The VISES of Garage Journal

[drivesitfar]

Muddy: welcome to our forum and specifically the vise squad. it looks like you've been watching Balane paint his Snap On bright green or maybe that is your own choice. looks great and can you share the brand and paint color. i like that Craftsman you already mounted on your bench and since it looks like you like good old Craftsmans i'm sure a 519x series Craftsman vise is in your future, but i doubt you'll find one for the price you bought those for. nice work and again welcome.

Joe: I like that Athol combination vise and blew up the picture and didn't see anything glaring so you have my best wishes that it checks out. As I've said before the Athol that later became Starretts are some of the nicest vises you can own.

TM: Speaking of Athol Starrett vises that one looks like a keeper and i like the old copper jaws it came with. very nice looking vise and so far the vises I've seen you buy are some of the best quality ones made.

NH: good luck on your trip and PM (Private Message sort or like email for members only) me if you need help in your vise search if you don't find anything in Arkansas because i think i'm on your way to Alaska in Seattle.

Jeff: what can we say other than for your first vise restoration you really did a great job and those Reed vises are stout and a great vise.

Wrench: best wishes and i hope your troubles get better soon.

 

[torqueman2002]

...

TM: Speaking of Athol Starrett vises that one looks like a keeper and i like the old copper jaws it came with. very nice looking vise and so far the vises I've seen you buy are some of the best quality ones made.

...

I have a good mentor!

 

[firemanast]

Twinkies.

Hi All from a new guy.A 506-51800 and a 5169. $25.00 and $40.00 Craigslist finds that i cleaned up and painted.

!
Very nice job and welcome aboard !

 

[muddyriverdogz]

The paint is Rust-Oleum Grabber Green,I figure if it gets scratched up i can just rattle up the can and spray some more on.I picked the color because im tired of red but the light blue i have seen some of the vises painted on this thread has caught my eye.

Thanks everybody for the welcome.

 

[McBrownie]

The paint is Rust-Oleum Grabber Green,I figure if it gets scratched up i can just rattle up the can and spray some more on.I picked the color because im tired of red but the light blue i have seen some of the vises painted on this thread has caught my eye.

Them's fightin' words according to fellow GJ'er OLDLDH. You may feel his wrath.

 

[JZiggy]

JZiggy: Thanks for dropping the knowledge! I will include in my 104.5 write-up on the Vise Repair 101 thread so others can benefit, too. A few questions:

1) What TPI are you talking when you say "very coarse"?
2) What brands/models do you have that do/don't accept?
3) What's the best source/selection you've found, i.e. where do you buy yours?
4) And finally, ever had a failure?

1) Not sure. Would need to go measure a few to see. I think it would all come down to helix angle, not necessarily TPI.
2) Only failure was on an old Parker. I have done this on a handful of Woden vises and a Paramo.
3) McMaster-Carr carries a brand similar or the same as what you have pictured. The race is about $3-4 and the washers are about $1. Turns out Amazon has pretty much the same thing in Koyo brand, no real difference.
4) Not yet, though I've wanked on a handle pretty hard and felt the bearing yield a bit (I think).

Sometimes it's tricky to find the right ID/OD combination.

I tried this approach with an Oilite bearing once and it eventually cracked. The bearings seem to hold up well so far.

 

[danstead]

Hey MRD,

Love those C-man vises------ and the color!

 

[joe.striper]

Great day! Got all this today, Reed 107, small reed 104, palmgren vise, another small machine vise and a York 125 oh and picked up my Milhoff. Pd 300 for everything.

 

[bagged89s10]

Great day! Got all this today, Reed 107, small reed 104, palmgren vise, another small machine vise and a York 125 oh and picked up my Milhoff. Pd 300 for everything.

Nice Joe. Let me know if you need to part with any of those drill press vises. I need one


~Veeps

 

[drivesitfar]

Joe: nice haul and i really like the Reed 107. any idea how much it weighs? you mentioned buying an Athol and not an Athol in the bunch so is that in the afternoon's errands to round up some more iron?

i saw you had a nice old DP XY vise. keep a lookout for the clamps for the top of the table that look like this because they are not easily found. your XY looks great and there are several options you can find to use instead of the factory issued ones.

 

[oldldh]

Them's fightin' words according to fellow GJ'er OLDLDH. You may feel his wrath.

One must leave room in the world for other choices...

Even when they're...

WRONG!!!

 

[wmrra13]

Drivesitfar;

Is this you:
http://seattle.craigslist.org/skc/tls/4981911106.html

If so, why don't you restore that great Wilton?
I've seen it advertised a few times but apparently no one's biting at that price - maybe a coat of paint would make it move?

Also, I think we live very close to each other.

