I'm a DIY person. Building parts then assemble to final product. Last time I needed the vise was for my transformer. I wanted Molex connectors. The male female connectors from mouser/digikey are on a strip of metal. Without the vise it would have been a pain to remove each part. Every once in a while, I find myself in a situation where a vise would come in handy. Electronics needs to be clean, which means not taking the item to the garage. You are asking for trouble if you do.
The VISES of Garage Journal
- Thread starter mjozefow
- Start date
I'm a DIY person. Building parts then assemble to final product. Last time I needed the vise was for my transformer. I wanted Molex connectors. The male female connectors from mouser/digikey are on a strip of metal. Without the vise it would have been a pain to remove each part. Every once in a while, I find myself in a situation where a vise would come in handy. Electronics needs to be clean, which means not taking the item to the garage. You are asking for trouble if you do.
topop101
Well-known member
Sorry for the delay. We got back in late sunday from a trip to see my daughter and along the way scored some nice finds . Here is the E.C. Stearns & Co.
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topop101
Well-known member
No. It's a bench vise. That's why it caught my attention.
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oldldh
Well-known member
oldldh
Well-known member
Here's what it will look like, when you get it restored...
I'm with you, I really like these, too...
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topop101
Well-known member
The finds from my weekend trip. E.C. Stearns & Co. for 45.00.
No 1 quick release Athol , pat. Nov. 14 1871 35.00
A Reed pipe vise no. 71 pat Aug 11 1914. 25.00
A Wilton 8300 N GUAR. EXP 6-30-62 attached to a Hallowell Standard Pressed Steel Bench for 200.00
A Parker 985 weighing in at 99 lbs for 200.00
And then the big dude, Athol 326 X mounted on a 24" H beam. The vise alone weighs in at 222 pounds. If I'm not mistaken That's a shade over 100 Kilo's for the guy's on the other side of the pond. This "beast" hit the check book for 450.00
Needless to say I had a full load on the truck making a 1450 mile round trip in 46 hours. Loving every minute of it. The little woman by my side the whole way. She has to be an angel to spend Valentines Day On the road vise pickin. Not sure how I'm going to repay her for this one
Any info on these would be greatly appreciate. Or just rate my picks. It will help me and others in the future when buying and selling.
No 1 quick release Athol , pat. Nov. 14 1871 35.00
A Reed pipe vise no. 71 pat Aug 11 1914. 25.00
A Wilton 8300 N GUAR. EXP 6-30-62 attached to a Hallowell Standard Pressed Steel Bench for 200.00
A Parker 985 weighing in at 99 lbs for 200.00
And then the big dude, Athol 326 X mounted on a 24" H beam. The vise alone weighs in at 222 pounds. If I'm not mistaken That's a shade over 100 Kilo's for the guy's on the other side of the pond. This "beast" hit the check book for 450.00
Needless to say I had a full load on the truck making a 1450 mile round trip in 46 hours. Loving every minute of it. The little woman by my side the whole way. She has to be an angel to spend Valentines Day On the road vise pickin. Not sure how I'm going to repay her for this one
Any info on these would be greatly appreciate. Or just rate my picks. It will help me and others in the future when buying and selling.
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oldldh
Well-known member
bl00
Well-known member
I like those Reeds, but stop posting them. You're making me jealous.
bl00
Well-known member
va.grouseman
Well-known member
Topop,---I really like that E.C. Stearns, and I will be putting it in the index in the vise repair thread.---First one I've seen but I'll bet B100 has a ad. for it.---He don't do Apps., he does Ad's..---Very nice Parker and Prentiss and Wilton as condition goes, but I'll let someone else chime in on price as I wouldn't know how to price those.---But as for the 326, I'll chime in.---As you know, Starrett bought out Athol and continued to make the 326s without the X suffix.---I think they dropped the weight just a tad on the Starretts when they dropped the X.---I have two of the 326s and they each weigh in at 215 lbs.---I paid more for mine than you paid for yours and no regrets.---In my opinion they are the finest combinations you can buy.---I know the Wilton C3 owners would call me on that one. ---I tried to get a Craigslist seller to ship me a 326X like yours 2 weeks ago but they were old folks and it was just too much for them.---I will buy another if the price is right.---They aren't going to make any more 326s or 326Xs.---I think you did real good on that one.---Let me know if there is ever anything that vise won't handle in your shop.---I'd like to know what stumped it.
