The VISES of Garage Journal

[Evergreentree]

Thanks for the advice bagged. I don't like stripper either. I'm just planning on using it on a few areas to get it all apart befor blasting. Ill end up bringing it to a friends shop to have him blast it for me. I don't have a cabinet, and he's slow with work now. I'm to busy to do anything!

I have a 5" reed already, and I wouldn't trade two of them for the 975. I've been looking for to long for it! For a more common vise, it sure was elusive when I was actually looking for it! Not to big, not to little, just right for me.

Bagged-when you bake blo on , what temp? Anyone have a link or advise to baking blo on tutorial?

 

[BlueBomber]

I picked this up in New Hampshire today for $15 on the second day of an estate sale--my first real machinist vice. It seems to operate smoothly, but I haven't torn into it to confirm there are no flaws I missed. Any knowledge on the particular shortcomings of this model?

 

[va.grouseman]

Originally posted by Demoman.

Yes I did bring the 9 inch home and another 8 last weekend. The 8 inch is a railroad vise that I have only seen one other this spring and passed on it because I already had one.
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I KNEW IT, I KNEW IT.---Actually I didn't, I was just spit-balling, but it sounded plausible.----We are going to need pics, many pics.

 

[Evergreentree]

Blue b-great little vise, very clean and very old. Athols are quality. Score man!

Just take note on the non replaceable jaws, and use the vise as a clamper, not an anvil.

 

[va.grouseman]

Previously posted by Drivesitfar.

VA: so was it not on your radar either since you are looking for little ones to feed the CHAIN GANG?
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Drive, I'm afraid I'm a hopeless Swivler.---Unless I found a 400lb., no name, 10'' jaw, railroad chipper.---Then maybe.

 

[joe.striper]

Im sure that whomever got it is a complete tool and HE doesn't deserve it.

I was right! Meatsis, got it! I hate him right now!!!

 

[FigureItOut]

FIO,
Your Columbian 603 was a great buy! From what I understand, yours was manufactured before the end of WW2, based on the curved Columbian name that was cast in the body.
Although they don't have the accurate movement that many high end machinist's vises have, they are a great "nuts & bolts" vise that will do all that you ask. IMO: A more robust vise than the red one in the background.
I believe that the 603-2 and M that are manufacturing numbers that are cast inside of the stationary body.

Good find. Do you plan to keep it, restore it or resell it?

Thanks, I'm thrilled it's a little older. I'm not much for restoring, though if I ever do come across something nice that truly needs it I'll tackle it. I'm going to clean it up and lube it at least, then probably sell the D44 in the background that you mentioned.

Drives, thanks for the info. I never see much love for Columbian but I like this one. When I say beater, I sure don't mean I'll abuse it, but maybe not not be so hesitant to work with hots and sharps on it as I am with my Ridgid.

Seems all I ever see around here is Craftsman USA, garbage, and the occasional newer Wilton tradesman going for near retail. There's a 1765 in the box out there right now for I think $400, which would be a good deal for someone.

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[Outlawmws]

BB GREAT score, even more so if it really is your first decent machinist! Treat it right and you will pass it to future generations!

Only possible detractions are the non-removable jaws, and it doesn't swivel, but really, I have needed mine to swivel maybe 3-4 times in 30 years... Some prefer not swiveling as they can slip. (has happened to me even with mine being a Parker, with one of the better swivel locks.)

Pedestal mounted and you won't care if it swivels...

 

[G-ManBart]

I picked this up in New Hampshire today for $15 on the second day of an estate sale--my first real machinist vice. It seems to operate smoothly, but I haven't torn into it to confirm there are no flaws I missed. Any knowledge on the particular shortcomings of this model?

That's a screaming deal for $15! Athol made extremely solid vises that have stood the test of time. The fact you can't replace the jaws isn't real a shortcoming, just something to be aware of. If you use it the way a vise should be used, it will outlast you, your kids, and their kids most likely.

 

[econotrk]

Well my hunt for a 5" Parker is over! I was looking for a big bear series with an anvil horn, but I'll take this 975 any day! Im so excited. 30-40 some odd vises later, and finally I found my personal go to!

