The VISES of Garage Journal

[Outlawmws]

Is anyone aware of how to date a Yost vise? i got that 104 1/2 all apart.. wire wheeled it and its all sitting in simple green rite now.. though only about half the slide fit into the 5 gallon bucket.. so ill have to dunk that again upside down to get the other half... anyways.. on the main nut there is a triangle and a number 4.. just wondering if that had anything to do with year?

It's certain to be over 18, so no worries there

The usual advice for dating a vise is Flowers, Dinner and a movie, and see how far that gets you...

 

[Outlawmws]

Joe, How many beers does it take to polish up a vise like that ? Nice job

I finish a small 1 3/8" vise. This is the first one I have seen with the screw and slide side by side. Check out the offset jaws and little anvil with a horn on it. The center mount brass washer and handle look cool also.

Get, that is VERY cool! Any clue on the make?

 

[diagnosis]

Just finished this Parker 973. Painted in Hammerite red (which is more crimson/cranberry). Jaws came out good except when I sneezed and took just a smidge more than i wanted...oh well.

Looks really nice, and I like the red.

 

[joe.striper]

I think it looks great. I might go for a darker red though.

I agree. I think a darker red next time. It is much prettier in person. The paint has depth and a good texture.

 

[Shiftless]

I wont be using this vise. just gonna clean it up, paint it and put it with the few others ive "restored" . Would you still recommend the drilling? or just leave it?

If you just keep it on a shelf, I wouldn't drill it.

As always, others are welcome to chime in with their advice on this subject.

 

[arch stanton]

Just finished this Parker 973. Painted in Hammerite red (which is more crimson/cranberry). Jaws came out good except when I sneezed and took just a smidge more than i wanted...oh well.

I ground and polished the handle and painted the inset section same as the vise. Also polished out the 'anvil'.

This is a 1950s model from Parker so the jaws are like new. Remade the handle and cleaned up tensioner.

Im not crazy about this red but im just sick of black and blue. Its going on eBay so we will see what the market thinks.

Darn nice looking vise

 

[Bogash]

Just bought my first old vise! Wards Deluxe Quality on it. Pretty cool for 10 bucks! I know it's not a Wilton or super valuable but I like it! Hopefully it cleans up okay. Going to try electrolysis for the first time.

 

[Hemi49]

Just finished this Parker 973. Painted in Hammerite red (which is more crimson/cranberry). Jaws came out good except when I sneezed and took just a smidge more than i wanted...oh well.

I ground and polished the handle and painted the inset section same as the vise. Also polished out the 'anvil'.

This is a 1950s model from Parker so the jaws are like new. Remade the handle and cleaned up tensioner.

Im not crazy about this red but im just sick of black and blue. Its going on eBay so we will see what the market thinks.

Joe
Great job......FWIW, I like the color....
Hemi

 

[Outlawmws]

Bog, for an exposed screw, that is a pretty cool looking vise! for that one even I'd have given $10! (and I'm usually topped out around $5-$6 for those!)

Looking forward to what you do to it!

 

[honza.vosalik]

Just finished this Parker 973. Painted in Hammerite red (which is more crimson/cranberry). Jaws came out good except when I sneezed and took just a smidge more than i wanted...oh well.

I ground and polished the handle and painted the inset section same as the vise. Also polished out the 'anvil'.

This is a 1950s model from Parker so the jaws are like new. Remade the handle and cleaned up tensioner.

Im not crazy about this red but im just sick of black and blue. Its going on eBay so we will see what the market thinks.

Beautiful! Could you go in more detail regarding how you polished those parts? Thanks!

 

[bagged89s10]

Just finished this Parker 973. Painted in Hammerite red (which is more crimson/cranberry). Jaws came out good except when I sneezed and took just a smidge more than i wanted...oh well.



I ground and polished the handle and painted the inset section same as the vise. Also polished out the 'anvil'.



This is a 1950s model from Parker so the jaws are like new. Remade the handle and cleaned up tensioner.



Im not crazy about this red but im just sick of black and blue. Its going on eBay so we will see what the market thinks.

You did good joe!

