on the craftsman vise! What color red is that? And what brand of paint? It looks kind of like a gloss of some kind?

 

[zkling]

Here she is in all her glory! Just to recap, this is what she looked like when I picked her up.

That looks fantastic. Great job on the rebuild. I really like the style on those with the large screw eye and grooves. Do you plan on painting the grooves? What did you use to final finish the slide?

 

[JasonJ]

How did I let that slip through my fingers??? That cleaned up real nice... You know its true love when you bolt it to the bench.

Hot Chop...
Ha! That is true, bolting it down might as well be marriage... Hmmm sounds like a slogan doesn't it?

Don't worry you never really missed it as it never officially made it to Craigslist. I was looking at bench grinders and this was in the background of one of the grinder pictures that I was looking at. I called the guy up and told him that I wasn't interested in the grinder but asked if he was willing to sell the vise.

Maybe because my girlfriend is out of town or maybe because I have had to much too drink... but I have to admit that I have been in the garage a few times tonight just to admire her a bit more.

G20-Budo...
Since I knew that I was keeping the vice, it had it powder coated instead of painting it myself. Figure the powder coat will last longer and stand up better in the long run. The color from the powder coater is Bengal Red.

I am pretty stoked to have it mounted finally. It has been a long search but I finally found the vise that made it as a permanent fixture on the work bench.... now wait until you see the atrocities that I am going to perform on it's grinder sibling that you see in the pictures. .... Yes, it too will be red.

 

[JasonJ]

That looks fantastic. Great job on the rebuild. I really like the style on those with the large screw eye and grooves. Do you plan on painting the grooves? What did you use to final finish the slide?

I am undecided if I want to paint the groovers or not. *IF* I do, I may just go with black to go with the 'theme' in the garage.

I tried a number of things on the slide but basically I hit it with a flap sanding disk on a angle grinder. Then used three different decreasing grits of scotch brite roloc pads and finally just a once over with a buffing wheel and some rubbing compound. I had a passing thought of seriously buffing it out to a mirror/chrome like finish but decided against it. Though that option is still available down the road as well.

I have to say though, I took a copper wire wheel to the main screw just to clean it up mostly and without any lubricate of any kind, the vise is smooth as silk.

 

[zkling]

I have to say though, I took a copper wire wheel to the main screw just to clean it up mostly and without any lubricate of any kind, the vise is smooth as silk.

Where did you get the copper wire wheel?

 

[tedsters]

that is awesome and that red is really a nice color what color red is it anyway, fits right in the rest of the garage you sure did a great job on it and a great find to boot

 

[Fretters]

Vice looks good. I'm more wondering why there's what appears to be a large, wooden, spider crowned ***** on your bench though?

 

[FMC1959]

Jason, very nice, not just the paint job, but the screw and slide also; looks like you just took it out of the box.

Vice looks good. I'm more wondering why there's what appears to be a large, wooden, spider crowned ***** on your bench though?

Fetters, l am glad you asked. I wanted to ask but didn't know how to ask as eloquently as you did!

 

[wrenchguy]

nice, copper or brass wheel? is that a date code stamped on the slide? i'll have to look closer on mine, anyone else have a date code on these models? outlaw does 1953 production work with the brochure showing this vise.

thanks.

 

[30-30remchester]

Hello Forum. Over the next few days I am going to be posting some photos, that I would like some advice and feed back from people more knowledgeable than myself. Vice #1 is a Ridgid brand 4 1/2" vice still in service. As I understand it Ridgid never produced vices just rebranded. On page 302 of this thread is a Columbia vice that appears to be identical to my vice. Do you feel that Columbia is the producer of my vice? Any idea of the age of my vice? Lastly, does anyone still produce the pipe jaws for this vice?







Thank you for any help or advice you can give.

 

[30-30remchester]

Oops, for some reason it posted all the same picture. Here are the other 2.

 

[30-30remchester]

Vice #2, I have questions about, is a little 2 1/2" clamp-on. The only markings on this is the #92 and on the bottom of the thumb screw is the number 300. Does anyone have any idea of the maker or when this was made?





Thank you in advance for any information or advice you can give.

 

[JasonJ]

Where did you get the copper wire wheel?

nice, copper or brass wheel?

Brass wheel, my mistake. Not sure where I got it originally, was laying in one my drawers and thought it would be good to remove the crud and such from the main screw.

