The VISES of Garage Journal

[Screwdriver]

Good trick with the cutting board jaws. I really can't stand the white, but functionality is good to know.

I made some for my Swindens some time ago. Polypropylene ex. chopping board. They were the exact thickness required. For me, these soft jaws are more useful than the standard hardened jaws because they don't mark yet are easily strong enough for my needs.

S.

 

[Mark in Indiana]

Wilton 5 inch mechanics vise. Mounted on square tube so i can use it on my truck or the receiver on my welding table

Ryan:
Welcome to the group.
That's a waaaaay too good looking vise for welding on. Just saying.

 

[Nuts]

I like the look of those Swindens, nice utility design.


Nuts

 

[PSD_Ryan]

Ryan:
Welcome to the group.
That's a waaaaay too good looking vise for welding on. Just saying.

I don't use it for welding, but my welding table is way over built, so if i need to crank down on something, that table provides a lot more support than my regular workbench

 

[Mark in Indiana]

Ryan,
I built a similar rig specifically for welding. But I used a 6" Asian vise. All welding jobs are done in the driveway

 

[dkroth]

Shipping heavy vise

I recently bought a 500S Wilton Bullet from a fellow in South Florida.....He boxed it, palletized it and took it to the Fastenal® store near him....Today I picked it up at a Fastenal® store here in Rochester NY......It cost me $55.00 to have it brought up from Florida.....I'm very pleased with their service and price.....Attached are photos of the vise..
Hemi

Hmm. I thought I felt a disturbance in The Force this afternoon. Clearly it was the gravitational pull of this new vise here in town.

Very nice, Hemi.

 

[straightcut]

Re: Wilton 1760 Deal for St. Paul, MN GJ'rs

This just posted for a Tradesman 1760 on craigslist for $140
http://minneapolis.craigslist.org/ram/tls/5350646279.html

 

[drivesitfar]

Ap: can you post a few more pictures or a lot of them because i haven't seen a Reed woodworker's vise that i can recall and yours looks to have some age to it with those big balls on the end of the handle? nice find and welcome to the group. i'm sure somebody here might know more about it and if not are you thinking of keeping or selling it?

Nuts: still a little muddy on the splaining because i'm not a leather guy, but i'll PM or email you if i get to where i'm needing more information or materials. thanks for trying to teach all of us that are still trying to speak METAL.

 

[drivesitfar]

Ryan: nice looking vise to put on a trailer hitch and take out on any job. also your welding bench sounds nice so if you wouldn't mind posting more pictures on the vise and grinder stands thread in fabrication section i (we) would love to see more pictures. also welcome to the forum and hope you stick around to learn and teach us what you might know.

Hemi: great price to ship via Fastenal and i really like using them on my big vises. i'll have to see if i can make small pallets for small vises and get a better price than Fed Ex and UPS for those too. i'm betting you are building another shelf?

All: picked up a little Wilton bullet today that was mounted on a 1930's Snap On toolbox that had already sold. no idea where the jaws went, but it's in pretty decent shape except for those that are missing. it's just a tad bigger than my baby Wilton.

 

[a990dna]

Huge Parker on Craigslist..

https://losangeles.craigslist.org/lac/tls/5350100968.html

 

[drivesitfar]

990: Huge maybe because only a 6 inch wide jaw, but more interesting is it's a rear swivel jaw vise. the price is optimistic so i'm guessing it will be there for a while. looks like in pretty decent shape and guessing 150+ pounds.

 

[a990dna]

990: Huge maybe because only a 6 inch wide jaw, but more interesting is it's a rear swivel jaw vise. the price is optimistic so i'm guessing it will be there for a while. looks like in pretty decent shape and guessing 150+ pounds.

Its been there for a few weeks..

.

 

[drivesitfar]

990: yes, like i say the price is optimistic. with the pin missing the swivel jaw might be a little difficult to get loose, but the Parker guys here might like it because i can't say i see that model often or at all that i can remember. Parker isn't in my top 5 personally, but they are well made and a quality vise.