So the clist guy said great condition, newly restored. Great, thanks guy for the paint job! I'd have paid 40 more for this smurf "unrestored". Oh well, vise is perfect otherwise, and my 6month hunt is over! Now to the paint stripping so I can get it apart, then possible sandblast and blo. Yea, coated. Even a section of the lead screw is beautifully painted smurf!

Anyone use citristrip?

Nice find on the 975, I love my 974 and think I'd love a 975 even more. Drives me crazy when PO's slop paint on everything like that.

 

[drivesitfar]

EG: Congrats on your find and happy to know your search is over. i guess you won't be checking for vises any more.

BlueB: usually SHORTCOMINGS and ATHOL aren't discussed in the same sentence. other than cleaning and greasing i don't see much wrong with yours and you know you didn't pay too much for it.

Demo: i agree with VA if you have some time takes LOTS OF PICTURES of that 9 incher.

Meatsis: so with all the threats and name calling you still bought it?

WELL DONE and have a nice trip out to the island. just curious don't you guys take the train out to there or is it too expensive to park on Manhattan? or maybe there is a bridge to drive to it i'm not aware of. my twin sisters were born on Long Island in 1957 but we only lived there for a year while dad was in the Air Force. i went back to Long Island for a golf event in 2004 and since we stayed downtown we just took the train to the event. when i was back to NEW YORK for a few weeks to Rochester i was really surprised how many trees and were up in the northern part of the state, and a lot of Long Island because it looked a lot like where we live in the PNW.

FIO: I guess according to Mark the slightly curved Columbian name makes yours prior to WWII and i was looking at the other side of the static when i posted and saw the straight Columbian name. in any case your Columbian is a good old US made vise.

 

[GETRIDAONE]

Thanks for the advice bagged. I don't like stripper either. I'm just planning on using it on a few areas to get it all apart befor blasting. Ill end up bringing it to a friends shop to have him blast it for me. I don't have a cabinet, and he's slow with work now. I'm to busy to do anything!

Try brake fluid, it should take the new paint off easy. After it wrinkles up it just scraps off cleanly. The stand is the one on my Parker 976.

 

[meatsis]

Meatsis - Glad to see you got it you probably saved my marriage.

Haha I'm sure it's not gonna help mine

 

[FigureItOut]

FIO: I guess according to Mark the slightly curved Columbian name makes yours prior to WWII and i was looking at the other side of the static when i posted and saw the straight Columbian name. in any case your Columbian is a good old US made vise.

Hmm, well in any case it's clearly a superior vise to my other Columbian. Thanks Dave, Mark, CRS and Drives for the info.



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[meatsis]

Meatsis: so with all the threats and name calling you still bought it?

WELL DONE and have a nice trip out to the island. just curious don't you guys take the train out to there or is it too expensive to park on Manhattan? or maybe there is a bridge to drive to it i'm not aware of. my twin sisters were born on Long Island in 1957 but we only lived there for a year while dad was in the Air Force. i went back to Long Island for a golf event in 2004 and since we stayed downtown we just took the train to the event. when i was back to NEW YORK for a few weeks to Rochester i was really surprised how many trees and were up in the northern part of the state, and a lot of Long Island because it looked a lot like where we live in the PNW.



Drives, to be honest I really wasn't expecting to win that auction. I threw a bid in last minute thinking I was gonna get outbid right away. Turns out I the only one who bid. The ride out to the island isn't that bad for me. With no traffic I could get there in about 2 hours. But i know that won't happen. This will actually be the second time I'm driving out there for an 8 inch vise.

 

[meatsis]

I was right! Meatsis, got it! I hate him right now!!!

Joe, for someone who finds more vises than anybody I know, I'm shocked you still don't own an 8 inch vise.

 

[Evergreentree]

Eco-just spent a bit of time on it, and most definitely the po wire wheeled it before he dumped paint on it. It's not gauged though, and he didn't do it on the slide, which is great. Paint is coming off easy.

Drives-I'll reword what I said"I'll no longer be fiending for a 5" Parker". no vise is safe from purchase when the opertunity presents itself, but no more hunting for the time being. Unless there's an Emmert floating around.

Then goes get showing off a 6" beauty. I think I'll be painting mine after I saw yours get. Very sharp.

 

[NJ Marty]

Joe, for someone who finds more vises than anybody I know, I'm shocked you still don't own an 8 inch vise.

