The VISES of Garage Journal

[topop101]

topop101,

$80

This is the 5-inch model. It is missing the handle. The swivel locks are/were* frozen. It's probably a 21st century vise - the fellow I bought it from said it was bolted onto the bumper of a truck. If I recall correctly, he said the truck was a 2007.

* I just got one of the Swivel Locks to break loose. One to go.

Best regards,

Scott

compared to what they are asking for over here that is a "you ****" price. 300, 350 and 450 ... On 5 inch and up I've never paid more than 1.75 a pound and to me , a 33 yost isn't worth that unrestored. What does yours weigh?

 

[topop101]

I know it's not a vise but it's a quality clamper. I picked this No. 3 up at a garage sale tonight for 2.00 bucks. Wire wheeled the rust and crust off it , wiped it down with some BLO and she looks great. J.H. Williams I read is or was a division of snap-on and have been around since 1887.

 

[jakemac]

Picked up a Yost 33C via Craigslist yesterday. It needs a Handle and the Swivel Locks are stuck fast.

I've been squirting PB Blaster into the Swivel Locks. Anybody with suggestions on freeing them would be appreciated.

Scott - while the locks are soaking in blaster, every now and then tap (I ...... SAID ..... T.A.P. !!) the lock with a plastic hammer. If you're lucky, this will break up some of the rust inside and allow the blaster to penetrate deeper into the rusted area.

 

[sbosecker]

What does yours weigh?

Topop101,

The Yost site says 96 pounds. I haven't weighed mine.

That weight includes - I suppose - the handle. Ha!

Best regards,

Scott

 

[drivesitfar]

TJ: not a clue. you found a very unique one there. Outlaw and another member have some contraption that looks like piano keys that fits in a vise to hold small or irregular shaped items and maybe he'll post it if he still owns it.

Top: I've got quite a few of those Williams clamps and they are stout. i bet you don't think you overpaid do you?

JB: you posted that Kara's vise before and i'm not sure why i haven't PM'd to try to buy it from you. that is awesome and your stump is pretty cool too. is your missing the bottom plate to mount it or just not seen in the picture. very nice patina and I've come to expect nothing else when looking at pictures of your cool tools and knives.

 

[topop101]

TJ: not a clue. you found a very unique one there. Outlaw and another member have some contraption that looks like piano keys that fits in a vise to hold small or irregular shaped items and maybe he'll post it if he still owns it.

Top: I've got quite a few of those Williams clamps and they are stout. i bet you don't think you overpaid do you?

JB: you posted that Kara's vise before and i'm not sure why i haven't PM'd to try to buy it from you. that is awesome and your stump is pretty cool too. is your missing the bottom plate to mount it or just not seen in the picture. very nice patina and I've come to expect nothing else when looking at pictures of your cool tools and knives.

drives No I think I got a fair deal. I seen where a 3-No.2's a No.3 and a No. 4 sold at auction for 80.00 so I figure it's worth 20-25 range

 

[sbosecker]

Scott - while the locks are soaking in blaster, every now and then tap (I ...... SAID ..... T.A.P. !!) the lock with a plastic hammer. If you're lucky, this will break up some of the rust inside and allow the blaster to penetrate deeper into the rusted area.

Jakemac,

Thanks.

For the past 24 hours I've had the vise upside down and periodically I'd squirt a bit of PB Blaster into the bottom of the Swivel Locks. About an hour ago I took a length of pipe and put it over the Swivel Lock Rod. I applied some force to the end of the pipe and one of the Swivel Locks broke loose. The other, not so much.

Examining the newly freed Swivel Lock under some light seemed to show rust at the top of the Lock and not the bottom. I suppose this makes some sense as the rod goes through that area and, since this vise was reportedly mounted on a truck bumper, moisture may have had more access to the top of the Swivel Lock than the bottom.

I now have the vise sitting upright and I've squirted PB Blaster into the area the Swivel Lock Rod goes into the Swivel Lock.

Best regards,

Scott

 

[classicJackets]

DrivesItFar,

Yes, it's upside down.

It's a heavy rascal.

Best regards,

Scott

Scott,
Glad to see you got that. Almost picked it up myself but the timing wasn't right. Good grab!

