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The VISES of Garage Journal

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drivesitfar

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Joined
Oct 23, 2013
Messages
36,034
Location
Pacific Northwest
Taumac: the smooshed end of the main screw and a few oil holes and the R version is the newer one from the mid 40's and 50's. the round end of the main screw are from the 30's and early 40's. they are both great vises and just a bit too small for a GJ member so trade them both in and get a 206 or a C series vise.

cheers
 

number9

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Joined
Aug 31, 2006
Messages
220
#9: can you post up a few more pictures of your vise and show several of the quick release from the bottom too so we all might not lose a finger when we buy one of those vises?

Sure thing.

Here is the bottom of the vise and then the vise seperated. The dynamic jaw just pulls right out.

Athol_04_zps8e9dcae7.jpg


Athol_05_zps6738276d.jpg


Clamped the vise down to get some better pics. Here's a shot of the half nut.

Athol_06_zps3c1c492b.jpg


In this pic, the vise is open 10 3/4"

Athol_07_zps11c6e00a.jpg


Pic showing the gap on between top of the slide and static jaw.

Athol_08_zps97057dac.jpg


Pic showing lifting up on the dynamic jaw to allow quick adjust. Can slide it all the way closed.

Athol_09_zps1eeab175.jpg


I wonder if red was the original color? I'd like to clean it up and put it back just like it would have been when it was delivered to it's first owner. Any idea how old this vise may be? I'd love to hear the stories it could tell. I don't plan to abuse it, but someone has put enough torque on the handle at some point in it's life to bend it, so it must be built fairly tough.

...
 

drivesitfar

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Oct 23, 2013
Messages
36,034
Location
Pacific Northwest
#9: i can't say that I've seen a vise like that yet so thank you very much for the pictures. coachmaker's jaws with quick release and a 1871 patent date in the original cast. boy the stories that vise can tell to be sure.

so do you have any history of it to share and maybe somebody else might have more knowledge about your vise?

Taumac: :thumbup:

Jeremy: i guess the next one i find might have to find it's way to Walker Turner DP drive in Portland, OR. it isn't very big just so you know because it almost fits in my small hand.
 

exmaxima1

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Joined
Jun 25, 2011
Messages
6,343
Location
Midwest
What's the difference between this Reed 204R
fb4a3cd25e36e1f24d356356d9b8a0f7.jpg

My my Reed 204
c16cd393385eab1c9468bf440322625c.jpg

I thought the "R" stood for rotating.

Have a good one Gerard

This biggest difference I'm aware of is that the "R" version utilizes a split collar to retain the spindle. It is adjustable and you can adjust it for essentially zero play. You can see a screw near the Oil port that you must first loosen and then you can adjust the collar at the neck of the spindle.
 

number9

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Joined
Aug 31, 2006
Messages
220
#9: i can't say that I've seen a vise like that yet so thank you very much for the pictures. coachmaker's jaws with quick release and a 1871 patent date in the original cast. boy the stories that vise can tell to be sure.

so do you have any history of it to share and maybe somebody else might have more knowledge about your vise?

Sorry for the sideways pics - don't know why Photobucket does that to me often, but they usually "sync" up and correct in an hour or so.

No, I sure don't. Seen it hit CL, txt the guy and met him an hour later. Looked at it, paid him $50 and loaded it in the truck. He said he "picked it up at a sale".
I know some stick to the $/# ratio, but the way I see it, a HF China vise is $40-70 and I'd much rather spend that much on old American iron.

I think I am going to head out in the shop and give it a coat of paint stripper.

...
 

xxaler

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Joined
Nov 16, 2014
Messages
239
Location
Sutton Ontario
Finished up, just have to paint the walls in my shop before I can fit it to it's permanent bench.
 

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McBrownie

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Joined
Mar 27, 2014
Messages
1,827
Location
Cleveland, OH
Is there a specific type Corrosion-X you use? I'm placing an order this week with Zoro, and they carry it in red and green versions.

