The VISES of Garage Journal

[bubinga]

Thanks Drives. I used a fine and medium tipped sharpie oil paint pens for the lettering. I can probably make it thicker if need to by tracing over it. I do like ease of use with the paint pens but colors are limited. I want ivory for my Oswego and they don't make one. I'll use a fine brush for that vise

So I never painted the Wilton 1760 I restored but just kept it raw. I painted my Oswego but haven't painted the letters or finished it yet. This is the first one that I've painted, baked, and painted letters on.

thanks bagged, they can take my tools power and hand when l die, LOL
But thanks, i know what you mean.seriously, they did start me on PT for my hands, neck and arms, so we will see how that goes.
I actually slept better last night.
I was very impressed with this PT yesterday, I thought they were going to just have me **** around with this machine a while, and that rubber band for while, and this stick thing for a while, but they really did some intensive testing, (hands on) so to speak.

On somewhat of a side note, well no hitting my hand was the side note, lol,
l think ,oddly as it sounds, the holes for the three pins of the movable jaw, were not bored all the way through,and were milled from the bottom only, and are blind holes.
And why I was having a tough time trying to move the pins. It was a Columbian 504.
I did show it about a month ago, used the "poor mans surface grinder" on the top.

 

[bubinga]

fixed it for Y'a.

Thanks

It came out..........Better Than ok.

seriously, very nice.

 

[bagged89s10]

I'm thinking about clearing over it all once the lettering is cured. Should I or not? Is it actually worth clearing over rustoleum?

 

[Lu-Max]

So I spotted this ad pop up on C.L. last night and immediately texted the guy. An open box (more like shredded box) new C-0? I'm all over that for the right price! I don't have a mini-bike or go-kart to trade so I asked him what the price was. I got his reply this morning:

"It's worth over $800 but I'll take $650".

Um, no.

A quick search shows that new ones can be had for <$600 with free shipping and a full warranty. An open box one of unknown origin for $650? Pass.

 

[bubinga]

I'm thinking about clearing over it all once the lettering is cured. Should I or not? Is it actually worth clearing over rustoleum?

l don't see why it would not be worth it.
so long as the paints are compatible.
But l don't have a lot of knowledge about paint and painting, just my own ideas and theories.
like if the item in small enough, l like to bake it at around 200* for about a half hour.
or sometimes i pre-heat my piece, esp. if it's cold out or in the room.
pre-heating helps avoid runs, and helps the paint dry.
i pre-heated my delta bandsaw 'tin" and it came out pretty nice.
Baking gives it extra gloss.
This is all IMHO only.

 

[bubinga]

So I spotted this ad pop up on C.L. last night and immediately texted the guy. An open box (more like shredded box) new C-0? I'm all over that for the right price! I don't have a mini-bike or go-kart to trade so I asked him what the price was. I got his reply this morning:

"It's worth over $800 but I'll take $650".

Um, no.

A quick search shows that new ones can be had for <$600 with free shipping and a full warranty. An open box one of unknown origin for $650? Pass.

LOL These guys crack me up sometimes.

 

[JZiggy]

So I spotted this ad pop up on C.L. last night and immediately texted the guy. An open box (more like shredded box) new C-0? I'm all over that for the right price! I don't have a mini-bike or go-kart to trade so I asked him what the price was. I got his reply this morning:

"It's worth over $800 but I'll take $650".

Um, no.

A quick search shows that new ones can be had for <$600 with free shipping and a full warranty. An open box one of unknown origin for $650? Pass.

I saw this too. The listing reads, "It's a very expensive vise... "

 

[vintage nut]

What temperature should paint be baked at? I was thinking of trying baking my mill vise in my heat treating kiln, but I'm not sure what to set it at, and I don't really want to burn the paint off

you can never have too many tools

 

[trijeff]

"It's worth over $800 but I'll take $650".

