The VISES of Garage Journal

[FMC1959]

I was pumped for time to get that one up on eBay because the mailman came so late. I always clean those up, in fact they're cleaned up now but I still am picking up four new fasteners today to replace them and, when I get them installed and photographed, I'll put an addendum on the listing with a picture. I also see a couple of grease fingerprints in the photos so this vise will be resprayed before it ships. Thanks for looking out though, I always appreciate constructive criticism.

Balane: it's really hard to pick out flaws in your work ......:

So true, first because there are rarely any to notice, and second, if there are the slightest minuscule flaws, he finds and fixes them.

What blows me away the most is how quickly he keeps cranking them out, and maintains top quality work.

 

[FMC1959]

KM, the 3" looks so much like your 973 1/2B, wouldn't most likely be a 973 B? (or was it a rhetorical question which went over my head?)

BTW, nice work on all 3 vices (as usual).

 

[drivesitfar]

Balane: sorry i didn't know the labels peeled off so easily. again nice job and i doubt even Kevin sees many flaws in your restorations.

Fretters: good eye on the stripped screws and always something i look at when buying a vise because i want to know how hard they might be to take out or what a prior owner might have tried to do. new screws there are sometimes a red flag so i like the idea of cleaning up the originals if possible. i have a box of small files i'll have to try that.

Kevin: nice work as per usual

 

[KMScott]

KM, the 3" looks so much like your 973 1/2B, wouldn't most likely be a 973 B? (or was it a rhetorical question which went over my head?)

BTW, nice work on all 3 vices (as usual).

Thanks FMC for the kind words and same to Bluebolt and Fretters.

That is what I thought but can not find any images of the union model of the Parkers but plenty of the 973 earlier models. It makes sense though.

 

[bczygan]

That's a Wilton Baby Bullet. 2" jaws, very small. People call it the 920 or 820 because those are cast into some of them. Weighs about 4.5 Lbs. This particular one was manufactured in 1953. Few more pictures.

.

I would be VERY interested in knowing the process you went through on that one. Incredibly beautiful!

Bill

 

[balane]

Thanks for the kind words everyone.

Bill, that vise was an anomaly because it was in absolutely terrific shape when it came to me. None of the metal needed any working or smoothing, in fact this vise may have never even been used. My experience with the tiny ~2" jaw vises I've had in the past has been similar. Not this nice but typically they've all been in good condition. If you search eBay for Baby Wilton Vise you can find my listing in which I do describe the process I use.

Here's the new screws installed, they're a perfect fit but are Phillips head. (Which I prefer over slotted personally.) I will include the original screws in a baggie to whomever ends up the high bidder.

I also removed the fingerprints which some thoughtless ape (me) put on the paint.

.

 

[bagged89s10]

Thanks for the kind words everyone.



Bill, that vise was an anomaly because it was in absolutely terrific shape when it came to me. None of the metal needed any working or smoothing, in fact this vise may have never even been used. My experience with the tiny ~2" jaw vises I've had in the past has been similar. Not this nice but typically they've all been in good condition. If you search eBay for Baby Wilton Vise you can find my listing in which I do describe the process I use.



Here's the new screws installed, they're a perfect fit but are Phillips head. (Which I prefer over slotted personally.) I will include the original screws in a baggie to whomever ends up the high bidder.



I also removed the fingerprints which some thoughtless ape (me) put on the paint.



.

Yes the Phillips head hardware is nice.

Do you have a source for the rear covers on the baby bullets?

 

[balane]

Negative on the dust caps for 2" Wiltons. This is my third one and fortunately all three were complete.

 

[vintage nut]

I've made one rear cover before, and I can do more if anyone ever needs them

you can never have too many tools

 

[Tacoma bo]

Finally got my vise mounted

 

[oldldh]

Finally got my vise mounted

Clever...

Ya Dun Gud, Bubba!!!

 

[Tacoma bo]

I made a removable mount so that I can lock the vise inside the box. All stainless pipe and plate. The sleeved section that mounts to the vise is secured with a pin and 1/2" stainless through-bolt. Came out very solid.

 

[trijeff]

I made a removable mount so that I can lock the vise inside the box. All stainless pipe and plate. The sleeved section that mounts to the vise is secured with a pin and 1/2" stainless through-bolt. Came out very solid.