 

[bagged89s10]

Jakemac,



Thanks.



For the past 24 hours I've had the vise upside down and periodically I'd squirt a bit of PB Blaster into the bottom of the Swivel Locks. About an hour ago I took a length of pipe and put it over the Swivel Lock Rod. I applied some force to the end of the pipe and one of the Swivel Locks broke loose. The other, not so much.



Examining the newly freed Swivel Lock under some light seemed to show rust at the top of the Lock and not the bottom. I suppose this makes some sense as the rod goes through that area and, since this vise was reportedly mounted on a truck bumper, moisture may have had more access to the top of the Swivel Lock than the bottom.



I now have the vise sitting upright and I've squirted PB Blaster into the area the Swivel Lock Rod goes into the Swivel Lock.



Best regards,



Scott

You should try a 50/50 mix of acetone and automatic transmission fluid if pb doesn't break the next one loose. That's all I use now and it penetrates rusty bolts faster.

 

[JZiggy]

ZOOM and JuneBuggy,

Thanks for the pics! The form factor of the oval slides vises is way cool in my opinion.

Also my wife's opinion. She kinda likes my vises (vices) but said I have to keep my Erie Tools Works mounted all the time because it's her favorite.

 

[sbosecker]

Scott,
Glad to see you got that. Almost picked it up myself but the timing wasn't right. Good grab!

Doug,

Thanks.

I'm in the middle of a pretty big home repair project so I didn't think I was going to have time to fiddle with it either.

Then the stars aligned and, since the seller wasn't too far away, I was able to get free to go look at it.


Best regards,

Scott

 

[Outlawmws]

This be it:

 

[drivesitfar]

Outlaw: thanks

 

[CwazyWabbit]

From time to time we see the combination repair vices that work as a drill, a grinder, a vice etc. Well I've yet to see one like in the advert below, it has a forge as well

 

[FMC1959]

From time to time we see the combination repair vices that work as a drill, a grinder, a vice etc. Well I've yet to see one like in the advert below, it has a forge as well

The Stewart & Champion look the same, which look the same as your ad minus the stand. On ebay and even CL they pop up on a semi regular basis. Sometimes they are selling for $50-$100, and sometimes the owner thinks they have something holy grail and want $300-$500....usually listed as Stewart

 

[FMC1959]

Picked up a Yost 33C via Craigslist yesterday. It needs a Handle and the Swivel Locks are stuck fast.

I've been squirting PB Blaster into the Swivel Locks. Anybody with suggestions on freeing them would be appreciated.

If anyone has knowledge of the diameter and length of a Yost 33C's Handle I would appreciate that information.

Scott

The handle from end to end including the "balls" is 13". The handle diameter is 5/8"

 

[sbosecker]

The handle from end to end including the "balls" is 13". The handle diameter is 5/8"

FMC1959,

Thank you very much!

Best regards,

Scott

 

[CwazyWabbit]

The Stewart & Champion look the same, which look the same as your ad minus the stand. On ebay and even CL they pop up on a semi regular basis. Sometimes they are selling for $50-$100, and sometimes the owner thinks they have something holy grail and want $300-$500....usually listed as Stewart

Yes, as you say they do appear on eBay from time to time even on this side of the pond, just never seen one with the dedicated stand and forge any where. I suppose even those sold with the stand have probably 'lost' it over the years.

My advert was from 1923 btw

 

[Lu-Max]

I don't have time to go back and read 1500 pages of comments so I'll ask the question that has probably been beaten to death here: I was bored in my hotel room and was watching "Pickers" (even though those guys annoy me), and they mentioned repeatedly that the value of the items they find drops appreciably if the original item or even the finish has been restored or repainted, etc. They often repeat this same mantra on the "Antiques Road Show". So obviously the question is why does this not apply to vises? Or does it apply and we are all killing the historical value of our vises by stripping, repairing and refinishing them? Curious as to your opinion. And if this is an old, tired subject, sorry for bringing it up but I wasn't on this thread way back then.

Thanks.

