The VISES of Garage Journal

[bagged89s10]

Now not to start a fight or any thing But I have never been able to turn jaws upside down without leaving a gap , especially if they are worn.



To flip means , as I have always understood it to mean, is to change from the serrated side to the smooth side. The tradesman jaw inserts are countersunk on both sides to conceal the hardware.



Any way The rounding issue , as I seen it wasn't with the inserts them selves but more with the tops of the actual jaw were it meets the inserts.



No big deal either way. I'm sure we all do something wrong or could do it better. Heck, I paint most of mine while others think they should be covered in farmers oil as I call it. BLO: willy_nil

Sorry but all Wilton jaws have a beveled edge which is installed on the bottom inside towards the jaw shelf. That's how it's installed from the factory. If you flip them (meaning to put the bottom side up) you will have a a beveled edge on top. Many people do this when the top of Wilton jaws get chewed up.

 

[balane]

Hey Joe be careful. With those computer skills he could put you in a grass skirt juggling coconuts next to obama

I wouldn't do that to anybody!

 

[topop101]

Sorry but all Wilton jaws have a beveled edge which is installed on the bottom inside towards the jaw shelf. That's how it's installed from the factory. If you flip them (meaning to put the bottom side up) you will have a a beveled edge on top. Many people do this when the top of Wilton jaws get chewed up.

VEEPS I'm not speaking of the insert it's self being rounded or beveled. But the jaw it's self were it meets the jaw insert .

And if the insert being turned upside down is worn it will not rest properly on the jaws shelf , relying on only the hardware to support the load. This is I find so many with bolts broken off in them

 

[topop101]

I wouldn't do that to anybody!

PLEASE !!! I really wanted to see his bigness next to our lord and savior

 

[jakemac]

Fretters, you are a muppet*.

I know.

Fretters - does that make you Statler and me Waldorf, or are you Waldorf and me Statler ?

 

[topop101]

TOP: between you and Joe i'm sure who's buying and selling more and some more nice finds that i'm sure you'll have sold tomorrow.

any chance you can list your top 5 or 10 vises in order of how much you like them?

On a more serious note. To answer your question DRIVESI have several I like to think I won't sell. Of course Every thing Has it's price

1. 326X Athol- gona take a bank roll to make me sell this one

2. 614 1/2 Starret- It's just nice but can be bought for the right $$$

3. No. 63 American Red Seal- Special because who I bought it from

4. 985 Parker- just nice and very cool - but for the right $

5. 974 Parker- special because of who I bought it from

6. 123 Hollands- won't sell ... at least for a while. It's my only combo post mount. I have plans for it

Now what about your collection? What's your list?

 

[ironhorsemachinery]

As my buddies and I do in the garage. Busting balls.
All in good fun at the end of the day.

Yeah, all good fun until someone puts out an eye [emoji6] (or in this case, rounds over a jaw). The 'OMG' pictures cracked me up!


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[drivesitfar]

Top: i think when you flip them to get a little more life out of your original jaws if you do have a gap maybe a shim might work.

i'm guessing that the screws are busting because of a BFH by the user which should be done elsewhere and not on the top of any vise except maybe a blacksmith one.

ALL: TJ i thought you were done with this $##%%#. good to see you have some more projects to keep you at home and off the golf course. also if you sell the C2 or C3 for $15 per pound i might have to give you my first ever YOU ****.

I haven't drilled the holes yet in both my steel topped benches, but i'm feeling a bit better about starting up my big electric drills. any other ideas? i might ask my 75 year old neighbor to show me how his mag drill works but he hasn't been feeling well. maybe drilling a few holes in steel might perk him up. here's the other steel bench i putting another vise on. Some of the younger people in my area use these benches as dining tables and it weighs around 400 pounds.

 

[bagged89s10]

VEEPS I'm not speaking of the insert it's self being rounded or beveled. But the jaw it's self were it meets the jaw insert .



And if the insert being turned upside down is worn it will not rest properly on the jaws shelf , relying on only the hardware to support the load. This is I find so many with bolts broken off in them

I guess I'm confused.

What do you mean by the jaw inserts?

