oldldh
Well-known member
I wonder if they're still there???
Over a hundred years old...
I wonder...
Over a hundred years old...
I wonder...
The VISES of Garage Journal
- Thread starter mjozefow
- Start date
trijeff
Well-known member
Oldie and va.gman have gotten me closest to believing, but think blue.bolt's plan is the one that is going to have me eating crow, er, my hat 
Someone get out there and find one of these things!! A 700# vise cannot be that easy to hide 
As a side note, I saw that the "baby" RR vise or salesman's sample was actually a standalone offering called the "Pittsburgh Auto-Vise" meant for cars and boats.
Someone get out there and find one of these things!! A 700# vise cannot be that easy to hide As a side note, I saw that the "baby" RR vise or salesman's sample was actually a standalone offering called the "Pittsburgh Auto-Vise" meant for cars and boats.
CwazyWabbit
Well-known member
Who'd have thought that Chinese steel was once much better than UK steel! I guess the forgot the recipe. ....
CwazyWabbit
Well-known member
Looking at those pictures it looks like the action of closing the vise also locks the rotation. Scale that up to the best part of 700lb and it becomes a bit dangerous. I can't imagine the head is perfectly balanced, so there is a good chance that when you try rotating it that it will run away on you, even more so if you had something clamped in the jaws and started to loosen it. If that is the case they may have all been disposed of thanks to health and safety ......-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Trijeff,---Here's one that just hatched.---Weighs 5 lbs.---When it reaches maturity, they can weigh between 5 and 600 lbs., and have been rumored to weigh as much as 695 to 725 lbs.---No one knows what the life expectancy is on one.---By the time one is found it may be 250 years old.
We've also seen from his car that he wasn't the most sensible person when it came to design.
Lobo74
Well-known member
I did see it in person. It does not weigh 207#. I called back for the numbers. Owner said those were the numbers on it. I'll check it out in person again. He said it had the 103 1/2 on it and then also the number 207.
FMC1959
Well-known member
Lobo, like Drives was saying, where you live does have a bearing on price and how easy it is to find old vises. (Check CL for NY as an example, crazy choice and prices).
For 4" or less, aside from a Wilton Bullet, my personal opinion is that $90 for a 3 1/2" Reed is a bit high. I picked up a Reed 204 for $50 and a Parker 974 for $40. But I have also paid double what the normal rate for vises that many would pay because the opportunity was there and I really wanted it.
Any Reed is a great vise, what is the right price only you can decide. The attached brochure has both of the vises in question
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454ragtop
Well-known member
twertsy
Well-known member
va.grouseman
Well-known member
Originally posted by CwazyWabbit.
Looking at those pictures it looks like the action of closing the vise also locks the rotation. Scale that up to the best part of 700lb and it becomes a bit dangerous. I can't imagine the head is perfectly balanced, so there is a good chance that when you try rotating it that it will run away on you, even more so if you had something clamped in the jaws and started to loosen it. If that is the case they may have all been disposed of thanks to health and safety
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Never thought about that Cwazy.---The internal mechanism does lock the swivel base and the rotating head when tightened down on something, but I wonder what happens when you start to loosen the thing with a train axel in the teeth.---They probably had to crane and harness it up to the jaws to start with so that would also catch it when they turn it loose.
Here's a look at the guts.
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Internal locking is a shared concept by several makers.---here's three more that use this feature.
Looking at those pictures it looks like the action of closing the vise also locks the rotation. Scale that up to the best part of 700lb and it becomes a bit dangerous. I can't imagine the head is perfectly balanced, so there is a good chance that when you try rotating it that it will run away on you, even more so if you had something clamped in the jaws and started to loosen it. If that is the case they may have all been disposed of thanks to health and safety
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Never thought about that Cwazy.---The internal mechanism does lock the swivel base and the rotating head when tightened down on something, but I wonder what happens when you start to loosen the thing with a train axel in the teeth.---They probably had to crane and harness it up to the jaws to start with so that would also catch it when they turn it loose.
Here's a look at the guts.
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Internal locking is a shared concept by several makers.---here's three more that use this feature.
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drivesitfar: FYI my Dawn has the exact same spring setup (except the washer is held in place by a heavy duty cotter pin that I plan to replace with a small steel rod), and I was trying to figure out how to compress the spring when I put it back together. That tool will work perfectly.