 

[bagged89s10]

Beautiful! Could you go in more detail regarding how you polished those parts? Thanks!

Sand up to fine grit, depending on how smooth you want it, and then buff and polish with a buffer.

 

[GETRIDAONE]

Get, that is VERY cool! Any clue on the make?

Not a clue, there is not a number or mark anywhere on it.

 

[joe.striper]

Beautiful! Could you go in more detail regarding how you polished those parts? Thanks!

Everyone does it a little differently. Veeps, who responded below your post, is the best at it. You have to try different methods to get it just how you like it. I go from a bench sander to some 3m wheels to buffers. I am always experimenting. It can be a lot of work and then you have to work hard to try and keep sharp edges etc....but if it comes out well it really looks nice.

I'm trying to repair a surface grinder just to do vise anvils. I have a hell of a time getting them perfect and it drives me crazy.

Thanks for the compliment.

 

[honza.vosalik]

Everyone does it a little differently. Veeps, who responded below your post, is the best at it. You have to try different methods to get it just how you like it. I go from a bench sander to some 3m wheels to buffers. I am always experimenting. It can be a lot of work and then you have to work hard to try and keep sharp edges etc....but if it comes out well it really looks nice.

I'm trying to repair a surface grinder just to do vise anvils. I have a hell of a time getting them perfect and it drives me crazy.

Thanks for the compliment.

Did you also clear coat the polished pieces?

 

[CrotalusAtrox]

Found a really nice Dayton bench grider also worked on the Athol 614 today had to use the angle grinder to get the static tower cleaned up lots of gouges. Tomoorow the sanding begins

 

[joe.striper]

Just finished this 3.5" Wilton bullet. All original. Had 4 coats of paint, gray, white, gold and original. Took 2 weeks in Simple Green to geit all off. Painted it twice 'cause i **** at painting. Looks OK, not as nicevas the Parker.

 

[Z3K3Y]

Just finished this 3.5" Wilton bullet. All original. Had 4 coats of paint, gray, white, gold and original. Took 2 weeks in Simple Green to geit all off. Painted it twice 'cause i **** at painting. Looks OK, not as nicevas the Parker.

looks great!! i bought some simple green for the first time the other day. i got it mixed about 3 gallons of water to 1 gallon. I have a yost that has been in the solution for about 6 hours now. has anyone ever tried running fish tank air bubblers in the simple green? i was thinking the bubbles would help take the grime out just like regular soap.

 

[joe.striper]

Did you also clear coat the polished pieces?

No, good car wax.

 

[jakemac]

looks great!! i bought some simple green for the first time the other day. i got it mixed about 3 gallons of water to 1 gallon. I have a yost that has been in the solution for about 6 hours now. has anyone ever tried running fish tank air bubblers in the simple green? i was thinking the bubbles would help take the grime out just like regular soap.

Never tried diluting SG, I always use it straight up.
I'm wondering if an air bubbler would cause the SG to foam up.

 

[Shiftless]

Never tried diluting SG, I always use it straight up.
I'm wondering if an air bubbler would cause the SG to foam up.

Does soaking in undiluted SG remove paint? Old rattle can paint? Ancient factory applied paint?
Agitating the liquid would certainly help break loose crud. Wouldn't it be great to have an ultrasonic cleaning bath big enough for our project vises?

 

[jakemac]

The only coating soaking in undiluted Simple Green hasn't removed for me yet is the primer coat on a pair of Dake 00 presses. If you soak long enough, SG will even remove the chrome off of an old pair of vise grips (forgot 2 pair in the bucket for a couple months). It even removed the filler coat on a Reed vise, I'll have to re-fill the voids to smooth out the casting before I paint.

Filtering your fluids after use will help them stay viable for years, with only refreshing with new as evaporation and spillage lowers the level. This helps to mitigate the cost over time. Simple Green, EvapoRust, and CLR all get filtered in my shop.

 

[FMC1959]

The only coating soaking in undiluted Simple Green hasn't removed for me yet is the primer coat on a pair of Dake 00 presses. If you soak long enough, SG will even remove the chrome off of an old pair of vise grips (forgot 2 pair in the bucket for a couple months). It even removed the filler coat on a Reed vise, I'll have to re-fill the voids to smooth out the casting before I paint.