 

[a990dna]

drivesitfar: What's a nicely restored Wilton 4.5" bullet worth? Opens out to 8"...

.

 

[drivesitfar]

990: any pictures? i really don't like pricing stuff because it always seem to be different in different areas. there are also the guys that own several vises that look on Craiglist daily and find that vise for $50-100 that will argue that is market value. of course they won't count their gas or time spent driving or looking on CL to find it. some areas are vise and old tool rich and others rarely have a vise show up anywhere used.

one thing i can say is your market is pretty similar to mine so depending on a so so restoration or a top notch restoration value could be $200-$350 ish.

i can also say that a 4.5 inch Wilton bullet vise is on a short list of one of the vises that will do almost any job in any member's shop if they only have one vise. i do like the Wilton C series vises more so a C1 or better yet a C2 would be my pick. TriJeff just painted a C3 bright green snap on toolbox color if you have the budget and a big enough bench i think he's going to sell it.

good luck and you can PM me for a quick price if one of the other members here doesn't see your post if you are trying to buy a nice vise for you shop.

 

[a990dna]

drivesitfar: check this out...

.

 

[drivesitfar]

990: it's an older style from probably the 60's maybe 50's and not sure of all the Wilton vise #'s so maybe a 450 or 9450? are you trying to buy it for your own use or a gift for a close friend or relative? i'd say it's worth $300+- so you work from there. ok?

it also doesn't look abused and it has been used as a vise should be as a third hand.

good luck

 

[a990dna]

drive: I just ran across it..

I have two Craftsman vises.. 5162 I've had for 35 years and I just bought this 5161 that's in really good condition - sellers photo does not do this old vise justice.

I wouldn't mind having a nice old Wilton..

.

 

[joe.striper]

Ryan: nice looking vise to put on a trailer hitch and take out on any job. also your welding bench sounds nice so if you wouldn't mind posting more pictures on the vise and grinder stands thread in fabrication section i (we) would love to see more pictures. also welcome to the forum and hope you stick around to learn and teach us what you might know.

Hemi: great price to ship via Fastenal and i really like using them on my big vises. i'll have to see if i can make small pallets for small vises and get a better price than Fed Ex and UPS for those too. i'm betting you are building another shelf?

All: picked up a little Wilton bullet today that was mounted on a 1930's Snap On toolbox that had already sold. no idea where the jaws went, but it's in pretty decent shape except for those that are missing. it's just a tad bigger than my baby Wilton.

That Wilton was a good buy at $80!

 

[Apwillard1986]

Ap: can you post a few more pictures or a lot of them because i haven't seen a Reed woodworker's vise that i can recall and yours looks to have some age to it with those big balls on the end of the handle? nice find and welcome to the group. i'm sure somebody here might know more about it and if not are you thinking of keeping or selling it?

Nuts: still a little muddy on the splaining because i'm not a leather guy, but i'll PM or email you if i get to where i'm needing more information or materials. thanks for trying to teach all of us that are still trying to speak METAL.

I can find nothing on it either but the logo is later so far as I know. It weighs about 40Lbs. It is a 10in jaw which opens to 12in and features a quick action. I plan to use it. Truthfully one of the prime factors in purchasing it was that I have not seen one.

I have also included a couple of pictures of the utility vise. I cant find too much on it either but I have seen them before.

 

[CRSINMICH]

Ap: Welcome! That's a nice looking woodworkers vise. If you are planning on using it replace those oak faces with something softer like pine. You got lucky when you found a Reed. Who knew? Keep posting.
p.s. The Utility Vise is not too shabby either.

 

[Hemi49]

Hmm. I thought I felt a disturbance in The Force this afternoon. Clearly it was the gravitational pull of this new vise here in town.

