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honza.vosalik

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Feb 27, 2016
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Missouri
It opens 5", not the jaw width. The jaws are probably 3" & maybe 10 - 12 lbs.

I just sent the guy a text and he confirmed it's a 5" jaws width. The ad mentions it's a no. 5 model. It looks interesting, but for some reason I don't feel like jumping on it and buying it :p
 

Outlawmws

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'Most exposed screw are light duty' except for this one....

Thats why I said "most" :see: :evil: I'd bet those are outnumbered at least 10,000 to 1... :beer:

This vise appeared on local CL for $25. 5" American Scale Co. Any ideas? How heavy is it? Looks small from the pics.

That looks like the AS No 3 posted one page ago. (and that Joe.***** was just posting about... :lol_hitti If so it is a 3-1/2 jaw, and the weight previously posted is probably about right if not high.)
 
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drivesitfar

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Riley: great stuff and even though I don't understand half of it I do like the idea and the motivation going on in your post. the biggest vise I currently own is a Reed 4C and i'm happy to loan it to you so you and your engineers can maybe make a Riley 5C with 8 or 10 inch wide jaws that weighs 300+ pounds.

good luck and i'll drive Mr. 4C to you if you want to give it some love while you are measuring for his BIG BROTHER.

Outlaw: as you know the open screw big vises were the workhorses at the factories in the late 1800's and early 1900's. it's amazing when you see the old catalogs telling us that a Vanderman might have cost twice as much as a Rock Island with similar jaw width. sort of like motors for Craftsman tools cost more than the machines. I agree with your last statement though that the Big open screw vises are and were less common than the light duty small ones.
 
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RHJO51

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Red Hook, NY 12571
Reading all the posts on this thread have made me clean up some of the old vises I've had laying around my shop. I was cleaning up this old Prentiss No 20 swivel jaw and I was wondering how in the world do you remove the stuck pin? You can't tap it from below. Is there a thread on how to do this ? I was also wondering how you remove the spring loaded pin for the swivel base. It works fine but no obvious way to disasemble. Thanks for your help. - Jim
 

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CRSINMICH

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Reading all the posts on this thread have made me clean up some of the old vises I've had laying around my shop. I was cleaning up this old Prentiss No 20 swivel jaw and I was wondering how in the world do you remove the stuck pin? You can't tap it from below. Is there a thread on how to do this ? I was also wondering how you remove the spring loaded pin for the swivel base. It works fine but no obvious way to disasemble. Thanks for your help. - Jim

RHJ: There is a vise repair thread. Stuck pins have been discussed several times. Here's a link: http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=252830&highlight=vise+repair+101&page=142
 
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CRSINMICH

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Drives: Here is one of those big old open screw vises. I picked it up yesterday. It’s a Walworth vise. I found a drawing of it in an 1878 Walworth catalog. A bench vise is listed in their 1870 catalog but there were no illustrations. I also found a lot of information about the company James Jones Walworth founded in 1852. It began as a furnace and heating company. Walworth Co. may have been the first heating contractor in the U.S. They actually installed the first heating system in the White House. Amazingly they are still in business.

One of their employees, a guy named Stillson, obtained a patent for an improved pipe wrench. I’m not a wrench collector, but apparently those who are know about Stillson’s wrench. It was manufactured by Walworth. Apparently James Walworth had to trick Stillson into retaining the patent rights and collecting royalties. It made him wealthy.

Incidentally, Walworth’s 1878 catalog also had a Smith’s patent vise and a combination vise by some guy named Parker.
 

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mbsinmich

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Aug 10, 2015
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Yup, that's heavy duty open screw alright!

Drives: Here is one of those big old open screw vises. I picked it up yesterday. It’s a Walworth vise. I found a drawing of it in an 1878 Walworth catalog. A bench vise is listed in their 1870 catalog but there were no illustrations. I also found a lot of information about the company James Jones Walworth founded in 1852. It began as a furnace and heating company. Walworth Co. may have been the first heating contractor in the U.S. They actually installed the first heating system in the White House. Amazingly they are still in business.

One of their employees, a guy named Stillson, obtained a patent for an improved pipe wrench. I’m not a wrench collector, but apparently those who are know about Stillson’s wrench. It was manufactured by Walworth. Apparently James Walworth had to trick Stillson into retaining the patent rights and collecting royalties. It made him wealthy.

Incidentally, Walworth’s 1878 catalog also had a Smith’s patent vise and a combination vise by some guy named Parker.
 

drivesitfar

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Oct 23, 2013
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VA: Maybe a Holland 18 because doesn't look like a Reed?

BB: we see a few of those sales up in our area and not sure the posters even have all the items in their pictures. as hard as it is to find a good vise for some of the members in Texas I bet that one might fetch more than a few dollars if it's not all welded up under that grease.

CRS
: thanks for the 411 post on Woolworth. those big quality built open screw vises are something aren't they. I think the one Joe posted earlier that he shined up was baby of the BIG UNS, but he does have a way with that blue hammered paint.

thanks for the information on the wrench too because I've got almost as many wood handled wrenches now as vises so i'll have to see if I own one.

Riley: great posts about the casting and doesn't sound like steel is the issue so let me know if might want to make a bigger vise than my Reed 4C and i'll loan it to you and buy lunch in Portland maybe next week.
 

GETRIDAONE

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Auburn, GA
Hey, stay out of my picking area. That's a super rare bobtail model. I'm saving up the $60 bucks to get it.

I just noticed my location is not showing anymore ? Fixed it.
 
