The VISES of Garage Journal

[scrapdaddy]

Grouseman,

If I remember correct it was a Reed. I have a Reed 6 inch, that I paid $125 for and just couldn't make myself spend 400. I think it went to Chicago.

 

[JeremyBurke]

So Joe is that your vise? or is it VA's?

Cheers, and it looks magnificent.

 

[joe.striper]

So Joe is that your vise? or is it VA's?

Cheers, and it looks magnificent.

Depends. I need a hand mounting it. Believe or not its a bit big for me. I need to mount it, use it and then decide.

It is a real dillema though.

 

[jakemac]

While I was there I saw these 4 other vises. I told him I'd take all 4 but I was out of cash. :-(

So ......... when are you going back for the others ?

 

[joe.striper]

So ......... when are you going back for the others ?

I gave him chocolate, looked through his stuff and gave him a list of stuff I wanted. I intentionally didn't bring even one dollar extra. I spent enough already today. He said he'd call me when he was ready. 2 of the 4 were pretty rough. The 974 was like new. He had 20 VWs and 4-5 Vespa scooters as well. Basically it was a repair shop from 1955. I swear he had a 3 phase compressor as old as these vises.

 

[Fretters]

Just out of curiosity, do you ever actually use any of the stuff you collect Joe? Just mounting and looking at it doesn't count btw.

 

[bl00]

Anyone know who made this beast?

 

[joe.striper]

Just out of curiosity, do you ever actually use any of the stuff you collect Joe? Just mounting and looking at it doesn't count btw.

Fretters, of course I use my stuff! Problem is every time I go online I find stuff I buy it. I've got a ton of big vises in my shop now but it was -5 this morning. How much am I going to use it? Let me help you out Fretters, I am to vises as Hugh Hefner is to ******* bunnies.

Sometime I buy stuff just to try it out to see if I like it. If it doesn't move me it is gone. I don't have the cash or inclination to collect just to collect. I have three in college right now and any profit i make pays for something they need.

My daily vise is a pre-1900 Athol 626, I love that one. I have a Parker 954 1/2, a Cole 11 and a Wilton 6" machinist vise that I use all the time. I am currently restoring a 6" Prentiss bulldog, Prentiss #4, Monarch 6.5" a Wilton C0 a Columbian 204 1/2 and a bunch of others.

I know you're joking around but I feel a compulsive need to use my tools or move them along... oh and I give A LOT of stuff away.

 

[va.grouseman]

Oh Joe.---You was doing pretty good until that last statement.---That's where you jumped the tracks.

 

[va.grouseman]

B100,---Is there anything on the other side of that beast.---That's one of those old heavy railroad vises kind of like the one you got rid of not to long ago, isn't it.

 

[Fretters]

I am to vises as Hugh Hefner is to ******* bunnies.

Cheers. That's now inducing mental visions which I'd really prefer not to have.

 

[bl00]

I don't have any pics of the other side. I've gone through all my old ads and can't find anything close to the shape and design on the side. This one is much bigger than the one I had. I'd guess it's in the 250+lbs range.

If I recall correctly, Lump posted a similar one a couple years ago. It was on display at a blacksmith show by matchless antiques and they ended up selling it on ebay for a bazillion bucks or so.

 

[oldldh]

Anyone know who made this beast?

I was doing fine, until I got to the 8" photo...

For some unknown reason...

I like vises like this...

 

[Fretters]

I'm guessing with the styling and such that it's likely of late Victorian period?

 

[joe.striper]

Oh Joe.---You was doing pretty good until that last statement.---That's where you jumped the tracks.

You mean giving stuff away? I give stuff to young guys who are starting out. VA I love vises and sometimes I win and sometimes I don't, but I NEVER lose big..

 

[jakemac]

Just out of curiosity, do you ever actually use any of the stuff you collect Joe? Just mounting and looking at it doesn't count btw.

WHAT ?!
Oh yes it does !!!!

 

[Outlawmws]

Just mounting and looking at it doesn't count btw.

Cheers. That's now inducing mental visions which I'd really prefer not to have.

Wow, Fret is just full of Um, "suggestive" comments tonight!

 

[zkling]

To me, that price is totally nuts. Will have to keep an eye out if the bid is abandoned....
I figured 600 max.

Thrumcap

Maybe they just really wanted the chop saw or the plate gripper? What exactly was the vise anyways?

 

[Fretters]

WHAT ?!
Oh yes it does !!!!

This is where I refer you back to a certain sentence in your sig Jake.