Cheers,
Tyler

 

[joe.striper]

Joe: nice haul and i really like the Reed 107. any idea how much it weighs? you mentioned buying an Athol and not an Athol in the bunch so is that in the afternoon's errands to round up some more iron?

i saw you had a nice old DP XY vise. keep a lookout for the clamps for the top of the table that look like this because they are not easily found. your XY looks great and there are several options you can find to use instead of the factory issued ones.

You mean like this 6" athol?

 

[joe.striper]

You mean like this 6" athol?

Reed 107 weighs 175lb

 

[CwazyWabbit]

Fretters: What do you think of BS381c 538 Cherry as a match for Parkinson red ?

 

[wrenchguy]

Thanks for the reply, Drivesitfar.

I've been keeping an eye on the classified section. I wanted to shake the tree here a bit, to see if folks had any vises they didn't know wanted to sell.. like maybe a Morgan 140, for example.

I'm keeping my eye out!

Again, thanks for the beta. I appreciate it.

GO HOGS!!
I have a 87 year old pilot dad living in Mena, and brother in Ft. Smith.

Oh yea i got a very nice chicago morgan 130 available.

good luck with ur projects.

 

[drivesitfar]

Tyler: I'm guessing you are looking at an ad I posted for my 1978 Wilton C 2 on Craigslist. I don't have one empty workbench and starting a new fence project so if it sells or doesn't either way works for me. Sounds like we live close so how do you like these 70 degree days in April?

Joe: you posted a picture of an older starrett but since you seem to have vises growing on trees in your area I guess that one works. Looks like the one jaw is welded? Very nice Reed and is she a keeper? Thanks for weighing it which might not have been easy unless you have a setup like Lu-max.

 

[joe.striper]

Tyler: I'm guessing you are looking at an ad I posted for my 1978 Wilton C 2 on Craigslist. I don't have one empty workbench and starting a new fence project so if it sells or doesn't either way works for me. Sounds like we live close so how do you like these 70 degree days in April?

Joe: you posted a picture of an older starrett but since you seem to have vises growing on trees in your area I guess that one works. Looks like the one jaw is welded? Very nice Reed and is she a keeper? Thanks for weighing it which might not have been easy unless you have a setup like Lu-max.

Didn't weigh it. Dayid.org has it listed

 

[Fretters]

4) Not yet, though I've wanked on a handle pretty hard and felt the bearing yield a bit (I think).

I truly can't believe that no-one has questioned your reasoning with this testing method as yet.

 

[Fretters]

Fretters: What do you think of BS381c 538 Cherry as a match for Parkinson red ?

I'd try and have a look at that one in person on a colour chart before trying it. Just had a look online, and the samples look quite different depending on which site they're viewed, and I also noted that one place referred to it as Post Office red, so if it's owt like I recall postbox red as, likely way off the colour on this 8A. Something like an orange/red cross would seem closer. The Parkinson's appear red/burgundy after a few years and some patina, but if aiming for originality, any vibrant/dark red would seem to be quite a way off. I'd almost say it's bordering on a hint of brown with the original paint.

 

[Colin Len]

Stumbled on this interesting specimen on CL:
http://orangecounty.craigslist.org/hsh/4977794133.html

 

[trijeff]

JZiggy: Thanks for the info on the needle rolling bearings! Will add this to the Vise Repair 101 thread when I get a chance.

Colin: You need to make a "reasonable" offer and go get that RIGHT NOW!!!

 

[drivesitfar]

Colin: if the vise isn't cracked or welded or missing any parts its a great user vise. it's a Bison (FPU) vice made in Poland and i have a smallish 3 inch one that i really like.

Joe: so do you believe everything Dayid's says? do you own that Starrett with the welded jaw or were you just throwing out another picture of a nice vise that you will acquire shortly?

 

[balane]

Another from the Renton Pile. Union Parker 974B. 4" jaws, 56 Lbs. Color is Satin Hunt Club Green.

.

 

[topop101]

It's been a while since I messed with a Columbian. I always forget how well they are made. 7/8 screw on a 4 " vise... BEEFY. Guess it's why they are one of the oldest vise makers in the country.

The color is classic black gloss and man is it a hard finish to lay down

Convair was a aircraft maker from 43-94. I don't know how old the vise is but this may or may not help date it.

 

[tedsters]

Another from the Renton Pile. Union Parker 974B. 4" jaws, 56 Lbs. Color is Satin Hunt Club Green.

.

that is purdeeeee, i like the USA stickers you have been putting on all your vises.

 

[tedsters]

heres a nice little Reed 104 nice and tight and the jaws are like new and the handle ain't full of peen marks

 

[JZiggy]

I truly can't believe that no-one has questioned your reasoning with this testing method as yet.

Hey man, sometimes engineers are really just BS artists

 

[macgee]

Has anyone seen one of these Rock Island's " 592 " before?

I just acquired this yesterday out of an old mechanic shop, it was hiding under a pile of old newspapers from the '60's. It's has "10 56" stamped on top of the slide but I unable to find online any information or reference of a #592.

