The VISES of Garage Journal

[va.grouseman]

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.

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GET,---Have you officially weighed the #79?---A.S. 79s are supposed to weigh in at 190 lbs.---Give that vise some iron filings, you're starving that thing.


Sam2---Beautiful job on the Ratchet Athol.---Pretty rare specimen to start your journey on to.---Oh yea, that's how it begins.


Excellent snag Autopts.

 

[KMScott]

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GET,---Have you officially weighed the #79?---A.S. 79s are supposed to weigh in at 190 lbs.---Give that vise some iron filings, you're starving that thing.


Sam2---Beautiful job on the Ratchet Athol.---Pretty rare specimen to start your journey on to.---Oh yea, that's how it begins.


Excellent snag Autopts.

Can't say it any better, Great vises posted tonight. Hand filing jaws is not my bag but really appreciate the amount of focus and time it takes.

 

[wrenchguy]

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

nice, real nice.

 

[demoman]

Joe I am jealous of the big Fisher chain vise find. Great find!!! I looked at a smaller one last weekend at a blacksmith shop that was NOT for sale but it was the first I had seen in person anywhere. Very hard to find. If I were you I would not have rested until I got it home. Post more pics when you get it mounted and call when you get tired of moving it

 

[Drake9]

Scored this little guy last night.



It is my first Wilton. I will be restoring it here in the near future.

 

[dutchgray]

drivesitfar
Yes that lever is the quick release, all standard British vice style. Its a little 3 1/4" buts its built as heavy as a Record No3 with 4"jaws.

 

[CwazyWabbit]

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......---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.

I'd say they were purely to increase the vise footprint to make it more stable when bolted to a wooden bench.

 

[GETRIDAONE]

Can't say it any better, Great vises posted tonight. Hand filing jaws is not my bag but really appreciate the amount of focus and time it takes.

Kevin, About 1/2 way through I was thinking about ordering a set of jaws from you. They are the same size jaws that you made me for the AS #25. The tops were beat up pretty bad so I flipped them over and cleaned up the sides and new top.

VA, When I get a chance I will weigh it on another scale I have. The old freight scale has a wood center that might have hung up on the edge a bit. I have never seen any ads or catalog info on American Scale, you must have found some somewhere ??

 

[jreb10]

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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.

Yep, the groove is there. I keep forgetting the GJ standard is to take photos of all sides if the vise, including the bottom. My bad:




I continue to be amazed at the ability of VA to pull up these old posts.

 

[drivesitfar]

Get: one of our wise members provided me (us) with a list of American Scale vises so i posted it in the Vise Repair 101 thread on post #91. here's the information on your #79 which by the way is awesome.

No79: Swivel base, swivel jaw, 190lbs, 6” jaw, 11” opening (pic in post 13)

Also now that you are retired you might look at post #2 on the VP 101 thread and see all those vise companies to add a few pieces of old iron to your search list.

AutoPts: very nice find on the 5197 and sounds like you have to be just one step ahead of the crowd. i bet those little vise elves in the garage are busy helping you find these gems.

Dutch: do you have a group family picture of your vices to share so we can see all that old English iron you've worked so hard to find? I can't say I've seen a quick release vise with that lever in person so hopefully will find one because that is a nice feature.

 

[Mark in Indiana]

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.

Beautiful job on your #79. Good choice of color by your wife.


1. Any before pictures?
2. How hard was it to disassemble?
3. Any idea how old it is?

I have a #73 like yours.


Happy Trails!

 

[firemanast]

Nice find Drake9 !

 

[va.grouseman]

I'd say they were purely to increase the vise footprint to make it more stable when bolted to a wooden bench.

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I'll have to agree Cwaz.---After thinking about it, if the original design called for bolts through the bench, the flanges would be strictly for stability.---Without them the design would be flimsy at best.---Having never seen an ad on them, hard to tell if the 4 drill holes came as a factory option on some.---Being through the bench, I'd say they date back pretty far and used square head bolts.---Probably turn of the century.---Maybe older than me.---Good observation Cwaz.

 

[Colin Len]

Not sure the value on this, but stumbled on it and figured I'd share. It's priced MUCH cheaper than most of the stuff I stumble across locally.
http://losangeles.craigslist.org/lgb/tls/4885999368.html

 

[jreb10]

Not sure the value on this, but stumbled on it and figured I'd share. It's priced MUCH cheaper than most of the stuff I stumble across locally.
http://losangeles.craigslist.org/lgb/tls/4885999368.html

I'd be all over it at that price here.