Filtering your fluids after use will help them stay viable for years, with only refreshing with new as evaporation and spillage lowers the level. This helps to mitigate the cost over time. Simple Green, EvapoRust, and CLR all get filtered in my shop.

What do you use to filter the SG, something like paper coffee filters?

 

[jakemac]

I buy coffee filters in bulk to lower the cost. Its a slow process to filter a large amount, so I tend to degrease/depaint in batches before filtering. I suppose you could set something up with bulk cheesecloth, air filters, or something similar. The important thing is to remove particulates at the smallest level possible so that they aren't degrading the solution while in storage. I typically filter multiple times before storing back in the original containers.

When done, I dry out the filters before throwing in the trash, to avoid combustion risks.
(I do the same with all my rags)

 

[Z3K3Y]

i was thinking of adding a spigot to the bottom of my SG bucket.. so i can put another bucket underneath it with a filter on top.. then just open the spigot enough for it to trickle out .. and let it trickle out for an hour or so through the filter into the empty bucket. Discovery should of done a Mythbusters episode on restoring vises!

 

[Bogash]

The only coating soaking in undiluted Simple Green hasn't removed for me yet is the primer coat on a pair of Dake 00 presses. If you soak long enough, SG will even remove the chrome off of an old pair of vise grips (forgot 2 pair in the bucket for a couple months). It even removed the filler coat on a Reed vise, I'll have to re-fill the voids to smooth out the casting before I paint.

Filtering your fluids after use will help them stay viable for years, with only refreshing with new as evaporation and spillage lowers the level. This helps to mitigate the cost over time. Simple Green, EvapoRust, and CLR all get filtered in my shop.

Speaking of Evaporust, O'Reilly's seems to be the best place to buy it. I got a gallon this weekend with military discount for under 21 bucks. Harbor Freight is at still $22.32 with the 20% off coupon. I won't have to buy again for 2-3 years since I filter is back like you guys but that's a good deal.

 

[Z3K3Y]

Evapo Rust is discontinued at Canadian Tire in my area.. is there any alternatives or similar products?

 

[bubinga]

Just finished this Parker 973. Painted in Hammerite red (which is more crimson/cranberry). Jaws came out good except when I sneezed and took just a smidge more than i wanted...oh well.

I ground and polished the handle and painted the inset section same as the vise. Also polished out the 'anvil'.

This is a 1950s model from Parker so the jaws are like new. Remade the handle and cleaned up tensioner.

Im not crazy about this red but im just sick of black and blue. Its going on eBay so we will see what the market thinks.

beautiful

 

[FMC1959]

Evapo Rust is discontinued at Canadian Tire in my area.. is there any alternatives or similar products?

I did a Google search and then under search tools clicked Canada. Many places came up including Amazon.ca, Princess Auto and Lee Valley...among others.

Here's the search result;
https://www.google.ca/search?q=evap...WMloMKHQt0BewQpwUIFA&biw=1280&bih=617&dpr=1.5

 

[Outlawmws]

Never tried diluting SG, I always use it straight up.
I'm wondering if an air bubbler would cause the SG to foam up.

This^^^ Diluting it will slow the process. toy do want to be careful with Aluminum parts however long soaks can damage the aluminum.

Does soaking in undiluted SG remove paint? Old rattle can paint? Ancient factory applied paint?
Agitating the liquid would certainly help break loose crud. Wouldn't it be great to have an ultrasonic cleaning bath big enough for our project vises?

I've used it for House paint, rattle can paint, almost every kind. Only 2X has the paint sneered at the SG. Once for whatever is on my Canedy-Otto DP (Epoxy paint? ) and again over the weekend on some paint on a hammer handle.

For agitation I would use some sort of small recirculation pump, but I'm unsure what SG might to to plastic over time...

The only coating soaking in undiluted Simple Green hasn't removed for me yet is the primer coat on a pair of Dake 00 presses. If you soak long enough, SG will even remove the chrome off of an old pair of vise grips (forgot 2 pair in the bucket for a couple months). It even removed the filler coat on a Reed vise, I'll have to re-fill the voids to smooth out the casting before I paint.