bl00
Well-known member
Got nothing on the Stearns except that it looks like the Parker oval slide vise. That Athol is a big beasty one
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.topop101
Well-known member
Thanks for the info on the 326 X. On the weight, The dynamic jaw goes 83 lbs. and the static 139. Wonder where they trimmed the iron from?
topop101
Well-known member
Got nothing on the Stearns except that it looks like the Parker oval slide vise. That Athol is a big beasty one
I thought the same thing when I seen it . Then to my shock It was a Stearns. I knew they made many other tools . Never seen a bench vise. I would really like to date it
That's a nice vise haul. Was the only purpose of your trip to run the vise circuit? I was only able to pick up this parker 973 1/2 this weekend. It suffers from a hideous running overspray paint job but other than that I don't think this thing clamped more than two things in its life. Supposedly it was in a basement bolted to a stud. House was sold so they sold the vise.
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jreb10
Well-known member
Very nice looking vise! A little time in the e-tank and that paint will be long gone. It's flaking off already in some spots.
The one redeeming characteristic of a clumsy paint job is that you can be almost certain they skimped on the surface prep, if they did any prep at all. The stuff usually comes off easy.
McBrownie
Well-known member
I will be firing up an etank whenever the weather breaksNever tried it yet. Will it remove japanning also? Here is a pic of the jaw faces. I wasn't a big parker fan before but I'm liking them more and more.
Japanning is basically low-tech asphalt-based "paint", so it should not be a problem. I really like the 973 and 973 1/2 vises. I think those are the right size for most home-owners. I have a 974 and it's just a little on the large size (which means that it is probably just the right size
) for my small bench. Parkers are nice vises when they are in good shape. When they aren't, then run and hide, because they are not cheap or easy to fix. Looks like you found a really nice one!I was able to score a 974 that is very mint this past summer. Now just on principal I want to have the whole 97x line up. Lots of time and $$$ later maybe it will happen. I think someone on here has the set. Luckily I have not found a beat up parker but I know enough to run not walk away from one that looks questionable. Do you guys usually remove the jaw inserts or just leave them be and mask them off?
topop101
Well-known member
My daughter lives in the middle of the trip. I was going to visit and thought I would scout the area out for treasures. Found a truck load. Met some nice folks and seem "THE" most amazing antique tool collection ever. Maybe 20,000 items displayed perfectly. Picked many more things besides vises but since that is the purpose of the thread I limited the bragging to vises
jreb10
Well-known member
If they are on securely I am inclined to leave them be and rely on my masking technique. Why wrestle with jaw pins that have not moved in 50 years or more, if you don't have to.
I am not sure anyone really knows how Parker put them on in production. Were they heated up and then placed on, to shrink down to a tight grip as they cooled, and then pinned after the fact?
jreb10
Well-known member
My daughter lives in the middle of the trip. I was going to visit and thought I would scout the area out for treasures. Found a truck load. Met some nice folks and seem "THE" most amazing antique tool collection ever. Maybe 20,000 items displayed perfectly. Picked many more things besides vises but since that is the purpose of the thread I limited the bragging to vises
Wow! Sounds like a great trip.
And just where is this tool and vise area Utopia? Inquiring minds want to know.
