The VISES of Garage Journal

[rusty65]

Man you guys have been finding some good ones it seems like the vises are coming out of the wood work. Here are a couple I picked up this last month paid 60 bucks a piece (local pickup) for each one on ebay so keep looking the deals are out there. The first of the three was a 4in Morgan swivel jaw.

2md was a 4in Prentiss 19 1/2 swivel jaw.
3rd was a Wilton 4in bullet

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[trijeff]

Very solid pick ups, Rusty ... those all seem super clean

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[jrobb316]

BB: tempting and even though i don't NEED A VISE if you are planning another trip to the PNW let me know.

GET: well that had me laughing and i was in the middle of moving my daughter to a second floor condo in 95 degree weather when i stopped to see it on my phone while grabbing a drink of water and wiping some sweat off. not sure if my HOARD would qualify compared to yours and a few others around here, but i do have SOME STUFF. and yes i've learned the secret of not putting all my STUFF in one spot so my bride can view it easily

JROBB: nice finds and tell me if you like the 5197 as well as a Rock Island vise or maybe better considering i think it's a Rock Island made vise with some great improvements. yes??

Mark: thanks and it's getting ORGANIZED so one day it WILL BE.

cheers all and hope you all are enjoying the weekend

I don't think it's made by rock island, I think it's made by reed. I will compare it tomorrow to my craftsman that's definitely made by rock island, the ones with the arched letters, can't remember the model number.

 

[joe.striper]

Man i haven't purchased a vise all week...what a drought out here....oh sorry, i bought these three and an anvil (60lb Fisher) . Did clean the shop though. I can see the floor!!

 

[jreb10]

I don't think it's made by rock island, I think it's made by reed. I will compare it tomorrow to my craftsman that's definitely made by rock island, the ones with the arched letters, can't remember the model number.

Hi JRobb,

Here is a hint. Take a close look at the jaws and the machining of the serrations.

Great looking vises, by the way. Really nice finds.

 

[joe.striper]

Here's a panoramic shot of my very tight shop. Hope it comes out, never tried it before here.

 

[CrotalusAtrox]

Joe paid $8.35 for all of it the guy was asking $9.00 Looks good Joe love the Big Wilton

 

[rusty65]

I saw that craftsman on craigslist you got one hell of deal on that vise. I'm glad it went to a garage journal member.

 

[Thrumcap]

Here's a Hollands 14 4" vise I just finished up. Semi-gloss black Tremclad with copper leaf on the lettering.



Finally I am giving up on Imgur and Photobucket, so here is also photos of the last vise I finished prior, a Record No. 111 fitter's vise.



Cheers,
Thrumcap

 

[3200fps]

Some of you probably remember that Reed vise with the weird welded swivel base? Well I drove out to look at it and it was a no-go. It has been welded and repaired and I didn't want it. I didn't mind the drive though, it was nice! Anyway, I have another favor to ask. Is this vise worth 80 USD in the shape it's in? The number on it is 60178. Seller says the pipe jaws are missing. I have no idea how big it is in person. I attached pics, thanks!

 

[trijeff]

Amazing work, Thrum! That leaf lettering really pops, is it hard to do?

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[drivesitfar]

JRobb: i still think it's Rock Island that made the 519x's, but i understand why you would think Reed did. one of these days we'll have to start a thread, but for now let me (us) know how the 5197 you bought compares to other Reed and Rock Island and other vises.

Thrum: those pictures and vises look great. WELL DONE

3200: more than likely its a C1, but it might be a Wilton C0. if the regular jaws are ok (hard to see in pics) and if no cracks and welds it's probably worth the $80. missing pipe jaws cost about $100 i think and i could be mounted as is or it's also set up for a swivel base and those are not cheap if you can't find a used one. Wilton C series vises are some of the best vises Wilton made/makes so if that vise was restored and complete it might take a few benjamins to buy it. do you need a vise or are you looking to buy one and restore it?

 

[3200fps]

JRobb: i still think it's Rock Island that made the 519x's, but i understand why you would think Reed did. one of these days we'll have to start a thread, but for now let me (us) know how the 5197 you bought compares to other Reed and Rock Island and other vises.