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Outlawmws

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RH, is the pin in line with the center swivel hole. Sometimes you can get a drift punch there.

If not get a bolt, a coupler nut, and a cut off bolt and make a small jack screw. (lock nut the cut off bolt) then use the free bolt and coupler to apply pressure from inside.

If you need to apple a lot of pressure, you can use clamps to provide "bridge support" so you don't crack the main body. (Some one posted pics either here or in the vise repair thread - great idea)
 

GETRIDAONE

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I am going to help VA out a little. Here is a similar picture with a Reed 108
18 *** 108 it's close :headscrat

Outlaw, sh** just happens with computers ?
 

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Hemi49

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Rush (Rochester), NY
Reading all the posts on this thread have made me clean up some of the old vises I've had laying around my shop. I was cleaning up this old Prentiss No 20 swivel jaw and I was wondering how in the world do you remove the stuck pin? You can't tap it from below. Is there a thread on how to do this ? I was also wondering how you remove the spring loaded pin for the swivel base. It works fine but no obvious way to disasemble. Thanks for your help. - Jim

RHJ
My advice is to leave the swivel plunger alone unless you need to disassemble it for repairs....I have a Prentiss 19 which has a different plunger actuation method......It worked fine and I was reluctant to press my luck trying to disassemble it.....I agree with others on the swivel jaw pin....after I removed the swivel base and the spindle nut I came up from the bottom and whacked the pin out with a punch.....Pictures of my 19 attached.....
Hemi
 

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Outlawmws

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This Craigslist ad make me just drool! Checkout the vise stand with the big red vise on it!

http://austin.craigslist.org/for/5396352987.html

If his big vise and stand doesn't stun you, the Big anvil will, I think the anvil on top is > 180 lbs...

:drool:

attachment.php
 

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Mark in Indiana

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Hey, stay out of my picking area. That's a super rare bobtail model. I'm saving up the $60 bucks to get it.

I just noticed my location is not showing anymore ? Fixed it.

All,
Did you notice that the seller posted the condition as EXCELLENT?

I thought that the ad should have gone on the "CL Wishful Thinkers" thread, but it belongs here.
 
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va.grouseman

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Southern-Central VA.
Originally posted by GETRIDAONE.

I am going to help VA out a little. Here is a similar picture with a Reed 108
18 *** 108 it's close
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Thanks Get, good save.---I need all the help I can get.---Few brain cells left, mostly gelatin.

Side by side comparison, they do look like kin folk.

http://api.viglink.com/api/click?fo...41.photobucket.com/albums/e2...ge/Deck592.jpg


http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=536371&d=1458006384


Interesting that the latter model 108s are swivel based, and not the big chippers.
 

autopts

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Jul 4, 2009
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Here's one from a collector out West. Its a 208 Reed on his hand made stand. I've sold him 2, 8" ers so I really don't know what he has but I know its a bunch. Sorry for the resolution It basically one for GJ
 

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CRSINMICH

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Does anyone recognize this thread? This is a close-up of the thread on the spindle of the Walworth vise I bought a couple of days ago. I haven't given much thought to screw threads but this one looked different to me. What appears to be a slight radius at the bottom of the thread is probably caked on grease. In case you didn't see my original post, this vise was probably made in the 1870's so the thread could be just about anything.
 

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CwazyWabbit

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I am going to help VA out a little. Here is a similar picture with a Reed 108
18 *** 108 it's close :headscrat

Outlaw, sh** just happens with computers ?

I take it that design of stand was once a commercial offering? Bet that was nearly the price of the vise that went on it!
 

GETRIDAONE

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It seems the stands have always been associated with railroad repair shops. The stands could have been built for other purposes and vises just happened to fit on them perfect ???
 
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RHJO51

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Feb 27, 2015
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Red Hook, NY 12571
RHJ
My advice is to leave the swivel plunger alone unless you need to disassemble it for repairs....I have a Prentiss 19 which has a different plunger actuation method......It worked fine and I was reluctant to press my luck trying to disassemble it.....I agree with others on the swivel jaw pin....after I removed the swivel base and the spindle nut I came up from the bottom and whacked the pin out with a punch.....Pictures of my 19 attached.....
Hemi

Hello Guys, thanks for all the responses to my post, very helpful. With the swizel base off, there is no through hole to punch the pin out. Looks like I'll make a small jack screw and give that a try. And good idea on the swivel plunger - it works fine so I think I;ll just leave it alone. Thanks again. - Jim
 

joe.striper

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agawam, ma
Hello Guys, thanks for all the responses to my post, very helpful. With the swizel base off, there is no through hole to punch the pin out. Looks like I'll make a small jack screw and give that a try. And good idea on the swivel plunger - it works fine so I think I;ll just leave it alone. Thanks again. - Jim

Did you take off the spindle nut as well as the bottom screw? With the spindle nut off there has to be a hole into the static jaw cavity.
 

va.grouseman

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Yep Joe, you are right, I forgot to mention to RHJ that you have to take out the screw/threaded auger nut in order to be able to see through the bottom up to the swivel pin hole.---And sometimes the swivel pin hole is filled with grease and you can't see them, but a little proging with a long sharp tool will find it.

Just knock that pin holding the nut in, out from the bottom and the big nut will slide right out and there's your hole you can work from.

The #19s and #20s, etc. are not threaded swivel pins, merely beveled friction pins.---The hole has to be there.
 
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CwazyWabbit

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It seems the stands have always been associated with railroad repair shops. The stands could have been built for other purposes and vises just happened to fit on them perfect ???

Perhaps then they are actually just a particular type of train buffer stood on end?
 
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