The VISES of Garage Journal

[GETRIDAONE]

Grabbed up a very clean Record 5VS yesterday evening. 5" Jaws, 47 Lbs. It was kept in tremendous shape so I had nothing to do but wipe it down and knock a little crud off here and there. These are very nice vises, I've always been a Record fan.

I also got this little No. 766 Stanley table clamper at the same place which I'm impressed with. 3" Jaws, 9 Lbs. It has the build quality of a big vise in a small package. It's stamped FINE ARTS on the side but I'm not really sure what that means. It works great and is in very nice mechanical condition but I'm just going to clean and lube this one too.

Getting ready to dig into a 5" Shop King that could be a little time consuming.

.

I bet it came from a local college or university

 

[balane]

Balane: i think i saw that Stanley listed for sale for maybe a good week or two, but it didn't look nearly as nice as when you take pictures of it. looks like a strong little clamp on vise. nice score on the Record if it was keeping it company and don't remember seeing that one so happy to see it found the stump.

This isn't the one in Des Moines that's been on CL for a couple of weeks. That one is priced at $90 and, no surprise, is still available. The one I received came from a moving sale in the north end and probably cost me a little less than that.

 

[McBrownie]

Here is my nightmare "1810" Parker 203 back from the dead. It should be a "1910", but has an interesting casting mistake. I bought this on-line last March (I may never do that again with a Parker) and have many, many hours into it. It was not badly beat up, but had seen a lot of use and even though it was well greased, there was substantial wear. I'll be posting a full write up over on the vise repair thread later this weekend because this one had a lot of work done. Oh, and by the way, Kevin's finger prints are all over this vise in case you couldn't tell.

Here is the before photo from the online add. Doesn't look too bad, does it? and the price was right.

View media item 40377
Here is a list of things that had to be done.

- Spindle slop fixed with a bronze motor bushing. It had a 1/16" play side to side.
- Re-surface the bottom of the dynamic slide. It had a .025" "bow" worn into it.
- Fabricate shim to make up for the material lost on the dynamic slide.
- Fabricate shim to make up for the material lost on the static slide.
- Weld and resurface the jaws - they were worn down.
- Replace the lock down handle. The original was badly rusted and was missing a screw.
- Remove the rust and pitting on the handle and spindle knob and lock down bolt. Many hours into this.
- Replace the missing spindle knob "speed handle" set screw

Between the welding, resurfacing and shiming, getting the jaw faces back to parallel was no trivial task. A lot of measuring and fiddling. It is amazing that the screw and the nut were in really good shape. This vise was packed with grease, all hardened, so whoever used it really kept it lubed well. I think the rust came sometime after its "retirement".

Here are the after photos. The original color was black, as far as I could tell, and I planned on going with a dark green, but decided on a dark satin blue. It is not as blue as a Record, or Irwin, but still blue. I think satin is way to go on the old vises. It looks more period in my opinion. I also used an off-white paint for the lettering to make it look a little older. Yep, I think about these things too much.

There were many times that I thought this vise was too far gone and I did uncover a stress fracture on the dynamic support. It's not a bad crack, but I would never pound on this one. All in all, a learning and I'll post up the gory details on the repair thread. A special thanks to Kevin for his help and advice.

View media item 42877View media item 42876View media item 42878

 

[balane]

You did a really great job on the Parker. It looks beautiful I think. Parkers and Reeds are my favorite vises so I definitely like that one.

 

[drivesitfar]

McB: Awesome job as always. i'll hold my questions about some of the things you and Kevin did until you post up the details over on the Vise Repair 101 thread. i think you have a trio of fully restored Parker vises that i think we need a few pictures of now.

 

[FMC1959]

McB, great job, looks real nice

 

[tedsters]

Tedsters: nice find on the Prentiss and Reed vises. both look like they are in great shape. the thumb screw on the end of the hub of the Prentiss is interesting. I've seen a lot of holes there and i have a Morgan that has a more modern bolt in that threaded hole. does yours tighten the handle like my Morgan's does so you can lock it in half way for quicker turning in and out?

Flav: nice Parker. i'm not a Parker expert so maybe others have more information about color, but I've seen a lot of them with a natural finish sort of like what you have under the dust and speckled paint. maybe cleaning up and a few applications of boiled linseed oil will make it shine.

KMScott: was the Red Seal your Arrest me Red paint can? you sure know how to make a vise shine and another great restoration. did you have any before pictures to post with the awesome after pictures?