Wow, Fret is just full of Um, "suggestive" comments tonight!

Should've known you'd pick up on that one. I honestly tried to think of another way of phrasing that before posting it. Not one usable alternative word came to mind though, so I thought I'd risk it. I'm not even going to pretend that saying I hoped I could slip it in without anyone noticing isn't going to raise another eyebrow or two. (Why is it that once the ball starts rolling, absolutely everything sounds like a double entendre? ).

 

[jreb10]

Here is one of those "serendipity" vise finds. I answer a CL add for a Parker 823 that I will transfer to JROBB as part of a swap deal. I get to talking with "Herb" the seller. He is into cutting edge tools like planes, chisels, etc. We go down to his workshop and he starts to pull out a few vises, mostly small ones like Littlestown but a couple of them are really pristine. Then he pulls out another one but it is different. Here it is:



I look it over and start talking about how cool it is, since the rear jaw is the one that moves, and the front jaw is static. He says if I want it I can have it for $5! Needless to say it is mine now.



The markings on the side are "A M Co. No. 70". I think that is Athol Machine Co. I had no idea Athol made a vise type like this. It is in pretty good shape:



Any idea on age?

 

[joe.striper]

Here is one of those "serendipity" vise finds. I answer a CL add for a Parker 823 that I will transfer to JROBB as part of a swap deal. I get to talking with "Herb" the seller. He is into cutting edge tools like planes, chisels, etc. We go down to his workshop and he starts to pull out a few vises, mostly small ones like Littlestown but a couple of them are really pristine. Then he pulls out another one but it is different. Here it is:



I look it over and start talking about how cool it is, since the rear jaw is the one that moves, and the front jaw is static. He says if I want it I can have it for $5! Needless to say it is mine now.



The markings on the side are "A M Co. No. 70". I think that is Athol Machine Co. I had no idea Athol made a vise type like this. It is in pretty good shape:



Any idea on age?

Athol was manufactured 60 miles north of me. They were bought by Starret at the turn of the century, no idea how long before they started re-badging the Athol over to Starret brands.

My daily vise is an Athol 626 that was mfg late 1800s. As with a number of large vises I've seen from that time, casting quality was not nearly as good as it was in the late teens, 20s and 30s; therefore that is one of the ways I can gauge age. I have larger Athols and Emmert vises where there are noticeable casting voids, much like what you see with import vises today.

I wouldn't expect to see that on yours, regardless I believe that is an early vise and a great buy for $5!

 

[454ragtop]

Cool vise, it is an Athol. No idea on the age, but guessing 100+ years old. How does it mount, threaded hole in the bottom?
Jim

 

[mike_paxton]

Was out yesterday buying tools and saw a pipe vise. Looked for the usual mfg makers and was surprised to see it was by American Scale Co of Kansas City Missouri and was a Model #3.

I couldn't find any additional exclusively made pipe vises made by American Scale Co using the normal searches, so thought I'd document this one as a FYI.

 

[drivesitfar]

B100: your mystery vise looks a lot like my Vanderman vise except it's missing the pipe jaws. i'm guessing it also has the bolt down the middle under it for mounting? is it for sale or do you own it? i to wonder if there is any writing on the other side.

JReb: a lot of the European vices have their static slides moving back while the normal dynamic stays in place. so i guess the moving piece in the usual static's position is the dynamic on your Athol and vise versa for the other jaw? you probably didn't overpay for that one.

Dutch: i really like your Woden and with that lever on the front is that the quick release?

ALL: there's a lot of talk about 250 pound vices so anybody buy one or they all getting bought by non GJ members?

 

[bluebolt]

Yup. It was designed for the 4x4 crowd. For a small 2-car garage, I never liked to bolt a vise down on top of the work bench. I figured this can be a good platform to use. I would use this for light to medium duty while reserve my Wilton C3 for heavy duty tasks.

Made in China. I would get the Mac's Trail D-Vise before that one, made in USA and has a greater opening for changing U-joins on trail.

 

[jreb10]

Cool vise, it is an Athol. No idea on the age, but guessing 100+ years old. How does it mount, threaded hole in the bottom?
Jim

Actually there are 4 mounting holes through the base edges, 2 on each side. Makes sense, as it would be very secure as the jaw slides backward along the base.

 

[autopts]

Honestly! They follow me home! Its a 5197 and I've had 3 or 4 come thru here but none as nice as this one is. Its almost perfect. Dated 9-52. Along side is a older Wilton 740 also clean.

