The VISES of Garage Journal

[67carl]

I Googled this Cobra 4 vise but didn't find anything. Looks alike a cousin to a Wilton bullet. For sale on Craigslist. Anyone have any info on it?

 

[67carl]

Other view...

 

[bigcaddy]

Notice the clean serrations on the soft jaws, a perfect example of hand filed cuts. Even using a file machine they would still be considered being put in by hand. Nice vise BigCaddy

Thanks, Kevin. I was impressed by the condition of the jaws once i finally got them cleaned up. I can only see one little imperfection that looks like a factory flaw. The rest of the jaws are very clean with little use. Its almost nice enough to use but then i wouldn't want to ugly it up or let my caveman like employees near it.

 

[cptn_zippy]

Look what I came home with today…CL, $100. Was thinking about buying a Craftsman Pro but why, when you can get this for the same $$.

 

[Outlawmws]

Good job on the restoration, that looks great. What paint did you use? Is the picture pretty accurate to the in person color?

ZK, The color is probably closer to the parts not in reflective glare so much, but reasonably close. Rusty's Hammered Light blue, # 7212

I set it out in the sun, let it get good and warm, then shot. then let if sit out in the sun all day. cured pretty good I shot it Sunday and even last night feels like its well cured. usually hammered takes a week or two...

 

[Outlawmws]

Thanks, Kevin. I was impressed by the condition of the jaws once i finally got them cleaned up. I can only see one little imperfection that looks like a factory flaw. The rest of the jaws are very clean with little use. Its almost nice enough to use but then i wouldn't want to ugly it up or let my caveman like employees near it.

So you buy the chicom junkers for the Trogs?

 

[Outlawmws]

CPTN, Nice find! 4" jaws?

 

[Outlawmws]

Carl, resembles a Wilton or maybe a Yost? Maybe made on contract?

 

[jpickar]

If the guy can stretch his rubber ruler to 12" opening (with maybe 1/4 of the thread caught in the nut...) I'm sure it stretches in the other direction...

He probably tells his wife: "I'm THIIISSS Big Baby" and wonders why she has no depth perception, and hits a lot of stuff driving the car...

I thought Cudachick would be all over this one!! LOL She probably restrained herself!!!

John

 

[zkling]

ZK, The color is probably closer to the parts not in reflective glare so much, but reasonably close. Rusty's Hammered Light blue, # 7212

I set it out in the sun, let it get good and warm, then shot. then let if sit out in the sun all day. cured pretty good I shot it Sunday and even last night feels like its well cured. usually hammered takes a week or two...

Cool, thanks I think I will try that on something soon, possibly a box. I like the shade, not to dark, not too lite, just a nice smooth blue.

 

[67carl]

Carl, resembles a Wilton or maybe a Yost? Maybe made on contract?

Interesting. I did a short Google search and turned up nothing, maybe I'll spend a little more time trying to turn something up. Don't need it but I'm curios (I know, need has nothing to do with it and you can't have too many vises!).

 

[bad5x8]

Date my Reed 104 1/2 vise:

Unlike some of the other "old" 3 bolt fixed vises, this vise doesn't have the 1912 and 1914 patent dates on the housing.

It just says "Pat Pending"

What are your thoughts?
(excuse the grinding dust and surface rust...)

 

[Outlawmws]

So probably 1910 give or take...

 

[bad5x8]

Well, there was a 1908 patent too though...
Is my vise pre 1908?
Edit: the 1908 patent was for the swivel, which my vise does not have.
The 1912 patent was for detachable jaw faces, which my vise does not have.
The 1914 patent was for "headed rods" for the main screw.

 

[cptn_zippy]

CPTN, Nice find! 4" jaws?

Yessir. Reed 204R. I'm ecstatic. Interestingly enough, my wife was even impressed. I got a "That's cool" out of her.

 

[Outlawmws]

Yessir. Reed 204R. I'm ecstatic. Interestingly enough, my wife was even impressed. I got a "That's cool" out of her.

Wait til she see it all gussied up!

 

[bigcaddy]

So you buy the chicom junkers for the Trogs?

Heck no! They don't get a vise because they would split that thing in two the first day. A top of the line Reed might hold out for a day before they find a way to bust it in pieces or use the dynamic jaw like a giant claw hammer

They are allowed to have Ridgid chain vises but only if they ask for them

 

[zkling]

Date my Reed 104 1/2 vise:

Unlike some of the other "old" 3 bolt fixed vises, this vise doesn't have the 1912 and 1914 patent dates on the housing.