 

[CwazyWabbit]

I'd say it depends Lu
If the vice in question is a heap of rust and seized solid then restoration is a no brainer.
If it has a high percentage of original paint and is clean and undamaged then not restoring is a no brainer.

Most vices/vises fall somewhere between the two extremes.

Also it depends on your buyer, are you selling to arty farty types who want it to show in their apartment or are you selling to real people?

 

[jakemac]

The answer to your question depends on the type of buyer that you are trying to sell to. If you're selling to a pure collector, then yes, any alteration to the "as found" condition will be used against you on the selling price.

If you're selling to a user, or an enthusiast, then beautifying the vise can help boost the selling price, if done well. A bad job of fixing the vise can work against you. It all depends on the buyer's preferences.

 

[CwazyWabbit]

I think I'd also add that a lot of the vices we get to play with have already been repainted several times in their life and usually very badly...... that makes the decision to repaint fairly painless

 

[vintage nut]

Me, I like my tools and machines looking like new. Unless its absolutely mint, I generally do a restoration. I don't resell, so I don't care what it does to the value.

Also, the paint baking seemed to go well! Baked at 175 for about 20 minutes. So far just baked on the primer, but going to bake the first coat of paint today. I'll get some pictures later today.
Not a huge amount of vise time right now, as my truck somehow got a few quarts of gas in the oil.... Gonna drain the oil tonight, and pull the tbi unit. My guess is an injector stuck open, and the residual pressure in the system was enough to leak into the engine.
So I'm going to wait on the vises until I have been through the engine and got it all sorted out... Don't really want to have to install a new small block any time soon...

you can never have too many tools

 

[Lu-Max]

Also it depends on your buyer, are you selling to arty farty types who want it to show in their apartment or are you selling to real people?

I use vises in my shop but I also have a couple just for display & conversation pieces, can I be both 'real people' and 'arty farty' simultaneously? Maybe not because that might make me 'real farty' and no one would want to be my friend.

 

[drivesitfar]

Lu: i'd say if you get vises like these i'm posting pictures of that only a little clean up, new grease on the moving parts and either BLO, fluid film, Johnson paste wax or some other rust preventative to keep them from rusting.

like others have said if you get a vise that has many coats of paint on it and it wasn't your relative that put it there then taking the vise down to bare steel and putting your favorite color on it or leaving it naked is a good option and it will still have value. I'm planning on stripping the Simplex in the last picture.

when they get really rare and you want to have it to sell maybe as you need cash in your retirement years is the ones that are a tough call.

Vintage: good to hear the baking is going ok and sorry to hear about the truck and i hope you get that resolved. on a different note i'm getting my wife thinking about taking another trip to Friday Harbor next month so we'll see how that turns out.

 

[bigcaddy]

I use vises in my shop but I also have a couple just for display & conversation pieces, can I be both 'real people' and 'arty farty' simultaneously? Maybe not because that might make me 'real farty' and no one would want to be my friend.

If you were to take mint Emmert Tri-Jaw vise and buff that thing to a nearly chrome like appearance, I would call you a fool for ruining such a fine quality vise. If you wanted to spray a coat of black spray paint onto it, no harm done.

The expectation of original paint on something like that just isn't gonna happen. I've seen a few vises with original paint and in mint shape, some even in the boxes they came in, with a price to match! I won't pay those prices


I don't know if vise collectors can have such atmospherically high standards when it comes to buying tools that were meant to be beat on, especially when they are, on average, 60-70+ years old.

 

[bagged89s10]

It makes sense for a restored vise to lose some
value to a certain extent. Especially a bad restore job. But If a vise is caked with layers and layers of repeated paint jobs, definitely need to strip and restore. Same goes for rusty seized ones. I do prefer nice clean vises on my bench but I like the look of some original patina Ike my Wilton. I want to restore and paint but maybe I can just degrease and I wonder if I can do a low gloss clear?



I also like to be artsy fartsy and real at the same time. I kind of like to think of my workbench build to be kind or artsy and will be usable for real work too.

 

[zoomieport]

The dreaded "Aerosol Overhaul" = NO GO for me.
But, I do like a good resto on most classics and newer models, unless they are super rare...
Just my $0.02...

Take care!
ZOOM

 

[torqueman2002]

I'm relatively new to the vise vice.