Nice job on getting the vise. I was going to bid but didnt at the last min, I still dont know why.
The drive wont **** too bad if you can meet him super early or in the evening. otherwise its gonna be a 6+ hour round trip as you know. Even weekends **** on the island in the summer.

 

[jrobb316]

Eco-just spent a bit of time on it, and most definitely the po wire wheeled it before he dumped paint on it. It's not gauged though, and he didn't do it on the slide, which is great. Paint is coming off easy.

Drives-I'll reword what I said"I'll no longer be fiending for a 5" Parker". no vise is safe from purchase when the opertunity presents itself, but no more hunting for the time being. Unless there's an Emmert floating around.

Then goes get showing off a 6" beauty. I think I'll be painting mine after I saw yours get. Very sharp.

Congrats on the find you were looking for. I think 5" is about perfect for 95% of what anyone does. I love my 5" Morgan's. I also put a hold on buying which hasn't been hard since nothing, a complete local drought on the vise circuit has gripped this year. I drove an hour one way to score the Morgan 6" a few weeks ago, I made an exception to the no buy policy for that one.

 

[NJ Marty]

Marty, did they leave the bottom spreader plate stuck to the bottom as well?

Nope, Just this plate. I did take it as they were closing up on the last day of sale and a cleanout company would be there to empty out remaining contents.

 

[joe.striper]

Joe, for someone who finds more vises than anybody I know, I'm shocked you still don't own an 8 inch vise.

My wife has the same lament!

 

[bagged89s10]

Thanks for the advice bagged. I don't like stripper either. I'm just planning on using it on a few areas to get it all apart befor blasting. Ill end up bringing it to a friends shop to have him blast it for me. I don't have a cabinet, and he's slow with work now. I'm to busy to do anything!

I have a 5" reed already, and I wouldn't trade two of them for the 975. I've been looking for to long for it! For a more common vise, it sure was elusive when I was actually looking for it! Not to big, not to little, just right for me.

Bagged-when you bake blo on , what temp? Anyone have a link or advise to baking blo on tutorial?

I brush BLO on. Let us sit for 5-10min. Then wipe it off with a rag. Then bake it at about 200F for a few hours. Gives the metal a nice darker finish. If you want a more golden finish, bake it on at a higher temp like 300F so it sort of burns on.

 

[bagged89s10]

Thanks for the advice bagged. I don't like stripper either. I'm just planning on using it on a few areas to get it all apart befor blasting. Ill end up bringing it to a friends shop to have him blast it for me. I don't have a cabinet, and he's slow with work now. I'm to busy to do anything!



Try brake fluid, it should take the new paint off easy. After it wrinkles up it just scraps off cleanly. The stand is the one on my Parker 976.

That setup is badass! What's that stand from?

 

[rusty65]

Chrome wilton 6in vise. It's expensive but someone buy it I want pictures lol. https://inlandempire.craigslist.org/tls/5676833416.html



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[Loydski29]

Chrome wilton 6in vise. It's expensive but someone buy it I want pictures lol. https://inlandempire.craigslist.org/tls/5676833416.html



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It's very close to where I live! I want it but don't have the funds right now

 

[partsproduction]

My Soba "Magic" vise, made in India. The segments are spring loaded and when the first segment hit's an eccentric roll inside the force turns it (There is a shelf milled where the first segment can contact) so it rolls and the eccentric forces all the others to stop moving. It requires some precision internally so that all segments are forced to stop at the same point.

A MT #3 sleeve;

The design is a copy of the "American Positive Grip" vise from long ago, as seen in post #6 of Practical machinist;
http://www.practicalmachinist.com/v...y-machinist-vise-will-grip-odd-shapes-282377/
I've never used it but it's one of those things that I know I will someday, IF I remember that I have it.

 

[bulletpruf]

BP: did you pull out the dynamic on your baby and see the date stamp? funny about the baby bullets marked with Chicago on their sides because some were stamped in the 1980's if you take a look at the Wilton Date stamping thread. if you haven't already post up your Wilton bullet family over on that thread and here's the link to help you.

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=269079&highlight=Wilton+date+stamp

Drives -

Yep, I checked the date -- looks like January 1972.

Scott

 

[GETRIDAONE]

That setup is badass! What's that stand from?

