The VISES of Garage Journal

[FMC1959]

Zoomie: I did see that the #23 is only 207 pounds. i say only like that's a little thing don't i? any idea what the biggest vise is that Prentiss made? is it the #58?

thanks and maybe someday i'll have to make it to Michigan myself from the left coast to see the sea of Tetanus you keep posting small pictures of and while I'm in Michigan head to Detroit to see the Craftsman block king's garage too.

cheers

Probably it's Swivelin' B@#tards cousin, the 98. I have never seen a listing for a 98, and someone was asking for just that a week or so ago. I think B100 had said that he had seen a Prentiss 98 brochure and it was 345 lbs, or maybe it was his guess based off of the weight of his 58....I am sure he can tell you for sure.

 

[topop101]

DRIVES
ZOOM
Got it . And yes it's a 22. I had to rescue it from the thug owner. He said he preferred is 3 1/2 Columbian over the 22 and he just used the 22 as a anvil. . And man does it show it.

After getting it home I couldn't stand it . I had to get it apart to see what all the damage was. The slide has been broken for sure and brazed. That's the worst part. As for the pin hole and swivel jaw.... not welded However the jaw served as his anvil pad and has been mushroomed .

After buffing some of the mushrooming off over the pin I tapped left and right on the jaw with a rubber mallet while pulling on the pin with a very strong magnet. Wasn't long and out it came.

Then with a brass pin and a 2 lb beater I spun the jaw free and out.

Looks like besides the brazing the rest of the machine is salvageable .

The best part.... $60.00.

 

[zoomieport]

DRIVES
ZOOM
Got it . And yes it's a 22. I had to rescue it from the thug owner. He said he preferred is 3 1/2 Columbian over the 22 and he just used the 22 as a anvil. . And man does it show it.

After getting it home I couldn't stand it . I had to get it apart to see what all the damage was. The slide has been broken for sure and brazed. That's the worst part. As for the pin hole and swivel jaw.... not welded However the jaw served as his anvil pad and has been mushroomed .

After buffing some of the mushrooming off over the pin I tapped left and right on the jaw with a rubber mallet while pulling on the pin with a very strong magnet. Wasn't long and out it came.

Then with a brass pin and a 2 lb beater I spun the jaw free and out.

Looks like besides the brazing the rest of the machine is salvageable .

The best part.... $60.00.

Well done, nice save!

 

[drivesitfar]

FMC: thanks and maybe Joe or one of his friends will find the Prentiss #98 so we can get a real weight and pictures of it.

TP: nice save and better work. now all you need is a busted 22 with a good dynamic and you've got your 165 pound swivel jaw Prentiss. for now it looks like it works and i bet you might be hooked on big vises if you are not already.

cheers

 

[drivesitfar]

BTW: TP I'm officially changing my short initials or name for you to TOP or POP because TP just doesn't sound right. any preference?

 

[joe.striper]

FMC: thanks and maybe Joe or one of his friends will find the Prentiss #98 so we can get a real weight and pictures of it.

TP: nice save and better work. now all you need is a busted 22 with a good dynamic and you've got your 165 pound swivel jaw Prentiss. for now it looks like it works and i bet you might be hooked on big vises if you are not already.

cheers

Hey I have a rule. I dont buy any vises that weigh more than me!
...what? 345 lbs? Oh OK I can buy that one!

 

[topop101]

BTW: TP I'm officially changing my short initials or name for you to TOP or POP because TP just doesn't sound right. any preference?

lol.... I wish you would.... "TOP OPerator local 101". I'm a hook man. Been playing with cranes over 20 years now. Top is fine

I really like all sizes. from my no. 2 Athol to my 7" Reed. I do want an 8 & 9 though. I'm partial to Athols and Parkers. But I have a Red Seal and a Starrett that are very meaningful to me because of who they came from.

 

[joe.striper]

Lots of driving today! Traffic sucked as they closed I-91 in VT for four exits...and as they say, cant get there from heah!