My English vises are like that too. Some of the smaller ones do simply have a pin rather than a cotter. For the heavy ones I found a piece of pipe with a slot cut in the end makes a great tool for removal and install.
CwazyWabbit
Well-known member
Originally posted by CwazyWabbit.
Looking at those pictures it looks like the action of closing the vise also locks the rotation. Scale that up to the best part of 700lb and it becomes a bit dangerous. I can't imagine the head is perfectly balanced, so there is a good chance that when you try rotating it that it will run away on you, even more so if you had something clamped in the jaws and started to loosen it. If that is the case they may have all been disposed of thanks to health and safety
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Never thought about that Cwazy.---The internal mechanism does lock the swivel base and the rotating head when tightened down on something, but I wonder what happens when you start to loosen the thing with a train axel in the teeth.---They probably had to crane and harness it up to the jaws to start with so that would also catch it when they turn it loose.
Here's a look at the guts.
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Internal locking is a shared concept by several makers.---here's three more that use this feature.
Cheers for the 'exploded' view, it's cool to see how these things work
One thing about all the internal locking vises is they are relatively small, are there any large vises that use it? Apart from the 695 lb'er.
EDIT: Can you imagine someone leaning on the big vise handle while there was a train axle held in it? or perhaps bumping it with something?
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vintage nut
Well-known member
When I reassembled the records I stood the vise on its nose, and used a big pair of linesmans pliers to push the washer down with one hand while I slid the pin in with the other. Would have been far easier with an extra hand or two. I have an idea for something like a pitman arm puller that should make ot far easier. I'll probably make one next time I have to take a record apart.
you can never have too many tools
you can never have too many tools
drivesitfar
Well-known member
Lobo: good luck on the Reed 103.5 vise purchase and like FMC mentioned the pricing is what you can find because these Reeds are about 80 years old. Condition is more important than price in my opinion. just an FYI that i paid $150 for this 104 a few years ago that is a little bigger and partly because i don't think the 95 year old seller ever mounted it to his bench. if your 103.5 has broken parts, cracks or welds then you should probably pass and keep looking. depending on where you live their might be several old US, English or other good old steel vises for sale and some members don't seem to be as fortunate to find any.
VA: love your little vises almost as much as the biguns on the chain gang.
Joe: happy ExMaxima's or another member's pipe idea helped you with your Athol. BTW were you working in your garage until 2am last night?
Top: did you happen to see how many Holland's 18 vises on their vise stands were sitting in the old RR picture i posted? i think a few members here have a few of those vises with those stands which would be fun to see. i just picked up a stand close to those that i'm going to put a plate and a huge vise on some day when i find that 300 pounder.
ALL: i started a search looking at old steel company factory pictures last night so all you guys with better googling abilities than I might be able to see that Pittsburg RR vise sitting in the middle of a work area to post it. or just find some cool old pictures to post with your next post about a vise.
VA: love your little vises almost as much as the biguns on the chain gang.
Joe: happy ExMaxima's or another member's pipe idea helped you with your Athol. BTW were you working in your garage until 2am last night?
Top: did you happen to see how many Holland's 18 vises on their vise stands were sitting in the old RR picture i posted? i think a few members here have a few of those vises with those stands which would be fun to see. i just picked up a stand close to those that i'm going to put a plate and a huge vise on some day when i find that 300 pounder.
ALL: i started a search looking at old steel company factory pictures last night so all you guys with better googling abilities than I might be able to see that Pittsburg RR vise sitting in the middle of a work area to post it. or just find some cool old pictures to post with your next post about a vise.
Attachments
drivesitfar
Well-known member
ALL: a new member CoolTool lives near Vancouver, British Columbia (Canada) and is looking for a good source for new jaws for his Record #5. anybody have a source because i have yet to find a Record with bad jaws and they don't exactly grow on trees in my area?
bagged89s10
Well-known member
vintage nut
Well-known member
I wouldn't know where to get record jaws. I only needed one set, and I made them from aluminum. If he can't find a set, I'll offer to make him some
you can never have too many tools
you can never have too many tools
JeremyBurke
Well-known member
Drives this isn't the big boy but check out this row of vises along the left wall of benches.