I have media blasted and painted 2 Wiltons - 9450 and 9300.

I've put them to work. But, that's just the way I think - it's a tool and I use it like a tool.

Changing-up a bit.

Here's my latest CL find, with some 'restore' work already done by seller. He intended to do a full restore and flip it. Maybe he found issues, but from what I can see, it looks OK.

Let me know if my untrained eye skipped over something.

The seller thought the large smooth jaws were for wood. I seem to remember reading somewhere (here ?) that they are for sheet metal.

Either way, wood or sheet metal, it didn't stop people from beating on this guy. It's hard to see from the 1st picture, but there is 3/16" of metal missing at the center.

From the CL photo, the lower corner of the dynamic jaw looked like it was broken off. On closer inspection, it looks like part of the original casting.

Here is a link to a PB SlideShow, with more photos.
http://s786.photobucket.com/user/torqueman2002/slideshow/Vises/Monarch 229

Thanks for looking!

 

[CwazyWabbit]

The dreaded "Aerosol Overhaul" = NO GO for me.
But, I do like a good resto on most classics and newer models, unless they are super rare...
Just my $0.02...

Take care!
ZOOM

On the contrary, I love the "Aerosol Overhaul" when done by someone else ....... It brings the price of a vice down considerably so that I can afford to buy it from whoever thought it was a good idea to do
Invariably they won't have cleaned the vice first so the spray paint will fall off the moment you look at it

 

[bagged89s10]

On the contrary, I love the "Aerosol Overhaul" when done by someone else ....... It brings the price of a vice down considerably so that I can afford to buy it from whoever thought it was a good idea to do

Invariably they won't have cleaned the vice first so the spray paint will fall off the moment you look at it

Agreed! Spray paint over grease/oil equals cheaper vise to buy.

But I will never do one of those crappy paint jobs. I'm too picky. I rather not paint something than do a horrible job.

 

[bagged89s10]

I'm relatively new to the vise vice.

I have media blasted and painted 2 Wiltons - 9450 and 9300.

I've put them to work. But, that's just the way I think - it's a tool and I use it like a tool.

Changing-up a bit.

Here's my latest CL find, with some 'restore' work already done by seller. He intended to do a full restore and flip it. Maybe he found issues, but from what I can see, it looks OK.

Let me know if my untrained eye skipped over something.

The seller thought the large smooth jaws were for wood. I seem to remember reading somewhere (here ?) that they are for sheet metal.

Either way, wood or sheet metal, it didn't stop people from beating on this guy. It's hard to see from the 1st picture, but there is 3/16" of metal missing at the center.

From the CL photo, the lower corner of the dynamic jaw looked like it was broken off. On closer inspection, it looks like part of the original casting.

Here is a link to a PB SlideShow, with more photos.
http://s786.photobucket.com/user/torqueman2002/slideshow/Vises/Monarch 229

Thanks for looking!

Sheet metal sounds more like it.

 

[drivesitfar]

TM (Doc Block): your Monarch vise made by Prentiss looks great from my chair. nice find and not a common vise. i thought you said you bought a Reed or is that for another post? be careful as i mentioned the vice for vises can be strong especially if your block grinders are asking for friends. i have a Prentiss #26 that looks similar except it has the swivel jaw and it's called a coachmaker's vise and not used for steel or wasn't made for that purpose.

Zoomie: so tell us is a fluid film can or two emptied every month or two in the Sea of Tetnus? or do you put on motor oil like the chain gang's owner?

 

[HandsomeDan]

thoughts on this thing?

Listed for $175 on CL.

 

[Mark in Indiana]

I don't have time to go back and read 1500 pages of comments so I'll ask the question that has probably been beaten to death here: I was bored in my hotel room and was watching "Pickers" (even though those guys annoy me), and they mentioned repeatedly that the value of the items they find drops appreciably if the original item or even the finish has been restored or repainted, etc. They often repeat this same mantra on the "Antiques Road Show". So obviously the question is why does this not apply to vises? Or does it apply and we are all killing the historical value of our vises by stripping, repairing and refinishing them? Curious as to your opinion. And if this is an old, tired subject, sorry for bringing it up but I wasn't on this thread way back then.