Vice looks good. I'm more wondering why there's what appears to be a large, wooden, spider crowned ***** on your bench though?

I frequent a Tiki Bar and every so often they have a Tiki Carver that comes in and carves live in the bar. The Tiki's are then raffled off as prizes later that night.

On this particular night the carver announced that he was tired of people coming up to him at the end of night and claiming that they bought a bunch of raffle tickets and didn't win **** for it.

So... he carved a ****, and the person who won it would be the person who bought the most tickets and didn't win anything during the earlier raffles.

I think that I ended up buying $50 in tickets that night but then I started thinking that $50 might be what someone else bought in for, so I bought one more ticket for $2. At the end of the night he asked for everyone that bought $40 or more to come forward, and people gradually sat back down as he asked who had the next highest number of tickets. Eventually we were up to the people that bought $50 worth and it was me and this girl left.

As it turned out, I beat her out by that $2.

After getting it home, my girlfriend announced that it wasn't going in the house or the back patio, so on the workbench it went and that's where it stays.

.... the spider is another story.

 

[exmaxima1]

The big one now, in not horrible shape, like the others needs some TLC. Still have to clean off that little plate to see what it says, and confirm who made it. The guy had the other piece of the jaw there, just missing the screws.

I'd be curious as well as to the maker of the big vise. It looks very much like one I have on my bench. It's actually a very good vise and I use it daily

 

[mtesh73]

ridgid 5000r value

can anyone give me a clue as to what one in good condition may go for? no repairs, straight handle and lock down.

 

[OSULemon]

Looks like this might be a decent deal. He's asking $75...offer $50 and see if he bites?

 

[Filson]

Looks like this might be a decent deal. He's asking $75...offer $50 and see if he bites?

Not a bad deal at $75.

... Even better at $50.

 

[exmaxima1]

Re: ridgid 5000r value

can anyone give me a clue as to what one in good condition may go for? no repairs, straight handle and lock down.

No more than $75 in great condition. I wouldn't pay more than $40 as it has a formed steel slide, cast in pipe jaws, and weighs less than 40 lbs. Not the best features for a >5-inch vise.

 

[bl00]

Vice #2, I have questions about, is a little 2 1/2" clamp-on. The only markings on this is the #92 and on the bottom of the thumb screw is the number 300. Does anyone have any idea of the maker or when this was made?

Luther Grinder Mfg Co from probably the 1920s. They were a quality small vise advertised as semi-steel, tool steel feed screw, and a bronze nut.

 

[GETRIDAONE]

30-30, That Ridgid slide looks very short like it has been cut off ?

OSULemon, The Columbian is a good vise. I bought a 4" fixed base one last Saturday from a lady having a yard sale. $25.00

 

[AndrewH]

Looks like it's going to be a slow weekend for vises. Anyone want to have pity and sell me one (preferably 6" or larger )?

 

[Filson]

AndrewH -

Well, I do have this 6" Parker that I keep tripping on...

View media item 32581

 

[AndrewH]

AndrewH -

Well, I do have this 6" Parker that I keep tripping on...

View media item 32581

That's a beautiful Union Parker, if you were serious and not yanking my chain shoot me a PM and we can talk. There might be a pallet leaving from your area to me in the near future, that could possibly include yours

 

[beakie]

I'd be curious as well as to the maker of the big vise. It looks very much like one I have on my bench. It's actually a very good vise and I use it daily

I would say those are from the same maker. Have you ever taken yours apart?
I haven't, and may not get to for some time, but it seems odd to make a quality tool like that and not put your name, or identifying mark on it.

 

[exmaxima1]

I would say those are from the same maker. Have you ever taken yours apart?
I haven't, and may not get to for some time, but it seems odd to make a quality tool like that and not put your name, or identifying mark on it.

I cannot find ANY markings whatsoever. Sorry.

 

[bigcaddy]

Vice #2, I have questions about, is a little 2 1/2" clamp-on. The only markings on this is the #92 and on the bottom of the thumb screw is the number 300. Does anyone have any idea of the maker or when this was made?





Thank you in advance for any information or advice you can give.

Did you check on top of the slide, just beneath the "horn" of the anvil? The higher quality made vises of that size were usually marked there. Stanley always marked their vise right there. In fact, i had a pair of Stanley Sweetheart vises for over a year before i discovered the markings due to a layer of rust that filled in the light stampings.

