The VISES of Garage Journal

[topop101]

Here's my latest find. It's a Merrill Bros No 5 vise. It weighs about 75 pounds. I've been looking for one of these for a while. Considering it's age -- at least 100 years old -- it's in pretty good shape. Should clean up nicely. Of course, it's missing the baseplate and lower locking handle. Practically every one of these I've seen, suffers from the same problem--they're always missing the baseplate and locking handle. If anyone has these two items laying around in your parts bin, and you don't know what they are for, please let me know. It would add about 20 pounds to the overall weight of this item. Plus, make it more complete. I'd like to find some more of these vises--they came in four sizes and topped out at 212 pounds with 8 inch jaws.

From what I've found, Merrill Bros vises were made for around 25 years. Roughly 1890 to around World War I. During this time, they were made in two versions. The earlier vises had round bases and a smooth rear part. They were also lighter than the later models. The later vises were introduced around 1906 and were quite a bit beefier than the earlier ones. You can tell the later ones because of the more elaborate baseplate and the square area on the rear end. I've include a couple of screen grabs of the two styles. The company started out in Brooklyn, NY, and all the vises that I've seen are marked this way, However, in the early 'teens, the company moved to Maspeth, NY. So, it's possible that some later vises were marked "Maspeth, NY".

I like these Merrill Bros vises. They look good and they're built like tanks. And the company had an interesting history. In addition to vises, they also made large drop hammers, steel plate lifting hooks, and cable turnbuckles used in bridge construction. As a matter of fact, I read somewhere that Merrill made the cable stays that were used on the Brooklyn Bridge. Which isn't surprising since the factory was located on Kent Avenue in Brooklyn, which is really close to where the new bridge was located.

Nice! It's no wonder these are still around the way they were made. Here's an ad I have from 1887 showing Merrills Vise. Note the weight difference's.

 

[Dennis Leigh Henry]

Got to wonder what they were doing when they bent the handle on that monster!

That's exactly what I was thinking.... Some Herman Munster type sure had to have leaned into it to bend it that much...

Meatsis, nice score!

 

[drivesitfar]

454 and Dennis and All: I remember going with my Gramps to the saw shop (he was a Logger) or the truck repair shop and watching guys (yes plural) both get on a pipe that was over a handle of a HUGE vise to tighten the jaws up. most likely using it as a press, but sometimes just to hold a big part better. those 2 and 3 inch galvanized pipes were maybe 3 to 5 foot long over the end of the vise's handle.

i'm sure that is how many of the handles have been bent even on the smaller vises. i bet if you took a poll even here on GJ there are some members that still use pipe to extend their vise's handles.

Meatsis: don't you already own several 8 inchers?

Joe: i hope you find that 10 inch Parker and i'm still looking for Bigfoot. your new lift sounds nice and mind telling us what brand you bought and maybe a couple pictures of it?

 

[meatsis]

Yes DIF I do have several. Here's a pic of my Parker 958. Probably as close to new as you'll ever see. Not a scratch or dent on it. I'll try to get some pics of the others today.

NOT SURE WHY THE PICTURE SHOWED UP SIDEWAYS

 

[drivesitfar]

Meatsis: are you posting from a cell phone or IPad? not sure why it happens either. is that orange car yours in the Avatar or is it on your bucket list to buy it some day?

nice looking Parker 958. the only one i've seen that is nicer was restored with jaws made by KMScott and Crete drove a couple thousand miles to pick it up. I think Crete has it in his living room now. i'm not trying to show yours up and just posting this one in case you hadn't seen it. i personally like the naked look of yours better so post up a few more pictures and i'll post it elsewhere if i get a chance to.

sure post up more pictures and maybe somebody else knows what to tell you to post more than one picture at a time and get them straight. good luck

 

[Loydski29]

Wow! That 978 is beautiful! Hopefully one day I'll come across one of those!

 

[meatsis]

Yes I posted from cell phone. And no unfortunately that's not my car. I work for Mclaren and that car I just seviced the other day. I just loved the look of it with that lemans package so I added it to my avatar.

Here's one you don't see often. It's a Yost #78 1/2. 7 inch swiveling rear jaw and swivel base. Weighs about 240 pounds. It's sitting in between a reed 108 and a prentiss #97. Which is also a 7 incher. Weighs about the same as the Yost. Sorry bout the crappy picture.

 

[meatsis]

Heres my tallest vise. starrett 326. weighs 225 pounds. sure makes that 4 inch Prentiss look tiny.