FMC1959
Well-known member
Member PCO6 has often mentioned he got jaws for his Record's through Grainger (Acklands Grainger in Canada).
FMC1959
Well-known member
Drives this isn't the big boy but check out this row of vises along the left wall of benches.
Really cool pic. To step back in time and visit these mfg plants from the early 1900's in full operation would really be something.
jakemac
Well-known member
You might have, BUT .....
Garage Journal rule #1
"You cannot **** yourself"
To do so denies the offender any further suckage on the deal.
CwazyWabbit
Well-known member
Samsonia should be blue .... I'll get a photo of one with original paint later
drivesitfar
Well-known member
Banj: it looks like you are trying to **** yourself and if it's possible we don't want video just a notary saying that it's true. otherwise i'm pretty sure you can't and you have been given the first rule of GJ and as a new member we won't be too harsh on you. BTW welcome to our forum and since you have the one vice do you have others to post pictures of or is that your first one?
it looks like your Samsonia has a quick release option. yes??
Jeremy: Awesome picture and not sure which vise those are, but the handles look 2 foot long hanging down so i'm guessing they are fairly stout vises.
it looks like your Samsonia has a quick release option. yes??
Jeremy: Awesome picture and not sure which vise those are, but the handles look 2 foot long hanging down so i'm guessing they are fairly stout vises.
CwazyWabbit
Well-known member
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joe.striper
Well-known member
Drivesit, Nope on the computer at 2AM. I only sleep 5-6 hours a nite so I do a LOT of research from 10pm to 1 or 2 AM.
Last night I was looking for manuals for my new-to-me earth auger I just picked up at a factory]teardown yesterday. big old machine shop closed down after 100 years. Missed all the vises but for one little Craftsman 3.5" with the molded jaws that I could have gotten for $5.00 but I just left it where it was. Lots of BIG pipe wrenches, but I left them there as well.
Last weekend of college graduations coming up. Yippee!!!
JeremyBurke
Well-known member
I did a little Googling today and found a couple of fun images to share. There is some really good stuff like this big boy anvil picture here at this UK railway museum site.
I also found some great ones with leg vises and training rooms at the derby works training program. Talk about a room full of vices.
Here is the big boy Leg vise (on the left)
and a line of Leg vises
Here is a nice line of ,my guess, Prentiss Bull dogs
And then back to the UK for a few benches full of Vices.
One can only hope these are all still out there to be collected. Hope no one minds this little slide show.
I also found some great ones with leg vises and training rooms at the derby works training program. Talk about a room full of vices.
Here is the big boy Leg vise (on the left)
and a line of Leg vises
Here is a nice line of ,my guess, Prentiss Bull dogs
And then back to the UK for a few benches full of Vices.
One can only hope these are all still out there to be collected. Hope no one minds this little slide show.
drivesitfar
Well-known member
Jeremy: nice pictures
ALL: for those of us approaching the age of these pictures i'd like to add a little youtube video I've probably listened to more than a few of the 6 million views it's had.
some of you younger guys and gals just know that this is in your future. enjoy
ALL: for those of us approaching the age of these pictures i'd like to add a little youtube video I've probably listened to more than a few of the 6 million views it's had.
some of you younger guys and gals just know that this is in your future. enjoy
howsths
Active member
The photos are great. I appreciate them!
Thanks, but I must admit I probably broke another reg. by not reading the 'read this first' stickies, admittedly I should, but I cut corners, sorry!
I have another smaller record which does most of what I need and rotates.
Plan for this one is to clean it up & mount on the end of a self-build welding table. Maybe ambitious since I'm still waiting on a 16A plug to fire up this little 180A FEMA mig welder. I mostly like bike related stuff and found this site through sakurama's house build which I found off advrider and his moto guzzi build.
Thanks for the warm welcome fellas.
Ps. Yes it has quick release!
I have another smaller record which does most of what I need and rotates.
Plan for this one is to clean it up & mount on the end of a self-build welding table. Maybe ambitious since I'm still waiting on a 16A plug to fire up this little 180A FEMA mig welder. I mostly like bike related stuff and found this site through sakurama's house build which I found off advrider and his moto guzzi build.
Thanks for the warm welcome fellas.
Ps. Yes it has quick release!