 

[autopts]

Vice #1 is a Ridgid brand 4 1/2" vice still in service. As I understand it Ridgid never produced vices just rebranded. On page 302 of this thread is a Columbia vice that appears to be identical to my vice. Do you feel that Columbia is the producer of my vice? Any idea of the age of my vice? Lastly, does anyone still produce the pipe jaws for this vice?



Thank you for any help or advice you can give.

That vise came out of the Columbian factory

 

[Outlawmws]

I would say those are from the same maker. Have you ever taken yours apart?
I haven't, and may not get to for some time, but it seems odd to make a quality tool like that and not put your name, or identifying mark on it.

Probably made for third parities who slapped a stick on label on it for their store.

 

[454ragtop]

I'd be curious as well as to the maker of the big vise. It looks very much like one I have on my bench. It's actually a very good vise and I use it daily

The guy I bought the Wilton C0 from last week at the swap meet had a very similar vise, no makers name on it. He told me it was made in France.
HTH, Jim

 

[jakemac]

I picked up a new (to me) vise at an estate sale this morning. The asking price was $75, but they took my offer of $60.

There was no picture, but the ad said -

Biggest Vice I ever saw: The Chas. Parker Co., Meriden, CT. U.S.A. BRING TOOLS IF YOU WANT THIS PIECE AS IT MUST BE FREED FROM IT'S BENCH.

So I just HAD to check it out.

I don't normally care for fixed base vises, but I just couldn't leave this one behind. It was allllllll the way up in a 3rd floor walk up attic workshop. I had to carry it allllllll the way back down narrow staircases.

It's a #955, 84# 5" jaws. There is about a 1 /1/2 turn slop in the movement, but it is in great condition otherwise.

Much of the original black paint is still there, there are no cracks or welds, and the back looks like it's never been hammered on. The jaws are a little worn, but not too bad. However they're not flat, there seems to be a seam (indent/worn spot) on both jaws. As if something hard was clamped so tightly that it compressed the jaws.

The main nut is loose (sloppy) in the channel, but some adjustment to the pin should take care of that.

Here's the pics -

 

[30-30remchester]

Thank everyone for their replies. The next vice I am asking advice on is an old Charles Parker that is still in service and used daily. You can tell from the photographs that it has an 1865 patten date. As I understand pattens last for 17 years and after it has expired the manufacture deleted the patten number. If this is the case then this would have been manufactured between 1865 and 1882. My question to the forum is, does anyone know the history of this vice and the approximate age? Is my assessment correct? Is someone manufacturing the pipe jaws, they have been missing since I owned the devise.

 

[30-30remchester]

Vice #2 I wanted to discuss today is an old Prentice Bulldog that I have stored in the garage, not in use. The question I have for the forum is, the slide has a long crack in the top, are these repairable by welding it and having it milled off or is it even worth repairing?

 

[AndrewH]

Vice #2 I wanted to discuss today is an old Prentice Bulldog that I have stored in the garage, not in use. The question I have for the forum is, the slide has a long crack in the top, are these repairable by welding it and having it milled off or is it even worth repairing?

It can certainly be fixed, whether or not it's worth it, well that's up to you. Just make sure you have someone do it who knows what the hell they're doing.

Edit: That's a nice looking 88 1/2, I have an 88 except it's a swivel base.

 

[GETRIDAONE]

I have seen a lot of the Prentiss vises with a crack in the same place. You could have it welded or brazed would be better. I don't remember who it was but said to drill a small hole at the end of the crack and that will keep it from going any further. You could just us it as is after a good cleaning.

 

[30-30remchester]

30-30, That Ridgid slide looks very short like it has been cut off ?
Not that I am aware of and shows no evidence of shorting.
OSULemon, The Columbian is a good vise. I bought a 4" fixed base one last Saturday from a lady having a yard sale. $25.00

Did you check on top of the slide, just beneath the "horn" of the anvil? The higher quality made vises of that size were usually marked there. Stanley always marked their vise right there. In fact, i had a pair of Stanley Sweetheart vises for over a year before i discovered the markings due to a layer of rust that filled in the light stampings.

Yes I checked the slide, I myself have found that the Sweetheart logos get filled up.This has no markings of any kind.

That vise came out of the Columbian factory

Thanks that is what it looked like to me.

Probably made for third parities who slapped a stick on label on it for their store.