 

[autopts]

Nice find Drake9 !

.............+1

 

[autopts]

AutoPts[/B]: very nice find on the 5197 and sounds like you have to be just one step ahead of the crowd. i bet those little vise elves in the garage are busy helping you find these gems.

Those little elves are on vacation until Spring. Right now its 20 in my garage. haha

 

[1957fiat500]

Here is my columbian 204 1/2 I just finished restoring last night

 

[1957fiat500]

 

[1957fiat500]

 

[jreb10]

Here is my columbian 204 1/2 I just finished restoring last night

Nice looking vise, IMO perfect for a "not over-restored" look. How did you do the lettering so nicely?

 

[joe.striper]

Joe I am jealous of the big Fisher chain vise find. Great find!!! I looked at a smaller one last weekend at a blacksmith shop that was NOT for sale but it was the first I had seen in person anywhere. Very hard to find. If I were you I would not have rested until I got it home. Post more pics when you get it mounted and call when you get tired of moving it

Going to mount it today. Below zero when we got up -25 with the wind chill. I need to notch my bench to fit it before I can mount it up. Hand tools are a ***** in the cold.

This is a big vise, you cannot appreciate it until you handle it, but it is BIG and heavy, oh and awkward!

I purloined information from the IFORGEIRON.COM website, specifically from NJANVILMAN who seems to know a bit about these vises:

"Fisher Double Screw Vises: More Information

The #1 vise seems to have been made only around 1870-1890. The #2 and #3 were only made until the 19teens. The #4,5, and 6 were made until Fisher/Crossley stopped production in 1979. Below are some data on them:

Size / weight / Jaw width / $$cost in 1887 / $$cost in 1981
1 / 25 / 3 1/2" / $7/ NA
2 / 65 / 4 1/2" / $10/ NA
3 / 90 / 5 1/4" / $16/ NA
4 / 120 / 6 1/4" / $21 / $1050
5 / 150 / 7" / $27 / $1100
6 / 200 / 8" / $30 / $1200

The museum has the patterns for the #2, #4, #5, and #6. They used special flasks for the molds. I do not have any of them. These patterns were used many times. When I found them in the pattern room, there was only one set for each size. These patterns probably made the molds for most of the double screw Fisher vises out there. "

I will mount it, play with it, soak it up but I will move it along. It is way to big for my shop and it takes up a great deal of room. My wife said 'it isn't coming in the house' like I did with my Emmert 6A.

I'll post pics as I go. I would like to replace the chain and wire brush and lubricate it, not much else that needs to be done. By the way the bottom leg unscrews so one can change the height of the bench. I WILL NOT be removing it. This may be the vise that FINALLY makes me buy an engine hoist!

As cool as my Emmert vise is, this is much, much cooler.

 

[1957fiat500]

Jreb10 thanks this was my first attempt to bring new life into an old vise. To Anwser your question the letters were done with a fine brush and black model paint, took about 20 mins to do all the lettering.

 

[1957fiat500]

Here is a close up of the lettering

 

[va.grouseman]

Joe I am jealous of the big Fisher chain vise find. Great find!!! I looked at a smaller one last weekend at a blacksmith shop that was NOT for sale but it was the first I had seen in person anywhere. Very hard to find. If I were you I would not have rested until I got it home. Post more pics when you get it mounted and call when you get tired of moving it

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Demo, You may be jealous of Joe's Fisher, but how many people have an 8 inch,---283 lb.,---D.C. Cummings, ---double screw,---with a foot wheel at the bottom.---I'm green as Kermit at the both of you.






Better pictures on---page 495,---post, 9887

 

[econotrk]

I've been slowly working on my 5198 restore. Before I damage the lead screw oiler, I wondered how you guys get them out. Drive them out from the inside or get under the lip and work them out from the outside?

 

[Fretters]

drivesitfar
Yes that lever is the quick release, all standard British vice style. Its a little 3 1/4" buts its built as heavy as a Record No3 with 4"jaws.

At that size, I bet that's cute as. Beefy yet somewhat compact. The smaller ones always seen to be the less common ones to find, I've found. I'd love to get my hands on the various size of Parkinsons, but anything below the number 6 is like hens teeth. Even the 6's don't seem too common. 7's and 8's are fairly commonplace though.