Very nice, Hemi.

dkroth

Thanks.......It was a lucky find.....Must be my stars were aligned that day!!
Hemi

 

[Hemi49]

Ryan: nice looking vise to put on a trailer hitch and take out on any job. also your welding bench sounds nice so if you wouldn't mind posting more pictures on the vise and grinder stands thread in fabrication section i (we) would love to see more pictures. also welcome to the forum and hope you stick around to learn and teach us what you might know.

Hemi: great price to ship via Fastenal and i really like using them on my big vises. i'll have to see if i can make small pallets for small vises and get a better price than Fed Ex and UPS for those too. i'm betting you are building another shelf?

All: picked up a little Wilton bullet today that was mounted on a 1930's Snap On toolbox that had already sold. no idea where the jaws went, but it's in pretty decent shape except for those that are missing. it's just a tad bigger than my baby Wilton.

DRIVES
Yes sir...I have to build more shelves.....I'm also running out of space in my garage for expansion of my collection......I'm starting to get get nervous about the future......I'm like the alcoholic whose wife leaves him no room in the fridge for his beer....Ahh, the curse of being a Vise-a-holic.....
Hemi

 

[Apwillard1986]

Ap: Welcome! That's a nice looking woodworkers vise. If you are planning on using it replace those oak faces with something softer like pine. You got lucky when you found a Reed. Who knew? Keep posting.
p.s. The Utility Vise is not too shabby either.

CRSINMICH

Thank you. Regarding the utility vise I'm blessed to have a wife who enjoys such projects as well. Could have gone further with it but the objective was to make it usable and save it from the scrap heap. I'm hopeful to gain some insight into the woodworking vise. I am pleased to have found a Reed as I was sure they didn't make them. Thank you for the advice on the faces. I had wondered if that would be an issue. They also seem thicker than I am used to but this is also the largest vise of this type I have messed with. Ill change them out for something more suitable and it will likely get a shot of blue paint as I like my vises blue... but we will see.

 

[Evergreentree]

Here's my columbian d63 1/2 that's left out in the elements all the time, attached to my trailer (not welded to) for on site saw sharpening. I like the exposed lead for outside vises.

 

[drivesitfar]

AP: thanks for the pictures. great looking pair of Reed vises you own. if you need a nice wood bench you might want to check the free section on Craigslist because a lot of guys moving need to get them out of their garage to close their homes. renting a $20 Uhaul and getting a nice wood bench with some patina is a good way to get those vises hooked up and in use. again welcome

Joe: so how do you know what i paid? do you have drones or minions following me around? the usually 35 minute drive was an hour each way because nobody knows how to drive in the rain or drive slow in the SLOW LANE.

cheers and thanks

Hemi: any updated family pictures and if so please share if you have time when you are not shopping for more. good luck

TJ: any pictures of the huge green C3 yet?

 

[CRSINMICH]

CRSINMICH

Thank you. Regarding the utility vise I'm blessed to have a wife who enjoys such projects as well. Could have gone further with it but the objective was to make it usable and save it from the scrap heap. I'm hopeful to gain some insight into the woodworking vise. I am pleased to have found a Reed as I was sure they didn't make them. Thank you for the advice on the faces. I had wondered if that would be an issue. They also seem thicker than I am used to but this is also the largest vise of this type I have messed with. Ill change them out for something more suitable and it will likely get a shot of blue paint as I like my vises blue... but we will see.

Ap:The thickness of the wood is not a problem. Before you mount it to a bench try to find some photos of mounted vises online. Usually people try to bury the edges of the metal jaws in the wood somehow. It’s a lot easier on your chisels, plane irons, and saws. Another common trick is to have the front of the wood face of the rear jaw be flush with the front of the bench. That way if you clamp a long piece of wood it will be supported in the back along its whole length.

You’re even luckier than I thought. In addition to finding two Reed vises you also found a great wife. All three are keepers!

 

[Mr_P]

I finally found myself a vintage Craftsman Woodworking vise Model 5204 for only $15. Damaged, but not un-repairable....