 

[Loydski29]

Meatsis:i have to say I'm jealous nice collection!

 

[meatsis]

Meatsis:i have to say I'm jealous nice collection!

Thanks loydski. I've got a lot more. I'll get more pics soon

 

[drivesitfar]

Meatsis: nice looking shop and benches too. of course you can post more than one picture of each of those awesome vises when you have time because each one is worthy or several more.

what would a car like that cost? $250,000+-??

Loyd: AGREED

 

[meatsis]

Meatsis: nice looking shop and benches too. of course you can post more than one picture of each of those awesome vises when you have time because each one is worthy or several more.

what would a car like that cost? $250,000+-??

Loyd: AGREED

Thanks DIF. I believe that particular car was about $350,000

 

[meatsis]

Heres a parker you don't see often

 

[drivesitfar]

Meatsis: i knew the car was spendy.

i've never seen that Parker and as i've said i'm not a huge Parker fan, but i would love to have that one sitting on a bench and i'm sure others would too.

what's the specs on it and how does the lever work? i like the swivel base's pin or bolt too.

 

[va.grouseman]

Here's a poster on it Drive.


http://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/ZpwAAOxyKh5SBQGf/s-l1600.jpg

 

[meatsis]

meatsis: I knew the car was spendy.

I've never seen that parker and as i've said i'm not a huge parker fan, but i would love to have that one sitting on a bench and i'm sure others would too.

What's the specs on it and how does the lever work? I like the swivel base's pin or bolt too.

its a pretty cool little vise. Very handy. Iirc its a 3 1/2 inch jaw. You simply lift the handle and the dynamic jaw will slide in or out. Place the object being held into place, slide the dynamic in and just push the lever down to lock it in. Ive never actually seen another one.

 

[Rileysan]

Meatsis - you have an amazing vise collection. Thank you for sharing!

Brian

 

[meatsis]

Thanks Riley! I've probably got about 60 more. I'll get some more pics soon

 

[meatsis]

Heres a lower shelf on one of my workbenchs. From left to right is a 4 bolt base reed 108, yost 78 1/2, prentiss 97, two parker 436's, starrett 326, rock island 577, reed 402 1/2. The 2 small ones on the left are a 3 inch reed and its craftsman branded twin. Parker no.4x on the floor. This is just one shelf. Theres many more to be found

 

[drivesitfar]

Meatsis: another quality picture worth saving of some real monsters (gems). thanks for sharing and post more pictures as you can and have time.

that Parker with the lever still has me thinking about it. what a cool old vise.

VA: thanks for the catalog page on that Parker 92 that i also saved.

ALL: in case any of you are trying to get something shipped to or from Seattle on I-90 that freeway is closed today.

 

[Bottlecapdigger]

I have the 926 starrett also. Love it, There made like a precison tool. No side play at all. This one will be passed down after im done wilh it BCD

 

[Bottlecapdigger]

Heres a parker you don't see often

I like parkers also, How does the clamping action work on that parker? BCD

 

[meatsis]

i have the 926 starrett also. Love it, there made like a precison tool. No side play at all. This one will be passed down after im done wilh it bcd

i think the 926 is different. Mine is the 326 which has the pipe jaws but youre right they really are very precise. And heavy as hell!!!

 

[va.grouseman]

The 926 is a Athol/Starrett swivel jaw.---Weighs about 190 lbs..

 

[topop101]

Here's one of my older Wilton's finished. I started it for a guy in Kc but during the resto I found a crack in the swivel base and wouldn't sell it to him. He wanted me to sell it to him any way but I refused and finished the resto without the swivel base. He wanted to silver solder it and I told him brazed, soldered or welded I didn't work that way. He had his heart set on a 3-1/2 swivel and I only had a 3" left but I had other plans for it.
It's stamp dated 10-45. It's nothing fancy, it was going to a knife makers shop . Just clean an classic.

 

[NJ Marty]

I bought this baby last week. I took the profits from some estate sale buys from a few weeks ago and bought myself a present. I just had to have it when i saw it. It has not been touched and looks to be NOS.

 

[drivesitfar]

VA: is this your 326 i saved a picture of? does it weigh over 200 pounds? here's a picture i saved of a 926 since we've been talking about them to compare along with Meatsis's.

Top: your skills are improving and nicely done. also just curious how the swivel base was cracked. do you have any pictures of the cracked base? other than the poor design of the pins in the vise jaw about the only weak point of the bullets has been the swivel bases especially on the biggest ones. i haven't seen too many broken bases on the smaller bullets though.