 

[drivesitfar]

Vintage: I have heard that about 200-250 is where the guys are putting their vises in their shop or even their house ovens to bake on the paint nicely. since you have options to go quite a bit higher you might want to check with some of the local paint and powder coating shops or PM a few members here in that business. CudaChick has a great shop in Tennessee for powder coating and she might help you.

good luck

 

[bagged89s10]

l don't see why it would not be worth it.
so long as the paints are compatible.
But l don't have a lot of knowledge about paint and painting, just my own ideas and theories.
like if the item in small enough, l like to bake it at around 200* for about a half hour.
or sometimes i pre-heat my piece, esp. if it's cold out or in the room.
pre-heating helps avoid runs, and helps the paint dry.
i pre-heated my delta bandsaw 'tin" and it came out pretty nice.
Baking gives it extra gloss.
This is all IMHO only.

Yeah I baked my Reed vise at about 200F and it came out shinier and smoother. I may bake it once more after I touch up some spots around the lettering. I'm also thinking about badging this vise with a craftsman badge. I printed this logo out to see what it would look like. Maybe I can print it on aluminum sticker paper, then clear over it all. Or I can find an actual aluminum badge and glue it on.

 

[va.grouseman]

Here's the Columbian assembled.

Notice the hole right under the jaw (not the pipe jaw) in the third picture down.---It's a pin hole.---The jaws are pined on. there are three brass pins on each side.---I can't even tell where the jaw stops and the tower begins, but the pins are there.

 

[vintage nut]

My kiln will go up to 2300 degrees, as it's intended for hardening tool steel. I use it as my general shop oven as well. I'll probably program it to ramp to 250, and ramp back down. See how that works.
My dad and I are thinking of trying out powder coating sometime.

you can never have too many tools

 

[va.grouseman]

And here's my only two maintenance free vises.---No rust.---Mighty nice.

The Columbian and the stainless steel Morgan.

 

[tedsters]

Vintage: I have heard that about 200-250 is where the guys are putting their vises in their shop or even their house ovens to bake on the paint nicely. since you have options to go quite a bit higher you might want to check with some of the local paint and powder coating shops or PM a few members here in that business. CudaChick has a great shop in Tennessee for powder coating and she might help you.

good luck

dif

my cousin bakes the paint on the cars he does at 140 degrees for no longer then 40 minutes i wouldn't think this paints any different or is it, because i got one i one a bake also for my grandson, Balane does seem to have a little experiance in this, it does seem like a regular paint job chips and scratches awful easy

 

[drivesitfar]

VA: that brass Columbian is very cool and nice that you got the patina on the jaws to match the vise. how do you like it and are you going to use it or put up on a shelf for now?

Vintage: sounds good and best of luck with the paint baking today

Bagged: those old Reeds were also sold as the Long C craftsmans and here's a picture of a 5 inch one I sent down the road to another GJ member. although i like your idea of putting a craftsman crowntop on the vise i think a heritage badge would look better. if you are selling it i'd leave it as a Reed.

 

[drivesitfar]

VA: i just saw you posted that stainless steel Morgan again and honestly i think i like it better than your brass Columbian if you were only going to ship me one of them.

Tedsters: yes Balane has said many times that he uses low heat and i think he still uses the family oven inside his house to bake them. we'll let him chime in for the exact temperature, but i seem to remember without looking that it was 200 degrees. also paint will stay on better with good prep and painting in 60-80 degrees. a lot of the chipping you'll see is because either prep wasn't that great or too cold in shop when painting. also maybe not having paint completely dry before spraying on second or third or forth coat.

 

[bagged89s10]

And here's my only two maintenance free vises.---No rust.---Mighty nice.



The Columbian and the stainless steel Morgan.

Is the Morgan really made out of stainless?

 

[tedsters]

VA: i just saw you posted that stainless steel Morgan again and honestly i think i like it better than your brass Columbian if you were only going to ship me one of them.

Tedsters: yes Balane has said many times that he uses low heat and i think he still uses the family oven inside his house to bake them. we'll let him chime in for the exact temperature, but i seem to remember without looking that it was 200 degrees. also paint will stay on better with good prep and painting in 60-80 degrees. a lot of the chipping you'll see is because either prep wasn't that great or too cold in shop when painting. also maybe not having paint completely dry before spraying on second or third or forth coat.

dif

its not so much the chipping part but i have notice they scratch easily (like not cured paint) even if you let them set for a couple days, i think when i finish this big 10 grinder i am gonna shoot it with some clear coat, i shot the lamp shades with clear coat and it seems to be a lot more durable, my wife ain't gonna go to much for me baking a vise in the house oven if you know what i mean, thats kind of her domain. (her baking deserts oven) she loves to bake, I coulld see the look on my wifes face already, what you got in the oven, oh a bench vise that i am baking the paint on you what i would be hitting the door and quick like

 

[trijeff]

Well, somebody's got to say it ...