Thrum: those pictures and vises look great. WELL DONE

3200: more than likely its a C1, but it might be a Wilton C0. if the regular jaws are ok (hard to see in pics) and if no cracks and welds it's probably worth the $80. missing pipe jaws cost about $100 i think and i could be mounted as is or it's also set up for a swivel base and those are not cheap if you can't find a used one. Wilton C series vises are some of the best vises Wilton made/makes so if that vise was restored and complete it might take a few benjamins to buy it. do you need a vise or are you looking to buy one and restore it?

I'm a man of many vises. I would restore it and greed would take over and I'd keep it. I offered him 60 USD, final offer. It would definitely be a project for me. I have too many great condition Record vises to need another but I WANT this one, haha.

Edit: going to hopefully pick it up tomorrow for 60. These Wiltons are impossible to find around here so this will be a bit of a project. Should be fun!

 

[FMC1959]

Here's a panoramic shot of my very tight shop. Hope it comes out, never tried it before here.

Nice looking shop you have there Joe

 

[econotrk]

Here's a Hollands 14 4" vise I just finished up. Semi-gloss black Tremclad with copper leaf on the lettering.



Finally I am giving up on Imgur and Photobucket, so here is also photos of the last vise I finished prior, a Record No. 111 fitter's vise.



Cheers,
Thrumcap

Both very nice Thrum, gold lettering on black always stands out nice.
Love the look of that Record, maybe someday one will pop up near me. I've never had the chance to see one in the flesh.

 

[IHmachinery]

I am new to the GJ ... My latest project is an early Athol 624 1/2. It is not much to look at as it is covered in paint and crud.

Looks like it will be a nice one, and a very useful size ...



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[IHmachinery]

They look fantastic!




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[Thrumcap]

Amazing work, Thrum! That leaf lettering really pops, is it hard to do?

Not at all. Copper/gold/silver leaf and the adhesive, called size, is available at your local art store (and online) along with an el cheapo pack of small brushes. I think my total supply bill was $20 for a 25 leaf pack, size, and brushes, which is enough to do a lot of highlight work. Tutorials are available online of varying detail... The total time to do that vise lettering was about an hour.

See this post for a vise I did previously with some progress shots.

Thrumcap

 

[jrobb316]

Upon further investigation I do now believe the cman 519x was made by rock island. The jaw and jaw towers are the same. The swivel is the same. The reeds used a round head slotted bolt for the swivel base and the RI use the large hex. There are many reed like features but more RI proof. I don't have a RI 574 but if you pull up pics of the 574 and the 5197 they have a striking similarity to each other. When was reed making the craftsman vises? 1940s? I think Columbian made the generation after the 519x, the Art Deco look although they looked lighter duty they were still neat.

Edit: I went back and looked at catalog pages. Reed made the ww2 era vises and the ones I'm thinking of (with the sharp looking handles and spindle) were sold at the same time as the 519x as the pro vises, the 519x were the industrial series.

Another question may be what year was the 519x replaced? A 1957 catalog shows them but by 1960 they're gone. Rock island was bought by whirlpool in 1957 and the vise/tool division was discontinued shortly thereafter. Some history says 1959 was the very last production of birtman/rock island mfg

 

[drivesitfar]

Thrum: just curious how the metal flake holds up in working environment? or has the one you did the lettering on last year been sitting on a shelf and not working on a bench? nice work and thanks for the tips.

JROBB: yes a lot of indicators point to Rock Island being the maker of these awesome Craftsman 519x's and guessing since Sears worked with Reed that maybe they got permission to use a few of Reed's cool patented items on their Rock Island made 519x's. if you or somebody else wants to start a thread in Vintage of WHO MADE CRAFTSMAN 519x's i'll support it with any information i've gathered. or i've got plenty of questions. the dates of Rock Island selling and the 519x's being discontinued is a good indicator too. the 519x's are also dated on the back of the slides like Rock Island's vises so we could ask for dates on the vises in that thread too to see if there is any that don't jive with the catalogs. i think you are maybe agreeing that the Craftsman 519x'x are maybe one of the best vises made and probably the best vises Sears sold and that is something considering Reed, Rock Island and Columbian all made vises for them and maybe a few other companies as well like Dunlap and ....

