The VISES of Garage Journal

[drivesitfar]

Blue: Good luck is all I can say. one of the new members to GJ just found one and posted his a few days ago and i mentioned what it was so you might PM him. otherwise I haven't seen one for sale, but since i don't own another baby i'm really not looking that hard.

CRS: my readers didn't pick up the brand name on the cool vise or clamp, but now i know. do you mean this Vanderman #1 that weighs all of 100 pounds or were you thinking of one of the bigger ones? better warm up and exercise a bit before hauling those out of a basement or even a garage.

 

[S4cruiser]

I recently picked up a Craftsman 5151 and planning to give it a refresh. I searched but couldn't find what paint color / brand would be closest to original.

Any ideas?

 

[Shiftless]

On the topic of Eight Inchers...

Any one who has a big wad of cash in their vise fund pocket might consider this offering in Los Angeles. Columbians are not the brand at the very top of our wish lists, but you have to admit that 8 inches is an admirable measure!

 

[Shiftless]

And for an even $1000 also in Los Angeles...

(Also an 8 inch Columbian)

 

[CRSINMICH]

CRS: my readers didn't pick up the brand name on the cool vise or clamp, but now i know. do you mean this Vanderman #1 that weighs all of 100 pounds or were you thinking of one of the bigger ones? better warm up and exercise a bit before hauling those out of a basement or even a garage.

drives: It didn't occur to me that you hadn't noticed the maker's name since that **** really stuck out at me. (That didn't come out right). I guess I'd have to go with Evergreentree when deciding which Vanderman I'd like. A giant centerpiece vise would be nice.

BTW: I picked up a 6 inch Made in USA Wilton for $13 at the flea market. I didn't know Wilton made C clamps.

 

[Shiftless]

I recently picked up a Craftsman 5151 and planning to give it a refresh. I searched but couldn't find what paint color / brand would be closest to original.

Any ideas?

IMHO, those look fantastic au natural. (but I understand that if yours is too banged up, paint might be better)
Here is a pic I found of one from that series with no paint at all.
Look at the vise behind it labelled Rock Island. No doubt as to who Sears went to for vises back then, is there?

 

[topop101]

I recently picked up a Craftsman 5151 and planning to give it a refresh. I searched but couldn't find what paint color / brand would be closest to original.

Any ideas?

Best I ever found was a royal blue. At least that was the base color on the ones I've done.

 

[S4cruiser]

Shift: I will likely try this look if it ends up not being too banged up after cleaning...it looks pretty straight as is but very dirty.

Top:Yours was the only picture I could find and like the royal blue, just wasn't sure if that was a personal choice or original. This one still has some paint on it but it would be impossible to know what it looked like when new!

 

[topop101]

And for an even $1000 also in Los Angeles...

(Also an 8 inch Columbian)

I'm not sure why Columbians have never been a super collectable name. Having worked on many of them I can tell you they are built heavier than most. Lead screws and Main nuts always seem over built. The "T" style jaw inserts are second to only parkers (IMHO) with no hardware in the face. To me they have always been a "meat and potatoes" brand . Nothing flashy but as solid as they come. Besides being the oldest vise maker in the country I can't think of a better user fixed base vise pound for pound made between 1920 and 1950 that I would rather have other than maybe a parker for the jaw design and maybe a rocky , I think they are built heavier in the casting. Hands down though I think the screw and nut is the best in a Columbian. Put there nut and screw in a rocky with parker jaws! Now there's a vise for the ages boys!!!

 

[drivesitfar]

S4: i like the blue on my Craftsman 5196 and there are a few threads and several other posts with Craftsman vises painted like this.

good luck and i really like Fretter's bee's wax concoction he made up to coat his latest vise over on the Vise Repair 101 thread if you might want a naked vise.

ALL: weren't most old Columbians painted grey or black?

 

[topop101]

Shift: I will likely try this look if it ends up not being too banged up after cleaning...it looks pretty straight as is but very dirty.

Top:Yours was the only picture I could find and like the royal blue, just wasn't sure if that was a personal choice or original. This one still has some paint on it but it would be impossible to know what it looked like when new!

No, some I try to keep original. The one you might have seen was a very close match to the color that was the first layer . I have done a couple others, one red ,one black but If I remember right the blue was the base on at least one of the others.

 

[topop101]

S4: i like the blue on my Craftsman 5196 and there are a few threads and several other posts with Craftsman vises painted like this.

good luck and i really like Fretter's bee's wax concoction he made up to coat his latest vise over on the Vise Repair 101 thread if you might want a naked vise.

ALL: weren't most old Columbians painted grey or black?

DrivesAs far as I know you could get a Columbian in any color you wanted as long as it was black! Much like the early Fords.

I turned down A big 'ol 5" Prentiss today. He wanted 125.00 for it. It was a Bull dog with a swivel base that took a wrench to swivel it. The wrench was still on it like the Parkers. The tail end of the slide was split 3 ".