Mine is in a red can, but the liquid is blue/green. On Zoro's site, the red can says that the liquid is amber colored. The squirt bottle says it is a blue/green liquid. They both meet the same MIL and ASTM specs. Then there's the green spray can! I don't know what's in that. :willy_nil :willy_nil :willy_nil
 
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exmaxima1

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Jun 25, 2011
Messages
6,343
Location
Midwest
Mine is in a red can, but the liquid is blue/green. On Zoro's site, the red can says that the liquid is amber colored. The squirt bottle says it is a blue/green liquid. They both meet the same MIL and ASTM specs. Then there's the green spray can! I don't know what's in that. :willy_nil :willy_nil :willy_nil

Thanks! I'll try the red can/blue liquid
 

kas_rustndust

Active member
Joined
May 7, 2011
Messages
37
Location
North Central Hardwood Forest
Kas--

A "repaired/customized" 400N...

Thanks to oldldh & drivesitfar for the comments. Still a little confused as to what is factory and what is custom on this guy. "Cap" is actually a solid steel block with the Nut attached. Guide is shown in the attachments. A little cleaner today than yesterday. Pink stuff is Pipestone or Catlinite, a sandstone found Only, so they say, at the Pipestone National Monument here in MN. Mystery why a stone carver of small objects would use a monster vise other than it was all he had. Tight vise even with grease on the sliding jaw and oil on the screw. New photos attached. It will be up on the eb soon.
 

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McBrownie

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Mar 27, 2014
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Cleveland, OH
Thanks to oldldh & drivesitfar for the comments. Still a little confused as to what is factory and what is custom on this guy. "Cap" is actually a solid steel block with the Nut attached. Guide is shown in the attachments. A little cleaner today than yesterday. Pink stuff is Pipestone or Catlinite, a sandstone found Only, so they say, at the Pipestone National Monument here in MN. Mystery why a stone carver of small objects would use a monster vise other than it was all he had. Tight vise even with grease on the sliding jaw and oil on the screw. New photos attached. It will be up on the eb soon.

Kas,

The more I look at this one, the less I think it's a Wilton. We've seen some school/shop made bullet-style vises on this thread in the past. It doesn't mean that they aren't any good. It just means that they didn't come from a Wilton factory. What makes me think this , other than no casting marks, is the shape of the castings around the jaw inserts. Take a look at yours compared to this one:

View media item 39371
 

zkling

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Joined
Jan 23, 2007
Messages
16,939
I've been lurking for awhile with nothing much to report. This week I found an odd one. I got it off an online auction over in Wisconsin. Looked like a vise that begins with a W. When I picked it up, I found no i.d. marks. But, I was still certain that it was born in Chicago or Schiller Park. I worried a bit that it might be an import. I was really happy to find all the screws and threads were SAE and not metric. So, not an import, but a customized vise from Chicago or Schiller Park. The only original Iron is in the stationary and moveable jaws. And, maybe the Jaw inserts. All other parts are machined. Cap in rear is imbedded in the stationary jaw about 7/16 of an inch. Nut is turned and imbedded in the cap. Thread and handle are turned. Guide for the slot in the moveable jaw is hand made. Don't know the who, where or when of the parts. Attaching photos of his work.

Very interesting. Not much is known 100% in stone about those. I as well as a few others on this forum have one. The consensus is that they were a trade school project or even hobby project similar to the Morrison mini vise supplied in raw castings that need to be machined. They all seem to be in the 4" range. The major and difference between those and a true Wilton is the key and key way are reversed from Wilton's design. Most likely to simplify the manufacturing process and eliminate a difficult internal broaching operation to the main casting. Yours appears to be missing the swivel base.
 

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number9

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Joined
Aug 31, 2006
Messages
220
Got the paint stripped. Used Aircraft Paint Stripper, then dunked in a hot water / blue Dawn dish washing liquid bath with a wire brush to get most of the paint off. Next was Engine De-greaser to get the bulk of the gunk out of inside the slide and static jaw. Finished off with a wire brush on a 3/8 drill.

I want to get the slide, handle, and jaws to shine more but I'm tired and calling it a night.

Athol_10_zps56e8d4c3.jpg


Now that the paint is off I see that it's a No 41 and not a 42 like I had thought it said.

Athol_11_zps5a8ccd7e.jpg


...
 
