The VISES of Garage Journal

[bluebolt]

Here is a pic of the Dunlop 5171 (rock island)vise I picked up today with the marking of 114 on the slide. I picked it up for 50 bucks. thanks GG54

Nice, there was nothing "low cost" about that Dunlap!

 

[zkling]

Here is a pic of the Dunlop 5171 (rock island)vise I picked up today with the marking of 114 on the slide. I picked it up for 50 bucks. thanks GG54

Looks just like the Craftsman 5152. Interesting as typically the dunlap series was a more budget built line as bluebolt mentioned. Does the handle have a spring detent?

 

[drivesitfar]

GG: are you posting pictures from your cell phone? i use the paperclip to attach pictures that is just above where you are writing your posts. Pictures attach sort of like an email, but i'm doing mine off a laptop. if you are using a cell phone some of the guys use tapatalk and say that works, but you'll have to ask another question or keep working at it if my method won't help you. nice Rock Island Dunlap which i think is a vise sold by Sears in their early days.

TP: nice to shop where there is quality. those 2 C series vises are probably the best vises made for general all around shop use, but that Starrett isn't too far behind. i like the Craftsman ratchet and you also have the option of mounting that Starrett as a fixed vise too with his 3 hole mount if you take the swivel base off.

 

[topop101]

TP: nice to shop where there is quality. those 2 C series vises are probably the best vises made for general all around shop use, but that Starrett isn't too far behind. i like the Craftsman ratchet and you also have the option of mounting that Starrett as a fixed vise too with his 3 hole mount if you take the swivel base off.[/QUOTE]

Right you are drives about the versatile mounting options that the Starrett offers. And thanks for your take on the ratchet handle

 

[Garageguy54]

The Dunlap 5171 does have spring detention handle. I also picked up a chas parker 954 for 50 bucks . I will post pics later gg54

When I post pics I use my iPad which is probably the same as a smartphone, I will try my desktop next time. Thanks

 

[trijeff]

$30 later and I have my St. Paddy's green

It's a 1740 and there is no date code, at least on the bottom of the slide like there is on my 1750



He had a 6" bullet that he wasn't letting go

 

[454ragtop]

They had machines called Die Filers back then they were used for filing square corners in Dies, I have used one my self, they would file a serration pretty fast in a set of soft jaws before heat treating. Look at a set of inserts molded into a vise and it looks like a hand filed cut, nesting the jaw would be easy and the operator would step the jaw over and just have to push the face into the file since it is going up and down pretty quickly. The files have many shapes. I added two pic's of Die Filers.

As for the jaw face I believe there is two ways holding them on and one is by a undercut stud threaded into the back of the jaws and a solder paste added to the back of the jaw before the molten casting is poured. Then it is molded and soldered in place. Sure bugs me and pretty soon I will be finding out since I have several vises that need this insert cut out and replaced with a replaceable jaw.

Kevin, I actually have a die filer like the gray one, a Harvey Butterfly, but the same machine was sold by Oliver also. The green one is a Hartford, had one of those years ago, sold it to a member on Prac Machinist. Die filers used to be fairly easy to come by, but they seem to be getting more scarce. Just sold a Keller to a member of OWWM.
Jim

 

[GETRIDAONE]

Hey Getridadone,

Nice finish and paint job with yours, the wrinkle paint and jaws look really good.

Here's another 5" FPU Vise, I just stripped it yesterday. It's a heavy mother for the size.

A bit rough under the paint and needs a little more finishing before painting but it's a really nice vise to use with adjustments to zero out any backlash in the handle and also gibs to zero out any play in the rear dynamic jaw.

The more you start to use this type of vise, the more and more you appreciate the design. Unlike a normal vise the bigger the item you clamp on it, the more stable it becomes and centered over the base. The swivel base is massive.

You are lucky that front left corner hole isn't broken out like most you see.
The little vise has no backlash at all and the jaws line up perfect.