In any event I fell into this today. A Craftsman rotary cross slide vise...for $135. In phenomenal condition. Now here is the quandry...which do I sell? As you may remember I just last week I bought my Craftsman XY table, now I have two.

Both Craftsman, both really cool, one old school one new school. Both do the same job. Whichever I sell will get the vise heads mounted onto it. I really am torn and no I won't keep both.

So which is it? Betty or Veronica????

 

[topop101]

Hey I have a rule. I dont buy any vises that weigh more than me!
...what? 345 lbs? Oh OK I can buy that one!

I don't buy ones I can"t lift.... 345??? yeah I can get that

 

[Fretters]

Hey I have a rule. I dont buy any vises that weigh more than me!
...what? 345 lbs? Oh OK I can buy that one!

Matey, we've seen photo's of you. Is any vice heavy enough to be ruled out?

 

[drivesitfar]

Joe: so i hope you don't go on a diet until you find that Prentiss #98. cheers

TOP: you say you don't want to buy an 8 or 9 incher and then one will cross your path at the right price and all bets are off i'm betting.

I bet on windy days your job just isn't fun and maybe a bit scary. should keep your blood pumping when you are not on the hunt for a vise.

 

[CwazyWabbit]

I don't buy ones I can"t lift.... 345??? yeah I can get that

Being a crane operator I'm guessing you could lift the workshop containing the vise

 

[topop101]

Matey, we've seen photo's of you. Is any vice heavy enough to be ruled out?

Watch Fretters, francis will kill you

 

[drivesitfar]

Joe: i just saw your post and i have the best answer for you. buy another drill press and you can mount both of them. i have these 2 drill presses and looking for a nice old Walker Turner stand up with the slow speed option. there are almost as many cool drill presses as old vises and if you can't keep it give a nice set up to that big son of yours when he moves out on his own.

TOP: easy solution to the big guys to get them home is just to take them apart. they just don't go back together quite as easy. so i agree take it home in one piece.

 

[topop101]

Joe: so i hope you don't go on a diet until you find that Prentiss #98. cheers

TOP: you say you don't want to buy an 8 or 9 incher and then one will cross your path at the right price and all bets are off i'm betting.

I bet on windy days your job just isn't fun and maybe a bit scary. should keep your blood pumping when you are not on the hunt for a vise.

I DOwant an 8 and 9.

Saturday got caught with 160' in the air over the Mighty Mo river in a pop up thunder storm.... went home and did up that pipe vise to calm down

 

[CwazyWabbit]

Lots of driving today! Traffic sucked as they closed I-91 in VT for four exits...and as they say, cant get there from heah!

In any event I fell into this today. A Craftsman rotary cross slide vise...for $135. In phenomenal condition. Now here is the quandry...which do I sell? As you may remember I just last week I bought my Craftsman XY table, now I have two.

Both Craftsman, both really cool, one old school one new school. Both do the same job. Whichever I sell will get the vise heads mounted onto it. I really am torn and no I won't keep both.

So which is it? Betty or Veronica????

I'd keep the round one. I have a mastercraft version of the square one that has a broken table, the round one looks stronger, also the angle graduations are easy to see on the round one, I can't remember if the square one has graduations marked but if it does they're not easy to see.

I don't know why but I reckon more people would recognise the square one and as such you'd get more money for it .... but I'm probably wrong being on this side of the pond.

EDIT: Looking at the pictures the round one is a dividing head as well (as in the rotary motion is driven by a hand wheel). Definitely keep the round one!

 

[topop101]

Being a crane operator I'm guessing you could lift the workshop containing the vise

I've picked a lot of machine I wish I had in my shop that's for sure. and I've set whole houses... All with one hand

 

[Fretters]

The rotary has more functionality, but probably has less travel? Personally, I'd keep the rotary.