Rusty: quite a trio there and all keepers in my books. WELL DONE!!

3200: sounds like you are just asking for confirmation on what you already knew so hope it's not cracked or broken in any of the hidden areas. on abused or semi abused Wilton bullets i try to take out the dynamic jaw all the way to check the castings and look inside at the vise nut. sometimes i check the date stamp too before buying it, but that's not as important as a break, crack or missing cast that i've seen more than once.

 

[CrotalusAtrox]

3200: Here is a C0 I am just about done with I am waiting on pipe jaws and a end cap. If you shop around you can get a base cheap. If your inpatient like me you can expect to pay around $75..... I always tell my daughter patients are for Doctors.

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[Brorex]

New here but have been following for a while. Thanks for the new addiction. What do you all paint the vises with? I recently picked up 2 wilton vises and a craftsman 5160. Also bought a sand blasting cabinet from HF to help in cleaning them up.

 

[Thrumcap]

Thrum: just curious how the metal flake holds up in working environment? or has the one you did the lettering on last year been sitting on a shelf and not working on a bench? ....

You can seal it over with acrylic/oil based topcoat. I haven't done it yet, I have Testor's clear coat model paint I was going to try, the Parker has been sitting in an unheated garage for a year while I look at parts and to see what the aging tarnish looks like.



It looks pretty good, not an enormous degradation.

Thrumcap

 

[Boatman53]

Here is another from my small collection.

Jim

 

[3200fps]

Alright well I picked up the Wilton. It looks like it's had a pretty rough life but the price was right and these are next to impossible to find up here in Canada. Still not sure what model it is but I have attached a bunch of pictures. I have a few concerns. There seem to be some very small but deep pitting marks on the vise body, not sure what caused those (welding?). There are a few big pits on the anvil surface which could probably be filled in by welding. Another concern is the up and down play on the dynamic jaw. I have never felt a Wilton in good shape so I don't know if that's from wear and abuse or if they have slight up and down play (not horizontal side to side, that's very minimal). The 3rd concern is the bent handle and huge elongated hole in the screw assembly. someone must have used one hell of a snipe with it and I don't think I can fix it unless I get someone to enlarge the hole and machine an insert. That one I will have to live with but I think I can straighten the handle on my press somewhat. Can anyone help me out with this? That will decide if I'm doing a quick and dirty restoration of if I'm going to spend more time and get pipe jaws and a swivel base. Thanks!

PS: the dynamic jaw has a P2 stamped on it.

 

[wolf_from_wv]

I saw something like this, but on a regular vise
https://www.etsy.com/listing/120249...0cwwzVCzTVgtnyyPghfP7-cb86gUn0u958aAsfG8P8HAQ

And decided to make a set for my vise...

 

[rusty65]

Up and down play is somewhat common on wilton vises the key way just keeps the jaws straight I had a perfect 2005 made c1 and it had play up and down.

 

[bluebolt]

3200FPS, the jaw width will tell you what it is, 3.5" jaws is C0, 4.5" jaws is C1, 5" jaws is C2, 6" jaws (and a sore back) is a C3.

 

[Oregon rock crusher]

Here is a "little" Rock Island 53 I picked up last week. It weighs about #97 on my scale.
This is from the old RI numbering system for swivel base / swivel back jaw vises. So if I've got this figured out a No. 50 had 3.5" jaws, 51 had 4" jaws, 52 had 4.5" jaws, and the 53 like this one had 5" jaws. The sequence probably crapped out at about 55. This vise also has the distinctive "horseshoe" pattern on the top of both jaws and cast in inserts. Took a few pics. Ed.

 

[dumper]

I've never been a fan of Wilton vises- I prefer Columbians... except for just one in particular. So, when I saw it yesterday, I had to buy it, and spend a couple hours removing a few layers of paint. It has no base, but I prefer fixed mount anyway. Here's a pic, with the Columbian watching in the background.

 

[joe.striper]

Picked this up today. Pd $55. Adams machinery Dubuque IA. Still in business.