 

[thursday]

Well I finally found a break from school to start restoring one of my bench vises. She wasn't in too bad of shape nor anything special when I started, but now she's my garage queen.

As I found it. A bit rusty and caked on crud.

Meeting some of the hoard.

Stripped.

Powder coating. Make sure you get the toaster oven with the rotisserie option comes in handy for skewering heavy vise parts.

The original swivel clamps were missing so I machined some out of 1144 stressproof steel. One of my favorite features of the Athol vises is there swivel clamps so I scaled them down 75%.

Apparently the badges for these wiltons are just foil stickers. I wasn't content with a sticker so I had some vinyl cut and put it on some 18 gauge sheet metal.

The front face plate was pretty ugly so I machined a stainless replacement.

Replaced the old jaw screws with some stainless fillister heads. Just waiting on filisters for the face plate.

As she sits today. This powder coat has a slight wrinkle to it hard to tell in the pictures.

 

[GETRIDAONE]

This is not the norm here but it is a vise. I haven't seen another one like it anywhere. The larger saw sharping vises seem to be homemade and out of wood for the most part. Baldwin Tuthill & Bolton is the manufacturer as you can see from the picture. It would come in handy if you needed to work on a big saw

 

[balane]

Goodness Thursday, that is amazing work. Everything there is incredible, very impressive. Top notch photography as well, they look like professional promotional shots. Do you need pipe jaws for it? This is the cheapest I've found if you do. Mad skills sir!

http://www.ebay.com/itm/WILTON-2904200-Pipe-Jaws-PK-2-/221570480973

 

[drivesitfar]

Thursday: for an ordinary Wilton vise she doesn't look ordinary any more. great job on all accounts as one our resident pros already mentioned. will the toaster oven hold a 6 inch 150 pound vise?

just curious what the powder coating material costs and is it very hard to apply? if you want to do a write up in the 101 thread please do because not all my vises are going to be BLO. thanks for posting the pictures

 

[CwazyWabbit]

I'll second both those statements.

..... That current paint job on the Swindens is criminal.

Hopefully I have rectified that situation somewhat now, I still need to make a few replacement screws to hold the jaw plates on as a couple are damaged but I think it looks a little better.

Is it possible to date these vices from their serial numbers? This one has no military date stamps on it and I'm kind of curious to know it's age.

Before


After




Serial number

 

[KMScott]

Kevin, I actually have a die filer like the gray one, a Harvey Butterfly, but the same machine was sold by Oliver also. The green one is a Hartford, had one of those years ago, sold it to a member on Prac Machinist. Die filers used to be fairly easy to come by, but they seem to be getting more scarce. Just sold a Keller to a member of OWWM.
Jim

The one we had at IBM had a 24" x 24" table on it and was a very heavy machine, we used it for making square corners in Molds and Dies. I Googled for a 1/2 hour but could not find the same one that I put many hours on, the apprentice's started with a file in this Tool Room. Wish I remembered the machine name. Getting old. Die Filers are very handy machines, I bet you still use one of yours 454.

Wow Thursday, nice restore, is that a die filer in the first couple pictures, a compressor could be retrofitted to work. Look how sharp the serrations are, I notice stuff like that.

 

[WhoWhatNow]

The one we had at IBM had a 24" x 24" table on it and was a very heavy machine, we used it for making square corners in Molds and Dies. I Googled for a 1/2 hour but could not find the same one that I put many hours on, the apprentice's started with a file in this Tool Room. Wish I remembered the machine name. Getting old. Die Filers are very handy machines, I bet you still use one of yours 454.

A Grob maybe?

 

[bagged89s10]

Well I finally found a break from school to start restoring one of my bench vises. She wasn't in too bad of shape nor anything special when I started, but now she's my garage queen.



As I found it. A bit rusty and caked on crud.

Meeting some of the hoard.

Stripped.

Powder coating. Make sure you get the toaster oven with the rotisserie option comes in handy for skewering heavy vise parts.