It was suppose to go up for auction in a lot which included a bunch of randomness on Saturday, but was able to buy it on its own. I will be at that auction, but didn't want to risk losing out

 

[CRSINMICH]

Ok, this was odd. No getting up in the wee smalls, no chatting, no Jedi mind tricks. I just walked into an estate sale and bought 3 vises for $5. Of course…

 

[CRSINMICH]

The smallest vise has 1 inch jaws and the REAR jaw is dynamic. 4 1/2 inches of combined jaw width.

 

[drivesitfar]

CRS: i think you just drank some of that famous TEA in the RABBIT HOLE. nice finds and of course you didn't pay too much. you stay in there a while you'll see several of us so make sure to say HI.

P: interesting wood vise. glad you like it.

 

[CRSINMICH]

I finally found myself a vintage Craftsman Woodworking vise Model 5204 for only $15. Damaged, but not un-repairable....

P: Good find but you have some work ahead of you. Does this model have the Craftsman chevrons?

 

[CRSINMICH]

Drives: Hi! Actually, the front mounted vise is pretty good. The only writing on it is “Patent pending”. It’s a heavy casting for such a small vise. The 2½ jaws close with no gap anywhere. It is well machined. It doesn’t show in the photos but there are two mounting holes on the bottom that are tapped to accept machine screws. A jeweler’s vise maybe?

 

[Mr_P]

No chevron just a small decal. Barely noticeable

 

[Apwillard1986]

CRS: The smallest looks a bit like a Stanley Sweetheart jeweler's vise.

 

[Hemi49]

AP: thanks for the pictures. great looking pair of Reed vises you own. if you need a nice wood bench you might want to check the free section on Craigslist because a lot of guys moving need to get them out of their garage to close their homes. renting a $20 Uhaul and getting a nice wood bench with some patina is a good way to get those vises hooked up and in use. again welcome

Joe: so how do you know what i paid? do you have drones or minions following me around? the usually 35 minute drive was an hour each way because nobody knows how to drive in the rain or drive slow in the SLOW LANE.

cheers and thanks

Hemi: any updated family pictures and if so please share if you have time when you are not shopping for more. good luck

TJ: any pictures of the huge green C3 yet?

DRIVES
I will certainly get some 8X10 glossies of the brood posted when they will line up and say cheese........We are having some gorgeous weather in Rochester....I've been thinking about reactivating my vise painting area in the driveway....So many things going on it has been 2 weeks since I touched my C1 bullet that is in intensive care.....Enclosed is a snapshot of my last 2 vises.....The mighty 500S bullet and a Reed 103R
Hemi

 

[rmalkow2]

Ok, this was odd. No getting up in the wee smalls, no chatting, no Jedi mind tricks. I just walked into an estate sale and bought 3 vises for $5. Of course…

You need to be buying lotto tickets!

 

[Nuts]

Joe: so how do you know what i paid? do you have drones or minions following me around? the usually 35 minute drive was an hour each way because nobody knows how to drive in the rain or drive slow in the SLOW LANE.


Drives, you should know by now Joe knows everything related to vise or vice.


Nuts

 

[drivesitfar]

Nuts: i'm just curious how Joe knew the total i paid including gas and giving me $15 per hour for my time driving. he's a smart guy i'll hand you that though or he wouldn't have so many cool vises in his garage and yard without his wife giving him greif. i think he still has an emmert on the kitchen counter.

Hemi: thanks for the picture and i know it's hard to get all the kids to line up and smile at once so when you have time and they cooperate i'll even take a picture or two or ten without glossy finish.

 

[trijeff]

TJ: any pictures of the huge green C3 yet?

Drives: Nope, it went back in the tank so I could start at square one. With a new job, a bit of rainy weather, the holidays and this being a monster C3, I honestly don't think it's going to be done until 2016. Certainly no one will ever mistake me for the turnaround king, Balane