Filtering your fluids after use will help them stay viable for years, with only refreshing with new as evaporation and spillage lowers the level. This helps to mitigate the cost over time. Simple Green, EvapoRust, and CLR all get filtered in my shop.

What do you use to filter the SG, something like paper coffee filters?

I buy coffee filters in bulk to lower the cost. Its a slow process to filter a large amount, so I tend to degrease/depaint in batches before filtering. I suppose you could set something up with bulk cheesecloth, air filters, or something similar. The important thing is to remove particulates at the smallest level possible so that they aren't degrading the solution while in storage. I typically filter multiple times before storing back in the original containers.

When done, I dry out the filters before throwing in the trash, to avoid combustion risks.
(I do the same with all my rags)

Coffee or paint filters should do fine. I just let the paint settle on my House paint brush soak jar and pour the top SG off into another jar, then let the settled paint dry and toss... I'll have to give filtering a shot as well.

i was thinking of adding a spigot to the bottom of my SG bucket.. so i can put another bucket underneath it with a filter on top.. then just open the spigot enough for it to trickle out .. and let it trickle out for an hour or so through the filter into the empty bucket. Discovery should of done a Mythbusters episode on restoring vises!

I'd have the spigot an inch or so high as the SD bucket will also be a settling tank. You want the good stuff, not the sludge.

 

[honza.vosalik]

I put pictures of my vises and project in my profile album in case you guys want to look at them
http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/album.php?albumid=4961

 

[ChargerRT]

First off... whew... went through page 1 through 4 twice before I found the vise post... Scared to death it was deleted.

Alright fellers... what do we have here what do we have here.

Seller claims its probably a 4 1/2 to 5" jaws... no repairs but I can't tell exactly what make or model it is.

 

[exmaxima1]

First off... whew... went through page 1 through 4 twice before I found the vise post... Scared to death it was deleted.

Alright fellers... what do we have here what do we have here.

Seller claims its probably a 4 1/2 to 5" jaws... no repairs but I can't tell exactly what make or model it is.

Whatever it is, it's worth the $40 the seller is asking.

 

[Shiftless]

I agree with exmaxima1 that is worth $40 unless it is cracked or repaired.
My bet on the maker is Athol.

 

[ChargerRT]

I am going down there tomorrow to pick it up... Just curious on what I'm going to get... he is holding it for me

 

[exmaxima1]

I agree with exmaxima1 that is worth $40 unless it is cracked or repaired.
My bet on the maker is Athol.

My guess is Rock Island

 

[drivesitfar]

Charger: it looks like a nice old vise and could be one of several quality old US made vises. the writing fades out too much when blowing it up, but doesn't look like a Rock Island even though the vise does. it might be an Athol, but it has the wavy cast lines on top of the jaws like a Rock Island so maybe a Sawyer. the only odd thing I see is the swivel pin might need a new nut so I might see if it works and maybe take it apart. even just putting a regular nut back on it might work as well as that double nut.

just check for cracks on the back of the dynamic slide and if you want unscrew out the dynamic all the way to check the vise nut and screw if you want to and have time.

the bench might be worth owning too if you need a good old solid wood bench.

 

[bagged89s10]

First off... whew... went through page 1 through 4 twice before I found the vise post... Scared to death it was deleted.



Alright fellers... what do we have here what do we have here.



Seller claims its probably a 4 1/2 to 5" jaws... no repairs but I can't tell exactly what make or model it is.

Yost is my guess. Reeds, athols, and rock islands have the writing oN the opposite side.

 

[scooternut]

Columbian 505 in BLO finish
Had this one for awhile and finally got around to reassembling in. It was really messy looking and all bound up when i picked it up. Cleaned up real nice.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[CRSINMICH]

I put pictures of my vises and project in my profile album in case you guys want to look at them
http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/album.php?albumid=4961

honza: Nice shop and great vises. I'm curious though. All that empty square footage on your nicely built bench - is that what is known as a "benchtop"? I think my bench had one once but I haven't seen it for awhile.