The original swivel clamps were missing so I machined some out of 1144 stressproof steel. One of my favorite features of the Athol vises is there swivel clamps so I scaled them down 75%.

Apparently the badges for these wiltons are just foil stickers. I wasn't content with a sticker so I had some vinyl cut and put it on some 18 gauge sheet metal.

The front face plate was pretty ugly so I machined a stainless replacement.

Replaced the old jaw screws with some stainless fillister heads. Just waiting on filisters for the face plate.

As she sits today. This powder coat has a slight wrinkle to it hard to tell in the pictures.

That came out awesome! Nice work on the athol style swivel clamps. I also like the cut out vinyl on stainless for the logo. I need one. Do you have the logo on file?

 

[Garageguy54]

Here Is a pic of the chas parker 954 I picked up today for 50 bucks. I will post more pics after I clean them up. GG54

 

[autopts]

Here Is a pic of the chas parker 954 I picked up today for 50 bucks. I will post more pics after I clean them up. GG54

Wow! That's clean!!! Great find!!

 

[thursday]

Goodness Thursday, that is amazing work. Everything there is incredible, very impressive. Top notch photography as well, they look like professional promotional shots. Do you need pipe jaws for it? This is the cheapest I've found if you do. Mad skills sir!

http://www.ebay.com/itm/WILTON-2904200-Pipe-Jaws-PK-2-/221570480973

Thank you for the comments and the link. I have some pipe jaws drawn up somewhere but I haven't got around to making them.

Thursday: for an ordinary Wilton vise she doesn't look ordinary any more. great job on all accounts as one our resident pros already mentioned. will the toaster oven hold a 6 inch 150 pound vise?

just curious what the powder coating material costs and is it very hard to apply? if you want to do a write up in the 101 thread please do because not all my vises are going to be BLO. thanks for posting the pictures

Thank you.

I'm definitely pushing the limits of the toaster oven with the bigger vises. Powder is very cheap and if you're really thrifty you can recycle what doesn't make it on the part.

Wow Thursday, nice restore, is that a die filer in the first couple pictures, a compressor could be retrofitted to work. Look how sharp the serrations are, I notice stuff like that.

Thank you.

Yes that's my compressor turned die filer that's been shown here before. The hardest thing about these die filers is finding the files.

That came out awesome! Nice work on the athol style swivel clamps. I also like the cut out vinyl on stainless for the logo. I need one. Do you have the logo on file?

Thank you.

I've deleted the logo from my computer but I can dig through some old emails to find it.

 

[bagged89s10]

Thank you for the comments and the link. I have some pipe jaws drawn up somewhere but I haven't got around to making them.







Thank you.



I'm definitely pushing the limits of the toaster oven with the bigger vises. Powder is very cheap and if you're really thrifty you can recycle what doesn't make it on the part.







Thank you.



Yes that's my compressor turned die filer that's been shown here before. The hardest thing about these die filers is finding the files.







Thank you.



I've deleted the logo from my computer but I can dig through some old emails to find it.

That would be awesome. I will pm you my email.
Hopefully you find it. Appreciate it.

 

[autopts]

You think Hollands, Reed, etc. had people who just sat there and hand filed serrations all day? Ugh, what a tedious job that would be.

I've also often wondered how these types of jaw inserts were installed. Do you think they could be press fit on very tight fitting dowels?

Bart, I don't know if I ever sent you this link. I picked it up some time go on this thread. It shows how Reed serrated its jaws/
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/10831967/How Reed Vises Are Made.pdf

 

[trijeff]

The original swivel clamps were missing so I machined some out of 1144 stressproof steel. One of my favorite features of the Athol vises is there swivel clamps so I scaled them down 75%.

Thursday: AMAZING restore to your new queen ... I especially like the swivel clamps. Any chance you want to go into business producing a few for other GJers??