McBrownie
Well-known member
Both of my Parkers have needed work on the jaws, so I removed them. Number 4 Drill Rod is what I used for the pins on both. Check out the Vise Repair 101 Thread Post #123 for details.
http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=252830&page=7
KMScott
Well-known member
You will get a better paint job out of it if you do remove the jaws. The pin diameter will most likely be 13/64 (.203) If so then purchase the rod at McMaster-Carr, http://www.mcmaster.com/#standard-steel-rods/=vxvudk it is worth the $6 and shipping charges. Choose the soft and not the hard rods that they offer. I will be looking forward in seeing this vise cleaned up. Nice find.
I seen that you are interested in the Parker jaws and how they installed them. I wrote a blog about it that you can see here. It is not that difficult to remove the pins especially how nice your jaws are and the shape of your vise.
https://wiltonviseparts.wordpress.com/2013/11/23/building-the-chas-parker-jaws/
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topop101
Well-known member
Wow! Sounds like a great trip.
And just where is this tool and vise area Utopia? Inquiring minds want to know.
Oklahoma. The owner traveled a lot with his work and came home with many treasures every trip. He had the building built to mirror a blacksmith shop. Every item was in perfect condition . He was out of room and could only keep buying if he sold stuff. Far be it from me to keep him from buying. I will go back this summer. Already have a list
I just noticed something I've never seen on a Reed vise! That vise appears to have channeled jaws, something Reed never used to my knowledge and they look to be held on with pins thru them and not screws in the faces...Am I correct in my assumption?
trijeff
Well-known member
Hi autopts! I'm new to the site but am restoring a 1940's transition Reed 104.5 R ... check out these jaws, I know they are different than the 134X originally posted about, but is this what you mean by channeled? There are no pins/screws on these one btw, they are the hot weld.
454ragtop
Well-known member
Yes, that is correct. If you look at the post from oldldh a couple after mine, you can see his disassembled with all the pieces. These are one rugged exposed screw vises.
Jim
Outlawmws
Well-known member
Japanning is basically low-tech asphalt-based "paint", so it should not be a problem. I really like the 973 and 973 1/2 vises. I think those are the right size for most home-owners. I have a 974 and it's just a little on the large size (which means that it is probably just the right size
I'v had a 974 as my main vise for about 30 years now. Its' been both "too big" and "too small"... But I'm not really "Joe average home owner" either...
The only reason the 974 - 1/2 didn't replace the 974 a couple of decades ago, was that the hole pattern didn't line up and actually would have messed up the bench top too much, so I set it aside for another bench on a future shop, which hasn't happened just yet...
I tend to agree, being realistic, that a 3" or 3-1/2 is really plenty for the average guy. The trouble on GJ is there are dang few "average" guys playing with vises...
So.....That means Reed is still in the running as being the MFG of the Craftsman 5196,7,8 > My main contention was that since Reed, never in their history made a channeled jaw could not have made those models. Very enlightening..unless I've been living is box for so long.
KMScott
Well-known member
I would really like to know how Reed put these jaws on, are they soldered, brased, molded in, they are not pinned. Maybe Carla can give us her thoughts since this Reed is hers. These jaws are not like the Craftsmans or Prentiss's, note how Carla smoothed the faces and checkered the slide. Real nice.
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oldldh
Well-known member
That isn't mine...a GJ member bought it out from under me, on Ebay, about a month ago...for something like $85.00 restored!!!(Yes, that does ****!!!)...the photos came from the Ebay sales brochure...
I wonder if they made a 135, or a 136, or---Gasp!!!---a 137???
Or a 138???---Nope, that ain't happening...
Nick, I've always thought that there was more than a trace of "Reediness" in the Craftsman 519X series...The stoutness, mass, weight, and most unstraight lines didn't look that "Columbian", to me...
But, I've been wrong before...
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Fretters
Well-known member
I tend to agree, being realistic, that a 3" or 3-1/2 is really plenty for the average guy. The trouble on GJ is there are dang few "average" guys playing with vises...
As they say: "It's not the size of the wand but rather the magic of the magician" which matters.