The jaws are 3 1/2" wide. I think the paint is orig. and looks in excellent condition. It's a nice little vise, it weighs 31 lbs.

 

[topop101]

Has anyone seen one of these Rock Island's " 592 " before?

I just acquired this yesterday out of an old mechanic shop, it was hiding under a pile of old newspapers from the '60's. It's has "10 56" stamped on top of the slide but I unable to find online any information or reference of a #592.

The jaws are 3 1/2" wide. I think the paint is orig. and looks in excellent condition. It's a nice little vise, it weighs 31 lbs.

looks very similar to my craftsman 5151

 

[trijeff]

Nice work Balane and topop!!

 

[xxaler]

Wire wheeled it down, taped it off and shot it hammertone blue. Paint cost me $72 after shipping and customs from the UK, and of course, doesn't come out hammertone, instead semi-metallic. Fantastic. Could have got that for $8 at NAPA.

Oh well. $10 for 4 chunks of A-2 for both jaws, missing double sided pipe jaw, and a spare. Squared the jaws, cut the notch, mocked fit. Going to make up some threaded buttons for marking the holes, drill, refit, then work on getting the other jaw out (should have done before paint).

Probably going to order a needle bearing stack for the jaw, that looks handy as hell. Saw a few pages back.

Record Combination Vise No.634

 

[balane]

Hammerite is good stuff. The best in my opinion. It needs to go on thick, the thicker the application the better the hammered affect. Right at the point before it runs. This photo is Hammerite. I really liked it but it's twice the price of Rustoleum hammered finish.

.

 

[drivesitfar]

Balane: you are amazing. i wonder if the members of the vise thread heard that you burned up a Craftsman block working on the Renton golden pile? did you finish 2 vises each day or was it 3. WOW.

nice color and unbelievable how fast you can turn these old farm fresh vises into gems and show pieces. any chance you can find some good wood epoxy to save your stump?

cheers

TP: does your Craftsman 5151 have 3.5 inch jaws. i do like those Rock Island Craftsman vises. how many Craftsman vises do you own? nice job on the restoration on that and your Columbian.

Tedsters: you must be in the 20's now for the # of vises that have followed you home? can't beat a good old Reed if all the parts are there which yours seems to be.

 

[joe.striper]

Colin: if the vise isn't cracked or welded or missing any parts its a great user vise. it's a Bison (FPU) vice made in Poland and i have a smallish 3 inch one that i really like.

Joe: so do you believe everything Dayid's says? do you own that Starrett with the welded jaw or were you just throwing out another picture of a nice vise that you will acquire shortly?

I'm working on two Athols right now, that gray one and that 325. I should have had the gray one today but Long Island traffic killed me.. Id have pd 100 for it. The 325 we are negotiating. Ive offered 150. It is REAL clean.

I do believe Dayids. I have yet to find a major error and quiet frankly all I know is that the 107 is as heavy as HELL!

Neither vise is on CL so I dont mind discussing them here and quite frankly i am soooo beat (just geting home now) that i bought so much I just dont care.

Here are pics from my day. So first is the tailgate pic. Ive now identified everything here. Reed 107, Reed 104, Millhoff vise, Palmgren 610, Heinrich machinist vise, yost 125

Next is the Prentiss 58 I delivered to MA for a member.

Here is the place i delivered it to. That is a 600lb Gernan anvil. And yes that is an 80lb hanging anvil that is being usedcas a counterweight. Some of their work in process.

 

[macgee]

looks very similar to my craftsman 5151

It looks extremely close to mine, good eye.

It's nice little vise and can't believe how nice the paint is on this one.

Does anyone have any old Rock Island Ad's/brochures from the 50's?

 

[jakemac]

Joe: so do you believe everything Dayid's says?

DIF - Here's a clipping from an old Reed ad that has been posted here before.

 

[JeremyBurke]

Joe: I love that cam lock vise at the front of your tailgate picture. The first shop classes I took in college had one of those and I have always wanted one. Maybe someday I will find one.

 

[joe.striper]

Joe: I love that cam lock vise at the front of your tailgate picture. The first shop classes I took in college had one of those and I have always wanted one. Maybe someday I will find one.

Jeremy it is a Heinrich. Lets see if I can unstick it and if I can I'll make you a VERY affordable deal

 

[drivesitfar]

Jake: thanks for the Reed catalog page. any chance you might have the Prentiss page with all the swivel jaw vises too?

Joe: speaking of Prentiss vises that 58 ain't no little thing. did it really have 8.5 inch jaws like Dayid's vise Wiki says? it didn't say the weight, but guessing it was in the 240 pound neighborhood? i do like the way you move those big vises.

very cool anvil and vise **** pictures and i'd love to have a camera on your forehead with live feeds coming to my laptop to see some of the old shops you see practically on a daily basis. nice deals big guy