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Mohawk Dave

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Joined
Oct 7, 2012
Messages
5,068
Location
SoCal
Sure thing.
SNIP...

Pic showing the gap on between top of the slide and static jaw.

Athol_08_zps97057dac.jpg


Pic showing lifting up on the dynamic jaw to allow quick adjust. Can slide it all the way closed.

Athol_09_zps1eeab175.jpg


...

Oh wow, that's actually different than my Cardinal. My slide is tight, but the lead screw hole is oval shaped, allowing just the screw to lift up and then back down. Cool deal.

If you're selling, I'm buying. :beer:
 

number9

Well-known member
Joined
Aug 31, 2006
Messages
220
That looks really really good with those raw castings. I would be tempted to use boiled linseed oil on it if it was going to be a daily driver. Good work!

I'm kind of diggin it "naked" too. If I paint it, I want to paint it as close to the original color as possible - *IF* I can even find out what color it would have been. I've got nothing in searching "Athol No 41 vise" :dunno:

...
 

drivesitfar

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Joined
Oct 23, 2013
Messages
36,034
Location
Pacific Northwest
#9: your Athol #41 looks awesome. i agree with the BLO and if you put 2 or 3 coats on your vise and want to paint it later we've had members do that with success.

here's my Reed 4C i like to show when we talk about BLO (boiled linseed oil) because i do like the look of naked steel.
 

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drivesitfar

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Oct 23, 2013
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Location
Pacific Northwest
Alpine: your vise is an Athol (soon to be Starrett) 4.5 inch wide jaw vise that is a non swiveler. i do like the reinforced top of the dynamic slide.

I think Triton just posted the wrong chart off his computer or cell phone because that's a Columbian chart. he does show his Athol vises so he was on the right track.

nice vise

ALLAboutTools: thanks for the kudos on my Reed 4C and hoping to get it mounted on my steel bench soon.

BB: sorry for your loss

EX: maybe you should try to find out who the second best bidder was on that auction because he's your C1 buyer?
 

bluebolt

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Joined
Dec 28, 2008
Messages
5,447
Location
Benton LA
Alpine: your vise is an Athol (soon to be Starrett) 4.5 inch wide jaw vise that is a non swiveler. i do like the reinforced top of the dynamic slide.

I think Triton just posted the wrong chart off his computer or cell phone because that's a Columbian chart. he does show his Athol vises so he was on the right track.

nice vise

BB: sorry for your loss

If you look at that chart it shows model numbers for other brands compared to Columbian but the Athol 114 1/2 does not show up.

No real loss on the Wilton I was going to flip it anyways.
 
Joined
Feb 2, 2015
Messages
5
Location
SE MI
Looking for advice on best place to sell the Reed Vise shown. It is a Reed Mfg #105 1/2 from Aug 11 1914. Makes a regulation basketball look like an orange.
 

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drivesitfar

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Oct 23, 2013
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TFP: your Reed looks like it might have a hunk of cast missing coming off the static jaw that sits under the dynamic jaw. can you take a couple pictures of it sitting on the ground from each side and maybe take the dynamic (front) jaw all the way out? and take a few more pictures. hard to price a vise from a picture so always need a few more.

Ex: i know, but wouldn't it be nice if you had access to EBay's runner up bidders? :dunno:

Get: I'm guessing that is the hub on your American Scale #79 that is sitting next to and almost as big as your Versa Vise? i hope to one day find a VV in the wild, but Balane seems to have the magnet for them in my area.
 
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oldldh

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Joined
May 22, 2012
Messages
3,700
Location
Fairhope, AL
Somebody jump on this, 326 Athol For Sale in Charlotte, NC. Looks like it has the orig pipe jaws and swivel.

The jaws for a #326 is 6" wide and the weight is around 225 lbs.


Big dude...

Serious inquiries only!!!

HMMM!!!

Most uncheap, me thinks...
 

oldldh

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Joined
May 22, 2012
Messages
3,700
Location
Fairhope, AL
Just because it's Monday...

There are a BUNCH OF VERSA-VISES for sale on Ebay!!!

And I thought they were semi-rare...
 
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