Watch Fretters, francis will kill you

 

[joe.striper]

Joe: i just saw your post and i have the best answer for you. buy another drill press and you can mount both of them. i have these 2 drill presses and looking for a nice old Walker Turner stand up with the slow speed option. there are almost as many cool drill presses as old vises and if you can't keep it give a nice set up to that big son of yours when he moves out on his own.

TOP: easy solution to the big guys to get them home is just to take them apart. they just don't go back together quite as easy. so i agree take it home in one piece.

You mean more drill presses like these? Yeah...no, I don't need two or three drill presses. I want to get rid of these ASAP. Want me to ship 'em! Ha, ha, ha...

 

[topop101]

Started on this 51 bull dog Sunday night. After getting all the grit and grim off I was left with these two casting flaws. I was wondering what was the preferred method of repair. I used epoxy in the past but I was wondering if any one had other suggestions

The big one is about the sixe of a nickel and about an 1/8 " deep at it's deepest point. The other one is minor bubble holes

 

[vintage nut]

Somebody say old drill press?

1944 delta milwaukee 14". Actually spent about the first 50 years of its life in the physics department machine shop at Dartmouth college in new Hampshire. My dad actually did his phd in engineering there, and he started setting up his shop when he lived in Hannover. Bought this gem from a machinery dealer in the area somewhere around 1990, shortly before he moved out here. Even after its long life, it still has only about a thou of runout.
Got this 16" beaver on Craigslist here a year or two ago. It even has the original sand cast aluminum cover that incloses the entire belt, but it currently lives in the storage shed because its a real pain. Probably why those things are like hens teeth. This is probably the nicest drill press I have ever used. Rock solid, silent, and super smooth. Weighs at least 250#.... The pedestal base is actually solid cast iron, not hollow!

you can never have too many tools

 

[vintage nut]

And the thing all the extension cords are hanging on is an old hand crank blacksmiths post drill. Was in the blacksmith shop of the farm my dad grew up on. Sort of the predecessor to the modern drill press.

you can never have too many tools

 

[topop101]

And the thing all the extension cords are hanging on is an old hand crank blacksmiths post drill. Was in the blacksmith shop of the farm my dad grew up on. Sort of the predecessor to the modern drill press.

you can never have too many tools

I seen one of those about 2 week ago for the first time. Been kicking my self every since for not buying it.

 

[GETRIDAONE]

Drives, one of Joe's friends did find a Prentiss 98 today. It was a picture with only description of Prentiss "biggest vise ever" I asked the usual questions, and He said he would send pictures and they showed up 2 hrs. later. My heart was racing when I saw the 1st picture and it stopped when I saw the one of the jaws. The jaws perches are pretty much gone, the one you can see it the good one, all the bolts had been broken off. I went and looked anyway because he had some other vises.
Long story short he is going to make some jaws and relist it later or he might just keep it ? He was asking $950.00 with the welding table it was on.

 

[Garageguy54]

hey fellas, had a pretty good weekend picking up vises.the parker is a 973 1/2 and the other is wilton 250 (stamped 1/71 on the slide)goes nicely with my other Wiltonshere are some pics enjoy. GG54

 

[Garageguy54]

Ok, here are my other Wiltons. Enjoy GG54

 

[topop101]

hey fellas, had a pretty good weekend picking up vises.the parker is a 973 1/2 and the other is wilton 250 (stamped 1/71 on the slide)goes nicely with my other Wiltonshere are some pics enjoy. GG54

What did the Parker set you back ? Just curious. I've had a lot of the 954 and 974 but never a 973 1/2.

 

[Garageguy54]

What did the Parker set you back ? Just curious. I've had a lot of the 954 and 974 but never a 973 1/2.

it was 75.00. i thought it was fair the fact that the jaws were in great shape and the wrench was there, i was sold.

 

[topop101]

it was 75.00. i thought it was fair the fact that the jaws were in great shape and the wrench was there, i was sold.