 

[FMC1959]

Actually there are 4 mounting holes through the base edges, 2 on each side. Makes sense, as it would be very secure as the jaw slides backward along the base.

The model looking like your Athol I have seen more often is this Gypsy
http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showpost.php?p=1490258&postcount=2084 There was a red one on eBay I was tempted to buy, but it had some damage.

On like your Athol I saw once before on this thread. If I had VA's fantastic searching talents, I could give you a link. Maybe he can find it.

One thing is for, you did real good for $5.

 

[FMC1959]

Honestly! They follow me home! Its a 5197 and I've had 3 or 4 come thru here but none as nice as this one is. Its almost perfect. Dated 9-52. Along side is a older Wilton 740 also clean.

Looks in fantastic shape, if you are not keeping it, I know someone who would be mighty interested in taking it off your hands. (He already has the "arrest me red" can of paint waiting to start painting it)

 

[pantera1]

jreb10

Now I'm wishing I had called on that Parker! Saw it just after it was posted, and it was hard to resist.

I'm really looking for the baby vise you got from him....now thinking I might have scored it, had I called right after the Parker was posted

Nice "little" score you got

 

[GETRIDAONE]

The American Scale #79 is done and so are my fingers after filing the serrations back in the jaws. It is a 6" swivel jaw at 171 lbs. and it felt like 200as I was moving it off the bench to the metal table. It has a new handle and slightly smaller pin because someone had tried vise grips to remove it. The handle ends look more like an olive shape than a ball. I will try a shorter section to start on the next one. Color is hammered light blue picked out by my wife, I was going with a green color, original was black.

 

[joe.striper]

QUOTE=autopts;4634268]Honestly! They follow me home! Its a 5197 and I've had 3 or 4 come thru here but none as nice as this one is. Its almost perfect. Dated 9-52. Along side is a older Wilton 740 also clean.

[/CODE]



[/QUOTE]

weren't you just bitchin there weren't any vises out near you

 

[econotrk]

Autopts that 5197 looks great, looks to have a bit of original paint on it.

 

[jrobb316]

AH! Autopts is the one that beat me to it! Just another in a long string of misses lately.

 

[exmaxima1]

AH! Autopts is the one that beat me to it! Just another in a long string of misses lately.

Ditto for me as well, and I work only 20 minutes from Marengo!

 

[balane]

Autopts is not human. He is a vise hunting cyborg who has traveled here from the future and gives mortals no possible chance of vise acquisition. His heels have rockets in them, I've seen it. His digitized olfactory membranes have the ability to sniff out old grease and cast iron from 200 miles away. Just give up and find a new hobby, it's the only chance you have at happiness. I had to move from Illinois to clear out here in Seattle just to score an occasional bench vise and yet he still often beats me to Pacific Northwest vises.

 

[Outlawmws]

Autopts is not human. He is a vise hunting cyborg who has traveled here from the future and gives mortals no possible chance of vise acquisition. His heels have rockets in them, I've seen it. His digitized olfactory membranes have the ability to sniff out old grease and cast iron from 200 miles away. Just give up and find a new hobby, it's the only chance you have at happiness. I had to move from Illinois to clear out here in Seattle just to score an occasional bench vise and yet he still often beats me to Pacific Northwest vises.

What you are saying is he is Iron man, with a selective metal detecting GPS system...

 

[balane]

Oh, he is much more than a mere man in a fancy suit. He was genetically bred and manufactured in a 60,000 PSI cast iron egg by the Wilton corporation of the future, year 2150.

 

[Sam2]

Hello, long time lurker, I thought I'd post this: I just fixed up this vise that I hadn't seen anywhere before. Its a 1930's Athol 723 1/2.
Sam

 

[va.grouseman]

The model looking like your Athol I have seen more often is this Gypsy
http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showpost.php?p=1490258&postcount=2084 There was a red one on eBay I was tempted to buy, but it had some damage.

On like your Athol I saw once before on this thread. If I had VA's fantastic searching talents, I could give you a link. Maybe he can find it.

One thing is for, you did real good for $5.

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Was just curious as to whether or not Jreb10's vise has a deep groove the length of the base and right through the center.---If it does, it originally was a bolt or bolts through the bench type of vise like the one on NJ Marty's thread---(Athol slide bolt base vise).--Page 1, Post 1.---NJ's would probably need two bolts for stability.---I'm thinking the protruding flanges on the base are there if one wanted to use the drill and bolt from the top option.---Just a theory.