 

[Hemi49]

Balane: i was hoping to check that vise out tonight to see why the main screw protruded out the back of the slide. nicely done again and is your turn around time about an hour and are you cooking these vises in the family oven? how the heck can you get paint to dry that fast when it's 32 degrees in my garage?

cheers and if you find out anything more about why the screw is that long i'd like to know.

ALL: OH YA, how did we get to start posting cute gals in pink dresses? Maybe a NEW VICE or the oldest one??

No, some I try to keep original. The one you might have seen was a very close match to the color that was the first layer . I have done a couple others, one red ,one black but If I remember right the blue was the base on at least one of the others.

Craftsman Resto
I bought this restoration from Top for my collection a few months ago....A beautiful vise, color and restoration by Top......
Hemi

 

[Evergreentree]

Cool craftsman. I have a tree company owner friend who's been using the same vise as yours since he's been in the business. He's got a mountain of chain fillings all around it! His fathers 4" Wilton sits right next to it un-mounted.

What's the word on paramo vises? They look like a record to me...

 

[JZiggy]

Cool craftsman. I have a tree company owner friend who's been using the same vise as yours since he's been in the business. He's got a mountain of chain fillings all around it! His fathers 4" Wilton sits right next to it un-mounted.

What's the word on paramo vises? They look like a record to me...

Paramo was commissioned by the English gov't to start copying Record's castings (which, I think, they pretty much stole from Woden anyway) once a Record vise factory was bombed during WWII. That's how the story goes anyway.

They are similar to Records but not exactly. One major difference being that Paramos utilize a huge cast-in nut rather than it being pinned or bolted in. They also have a nice swivel feature using a screw on the side of the base which is faster and smoother than most you see on other vises. My 6" Paramo is definitely my favorite style and a pleasure to use.

 

[JZiggy]

S4: i like the blue on my Craftsman 5196 and there are a few threads and several other posts with Craftsman vises painted like this.

good luck and i really like Fretter's bee's wax concoction he made up to coat his latest vise over on the Vise Repair 101 thread if you might want a naked vise.

ALL: weren't most old Columbians painted grey or black?

Drives, can you show us your vise jaw caps on that one? I've seen a picture of those once before, always hoped to find them somewhere.

 

[drivesitfar]

JZ: i don't have that vise mounted to a bench because my Reed 404.5 knocked it out of the pecking order. it's buried but the jaw covers area plastic rubber type substance. i'll try to remember to pull them out and see if any name on them or get you better pictures, but they are nice to use.

also thanks for the Record Paramo story and if any of the members across the pond know more please post what you know.

cheers

 

[econotrk]

I'm not sure why Columbians have never been a super collectable name.

The biggest complaint I hear is the weight of a Columbian is much lighter than other vises of the same jaw size. I own one and like all other Columbians, the jaw towers are hollow. I wouldn't part with it, but I've passed on a lot of Columbians myself.

 

[joe.striper]

Here is my Wilton 825, Chicago made, 1953 date on the slide.

I modified this one a bit. Brass balls on the spindle handle, drilled the spindle nose and added an allen key and spring to control spindle handle slide (a la Parker).

Kevin Scott jaws and itty bitty swivel locks finished the restoration. The oak plank is original to the vise.

I am pretty happy with the way this turned out, it is a little different.

 

[S4cruiser]

Dude! That's really freaking nice. The Hammerite paint on that one has such a nice finish to it. Must have gone on real think to get that look?

 

[dutchgray]

Woden was founded by two of the sons of the Record founder, all part of the Hampton family, although I think both companies existed before they got into the vice business and certainly before anything we now recognise as in the English style, which was developed by Parkinson in the 1880's, who also invented the quick release style that us Brits like so much.
Record bought Woden in the 50's and had stopped production of anything Woden branded by the end of the 60's, Paramo, I'm not really sure if they started in the War or before, but their vices are pretty much all Record copies, they also did G clamps which seem unique to them and hand planes, probably other tools as well. These companies are all gone now, Record only exists under Irwin where some of their old patterns are made in China with other China junk thrown in for good measure, some of Record's other companies still exist in a small way, Clico still make a few things, rivet tools and auger bits, and they sold the Clifton hand plane brand a while back.
Afaik only Swindens still make vices in the UK.

 

[joe.striper]

Dude! That's really freaking nice. The Hammerite paint on that one has such a nice finish to it. Must have gone on real think to get that look?

Hammerite goes on pretty thick anyway, trick is to try to control the flow. If it is good you get that fiery waterfall effect. Really cool, at least I think it is.

 

[Fretters]

also thanks for the Record Paramo story and if any of the members across the pond know more please post what you know.

Not really that much to know about them, to be honest. The WWII story would have either been down to making sure supply was maintained if Record got bombed, else possibly may also have been to make sure enough were being produced for the MOD/Ministry and related industry.

I live quite close to where both places were. The Record factory is/was only about 10 miles away, with Parramore's being around half that distance away. Barnsley & surrounding towns supplied the coal, Sheffield worked the metal.