Happy 1500 pages!!!

Here's an Italian armorer's vise from the 1500's to celebrate. Made by Jacopo de Ferrara, the detail on this is incredible and it's housed at the Metropolitan Art Museum:

 

[drivesitfar]

Tedsters: i agree 100% and not sure i'd make it to the door which is only a few feet before something got thrown at me or I lost an appendage.


Bagged: I thought VA would reply by now, but he must be in the barn letting some of chain gang not to bump into the new brass Columbian after he spiffed it up. yes his Morgan in the picture is 100% stainless steel and he has left it in an unheated area for a long time and it still looks like that. amazing vise.

TJ: yes i did notice the 30,000 th post is coming close now. i'm not sure about the 1500 pages because i have the font up on my laptop and i have the posts read from last to first so i don't have to click through pages to get to the last post. anyway what a nice vise you found there to post. do you think that vise is made out of steel or some other metal. also kudos again to you for knowing about the Peter Wright blacksmith bench vise which i and i bet a few other members hadn't a clue about.

ALL: so for post 30,000 and the next however many should we all post pictures of our favorite vises whether we own them or not? might be fun. not sure who the oldest member is, but i nominate bl00 as post 30,000 to post a few of his favorites since he seems to own the books on any vise ever made prior to 1950. Bl00 you around because we'll hit 30,000 soon the way the guys are posting these days??

 

[CwazyWabbit]

Jake: nice post and do you happen to have any pictures of some blacksmith vises mounted properly? i don't own one, but i know i will some day in the near future if i find a nice big one.

Nuts: any pictures of your new vise acquisition?

ALL: i saw this bench mounted blacksmith vise and wondered if anybody owns one or knows much about these? or is this vise a chopped up and modified regular blacksmith vise?

How's that? Seems they don't come with a handle fitted to the clamping screw.
Advert from 1923

 

[drivesitfar]

CW: thank you very much for the catalog page of the old bench or covered wagon blacksmith vise.

ALL: Maybe all of us can get a few pictures ready of your favorite vises because it doesn't have to be just one since we have 7 pictures in a post. any thoughts since we are only 5 posts away or does anybody care?

also Kevin54 had 23,999 posts and some member started a thread mentioning that in the Free Parking section and damned if Kevin didn't wait a couple days to post 24,000. He has a great sense of humor and wisdom to share and does any member have more posts than Kevin?

if you don't have pictures maybe a list of your top 5 vises to see what all of us like? 5 more posts and we'll be at 30,000 gents and ladies.

 

[trijeff]

TJ: what a nice vise you found there to post. do you think that vise is made out of steel or some other metal.

This one is iron of some type but not sure which. I'd guess a combination of casting and forging was used, esp. for the figures which were likely welded to the body. It is actually quite small, just over 10" tall, but am almost certain there was a post/leg that has since been lost. As you can see, it is two vises in one - one is horizontal and the other vertical. Would have LOVED to seen this guy in use. There are additional photos showing much more detail here and here.

kudos again to you for knowing about the Peter Wright blacksmith bench vise which i and i bet a few other members hadn't a clue about.

No problem and my pleasure. I stumbled across catalog pages showing this several times while looking for the EVER elusive Prentiss 98 catalog/ad. I have a cousin of the Peter Wright anvil (made by Henry Wright, not related to Peter but rather riding his coat tails), am interested in the PW post/leg vise of course, and would LOVE to see (or own!) one of the PW parallel vises in person. The largest version at 8" jaws and 185# is an absolute beast and probably nearly indestructible.

 

[drivesitfar]

ALL: so with only 4 posts to go i'll give the honor to Bl00 or any other member that happens to want it because i need to finish a couple projects today. i thought it might be nice to have all the regulars and some of the not so regulars post their favorite vise (vice) or several they like. maybe even have a couple lurkers join our forum like they have before and post their 10 or 20 vises that would put some of our vises to shame.

so here's my current top 5 vises i own in my humble opinion. it was a tie for 5th so 5 & 6 on the list share that honor.