 

[drivesitfar]

Top: I listed my top 5 which turned out to be 6 and then 14 honorable mentions and i still forgot a few maybe last month. i do post a fair amount on this thread so if anybody happened to save it so i don't have to look it up that would be great.

i remember the first 2 and like you almost anything is for sale except for my wife. Baby bullet 2 incher with a power arm and Wilton clamp and my Reed 4C.

cheers and i like how where the vise came from and the story behind it means maybe more than the actual brand or model #.

cheers

 

[jrobb316]

The usually serrated piece that is replaceable, unless the jaws are cast in.

 

[drivesitfar]

Top: you had me curious so i found it just prior to 30,000 posts on this thread and here's mine based on the ones i own currently. A Wilton C2 would have made the top 10, but it's on another member's bench currently and looks like it's going to stay there because i offered to buy it back and not a chance.

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.

cheers

Joe, CW, Fretters, VA, Zoomie, Lu, Bagged, Kevin, Bl00, JRobb, AutoPts, Balane, and others how about your top 5 or 20 vises?

 

[jrobb316]

I did the favorite list before but I forgot, so i'll redo it, plus I have new acquisitions to categorize.
1) Parker 436 "humpback" combo (185 lbs)
2) Milwaukee Morgan 150
3) Reed 2C
4) Rock Island 94
5) One of my 3 Prentiss 20s

Honorable Mentions:
Prentiss 92 (its basically NOS)
Parker 973 1/2, 974, 974 1/2
Craftsman 5162
Starrett 924 (2)
FM&V Co 13 (6" This may make my top 5 list one day)
Parker 235 "Big bear service" (5") May also make the cut in the future

 

[McBrownie]

I did the favorite list before but I forgot, so i'll redo it, plus I have new acquisitions to categorize.
1) Parker 436 "humpback" combo (185 lbs)
2) Milwaukee Morgan 150
3) Reed 2C
4) Rock Island 94
5) One of my 3 Prentiss 20s

Honorable Mentions:
Prentiss 92 (its basically NOS)
Parker 973 1/2, 974, 974 1/2
Craftsman 5162
Starrett 924 (2)
FM&V Co 13 (6" This may make my top 5 list one day)

I'm more and more a fan of my Parker 974. My youngest (almost 21) was pounding on a car part so hard this past weekend, that I could feel it through the garage floor. The Parker didn't break a sweat. And, if he had broken it, he would have done so being a man.

 

[jrobb316]

I'm more and more a fan of my Parker 974. My youngest (almost 21) was pounding on a car part so hard this past weekend, that I could feel it through the garage floor. The Parker didn't break a sweat. And, if he hard broken it, he would have done so being a man.

The 974 is a very large 4" vise with a great depth. I originally bought mine because I just wanted to pillage it for parts for my Parker 235. As in the swivel wrench and bolt. Turns out this vise was basically NOS for $60, so I kept it as is. My Parker 973.5, 974, and Prentiss 92 may have never been clamped more than 10 times in their life.

 

[Outlawmws]

I've had my 974 on my bench, for about 30 years. Still my primary go to vise. Not too big, not too small...

It has been used to rip the bench loose from the wall three times... 2X here, once at my old place. (Hey it is supposed to be used as the mount for a tubing bender, right??? )

 

[McBrownie]

I've had my 974 on my bench, for about 30 years. Still my primary go to vise. Not too big, not too small...

It has been used to rip the bench loose from the wall three times... 2X here, once at my old place. (Hey it is supposed to be used as the mount for a tubing bender, right??? )

My bench is lag bolted to wall too, but I don't think I've come close to ripping it out. Kudos.

 

[Fretters]

DIF: My favourite, without a shadow of a doubt, is my No.7. It's served me well for twenty odd years, and is the perfect size for general use. I honestly couldn't place any other vice above that one. As to two through five, I honestly like them all, so wouldn't like to rate any of them above the others.

Fretters - does that make you Statler and me Waldorf, or are you Waldorf and me Statler ?

You're Waldorf.

 

[Fretters]

It has been used to rip the bench loose from the wall three times...

You're an animal.