It just says "Pat Pending"

What are your thoughts?
(excuse the grinding dust and surface rust...)

Cool being that old. If you get a chance could you take a picture from the bottom up, focusing on the screw collar? I need to make a stop collar for a 104.5, but would like to style it after the original.

 

[KMScott]

zkling, I think I have a Reed 104 1/2, if you need dimensions of the collar let me know and I can e-mail you a drawing of mine that looks original.

 

[va.grouseman]

Originally posted by Bigcaddy.

A top of the line Reed might hold out for a day before they find a way to bust it in pieces or use the dynamic jaw like a giant claw hammer.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------


There are Trogs out there that can actually bust a Reed? I refuse to believe it.

 

[zkling]

zkling, I think I have a Reed 104 1/2, if you need dimensions of the collar let me know and I can e-mail you a drawing of mine that looks original.

PM incoming. I have a sad 104.5 that, like its owner, has a screw loose. Unfortunately one is much easier to fix than the other.

 

[oldldh]

I have a sad 104.5 that, like its owner, has a screw loose. Unfortunately one is much easier to fix than the other.

Loose screws are fairly common among males...

Older males, especially...

The older you get, the looser they get...

Until, one day, you just fall apart...

Cheerful thought...

 

[NOMADMAD]

I believe I found your vises in a 1912 Millers Falls catalog. What do you think? Yours could still be Backus or Union. They probably didn't change them much.

<a href="http://s1226.photobucket.com/user/fgrefe/media/Vises/1912MillersFallsrailvise_zps68ac73bd.png.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1226.photobucket.com/albums/ee420/fgrefe/Vises/1912MillersFallsrailvise_zps68ac73bd.png" border="0" alt="Millers Falls rail vise 1912 photo 1912MillersFallsrailvise_zps68ac73bd.png"/></a>

THANK YOU FOR THIS. This is the vise i just restored that used to belong to my grandfather. I love to know the history of the tools i own. Makes me happy. This is a great forum to be part of.

 

[NOMADMAD]

Welcome to the forum!

Your vise looks like a Backus design, made by Backus and later Millers Falls. There are a couple of Backus designs earlier in the thread. Do a search on Millers Falls and Backus to check them out.

Looks like yours has the full Monty swivel mount. Never seen the swivel except in the Millers Falls advertisement shown earlier in the thread.

JKB

thanks for the help man, found the pic in this thread. I just wish i could find the catalog on the internet now. i have the pic to prove the type. Another fine tool to go with my collection of old tools.
David

 

[bl00]

David,
The Millers Falls catalog is here.
-link-

Info on the history of the vise and how it was manufactured by Union before they sold the vise business to Backus who later merged with or sold to Millers Falls.
-Link-

Union vise patents. You'll see the family resemblance in these, the Backus, and Millers Falls vises.
-link-

Quimby Backus patents
-link-

 

[azhatchback]

We have seen everyone's toolboxes so let's see the vises! (no, not vices )

I'm sure there are some really cool ones out there.

Large or small, let's see them all!
Here's my Charles Parker 107 and my Wilton 1780:

The Wilton has an 8" jaw and weighs about 110 lbs.
The CP has a 6" jaw and weighs about 140 lbs.




Include COO and DOM if you know it!

I know this is an old thread but to the OP if your still keeping up with this as I am fairly new to this forum, that CP is awesome! Nice resto job. I like that bottom lip on the mounting side to **** it up to a bench or mounting plate. Have you mounted it yet?

Louis

 

[exmaxima1]

Yessir. Reed 204R.

Can anyone explain what the "R" means for Reed vises? I thought it meant it was a later version with the blunt ball on the screw, but CPTN ZIPPY's vise clearly has a full ball on the screw.

 

[GETRIDAONE]

Can anyone explain what the "R" means for Reed vises? I thought it meant it was a later version with the blunt ball on the screw, but CPTN ZIPPY's vise clearly has a full ball on the screw.

I seem to remember someones guess was that they would use up the old style inventory before starting with the new flat front screws

 

[NOMADMAD]

David,
The Millers Falls catalog is here.
-link-

Info on the history of the vise and how it was manufactured by Union before they sold the vise business to Backus who later merged with or sold to Millers Falls.
-Link-

Union vise patents. You'll see the family resemblance in these, the Backus, and Millers Falls vises.
-link-

Quimby Backus patents
-link-

thank you again.