Drives
yes the thumb screw tightens the handle i have never seen a pretiss like it either and it is almost perfect, the 204a is interesting also it has the draw srcew on the draw nut assembly for taking out the backlash like a Craftsman
5197 and i am assuming the CM 5197 was made by reed also.
Ditto on all the vise restores they are all top notch work :

 

[FMC1959]

Grabbed up a very clean Record 5VS yesterday evening. 5" Jaws, 47 Lbs. It was kept in tremendous shape so I had nothing to do but wipe it down and knock a little crud off here and there. These are very nice vises, I've always been a Record fan.

I had a chance to get one of those in almost new condition for $80, sat on my thumbs too long and it was gone. I love the look of these vise, these should have been called Bulldogs. No throat depth, but all shoulders and beefy looking. The defensive lineman of vise!

 

[FMC1959]

Here's one of those few makers of Wilton copies, Duracraft
http://www.ebay.com/itm/1982-DURACR...05&prg=10073&rk=4&rkt=6&sd=171432284327&rt=nc

 

[FMC1959]

VA:
FMC: do we really know if there were any 345 Pound Rock Island vises made or if one was stamped a Craftsman? i want one and probably just BECAUSE, but that is like finding another unicorn.

Drivesitfar, as far as the 345 lb Craftsman, they had a listing. For the longest time we questioned if a 5198 ever sold, I got to think that someone would have been tempted to get a 345 lb vise, crazy tool & vise people existed back then also!

Someone had to make it for Sears, be it RI or someone else. Not my expertise, but my guess if Sears listed it in catalogues, the MFR had to have a cast ready to go for any possible orders, so at that point, to make one under your own brand name would have made financial sense.

These are just my Sat morning Jack Handey Deep Thoughts. (usually goes downhill as the day progresses)

 

[FMC1959]

Morgan Aurora "Star" vise
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Lar...05&prg=10073&rk=5&rkt=6&sd=121419901182&rt=nc

 

[PghJKB]

Balane: i think i saw that Stanley listed for sale for maybe a good week or two, but it didn't look nearly as nice as when you take pictures of it. looks like a strong little clamp on vise. nice score on the Record if it was keeping it company and don't remember seeing that one so happy to see it found the stump.

JKB: thanks for the Prentiss patent information. I'm still trying to figure out Prentiss' numbering system. i have a couple single digit vises that are maybe 1920's and a #92 or #93 that is late 1800's. not sure when they switched from the single bolt to the standard mount or swivel base, but maybe that is part of the 1911 patent?

All: Tedsters has a thumb screw in the end of his Prentiss vise and I've seen many many vises with holes there. Were those holes that are usually threaded done at the factory or is that a modification the owners did when they got tired of pinching fingers?

drivesitfar
My reading of the the Prentiss 1911 patent is that it is for the replaceable jaws only.

The patent is an interesting read, as this is the first time a manufacturer used a screw-in from the front replaceable jaw system. It would follow that any vise with this type of replaceable jaw was made after 1911. (Parker replaceable jaws are pinned from the top)

According to my neighbor, a physicist with several patents, it would be "foolish" to include more than one invention/improvement into a patent. Based on the look on his face when asked if it could be done, I decided not to pursue why it would be foolish, but I figure it is because of how patents are licensed.

Am going to do some more research on Prentiss patents (right now I am working on Reed patents) as soon as I make some more progress on my basement workshop project.

JKB

 

[va.grouseman]

Originally posted by Wrenchguy.

Originally Posted by Zippercat View Post
Anybody here ever see one of these?
http://cleveland.craigslist.org/bar/4602059131.html
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Reply by Wrenchguy.

i think smiths patent mfrd by oswego? grouseman and 100 know the ins on searching. i never seen one with good jaw inserts, most have 1 missing. could be all wrong though.
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Wrench,----The Smith patent you referred to, looks a lot like the E.B. Smith Co. vise.---Joe Striper posted one on page 618, Post #12359,---and Autopts posted one on page 777, post #15538,---and they have jaws that look like they were made by Parker.

 

[EOC_Jason]

- Fabricate shim to make up for the material lost on the dynamic slide.
- Fabricate shim to make up for the material lost on the static slide.

I would be curious to see how you shimmed this up, do you have any pictures?

 

[Fretters]

Nice work on that vice McB. With that list of problems, it's obviously been a labour of love.

Grabbed up a very clean Record 5VS yesterday evening. 5" Jaws, 47 Lbs. It was kept in tremendous shape so I had nothing to do but wipe it down and knock a little crud off here and there. These are very nice vises, I've always been a Record fan.

Is that the model with the weird QR mechanism?

 

[McBrownie]

I would be curious to see how you shimmed this up, do you have any pictures?

I sure do and I'll post them over on the repair thread. I tried two different configurations, and had to go with two shims to get everything straight again.