 

[dutchgray]

At that size, I bet that's cute as. Beefy yet somewhat compact. The smaller ones always seen to be the less common ones to find, I've found. I'd love to get my hands on the various size of Parkinsons, but anything below the number 6 is like hens teeth. Even the 6's don't seem too common. 7's and 8's are fairly commonplace though.

Its the only working quick release vice I own at the moment, but it does seem that there are tons of small vices but very few of the engineers style about.
I do not yet own a Parkinson, but I'm sure one will turn up at some point.

 

[CwazyWabbit]

At that size, I bet that's cute as. Beefy yet somewhat compact. The smaller ones always seen to be the less common ones to find, I've found. I'd love to get my hands on the various size of Parkinsons, but anything below the number 6 is like hens teeth. Even the 6's don't seem too common. 7's and 8's are fairly commonplace though.

I have a parkinsons no 6 in the 'awaiting work pile', it has quite a bit of paint still on it but has damage to the to the quick release lever which will need attention.

 

[Fretters]

Picked these up today.

An 80 and a 100A. The 80 I bought the back end of last year, but never got chance to get through for it. Then the 100 appeared within spitting distance of it, so bought that and killed two birds with one stone. The 100 was actually listed on Ebay as a 150, but I had an idea from the photo's in the listing, (none showed the model number), that it wasn't. The proportions just didn't seem right. For the sake of what I paid for it though, I was willing to take that risk.

With those two, I now have a 60, 80 and 100A in the collection. Out of curiosity, does anyone know roughly when York stopped producing this style of vice, as in when did they switch over to the newer, less chubby shape? Also, what does the A designation after the model number specify?

 

[CwazyWabbit]

Fretters
Very nice

 

[Fretters]

Its the only working quick release vice I own at the moment, but it does seem that there are tons of small vices but very few of the engineers style about.

Aye, it's weird how the smaller ones usually tend to be non QR. Trying to find smaller QR vices isn't easy. You dropped on well with that one.

I do not yet own a Parkinson, but I'm sure one will turn up at some point.

There are a good few of them about, so it should only be a matter of time. Conversely, I've never had the opportunity to see one of the Woden QR vices in the flesh as yet. I'll find one someday though.

I have a parkinsons no 6 in the 'awaiting work pile', it has quite a bit of paint still on it but has damage to the to the quick release lever which will need attention.

Aye, I can remember you mentioning that. What's the exact damage with the QR? Did you mention that the bracket underneath is missing or suchlike?

 

[Fretters]

Fretters
Very nice

Cheers. Was quite chuffed when I picked up the 80, as the model number on that one was impossible to make out on the listing. I'd guessed at it being another 60, so finding out that it was an 80 was a definite plus. The 100A is quite beefy for a 4" vice too. Not stupidly large, but not a lightweight either.

The two of them have only cost me just over £30 total plus fuel, (that's overlooking the cost of the mental trauma induced when the wife made me take her to Meadowhall on the way back from Derbyshire. The sadist even made me go in there, instead of just leaving me to fawn over the vices in the truck whilst she and the little one went in ), so pretty chuffed with how much I got them for too.

 

[jreb10]

Here is a close up of the lettering

Oh to have the steady hand of youth again! Not easy to do lettering when you are old and have the yips.

 

[firemanast]

Looks great nice job !

 

[Fretters]

Here is a close up of the lettering

Nice work on that lettering. Getting a reasonable look on raised cast lettering is no easy task.

 

[CwazyWabbit]

....
Aye, I can remember you mentioning that. What's the exact damage with the QR? Did you mention that the bracket underneath is missing or suchlike?

It's not a major issue, the lever has been bent and has a crack in it. I'll need to warm it up to bend it back to shape and then braze up the crack.










It has a 3 1/2" jaw width, shown next to a 36 for size comparison.

 

[Fretters]

Oh to have the steady hand of youth again! Not easy to do lettering when you are old and have the yips.

It always makes me think of that bloke, (was it 'On the Buses' or the 'Carry On' films), who used to have the twitch/spasm and throw his pint all over the place.

 

[CwazyWabbit]

Fretters That was a very good price, you are right to be pleased... shame about the torture you had to endure as penance! Truck? Are you a Land Rover guy perchance?

 

[Fretters]

It's not a major issue, the lever has been bent and has a crack in it. I'll need to warm it up to bend it back to shape and then braze up the crack.

Nowt too serious then. That's a nice vice.