 

[Fretters]

Hammerite goes on pretty thick anyway, trick is to try to control the flow. If it is good you get that fiery waterfall effect. Really cool, at least I think it is.

Go on Joe, just admit it; You're having a ****** of a time getting to grips with Hammerite's quirks.

 

[Bobcat753]

Picked up this Rock Island No.587 today for $20. Nice big 6" vise. In good shape, jaws still new looking, no cracks or repairs but has some hammer marks on the sliding jaw top rail. I'll try to get some better pics up tomorrow...

 

[joe.striper]

Picked up this Rock Island No.587 today for $20. Nice big 6" vise. In good shape, jaws still new looking, no cracks or repairs but has some hammer marks on the sliding jaw top rail. I'll try to get some better pics up tomorrow...

Suckage, major suckage!!

 

[topop101]

The biggest complaint I hear is the weight of a Columbian is much lighter than other vises of the same jaw size. I own one and like all other Columbians, the jaw towers are hollow. I wouldn't part with it, but I've passed on a lot of Columbians myself.

Older Wilton's have hollow jaw towers as well. Both the dyn and sta. The newer ones I believe only the Dyn. is hollow still today.

I really think it's because they never dressed up the appearance. Never a pear shaped knob on the lead screw. No fancy curved gussets on the sta. base like rockies and Parkers. Just a plain but effective design.

 

[va.grouseman]

Previously posted by Econotrk.

The biggest complaint I hear is the weight of a Columbian is much lighter than other vises of the same jaw size. I own one and like all other Columbians,--------(the jaw towers are hollow).
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------



They don't have to be!

 

[Fretters]

They don't have to be!

Lead loading?

 

[Evergreentree]

Thanks all for the info on the paramos. I guess during the war, whoever was capable of production, produced what was needed. So it sounds like they are quality pieces, though copied. Is the company still around, or was it just a company serving during the war needs?

 

[Fretters]

Is the company still around, or was it just a company serving during the war needs?

Nope. It closed down in the early 80's, if I recall correctly. It was a general foundry, which made a varied selection of items.

 

[Evergreentree]

Thanks fretters.

Jz- it looks like your paramo cans be a true "hang over the edge" mount, or bolt it to a swivel base. That's pretty cool. Is that how you bought it?

 

[econotrk]

Older Wilton's have hollow jaw towers as well. Both the dyn and sta. The newer ones I believe only the Dyn. is hollow still today.

I really think it's because they never dressed up the appearance. Never a pear shaped knob on the lead screw. No fancy curved gussets on the sta. base like rockies and Parkers. Just a plain but effective design.

I agree. Another reason I pass on Columbians is their lack of style. IMHO there's too many cool vises out there to buy an uncool one. But look at this Columbian, and beside a Prentiss it gives up nothing in looks. They used to make them with a bit of style, not always utilitarian.

 

[JZiggy]

Thanks fretters.

Jz- it looks like your paramo cans be a true "hang over the edge" mount, or bolt it to a swivel base. That's pretty cool. Is that how you bought it?

Yes, it bolts onto the swivel base with 3 heavy bolts. Unfortunately while it is on the swivel base it does not hang over the edge. But I guess that's the cost of a nice broad base.

 

[bagged89s10]

I got to test out my belt sander finally. I got some crisp edges on the anvil and jaw towers. I need some finer grit belts now.


Don't look at the jaw inserts which I didn't clean up yet.

 

[Evergreentree]

Jz, guess it was the most efficient way to mass produce with multiple options during war time. I'm wondering if that was stopped thereafter. Wonder if one could find a base, and if is considered incomplete w/o a base. Also, were they only ever blue? And any way to age them?

 

[topop101]

I agree. Another reason I pass on Columbians is their lack of style. IMHO there's too many cool vises out there to buy an uncool one. But look at this Columbian, and beside a Prentiss it gives up nothing in looks. They used to make them with a bit of style, not always utilitarian.

I have to say that is the first Columbian I have seen with a pear shaped screw knob. Or at least that I remember. I wish I had my old computer. I had years of photo's on it.

 

[topop101]

Craftsman Resto
I bought this restoration from Top for my collection a few months ago....A beautiful vise, color and restoration by Top......
Hemi

 

[NJ Marty]

Got to a sale 3 hours after it started and was surprised to see this still there bolted to the bench, the place was a tool bonanza. I was thinking the guy running the sale was asking too much so I found him and asked. He said everything has to go and I showed him the vise. He said its a craftsman so $20 BUT I have to get it off the bench myself. No problem I told him.

 

[topop101]

Got to a sale 3 hours after it started and was surprised to see this still there bolted to the bench, the place was a tool bonanza. I was thinking the guy running the sale was asking too much so I found him and asked. He said everything has to go and I showed him the vise. He said its a craftsman so $20 BUT I have to get it off the bench myself. No problem I told him.

Yeah, YOU ****!