Banj: it looks like you are trying to **** yourself and if it's possible we don't want video just a notary saying that it's true. otherwise i'm pretty sure you can't and you have been given the first rule of GJ and as a new member we won't be too harsh on you. BTW welcome to our forum and since you have the one vice do you have others to post pictures of or is that your first one?
it looks like your Samsonia has a quick release option. yes??
Jeremy: Awesome picture and not sure which vise those are, but the handles look 2 foot long hanging down so i'm guessing they are fairly stout vises.
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trijeff
Well-known member
All of those photos are GREAT!!
And the Tom Rush song had me on the floor
And the Tom Rush song had me on the floor
bigcaddy
Well-known member
I know of some others but here are a few pictures with vises clearly shown in the foreground.
http://www.m1-garand-rifle.com/history/pictures/garand-shop-1923.jpg
One is clearly an Athol while the other could be a Parker 985/22 or a Hollands. I'm leaning towards the Parker because of the position of the handle. Its not resting flat on the spindle so its being held up by a tension pin....just like what is found on Parkers.
http://www.m1-garand-rifle.com/history/pictures/garand-shop-1923.jpg
One is clearly an Athol while the other could be a Parker 985/22 or a Hollands. I'm leaning towards the Parker because of the position of the handle. Its not resting flat on the spindle so its being held up by a tension pin....just like what is found on Parkers.
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DRRummel
Well-known member
drivesitfar
Well-known member
DR: both the Wilton and Morgan look ok to me and we know how to remove rust and one way is Electrolysis and here's a thread that will help if you haven't tried it.
http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=237752
why do you think the ad is a fake? hope it's not because that's a good buy for those two vises and they need to be saved.
BC: here's an assist to post the actual picture and if you have more post them after work if you can.
TJ: i can't tell you how many times I've watched Tom Rush's memory song, but i get the same big smile on face each time i hear it. glad you liked it too.
http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=237752
why do you think the ad is a fake? hope it's not because that's a good buy for those two vises and they need to be saved.
BC: here's an assist to post the actual picture and if you have more post them after work if you can.
TJ: i can't tell you how many times I've watched Tom Rush's memory song, but i get the same big smile on face each time i hear it. glad you liked it too.
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wrenchguy
Well-known member
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drivesitfar
Well-known member
Wrench: i'm afraid Bl00 will have to answer that one because it looks like early 1900's styling. very long anvil space on the back of the static and some more almost 2 foot long handles so probably weighed a fair amount too.
awesome picture and thanks for posting it. how'd you like to work on those huge old engines at your back?? looks like fun to me.
awesome picture and thanks for posting it. how'd you like to work on those huge old engines at your back?? looks like fun to me.
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vintage nut
Well-known member
I have worked on a number of engines like that at the local farming museum. Biggest one is a 15hp fairbanks that is probably about the size of those ones. Very simple, interesting to watch run. Easy to work on, although they are generally very temperamental (as you would expect for a 100 year old engine) sounds like a shotgun when they backfire. My dad has a small one we restored a while back. He and I, along with another from the museum look after the display of those engines at the fairs they hold. Quite the site (and sound) seeing half a dozen of them running at once!
you can never have too many tools
you can never have too many tools
va.grouseman
Well-known member
Those black and whites are awesome pics.---And they are a testament to the irreplaceable importance that vises and anvils played in the rise of the industrial age, and America as an industrial power.---Not forgetting the UK. and Canada and anywhere in the world that industry was in progression.
It's just a shame that they are just now getting the respect and recognition for their contribution to progress and prosperity.---And because they were not appreciated as they are now, a lot of them are now railroad tracks and bridge beams.---And I'm talking about some monsters that were sold for pennies.
Thank yaw for the pics.
It's just a shame that they are just now getting the respect and recognition for their contribution to progress and prosperity.---And because they were not appreciated as they are now, a lot of them are now railroad tracks and bridge beams.---And I'm talking about some monsters that were sold for pennies.
Thank yaw for the pics.
bigcaddy
Well-known member
Do you ever get down to any antique tractor/steam engine shows? I remember my old man taking off to one in Oregon early last year, maybe in April or May.
IT IS quite a sight to see 100 of them going at once
wrenchguy
Well-known member
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