My Top 5 vises I own:

1) Reed 4C 6 inch jaws 190 pounds
2) Wilton baby bullet with power arm and clamp 2 inch jaws 7 pounds
3) Wilton 606 SJ swivel jaws 6 inch jaws 190 pounds
4) Prentis #22 swivel jaws 6 inch jaws 165 pounds
5) Reed 2C 4.5 or 5 inch jaws 85 pounds
6) Reed 404.5 swivel jaws 4.5 inch jaws 70 pounds (approx.)

Honorable mention not quite in my top 5

7) Craftsman 5196 4 inch jaws 60 pounds (aprox.)
8) Rock Island 577 6 inch jaws 150 pounds
9) Leinen 150 6 inch jaws 112 pounds
10) Prentiss #26 swivel jaw 4 inch jaws 50 pounds (approx.) coachmakers
11) Prentiss #21 swivel jaws 5 inch jaws 90 pounds (approx.)
12) Prentiss #20 swivel jaws 4.5 inch jaws 70 pounds (approx.)
13) Prentiss #19.5 swivel jaws 4 inch jaws 50 pounds (approx.)
14) FPU Bison 3 inch jaws 20 pounds
15) Craftsman 5197 4.5 inch jaws 77 pounds
16) Massey 1888 4 inch jaws 40 pounds (approx.)
17) Prentiss #59 (GJ member holding for me)
18) Sawyer tool company #26 6 inch jaws 160 pounds
19) Simplex 42C-P paddle jaws 4 inch 65 pounds (approx.)
20) Wilton Bullet dated 10/46 4 inch jaws 40 pounds (approx.)

Sorry my top 5 couldn't stop because all my other vise friends were close enough for honorable mention.

cheer to all my vise (vice) friends with 2 legs

 

[wrenchguy]

Stars & Stripes

other big 1's

jopickens prentiss 58 heavy chipping vise

Streamliner

Prentiss 58 next 2 R-I 577

 

[trijeff]

My favorite beer holders, of course! The veritable Prentiss 98 and and unknown 8" 205# blacksmith vise:





Would LOVE to get my hands on one of the Bugattis, but don't think my bank account will ever support

 

[bigcaddy]

Is there a prize if you are post 30,000?

 

[va.grouseman]

Bagged,---Sorry about not getting back on the Stainless Steel Morgan but My Mama's water line blew this morning and I've been in mud all day.

I'll tell you the whole story on the Morgan as I received it.---It was on E-bay a little over 3 years ago, advertised as a stainless steel vise.---Of course I didn't believe the guy so I asked him a question.---I said are you sure it is stainless or painted silver.---He said his father got it from a defunct drug company's Research and Development Lab where everything had to be spotless clean.---No dust no rust.---
He said he got it from his father and set it on the floor under his bench for three years intending to mount it but decided it was to heavy for his needs.---He said his garage wasn't heated.---No heat in the winter makes everything sweat when the temp heats up.---I still didn't believe it but I got it pretty reasonable and I thought, what the hay, even if he's lying it's worth what I paid.---Seams like it was around 200.00 and that included shipping.
So when It came, the first thing I did was to take some Zep Vandalism Mark Remover and spray on it to watch that silver roll right off.---I was going to make a liar out of that boy and see if he wouldn't' refund me about a Grant for lying to me. ---Nothing came off.---I shot it again.---Nothing.---And I worked with that Zep stuff for 20 years on the sign crew, and if it was made of paint, that stuff would bring it.---You had to be careful with it, cause it would bring the paint and melt the sign material if you didn't' work quick.
So I did the same thing as he did, I set it in on the cement floor with all the other cast iron vises that I have had to oil and reoil a half dozen times in the last 3 years due to sweating but the Morgan just set there year after year, never changed. I don't have heat either.---So that is over 6 years of sweating and not rusting right in the midst of, (''as Zoomie put it, a sea of tetanus'').
Don't know enough about metallurgy to know if they can add Chrome and Nickel and Carbon and Silicon and Manganese to Cast Iron like they can Steel or not, but I am satisfied that it is stainless.---Must have been a special order.