It is a Baldor grinder stand with a 1/2" plate cut and welded on the top. It came with the vise when I bought it. Instead of Smurf Blue I got spray bomb red

 

[Van Steele]

View media item 61580Got my first swivel jaw, a Parkinsons No7 based one, 4 1/4" jaw width.
Its rough and the swivel jaw shelf is completely gone but its fully operational, although the locking pin is well stuck. I think this is the first one of these seen by any of us Brits on here and from CW's catalogues its pre WW2

****** hell, they do exist :

That's a score and half, well done sir on spotting that auction

 

[wrenchguy]

Yes I did bring the 9 inch home and another 8 last weekend.

i thought so, how would you grade it between 1-10? i thought it pretty good with the additional photos he provided. do you show your vise beam anywhere other than rollag?

 

[demoman]

Wrenchguy - I took the beam of vises to a few tractor shows here in Kansas and Rolag Minnesota. Come on out here and have a look at it. I will try to get pics of the 9 inch today. It is really nice around the jaws.

 

[exmaxima1]

Chrome wilton 6in vise. It's expensive but someone buy it I want pictures lol. https://inlandempire.craigslist.org/tls/5676833416.html



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Years ago I into ran into a guy that claimed he got a chrome vise when he retired from Wilton. That thought stayed with me and I always wondered what it might look like. Nice to actually see a pic!

 

[GETRIDAONE]

I have had this American Scale 62C for a while and not looked at it much. I decided to clean it up and use it. To my surprise when taking it apart I found the nut shimed, a spring to take up play on the spindle, an oil hole for the spindle, and a thrust bearing on the lock down handle. The center bolt bushing has a thin sleeve to firm it up also. In the picture I had the copper spacer and fiber washer on the wrong bolts. It had an additional base lock made with the square nut. The Jimmy Durante nose on this little 3" vise looks cool. It weighs about 40 lbs. or so and is very smooth and tight.

 

[Bottlecapdigger]

Is that thrust bearing part of the vise? Is that factory? Never seen one with a thrust bearing before, that should make run smooth. Bcd

 

[exmaxima1]

Is that thrust bearing part of the vise? Is that factory? Never seen one with a thrust bearing before, that should make run smooth. Bcd

That looks like a retrofit shroud as well to handle the added thickness of the thrust bearing.

 

[GETRIDAONE]

All of those things were added by I think the guys dad that I bought it from. The thrust bearing is normally on the spindle when they have been added instead of the base lock ?
I also bought a 1 1/2" Stanley clamp on that had copper sheet shims on the slide at the same time.

 

[drivesitfar]

GET: you have some very cool vise stand combos. want to take a family picture of them if you have time because i know of one for sure i wouldn't mind seeing again.

PP: you have some very cool vises and that one is another one. any idea how many vises you own?

Meatsis: Joe isn't the only one that doesn't have an 8 incher. of course I'm talking vise now.

i haven't actually seen one in person and as i'm getting older even moving my Reed 4c is a chore so i'm heading the other direction and hoping to find a few small ones. not that the small ones are much cheaper, just easier to move and store just ask PP who might have most of the ones found in my area.

ALL: i know most of you don't venture over in to the FREE PARKING forum, but if you have any information on stair lifts i need to buy and install one or two in my parent's home so my Mom doesn't have to MOVE to a Senior home. they've owned it since 1963 and i think that's where they want to leave this world from so i'm going to help if i can. thread is called STAIR LIFTS 101. they are 83 so i figure once they go and i'm their age i can use the stair lifts to move big vises around the shop with a few modifications.

thanks all

 

[454ragtop]

Strange vise environment CL ad http://boston.craigslist.org/nos/tls/5676723493.html

 

[jakemac]

**** carpet benchtop ????
[cringe] I shudder to think of the things that vise has seen.

$150, a bit too steep for a 4" non-swiveler with a bent handle IMO.
It's not too far from me, if someone wants to pay his price I can pick it up for you.

 

[ganymede]

**** carpet benchtop ????
[cringe] I shudder to think of the things that vise has seen.

$150, a bit too steep for a 4" non-swiveler with a bent handle IMO.
It's not too far from me, if someone wants to pay his price I can pick it up for you.

I think most vises around here are overpriced . Maybe because there aren't as many for sale as one would suppose when considering that the area is a post industrial mecca.