Serious SKILLZ, TB!! What did you use to cut the base plate mount?

Sent from my SPH-L720 using Tapatalk

 

[scooternut]

That is beautifully done and creative mount as well. Strong work.

 

[drivesitfar]

TB: i think that stand or mount looks almost as nice as the vise. any chance you can post a few pictures and tell us how you made it and what welding process you used to weld stainless?

since you mounted to a Job box how do you get in the job box or did you just make the box a bench? can you post a few full size pictures on the vise stands thread if you have time? thank you and to save you time looking for it here's the link.

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=252799

 

[balane]

Serious SKILLZ, TB!! What did you use to cut the base plate mount?

Sent from my SPH-L720 using Tapatalk

That is really nice. My money is on a water jet.

 

[tedsters]

Finally got my vise mounted

beautiful job on the parker and the mount plate, how did you cut the plate, laser, cnc, water cut or ? was just wondering the edges are not polished did you glass bead the bottom side

 

[mike_paxton]

Picked up a Morgan Aurora #140 4" jaw with fixed base on Friday.

Decided it just needed minimal cleaning and so here are the pics of it now.

Info says Morgan made vises in Aurora from 1947-1970.

 

[vintage nut]

Think I might work on my little ditch find wilton today. Thinking of making a stand for it without the swivel base. Should be a good vise to live outside in front of the shop for angle grinder work.

you can never have too many tools

 

[jrobb316]

Sweet Parker and Morgan Aurora. I've yet to see one in the wild but I will definately pick it up if I see one.

Worked on the Reed 2C this AM. Rolled a die on the swivel bolt and ran a tap through the hole. 7/8-14 threads. Turned out perfect my craftsman 5162 I just picked up uses the same threads and the bolt on it was also loose, though not backed up as to mess up the treads. From now on blue locktite will be going on these swivel bolts when I reassemble.

 

[jrobb316]

And here it is in full "patina" after a brushing in the solvent parts washer. The original color looks to be a light blue/green, somewhat similar to starretts IMO.

 

[bagged89s10]

Finally got my vise mounted

I made a removable mount so that I can lock the vise inside the box. All stainless pipe and plate. The sleeved section that mounts to the vise is secured with a pin and 1/2" stainless through-bolt. Came out very solid.

Baddass! Like the color of the vise and that's some clean fab work on the mount.

I almost bought a 239 yesterday but the jaws were cracked.

 

[tedsters]

all you guys over on the east coast are pretty fortunate to be finding all the vises in nice shape your picking up, there far and few between for nice ones here in Michigan and way over priced there getting harder to find by the day

 

[bagged89s10]

I've made one rear cover before, and I can do more if anyone ever needs them

you can never have too many tools

I'd like to know how to make one if you're willing to share.

 

[Shiftless]

That is really nice. My money is on a water jet.

+1 on the compliment and the water jet guess.
Water jet is an amazing tool. For anybody that doesn't already know, the tool can cut steel, glass, or chocolate cake with unbelievable precision. You force water through a tiny orifice, maybe .005 inches at a super high pressure, maybe in the range of 50,000 psi..

 

[jreb10]

Another Milhoff vise for sale in MN. But it comes with a big welding table attached. Not cheap:

http://rmn.craigslist.org/tls/5117283510.html

 

[balane]

I grabbed a little Rock Island 571 this morning at a garage sale. It was slathered, inside and out, with red latex house paint. Huge mess getting it off. Ended up being a clean vise and it works great. 1942. 3"x 1" jaws, 28lbs. Color is Satin Oregano.

.

 

[trijeff]

I grabbed a little Rock Island 571 this morning at a garage sale. It was slathered, inside and out, with red latex house paint. Huge mess getting it off. Ended up being a clean vise and it works great. 1942. 3"x 1" jaws, 28lbs. Color is Satin Oregano.

.

Your quality and turnaround time are absolutley incredible

Sent from my SPH-L720 using Tapatalk

 

[econotrk]

I grabbed a little Rock Island 571 this morning at a garage sale. It was slathered, inside and out, with red latex house paint. Huge mess getting it off. Ended up being a clean vise and it works great. 1942. 3"x 1" jaws, 28lbs. Color is Satin Oregano.

.

I never get tired of that color Balane, I plan on painting my 974 like that.

 

[KMScott]

I'd like to know how to make one if you're willing to share.