 

[wrenchguy]

Originally posted by Wrenchguy.

Originally Posted by Zippercat View Post
Anybody here ever see one of these?
http://cleveland.craigslist.org/bar/4602059131.html
-------------------------------------------------------------

Reply by Wrenchguy.

i think smiths patent mfrd by oswego? grouseman and 100 know the ins on searching. i never seen one with good jaw inserts, most have 1 missing. could be all wrong though.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Wrench,----The Smith patent you referred to, looks a lot like the E.B. Smith Co. vise.---Joe Striper posted one on page 618, Post #12359,---and Autopts posted one on page 777, post #15538,---and they have jaws that look like they were made by Parker.

agreed, thanks 4 info, but this one i have i think is a smiths patent oswego with parker jaws. like jake says "hasn't that NS CO. been here b4". The NS CO. No.2 doesn't look to have parker jaws. regret the confusion.

 

[va.grouseman]

Wrench,---In the process of indexing through 961 pages, I don't recall a NS Co. vise or I overlooked it.---It's possible that it was not pictured but hidden in a link that I obviously didn't click on while going through the pages.---At any rate I have several more specimens to enter, as you and all the guy's on here just keep popping up with vises no one has ever seen before.---You would think that after 1000 pages we would have seen everything by now.---As a matter of fact I don't recall that No. 3 Comb on this thread before, but seems like I do remember one coming up for sale on E-bay about a year ago. I wonder sometimes if that isn't where we see the old obscure vises and then can't remember where we saw them, but I can only speak for myself.

 

[drivesitfar]

Wrench: that looks like a Pac Man vise and not sure i like the triple jaw and those fricken huge pipe jaws. is the static jaw busted off on that one and you are just showing what a new pair of Parker jaws would look like?

FMC: here's my Morgan Aurora 4 inch star vise that has had a little easier life than the one you found. i bought mine from a wood worker.

JKB: of course you are right about the patents only having one item on each one. I always like reading your posts because i usually learn something i didn't know.

 

[72CZ]

Prentiss 19

What years did Prentiss use this address?
Thanks in advance.

 

[wrenchguy]

Wrench,---In the process of indexing through 961 pages, I don't recall a NS Co. vise or I overlooked it.---It's possible that it was not pictured but hidden in a link that I obviously didn't click on while going through the pages.---At any rate I have several more specimens to enter, as you and all the guy's on here just keep popping up with vises no one has ever seen before.---You would think that after 1000 pages we would have seen everything by now.---As a matter of fact I don't recall that No. 3 Comb on this thread before, but seems like I do remember one coming up for sale on E-bay about a year ago. I wonder sometimes if that isn't where we see the old obscure vises and then can't remember where we saw them, but I can only speak for myself.

i have the same condition, i use these pages 4 eduction and brain testing.

heres my post about the no.3 combo. last fall. Of course i totally forgot to follow thru with mohawk dave.

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=220573


good info from glacial speed in this oswego post.

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=172550

 

[balane]

On this 5" Shop King I decided to stay a little more traditional and go with the original factory color scheme. It was hard for me not to choose some wild paint combination.

.

 

[McBrownie]

On this 5" Shop King I decided to stay a little more traditional and go with the original factory color scheme. It was hard for me not to choose some wild paint combination.

.

Your turn around time is impressive. So, what do consider "wild".

 

[jakemac]

On this 5" Shop King I decided to stay a little more traditional and go with the original factory color scheme. It was hard for me not to choose some wild paint combination.

.

How do you keep from choking on the sarcasm ? It's a good trick, I'd like to learn it.

 

[balane]

Your turn around time is impressive. So, what do consider "wild".

I guess gray. I'm scared to go there.

 

[Fretters]

I guess gray. I'm scared to go there.

What're you like.

 

[JeremyBurke]

I picked up this little Reed for $45 the other day on a family trip south. I don't know how it lasted on Craigslist for 8 weeks but I'm glad it did.






Here it is next to its cousin that I restored a little while back.

I'm thinking hammered black and silver lettering for this one.

 

[va.grouseman]

Originally posted by Wrenchguy.

i have the same condition, i use these pages 4 eduction and brain testing.

heres my post about the no.3 combo. last fall. Of course i totally forgot to follow thru with mohawk dave.

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/s...d.php?t=220573


good info from glacial speed in this oswego post.

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/s...d.php?t=172550
wrenchguy is offline Report Post
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That's how I missed it.---I didn't think about vises only posted on threads of their own.---All I went through was The Vises of Garage Journal thread.