Marty: looks like you found a KEEPER. is it a 2 or 2.5 inch wide jaw? if you have a scale handy can you tell us how much it weighs? sweet looking vise and yes almost looks new. some of those old Baby bullets have dates on the slides up to the 80's so what does yours say?

 

[cbacres]

Picked up this Rock Island 574 off CL this am. It'll need a good cleaning and lube. A little stiff operating, but I don't see any damage.
Just what I needed, another vise.

 

[Gert]

Found a used vise - good as new:
I am going to keep it as is and just use it.
Well, I could not resist to polish the nose...

 

[drivesitfar]

CB: you are not limited to one picture, but thanks for the one of that old Rock Island. other than the customized handle and a little chip in the side of the jaw it looks like it will clean up and work great.

Gert: where do you find all those cool old US vises where you live. if you took the jaws off and shined them up and put some wax or BLO on your Starrett it would look almost new. nicely done AGAIN

 

[drivesitfar]

ALL: i was digging around my storage unit and found this Quick release Wilton 7 inch wood vise. it might be the heaviest wood vise i've owned that is this small. i'm guessing it weighs about 20-25 pounds. it works great and wanted to get a picture or two posted because another GJ member might own it and forget to post them.

anybody else have and use one of these?

 

[KMScott]

Found a used vise - good as new:
I am going to keep it as is and just use it.
Well, I could not resist to polish the nose...

Gert
One of the best American Vise you picked up in the Netherlands. Jaws are in great shape. Nice find. Thanks for sharing.

 

[joe.striper]

Just paid $100 for this machinist vise. 5" jaws, triple swivel. Sprayed it down with PB blaster and it works perfectly. Has degree marks at every swivel. Marked, I believe, JAS all over but I have no idea as to the maker...also a distinctive mark on a couple bolts. All bolts are SAE. I am thrilled but also confounded.

Any help?? Weighs about 70 lbs.

 

[paigej]

No idea, but why did you pay $100 when it was only marked $15

 

[oldldh]

Gert --- As a fellow Starrett 925 owner...

I have one thing to say...

YA DUN GUD, BUBBA!!!

(I am real curious how that clamper got across the Atlantic???...Any ideas???)

 

[Cima96]

This is my FZA MA6 with 100mm jaws, it weights 11kg and it's made of cast steel and not cast iorn like le majority of the vices. It's a tipical "italian vice" with the rear moving jaw that slides on prismatic guideways.
I bought it for 60€ (used of course) and I clened the rust with WD40 and scotch brite. I also finished the guideways and jaws with a little oilstone work to improve the roughness.
In my opinion is a type of vice with great stiffness but it seems not so popular in the USA.

 

[drivesitfar]

Cima: welcome to the group and nice looking vise. i normally see the German's Leinen or the Polish made Bison FPU with that design. i guess all of your countries over there has their own version.

personally l really like that style vise and wish we had a few more over here to buy.

 

[va.grouseman]

Drive, yea that's my 326, and apologies to Bottlecap, I transposed those Starrett numbers again in my head and that was my first mistake, cause I got no brain left.---I should remember those 926s, because I'm still kicking myself for procrastinating last year on 6 NOS 926s a guy had on EBay, and when I decided to pull the trigger on one, he had sold the last one. ---The swivel-jaw is a 646.---Sorry for not correcting this sooner, but right after I realized the screw-up, we lost internet and everything just locked up.---we're catching some pretty bad weather here, and it's messing with everything.---Again apologies to Bottle-cap.


Here's my 326 like Drive said.

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=518748&d=1453463422

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=518749&d=1453463422


And here's a 646, complements of Pinch-Point.

 

[joe.striper]

No idea, but why did you pay $100 when it was only marked $15

I bought it from another picker when I picked up a 4.5" Yost vise today. He had purchased it in the summer for 60 and I pd him 100. He never removed the original tag sale price. Make sense?

 

[rmhartwell]

Hi,

I picked up this vise from a guy when I was looking around in his garage while buying some used tool cabinets. He said it was used in a production shop for many years and was his when the shop closed. After cleaning it a bit, I found the crack in the dynamic jaw brace, but no other cracks in the jaws. I can braze repair the crack, and the vise actually works fine with it, just binds a bit when fully open. At 10.5" full open, I don't think I will need that very often. Jaws are 5 1/4 wide and the rotating jaw works with some persuasion. My question is what is it? There are no markings anywhere on it. I think it's a Rock Island, but I'm just guessing. Any ideas?