 

[KMScott]

Bart, I don't know if I ever sent you this link. I picked it up some time go on this thread. It shows how Reed serrated its jaws/
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/10831967/How Reed Vises Are Made.pdf

Nick, I understand what they are talking about but I wish the pictures showed up. They mention casting the jaw faces during the casting process and the hard inserts act like a like a chiller and cause hard spots in the casting process around the jaws. Can the molten casting grab and hold on to a hard tool steel insert? The write up did not answer this question. I see the cold spot issue in my Holland, it shows voids close to the jaw inserts.

Reed mentions that they cut the hard jaws after casting with cheaper carbon steel inserts and cut the hard faces both at the same time but at a slower speed and feed rate. When did they cut the serrations? I find this fascinating. The Reed 206R I have has rock hard jaws, hand filed serrations and I will have issues cutting and replacing them with carbide cutters. Thanks Nick for the write up.
OH, look what I carved today.

 

[macgee]

Well I finally found a break from school to start restoring one of my bench vises.

Very nice job, I see that you have a Polish/ G. Boley/FPU/Bison vice in the background behind the Wilton. How do you like it?

Thursday: I especially like the swivel clamps. Any chance you want to go into business producing a few for other GJers??

I 2nd that request; I could definitely use several of those.


`

 

[bagged89s10]

So I bought it for $40.

It's a 1760 6" vise. Still in very nice condition. Just missing one of 2 pipe jaws. It has the numbers 121033 on it. Here she is.

Here it is all cleaned up and polished form now.
I didn't go crazy, just cleaned, lubed, and polished. Maybe in the spring I will paint it.

 

[bagged89s10]

I still need to find 1 pipe jaw. I didn't install the other one because I need to go get a new screw. It was bent and half stripped.

Not bad for $40

 

[balane]

OH, look what I carved today.

Good God, will you please stop making me feel like a loser?

 

[gatewaysysop]

gonna bump again in case it was missed by those who may have one, but does anyone have a catalog page for my Athol 8" 618 ? Looking for weight and year-ish...Thanks!

Catalog I have lists the 618 at 260 lbs., and the 628 w/swivel base is listed at 300. Having handled said swivel base personally when breaking down and re-assembling my 628, I have no doubt it is all of 40 pounds by itself.

Congrats and welcome to the club, 8" Athols are extremely rare.

 

[Mohawk Dave]

Catalog I have lists the 618 at 260 lbs., and the 628 w/swivel base is listed at 300. Having handled said swivel base personally when breaking down and re-assembling my 628, I have no doubt it is all of 40 pounds by itself.

Congrats and welcome to the club, 8" Athols are extremely rare.

Thank you, Sir!

It's a good club to be in. Would mine have been painted black originally? If so, I want to go original. Usually I don't care, but this one commands respect.

And I actually know where another 8" Athol is. I posted it on here last year-ish. I used to ride moto-x with the guy, but he won't sell it. Maybe I'll try again

 

[joe.striper]

OH, look what I carved today.

Really Scott? Gosh those are gorgeous! I feel SOOO inadequate.

 

[drivesitfar]

MD: just curious if you have looked at the retainer holding the main screw to the dynamic. The reason i'm asking is because I've heard the spring up against the pin on the smaller Athols is a PIA to remove unless you made a pipe into a tool. also taking that huge vise apart I've had a little experience with the bigger vises and taking out the screw first or putting it in after the dynamic is already in the static makes it a lot easier than holding a 100 plus pound dynamic up to the static and trying to get the screw started.

here's a tool that Ex made to remove the pin on his Athol vises in case you might need one. i'm hoping yours is just a set screw, but would like to see a picture if you get that big girl apart.

also that 8 inch Athol is really begging for more pictures and of course we all would like to see more when you get a chance.

KM: so just asking because I'm wondering where your talent stops with these vises. is there any part on any vise that you can't make that you know of or any that you would rather not make to sell? very nice Parker pieces you just made.

 

[thursday]

Thursday: AMAZING restore to your new queen ... I especially like the swivel clamps. Any chance you want to go into business producing a few for other GJers??