 

[wrenchguy]

Originally posted by Wrenchguy.

i have the same condition, i use these pages 4 eduction and brain testing.

heres my post about the no.3 combo. last fall. Of course i totally forgot to follow thru with mohawk dave.

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/s...d.php?t=220573


good info from glacial speed in this oswego post.

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/s...d.php?t=172550
wrenchguy is offline Report Post
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


That's how I missed it.---I didn't think about vises only posted on threads of their own.---All I went through was The Vises of Garage Journal thread.

oh no, whats this mean? "wrenchguy is offline Report Post ", plus links won't open.

 

[Outlawmws]

Not often I get this many vises in less than a week the Simplex a couple of days ago and today a 4-1/2" Morgan 88, and a Craftsman 5191 (4" non swiveling version of Oldldh's passion, and the largest of the non Snivelers; the 4-1/2 and the 5" swivelers are the "big boys" - to bad I don't have one of those extra small beverage cans to sucker him with... )

So the Morgan is larger and newer than my old Morgan 87 I bought > 3 decades ago from the estate of a neighbor. that Morgan is a grey Chicago, and this one is the more recent blue from Milwaukee, so post 1970. This one is (also) in really good shape under the grunge; jaws look pristine.

The Craftsman is also in really good shape some hammer marks, but no real obvious cut marks from slipped hack saws and files.

 

[Outlawmws]

Jeremy, are those both the same size as well? Looking forward to the side by side restore comparison!

 

[va.grouseman]

Here's a little hobby vise I picked up.

 

[KMScott]

Re: Prentiss 19

What years did Prentiss use this address?
Thanks in advance.

72, I have seen that casting emblem on several different models. Here is three that were in Colorado. I own the gray one.

 

[macgee]

Re: Prentiss 19

72, I have seen that casting emblem on several different models. Here is three that were in Colorado. I own the gray one.

I like the gray one.

So how did the new paint jobs come out that you were getting ready to do ?

 

[macgee]

Here is my nightmare "1810" Parker 203 back from the dead. It should be a "1910", but has an interesting casting mistake. A special thanks to Kevin for his help and advice.

View media item 42877View media item 42876View media item 42878

McBrownie,

Awesome job and congratulations on the restoration, that is a very good looking vise. Really nice color choice as well.

Cheers

 

[72CZ]

Re: Prentiss 19

72, I have seen that casting emblem on several different models. Here is three that were in Colorado. I own the gray one.

Kevin

What model is your Gray one?
That Red 19 is the same as mine.
Any idea of the year they were made ?

.

 

[KMScott]

72, I do not know the years they were built. All my ads I saved do not show any of these vises. The one I have is a 19-1/2B The jaw width is 4-1/8.

Macgee, I have all 5 painted and two I shown earlier in these posts. Columbian 604-1/2 is in this post #19807 the Red Seal is in this post. #19911 I should have another one done this weekend. The Columbian # 205

 

[tedsters]

Not often I get this many vises in less than a week the Simplex a couple of days ago and today a 4-1/2" Morgan 88, and a Craftsman 5191 (4" non swiveling version of Oldldh's passion, and the largest of the non Snivelers; the 4-1/2 and the 5" swivelers are the "big boys" - to bad I don't have one of those extra small beverage cans to sucker him with... )

So the Morgan is larger and newer than my old Morgan 87 I bought > 3 decades ago from the estate of a neighbor. that Morgan is a grey Chicago, and this one is the more recent blue from Milwaukee, so post 1970. This one is (also) in really good shape under the grunge; jaws look pristine.

The Craftsman is also in really good shape some hammer marks, but no real obvious cut marks from slipped hack saws and files.

outlaw you have been getting some pretty good finds i have been finding some vises but not any real heavy ones or big jawed there was a 6 inch american vise 40miles from me for $50 it was sold in 18 mins so it was on CL for about 3 minutes visible

 

[macgee]

KMScott[/B];4206001]
Macgee, I have all 5 painted and two I shown earlier in these posts. Columbian 604-1/2 is in this post #19807 the Red Seal is in this post. #19911 I should have another one done this weekend. The Columbian # 205

Thanks Kevin,

Looking forward to seeing the others. Sorry I missed your past posts, been gone for a couple of days and haven't had the chance to catch up; it seems like there's been 20 new pages of posts since then.

Cheers and to everyone, happy labor day weekend.

 

[macgee]

I saw this Chas Parker No. 439 vise selling on eBay just ended this Friday, I had been looking for one of these for a long time but screwed up and didn't bid high enough for it at the last second. I was on a long date while the auction was ending and wasn't able to get to a computer in time to increase the amount while it was ending.

I hope she's worth it.