 

[Shiftless]

Craigslist puffery :

Bakersfield CA seller says his $60 vise is "as good as new" Here it is wearing a fresh coat of WD-40

 

[zkling]

Fretters, you are a muppet*. But that's just my personal opinion

The highly controversial 1740 is already in the hands of the new owner (at nearly $15 a pound, I might add) so unfortunately I'm not able to post new pictures of that one any longer. However, I'm in the process of restoring a Wilton C2 and a Wilton C3 is next in line. In other words, I have already "poorly" removed metal from the C2 but the C3 is completely untouched so far. In the photos below you will see that, FROM THE FACTORY, the bottom inside edge of the jaws (the part that sits in the shelf) is *** GASP *** not square. Whether you want to call it broken, beveled, rounded, deburred or whatever is up to you. But look at the C2, which has been "poorly" restored, and the C3 which has not been touched at all. Most here will agree that those angles and the amount of metal left on each of the jaws is pretty much identical. An optical comparator might show slight differences but we are not talking about parts for the international space station here. The C2 jaws do not "scream sloppiness" any more than the factory untouched C3 jaws. You must know by now that it is a long-standing practice of GJ vise heads to "flip" the jaws over when the tops have been abused. Well, I hope you and ZK can now see why what is now the new top seems rounded - the shots I have provided here are obviously much closer than in the previous whole-vise shots of the 1740 and also not in the sun, so it is much easier to see that it is actually a broken, etc. edge rather than rounded.

There is a difference between hap haphazardly rounding over a surface and intentionally putting a chamfer on an edge for clearance. And that right there is the problem, a lack of basic knowledge or just down right give a damn for manufacturing processes. Now the saving grace on that is many people (aka your potential customer) are overwhelmed by shiny surfaces and the like they tend to overlook or just not know about these finer details.

Additionally an abundance of light, especially at angles not normal to the surface will always show surface irregularities better than a lack of or dim light.

 

[FMC1959]

DIF: My favourite, without a shadow of a doubt, is my No.7. It's served me well for twenty odd years, and is the perfect size for general use. I honestly couldn't place any other vice above that one. As to two through five, I honestly like them all, so wouldn't like to rate any of them above the others.

Fetters, No 7 being a model number used by various of the English vise MFR's, I am assuming you are referring to your Parkinson?

 

[Outlawmws]

You're an animal.

I resemble that remark...

 

[oldldh]

Look at this on eBay:

http://pages.ebay.com/link/?nav=item.view&alt=web&id=111712289438&globalID=EBAY-US

HUGE 265 lb. PRENTISS # 58 CHIPPING MACHINIST BENCH VISE Blacksmith Anvil

That seller has real good stuff, and they charge for it...

Good stuff...

Good price...

That looks like a helluva clamper...

 

[jakemac]

You're Waldorf.

I can make that work. View media item 41922

 

[dkroth]

Craigslist puffery :

Bakersfield CA seller says his $60 vise is "as good as new" Here it is wearing a fresh coat of WD-40

Wow.

 

[bagged89s10]

So I don't have an order but I can list the top and the good things about them. I haven't had that many vises as I just started vise hunting and restoring this year.

Parker 974. 4" swivel. I use this one the most since it's a solid vise and swivels out of the way on my workbench. Like McB said, it's just the perfect size.

Reed No. 104r. 4" fixed base.
This one is just a very solid built vise with tight tolerances. I really like the 4 mounting hole base for a fixed base vise. The oil holes are something all vises should have been made with.

Rock island 594. 4.5" fixed base. This one seems the most solid fixed base vise I have. It has 3 mounting holes and the base is almost 1" thick.

Wilton 9-500 Bullet. 5" fixed base. This is just an overall great fixed base vise. It doesn't sit very high off the bench, it's all enclosed lead screw design is just perfect for low maintenance and it has replaceable jaws. The only thing I don't like is the 2 hole mounting base.

Oswego No. 88. 4" swivel base combination vise. This is a beast of a vise for a 4" combination vise wit pipe jaws. The only downfall is that it has the early swivel design where 1 bolt goes thru the bench and you have a special wrench. It's awesome if you have it mounted on a workbench which is open underneath.