Very nice job, I see that you have a Polish/ G. Boley/FPU/Bison vice in the background behind the Wilton. How do you like it?


I 2nd that request; I could definitely use several of those.


`

I could produce more swivel clamps depending on how limited of variety everyone wants. Something scaled for a 3" vise isn't going to look right on a 6" vise etc..

Good eye. It's a Polish FPU in the middle of stripping just trying to make up my mind on what color for powder coating. They're so unique, and buttery smooth in operation due to the dovetail ways that it's hard not to love them. I wont be getting rid of it any time soon.

 

[FMC1959]

Well I finally found a break from school to start restoring one of my bench vises. She wasn't in too bad of shape nor anything special when I started, but now she's my garage queen.

Thursday, very impressive work you did there

Hopefully I have rectified that situation somewhat now, I still need to make a few replacement screws to hold the jaw plates on as a couple are damaged but I think it looks a little better.

Is it possible to date these vices from their serial numbers? This one has no military date stamps on it and I'm kind of curious to know it's age.

What a difference a paint job makes

Nick, I understand what they are talking about but I wish the pictures showed up. They mention casting the jaw faces during the casting process and the hard inserts act like a like a chiller and cause hard spots in the casting process around the jaws. Can the molten casting grab and hold on to a hard tool steel insert? The write up did not answer this question. I see the cold spot issue in my Holland, it shows voids close to the jaw inserts.

Reed mentions that they cut the hard jaws after casting with cheaper carbon steel inserts and cut the hard faces both at the same time but at a slower speed and feed rate. When did they cut the serrations? I find this fascinating. The Reed 206R I have has rock hard jaws, hand filed serrations and I will have issues cutting and replacing them with carbide cutters. Thanks Nick for the write up.
OH, look what I carved today.

Kevin, those are beautiful, great work and something I think you will have a high demand for

 

[bagged89s10]

My latest acquisition. An Athol 623.
3" wide jaws with swivel base. Sits approximately 8" tall by 12" long closed.
It works very smoothly. Just needs a good wire wheeling, paint, and polish. The jaws are pristine.

 

[balane]

Nice Athol. I think the same guy who owned that one had his hands on the Reed I just finished. The paint on the Reed looked exactly like what you have there. Somebody is going around all over the place slapping 1/2" thick black latex paint on vises.

 

[bagged89s10]

Nice Athol. I think the same guy who owned that one had his hands on the Reed I just finished. The paint on the Reed looked exactly like what you have there. Somebody is going around all over the place slapping 1/2" thick black latex paint on vises.

Who knows? That must have been the thing to do to vises at one point. What's even cooler is the guy I bought it from. Check out his video.

https://vimeo.com/68581553

 

[balane]

Wow, interesting fella in an interesting shop. It's nice he gets to spend his time doing what he loves.

 

[bagged89s10]

Wow, interesting fella in an interesting shop. It's nice he gets to spend his time doing what he loves.

Yea he was busy but we talked for a few minutes. He's been working for himself for about 15 years. He also does a lot of prototyping for various companies which seems pretty interesting. The guy ends up working many long hours and 7 day weeks but it must be rewarding.

Oh yeah, the vise was $45.

 

[Bill Ramsey]

YOU VISE PEOPLE!

I was perfectly happy standing there, enjoying the view. Then one of you (OK, probably more than one) sneaked up behind me and pushed me when I least expected it. Down a slope. Down a very, very, very slippery slope.

I won't name names. You know who you are.

Morgan 288 1/2. Local CL score.

 

[bagged89s10]

YOU VISE PEOPLE!



I was perfectly happy standing there, enjoying the view. Then one of you (OK, probably more than one) sneaked up behind me and pushed me when I least expected it. Down a slope. Down a very, very, very slippery slope.



I won't name names. You know who you are.



Morgan 288 1/2. Local CL score.

Haha. I'm in the same boat as you now. Nice find! How much was it?