Back jaw is spring loaded and can be adjusted on the catches underneath. I've never seen one before...so I had to buy it. Anyone seen one before?

 

[IHmachinery]

3200fps: I am pretty sure the small pits on the body are just imperfections in the casting. I have had good results using JBWeld to fill little voids like that. Just need to wire wheel out as much paint as you can and then clean well with acetone or something (JB is an epoxy-based product and does not adhere to an oily surface). Regular files and emery cloth work fine to finish the surface after it has set. Primer and paint bond to it just fine. For the anvil surface, tig weld is about the only option I suspect. Bummer about the handle and the hole it goes through, but if it is to be a user, I would probably just straighten it out, buff it up in a wire wheel, put on some boiled linseed oil and call it good. For a real pretty restoration, you would have to cut off the old handle, make or get a new one, and bore for and press in a bushing -- probably not worth it in this case IMHO.

With a bit of work, it should come out looking good and will certainly give many years of service.

Ed. Not sure I would worry about fixing up the anvil surface - would probably just use a stone or belt sander to clean it up a bit, and live with the divots ...

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[3200fps]

IHmachinery: Yeah, I think you're right about not being worth the effort. I straightened the handle on my press quickly and it's not perfect but it will do. It definitely won't be a beauty queen. I'm going to fill the little holes in the body with JB weld like you said, wire wheel the whole thing, grind the jaws and what not down to clean up the corners and give it a quick coat of paint. I want pipe jaws for it but I don't think it's worth the $100, unless I can find a used set somewhere. I think I'll forget the swivel base idea as well and just hope for a C3 in better condition to do a full restore on. Almost impossible to find here but one can hope!

 

[Brorex]

Planning on cleaning this up and repainting. Is red the original color for this vise does anyone know?


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[Outlawmws]

I've never been a fan of Wilton vises- I prefer Columbians... except for just one in particular. So, when I saw it yesterday, I had to buy it, and spend a couple hours removing a few layers of paint. It has no base, but I prefer fixed mount anyway. Here's a pic, with the Columbian watching in the background.

Yeah, something about the Art Deco Wilton and Parker exposed screw vises. I've picked up one of each this summer, and need to get them both cleaned up, (SO tempted to add "eyes" and clamp in a "Wing" as that both have that "aero" look...)

Picked this up today. Pd $55. Adams machinery Dubuque IA. Still in business.


Back jaw is spring loaded and can be adjusted on the catches underneath. I've never seen one before...so I had to buy it. Anyone seen one before?

That one is cool Joe! I'd have been all over that one too!

Planning on cleaning this up and repainting. Is red the original color for this vise does anyone know?

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I'm pretty sure that is the original red (Albeit faded...).

 

[joseph.a.owens.9]

Is it worth any thing??? It has been stripped out.

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[Outlawmws]

Is that all you have? If someone needs a static jaw/base, the nut should be replaceable.

There is a Vise parts trade thread...

 

[GETRIDAONE]

Here is another from my small collection.

Jim

A little research if you haven't already done it. George W. Diener Mfg. of Chicago started in 1899 making fire extinguishers and related products. I think the vise was made by Hollands for them. It seemed at the time sprinkler companies offered name branded vises made by other manufacturers to increase their product line.
A cool little vise !!

 

[G-ManBart]

New here but have been following for a while. Thanks for the new addiction. What do you all paint the vises with? I recently picked up 2 wilton vises and a craftsman 5160. Also bought a sand blasting cabinet from HF to help in cleaning them up. [/IMG]

Most folks get them down to bare metal and then use self-etching primer from a rattle can, followed by whatever paint color you like. Some folks will put clear coat over the top, and some folks have even powder coated their vises. There's a vise repair 101 thread that has all sorts of good ideas to spend your time and money on if you're interested.

 

[Brorex]

Most folks get them down to bare metal and then use self-etching primer from a rattle can, followed by whatever paint color you like. Some folks will put clear coat over the top, and some folks have even powder coated their vises. There's a vise repair 101 thread that has all sorts of good ideas to spend your time and money on if you're interested.

Thanks. I'll take a look at that repair thread.

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