Easy to make if you have a lathe, I use my CNC mill, here is a drawing I use for the ones I make. Here are a few pic's of how I make the handle ends but the cap is the same way, machine to the numbers and sand away the high spots till there is no cutter lines. Yes aluminum is easier but steel is a better choice. Same way I made cones for airplanes back in the day. Good luck and show us your results.

I grabbed a little Rock Island 571 this morning at a garage sale. It was slathered, inside and out, with red latex house paint. Huge mess getting it off. Ended up being a clean vise and it works great. 1942. 3"x 1" jaws, 28lbs. Color is Satin Oregano.

.

Wow Balane, you have these restorations figured out. Nice job, beautiful vise.

 

[balane]

Thank you all. That's the color my own vise is. Even though it looks like something you might find in a baby's diaper I still love it.

 

[vintage nut]

I did it on the lathe, and used a lathe file to smooth it all out. I used aluminum, but if it was for my own vise, I'd probably use brass.

you can never have too many tools

 

[Nuts]

Thank you all. That's the color my own vise is. Even though it looks like something you might find in a baby's diaper I still love it.

Baby Poop Brown.

Reminds me of a story about my Uncle. Uncle was a perfectionist about things, we caught him checking his innertubes for rust one time. He and his son were putting the final touches on their new house, they were painting the upper half of the outside walls and the eves, the lower half being slump blocks.

I made the comment that the color looked like, Baby Poop Brown. Not thinking that I might have laid a rotten egg in the nest, I was a bit surprised when I went by the next week, the house was a nice green instead of brown.

Nuts

 

[Smokeshow69]

I grabbed a little Rock Island 571 this morning at a garage sale. It was slathered, inside and out, with red latex house paint. Huge mess getting it off. Ended up being a clean vise and it works great. 1942. 3"x 1" jaws, 28lbs. Color is Satin Oregano.

.

Just did that vises craftsman brother a few pages back. You really killed it on the resto! I can't believe it was covered in red latex paint this morning Nice job

 

[bagged89s10]

Easy to make if you have a lathe, I use my CNC mill, here is a drawing I use for the ones I make. Here are a few pic's of how I make the handle ends but the cap is the same way, machine to the numbers and sand away the high spots till there is no cutter lines. Yes aluminum is easier but steel is a better choice. Same way I made cones for airplanes back in the day. Good luck and show us your results.







Wow Balane, you have these restorations figured out. Nice job, beautiful vise.

I might have to give this a try. I just need to get an chuck for my tail stock. Thank you

 

[topop101]

Just finishing up on another pre 55 versa vise. It's going to the same person that The Wilton bullet I did last week. He wanted them both to match his 1930 Snap-on tool box. I think they should look great together on his bench. The bullet was given a beautiful set of KSM's jaws.

 

[bagged89s10]

I grabbed a little Rock Island 571 this morning at a garage sale. It was slathered, inside and out, with red latex house paint. Huge mess getting it off. Ended up being a clean vise and it works great. 1942. 3"x 1" jaws, 28lbs. Color is Satin Oregano.



.

Wow your turnaround time is amazing. nice work

How do you strip paint so fast?

 

[balane]

topop, gorgeous. Really nice looking vises there.

bagged, I use gel stripper. Spread it all over, let it sit for 15 minutes, scrub with a wire toothbrush looking thing and rinse with the hose. Repeat if necessary. The stubborn leftovers are removed with a wire wheel on my die grinder. Chemical surface prep, warm in an oven and paint. Nothing to it.

 

[Outlawmws]

+1 on the compliment and the water jet guess.
Water jet is an amazing tool. For anybody that doesn't already know, the tool can cut steel, glass, or chocolate cake with unbelievable precision. You force water through a tiny orifice, maybe .005 inches at a super high pressure, maybe in the range of 50,000 psi..

Hard materials like steels and stone use abrasive water jet - water mixed with a fine abrasive.

 

[tedsters]

topop, gorgeous. Really nice looking vises there.

bagged, I use gel stripper. Spread it all over, let it sit for 15 minutes, scrub with a wire toothbrush looking thing and rinse with the hose. Repeat if necessary. The stubborn leftovers are removed with a wire wheel on my die grinder. Chemical surface prep, warm in an oven and paint. Nothing to it.

is it Naval Jelly