 

[drivesitfar]

BC: well if there was a prize you were a little late (not much) so what do you want to give TJ? i'd say you two should meet and maybe one of those 519x Craftsman vises might need to end up in Jeff's car for the ride home after you two shoot the stuff for a bit. ok?

TJ: the count on the main forum was different than the real one on our posts so post 30,000 on this thread was your 2 not just big, but huge vises. not many of us can say we have 520 pounds of old cast iron in 2 vises. nice post

Wrench: always a pleasure to see your iron and especially the stars and stripes that you restored that looks better than most 4 inch vises. hope all is well or getting there in your world.

VA: have you ever seen another stainless Morgan in your searches? nice vise and sorry to hear about the plumbing. hope all is mended and you are having a cool one enjoying some vise therapy now.

ALL: so while i'm posting i might as well post up a few more of my list of my favorites and here are some. I've already let one of my swivel jaw vises leave home and cross the boarder and had a couple emails asking for a couple more so just to let you know these are my good friends and they don't eat or drink much so they are sticking around for a while longer here. thanks and you never know when my big truck might need some tires.

Any other members have a favorite vise or top 5 list to post??

 

[JZiggy]

Can you check if it's magnetic? Some SS is not magnetic at all, and some types are slightly magnetic. Should be easy to tell the difference between any SS and cast iron.

Can stainless be cast?

 

[bigcaddy]

Can you check if it's magnetic? Some SS is not magnetic at all, and some types are slightly magnetic. Should be easy to tell the difference between any SS and cast iron.

Can stainless be cast?

yes it can. We occasionally buy 301 and 316 cast stainless steel fittings for piping at work. Very nice looking pieces and somewhat light for the size.

 

[XCMTB83]

I am also curious about the magnetism on the SS vise. I am betting that sucker was spendy when it was new!

 

[va.grouseman]

JZiggy,---Yes a magnet will stick to it so it's not a high chrome material, but just enough to resist the rust.

Bigcaddy is right about the cast stainless.---The red clay under my house was dissolving my copper lines, making pin holes everywhere.---For a while I would take a piece of bicycle inner tube and a clamp and stop the bleeding,(my dad's suggestion) cause I dreaded replumbing the whole thing so bad.---But when I did, I went with all stainless steel 1/2 inch ID pipe and fittings.---Four twenty foot joints of pipe, a mess of elbows and unions and cut-off valves, all stainless.---All the fittings were 304 cast stainless.---Problem solved.---But it wasn't cheap.

Drive,---It's the only one I've seen so far, but there has to be more.---There are many R&D labs in the country.

I forgot to post the weight of those vises.---The brass/bronze Columbian is 65 lbs. even, and the Morgan is 52.4 lbs.

 

[KMScott]

Balane mentioned a while back about if he should add a picture of what is underneath his vises, I picked up a base for my 600 and just was not happy with the thin cast swivel plate and decided to fabricate one for my vise. Made it in two pieces and doweled it together. I am not going to get in the habit of making these since they are so time consuming but I believe this one might outlast the vise.
Now I have to build custom swivel clamps because this 600 had very close swivel clamp holes next to the Static body.

 

[JeremyBurke]

REV Scott: has there been any progress on your new reality show with June Buggy (Chips and Smitty)? I still want to see it.

 

[KMScott]

REV Scott: has there been any progress on your new reality show with June Buggy (Chips and Smitty)? I still want to see it.

Thats funny, you know JuneBuggy is a metal artist, I am just a old Toolmaker having fun in my basement.

 

[JZiggy]

I am just a old Toolmaker having fun in my basement.

Love it!

Great swivel base, that is a pleasure to behold.

 

[Craptain]

Thats funny, you know JuneBuggy is a metal artist, I am just a old Toolmaker having fun in my basement.

Quit the modesty. To us you are an artist. You do what we can't and more than that you do it well.
And JuneBuggy is also an artist just with a different style to you.
What a show that could be.

Sent from my LG-D801 using Tapatalk

 

[balane]

My wife says she can't me to shut up but every time I look at your work Kevin I'm rendered speechless. That's definitely art to me.

If you were to sell those on your site what price would you need to put on them to be worth it to you? That's simply a curiosity question.