RIGHT ON ! I've paid 70 to 105 for the 6 or 7 I've owned. Great vise's . I like the spring load in the handle. Never had a rough casting and they always clean up so nice.

 

[wrenchguy]

Re: Meadville Vise Co. 6"er No.306

Seldom seen company, bought by yost 1909. Its well used. thanks 4 looking.

 

[wrenchguy]

Re: Reed 106, later model, need help.

Whats missing to keep the leadscrew installed? R the parts available from reed? thanks 4 any help.

 

[wrenchguy]

Re: Parker vise division, Union Mfg. Co. New Britain CT, 6"er

6"er, missing aluminum id tag and 1 easy jaw insert. Help mr. scott??? I got numbers for hole centers. This 1 uses roll pins to keep inserts in place. Thanks 4 any help.

 

[JeremyBurke]

Re: Reed 106, later model, need help.

Whats missing to keep the leadscrew installed? R the parts available from reed? thanks 4 any help.

You are missing your split nut. It should look like this. (It's the 2 outside pieces) they go in front of the collar on the shaft and thread into the front of the dynamic jaw.



Here it is installed on the vise. This is a smaller 4' vise but the idea is the same.

 

[Tacoma bo]

hey fellas, had a pretty good weekend picking up vises.the parker is a 973 1/2 and the other is wilton 250 (stamped 1/71 on the slide)goes nicely with my other Wiltonshere are some pics enjoy. GG54

How bout the wilton? What'd you have to give for it?

 

[wrenchguy]

Re: Reed 106, later model, need help.

What keeps them from turning out (loose)? R they available from reed?

You are missing your split nut. It should look like this. (It's the 2 outside pieces) they go in front of the collar on the shaft and thread into the front of the dynamic jaw.



Here it is installed on the vise. This is a smaller 4' vise but the idea is the same.

 

[JeremyBurke]

Re: Reed 106, later model, need help.

What keeps them from turning out (loose)? R they available from reed?

The set screw in the side. And surprisingly it is still in the pictures you supplied. I don't know about availability from reed but checking their website might answer that.

 

[FMC1959]

Hey I have a rule. I dont buy any vises that weigh more than me!
...what? 345 lbs? Oh OK I can buy that one!

I would probably jump at any 8 or 9" vise I had a shot at buying. I also find Prentiss to have some of the nicest looking models around, but I have also seen more damaged Prentiss than most other brands out there (yes, the slides but other areas also)

On the other hand, very understated and probably not as well known, that Hollands 28. If I had a shot at that, it would probably be about as good a vise I would have in my lifetime. Probably right up there with Athol and Reed as strong & stout. (about 2 years ago I stupidly said no to a Hollands 16, thought the guy was asking to much )

Still, I could never pass up a Prentiss 58 or 98. Some guys on this thread are lucky enough to have had a chance at some of these or other big 8/9". I'll be lucky if I come across one (where they aren't asking for $1000).

Joe, you live in great hunting grounds

 

[Garageguy54]

How bout the wilton? What'd you have to give for it?

I got it off eBay and you don't want to know, with shipping it was 250.00

 

[bagged89s10]

Anyone in boston need a Wilton. Just saw this on CL.
Wilton bullet vise bench vise 4 inch jaws $80

http://boston.craigslist.org/sob/tls/4988404448.html

~Veeps

 

[bagged89s10]

Lots of driving today! Traffic sucked as they closed I-91 in VT for four exits...and as they say, cant get there from heah!



In any event I fell into this today. A Craftsman rotary cross slide vise...for $135. In phenomenal condition. Now here is the quandry...which do I sell? As you may remember I just last week I bought my Craftsman XY table, now I have two.



Both Craftsman, both really cool, one old school one new school. Both do the same job. Whichever I sell will get the vise heads mounted onto it. I really am torn and no I won't keep both.



So which is it? Betty or Veronica????

Nice Joe, you actually decided to go up there to grab it.


~Veeps