Parker No. 2.. 4" fixed base vise. This is another vise from the late 1800s like the Oswego. It's also a solid fixed base vise. I really like the shape of the jaws on parkers because they curve up vs being flat on top. This makes it ideal if you are filing or grinding on something. You can clamp it down really close to the jaws and you can file away without the vise jaws getting in your way.

 

[trijeff]

Like me, some of you may have not been aware of the "Ignore Member" function on GJ - it means you won't see posts from that/those person(s) and it is AWESOME! Some of you probably want to add me and/or others and here's how it's done (in the PC version, not sure how it's done on the mobile version):

1. Click the "User CP" link on the black toolbar under the Garage Journal logo at the top of the page
2. Look on the left-hand menu and under "Settings & Options" click the "Edit Ignore List" link
3. Enter the member name you want to ignore in the "Add a Member to Your List..." box and then click the "Okay" button
4. Enjoy life a lot more

Cheers

 

[CwazyWabbit]

How does that work if someone you haven't ignored quotes a post from someone you have ignored?

 

[trijeff]

How does that work if someone you haven't ignored quotes a post from someone you have ignored?

Looks like you still see it

 

[CwazyWabbit]

Not perfect, but still better than nothing .... you just remain vaguely aware of their existence.

 

[TreePointer]

:

...i remember the first 2 and like you almost anything is for sale except for my wife. Baby bullet 2 incher with a power arm and Wilton clamp....

Oooh, I never knew that clamp existed! So It's a Wilton clamp specifically made for the Power Arm?

 

[drivesitfar]

CW & TJ: while i'm sure that there have been a few posters and posts i'd rather not look at or read, but at this point i haven't needed that option. we all have a bad minute, day or year so go with the flow. if a member has enough BS posts then report him so Mods can ban him or her with enough notices. i bet the awesome Mods will take care of the problem. or maybe you are talking about me??

Tree: yes it's a Wilton made clamp for the power arm which i heard was pretty rare. I've used it a lot and i can't tell you how handy and nice to use it really is. i'll take more pictures of it if you or anybody else wants them so you can see what you are looking for or need to make.

ALL: keep those top 1, 2, 5, 10, 20 or more personal favorites list postings coming i always like reading what other members like and think.

cheers all

 

[drivesitfar]

Jake and Fretters: i really have no idea who those guys are you are talking about, but happy you both are smiling about them.

 

[CwazyWabbit]

DIF: tbf I've been using forums for many years and not blocked/ignored anyone yet, I was more curious about how it handled that particular scenario.
Removing all traces of someones existence from history is difficult, doubly so if you are only removing that person for part of the audience.

 

[trijeff]

TJ: if a member has enough BS posts then report him so Mods can ban him or her with enough notices. i bet the awesome Mods will take care of the problem.

DIF: tbf I've been using forums for many years and not blocked/ignored anyone yet

Probably unbelievable to some but I don't want to be part of getting anyone banned. I don't even think I've seen anything that rises to that level here. Just because I think something is jack@$$ery doesn't mean everyone does, and I'm sure at least a few think I'm the jack@$$. So when another member alerted me tonight to the ignore function I thought I would pass it along for others who might not know, even if that means ignoring me. Nobody gets unnecessarily banned and nobody has to see stuff they don't want to see, seems like a win-win. I wish I was a big enough person to overlook some of the posts/posters I really dislike and maybe someday I will be there, but for now they do get to me so the right choice is to use app functionality created specifically for the purpose.

 

[nine4gmc]

Idk wtf half of you guys are talking about and don't really care to get involved but that power arm and clamp are awesome Drives!

 

[noisenormajean]

-

Sent from my SM-N910V using Tapatalk

 

[CwazyWabbit]

.....
In my collection that I'm holding I have an Emmert 6A,
......

Didn't you sell one of those a few months back? I guess they're not that rare after all

 

[joe.striper]

Didn't you sell one of those a few months back? I guess they're not that rare after all

Had it for sale, didnt sell it though. If I cant get my price I'm keeping it! Having said that, I've found 3 of the Emmert 6As the last 12 months.