Lucky 13
Active member
This is my REED 104. I used this vise nearly every day for four years in a previous job. The factory closed down and I was the last remaining employee there a year later. Before the building sold, I purchased the vise from the owner.
It has been in storage now for about two years. It does have some surface rust on it that I need to remove. The vise had a smooth bare finish on the top from years of use. It had been mounted in one place for probably close to 60 years when I removed it. The last Patent date is August 11 1914.
I am planning to mount this vise to my work bench in my new shop.
It has been in storage now for about two years. It does have some surface rust on it that I need to remove. The vise had a smooth bare finish on the top from years of use. It had been mounted in one place for probably close to 60 years when I removed it. The last Patent date is August 11 1914.
I am planning to mount this vise to my work bench in my new shop.
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Fretters
Well-known member
joe.striper
Well-known member
ROBB, if the jaws are solid I leave them be BUT if there is any loosness at all I pull them. Take a small punch, turn the vise upside-down and punch them out from the bottom up.
I have found in MY Parkers that they use a tapered pin. I bought replacements at my local ace hardware. The Rev Scott has found they use a straight pin. My suggestion? If you pull the jaws on your Parker mic up the pins to see if they taper or not. I guess I was lucky because my pins were so long it was easy to recognize the taper.
Two side notes; if you replace the pins be careful not to over drive them into the jaws because you could cause a crack around the jaw insert hole. Also all of this advice doesn't apply to late model Parkers as they used roll pins around the time they were taken over by their union in the late 50s.
drivesitfar
Well-known member
Lucky: sorry to hear your old job ended with the factory closing its door for the last day. you being the only employee left tells me (us) you have a good attitude and talent. good luck in your coming adventures.
your Reed 104 is a great vise and in case you want to spiff it up some i bought one from a 95 year old machinist that had this one sitting on a shelf and not sure he ever used it. i like the natural finish and i think some of the members might call this a Browning which is sort of like a natural rusting finish some gun guys and gals use. or similar i guess to Japanning.
of course it's your vise and your color so do as you wish and happy to see it followed you home. were you able to save the old square head mounting bolts it probably had and re mount the Reed 104 to your bench with them?
JRobb: if the jaws on your Parker are tight i'd leave them be and tape them off if you are going to paint. then shine them up like so many awesome Parker owners have that have showed up here or on the Vise Repair 101 thread. Did the Huge vise deal happen or are you still working on it?
your Reed 104 is a great vise and in case you want to spiff it up some i bought one from a 95 year old machinist that had this one sitting on a shelf and not sure he ever used it. i like the natural finish and i think some of the members might call this a Browning which is sort of like a natural rusting finish some gun guys and gals use. or similar i guess to Japanning.
of course it's your vise and your color so do as you wish and happy to see it followed you home. were you able to save the old square head mounting bolts it probably had and re mount the Reed 104 to your bench with them?
JRobb: if the jaws on your Parker are tight i'd leave them be and tape them off if you are going to paint. then shine them up like so many awesome Parker owners have that have showed up here or on the Vise Repair 101 thread. Did the Huge vise deal happen or are you still working on it?
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demoman
Well-known member
I would like to know as well. I actually asked the oldest employee at reed a few years ago and he said he thought they were cast in place. That is not really possible to have that work. I figure silver soldered but you cannot detect any solder line that I see. That would work good if the surface was prepared right. I even thought maybe they were hammer welded like an anvil top but the teeth were cut beforehand and that process would ruin them.
Hmmm!
Fretters
Well-known member
I'm not overly familiar with foundry work, but is it possible that the inserts were seated in the mould and then the main cast poured?
CwazyWabbit
Well-known member
Wouldn't the shrinkage of the cast cooling mess that up?
Fretters
Well-known member
I've honestly no idea. That's why I covered myself by starting that paragraph the way I did.
I'd expect the steel of the inserts to expand under the heat of the pour, but only a foundryman or someone with the knowledge would know what the expansion/contraction differences between the two are. I ain't either.