Thanks.

It's never an old subject.
IMO:It's an art form. A vise is much like an antique automobile that you find in a barn. Dirty, rusty & broken. We take those vises and restore them to a new glory that has many choices. Like the antique automobile the vises can be restored to original factory/showroom condition, custom hot rod, rat rod...the restorations are only limited to ones imagination. The only vises that should be left alone are NOS and ones that have a interesting history. But we have the freedom to choose.

 

[oakundeisen]

Here's my latest CL find, with some 'restore' work already done by seller. He intended to do a full restore and flip it. Maybe he found issues, but from what I can see, it looks OK.

Let me know if my untrained eye skipped over something.

The seller thought the large smooth jaws were for wood. I seem to remember reading somewhere (here ?) that they are for sheet metal.

Either way, wood or sheet metal, it didn't stop people from beating on this guy. It's hard to see from the 1st picture, but there is 3/16" of metal missing at the center.


Here is a link to a PB SlideShow, with more photos.
http://s786.photobucket.com/user/torqueman2002/slideshow/Vises/Monarch 229

Thanks for looking!

Great vise! I just picked up the same vise a couple of weeks ago - it's in the ****** bath now. Some manufacturers sold it as a coachbuilders vise, wood working or sheetmetal. Agreed, it can not take a beating and that's not what it was designed for. I'll post up when I am done with mine. Here are the before - nice shape. I paid $60 for mine.

 

[balane]

If you guys who flip vises want enthusiastic vise collectors to be your target audience please be my guest. You won't get any competition from me. That is a patient crowd who knows the market and pays a fraction of the cost you can get elsewhere. The guy I want looking at my vises lives in the suburbs and just got done laying a multi-colored tile pattern on his garage floor. He parks his late model Corvette in there on one side and his wife's BMW on the other. You won't find a speck of dust anywhere. This is the guy who just wants everything to look as nice, clean and freshly painted as possible. This person loves to spread out some hundred dollar bills so he has an impressive figure to tell his neighbor when they're sitting on the garage leather couch sipping Heineken drawn from his custom made Kegerator.

Now I'm not judging or insulting anyone. Different strokes for different folks. But if it's evidence you need please know that I win eBay auctions all the time for unrefinished, original condition bench vises. I clean and paint them only to have the sell for several times more than what I paid.

 

[zoomieport]

On the contrary, I love the "Aerosol Overhaul" when done by someone else ....... It brings the price of a vice down considerably so that I can afford to buy it from whoever thought it was a good idea to do
Invariably they won't have cleaned the vice first so the spray paint will fall off the moment you look at it

Agreed! Spray paint over grease/oil equals cheaper vise to buy.

But I will never do one of those crappy paint jobs. I'm too picky. I rather not paint something than do a horrible job.

I agree with you both!
I am referring to the guys that spray bomb them and think it's worth $1,000 all of the sudden!

 

[GETRIDAONE]

I like that customer base you have Balane. !!!

My thoughts are about the same as everyone else. Some are for show
Some for using, and some are left alone.

 

[bagged89s10]

If you guys who flip vises want enthusiastic vise collectors to be your target audience please be my guest. You won't get any competition from me. That is a patient crowd who knows the market and pays a fraction of the cost you can get elsewhere. The guy I want looking at my vises lives in the suburbs and just got done laying a multi-colored tile pattern on his garage floor. He parks his late model Corvette in there on one side and his wife's BMW on the other. You won't find a speck of dust anywhere. This is the guy who just wants everything to look as nice, clean and freshly painted as possible. This person loves to spread out some hundred dollar bills so he has an impressive figure to tell his neighbor when they're sitting on the garage leather couch sipping Heineken drawn from his custom made Kegerator.

Now I'm not judging or insulting anyone. Different strokes for different folks. But if it's evidence you need please know that I win eBay auctions all the time for unrefinished, original condition bench vises. I clean and paint them only to have the sell for several times more than what I paid.

The crowd with cash to spend is the best demographic to target.

Out of curiosity. What vises do you have on your benches that you use or are not selling?

As always, you do some great restorations.