 

[mtesh73]

Can anyone explain what the "R" means for Reed vises? I thought it meant it was a later version with the blunt ball on the screw, but CPTN ZIPPY's vise clearly has a full ball on the screw.

i am pretty sure that stands for revision, a change they made that wasnt sufficient enough for them to call it a new model.

 

[Nortonscustom]

Here are a few of my vises in the shop. None are very pretty but they work hard and earn their keep.

This little guy cracks me up. The jaws are only 2" wide but the handle is huge for its size.

I think this is a Tradesmen model but not sure.

The workhorse of the bunch.

Latest find. A buddy of mine found it and gave it to me. Will take a little work to fix up but pretty excited. Been looking for a post vise for a while now.

 

[Filson]

Norton - Damn bro, a lot of neat toys in there! Let's see that arbor press and anvils!

 

[AndrewH]

zkling, I think I have a Reed 104 1/2, if you need dimensions of the collar let me know and I can e-mail you a drawing of mine that looks original.

Kevin,

You may be interested to know, Morgan just emailed me back. The Morgan 80 indeed can either be the U type jaws (yours) or the flat type like mine. They still sell both. Also, they still sell T inserts for all of their older vises, they also sell a full line of replacement parts for all of the older and newer vises. I have a PDF file with part numbers and current pricing if anyone is interested.

Andrew

 

[ratdoggy]

Today's find.......I think I did good because it was free!

 

[drivesitfar]

NortonCustom:nice looking shop and all quality vises mounted and ready to work. i'm a little curious what that hunk of steel under what looks like a huge anvil is. is it another anvil or something you use for cold steel pounding? your other cast iron in your shop is sweet too. i'm guessing you build or repair bikes?

Ratdoggy:can't do much better than free for a Wilton vise that even has the pipe jaws that are usually missing on those. it's a light to medium duty vise, but looks great and do tell the "free" story because Wilton's don't usually sit on the side of the road.

 

[ratdoggy]

Ratdoggy can't do much better than free for a Wilton vise that even has the pipe jaws that are usually missing on those. it's a light to medium duty vise, but looks great and do tell the "free" story because Wilton's don't usually sit on the side of the road.

I manage a scrapyard and it was probably a house cleanout on a foreclosure or something like that. I'm always checking our iron pile of scrap looking for aluminum,copper etc that people throw in the pile (and bricks) and I couldn't believe my luck

 

[Mark in Indiana]

Hello Vise Friends,

Some time back I acquired a nearly 100 year old Reed No. 204 that had been laying on the ground, behind a barn for probably 20 years (see first picture). It was rusted and locked. However, I decided to take on the challenge of restoration, even though this was the most challenging restoration that I've ever had.. After 2 months soaking in kerosene, a couple of weeks with some rust buster, a baby sledge with a 2 x 4, a rosebud torch and some press time, it came apart.

Happily, operated smoothly when I reassembled it to see if it was worth a restoration. Off to the wire wheel, primer and paint. On a side note, I noticed that one of the handle ends was deformed. But, after removing the rust, I discovered that it had been repaired at some point (see picture). I just polished the repair job because it is part of that vise's history.

I'm pleased share pictures the finished product. All ready for another 100 years of service. This is one of my vise restorations that I will hate to part with.

 

[cosmik binturong]

Here are a few of my vises in the shop. None are very pretty but they work hard and earn their keep.

This little guy cracks me up. The jaws are only 2" wide but the handle is huge for its size.

nifty little big Dubuque... first one like that i see.

me wants! me wants!

moar pics please!

 

[Nortonscustom]

Norton - Damn bro, a lot of neat toys in there! Let's see that arbor press and anvils!

Thanks!

NortonCustom:nice looking shop and all quality vises mounted and ready to work. i'm a little curious what that hunk of steel under what looks like a huge anvil is. is it another anvil or something you use for cold steel pounding? your other cast iron in your shop is sweet too. i'm guessing you build or repair bikes?

drivesitfar, It's just a stack of anvils that sit on my welding table. As far as bikes, yeah years ago did a LOT of custom bike work. It's just my hobby shop now. Work on a little of everything these days.

Here's the anvils from the anvil picture thread.
http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?p=3169766#post3169766

 

[autopts]

Here's one for the Journal. I'm sure its not the first. Its a 288 1/2 Parker. It might be the heaviest 4 1/2" combo made. It comes in at 119 lbs and for its age, its nice. It even has that 3rd long pipe jaw that always seems to get lost.