The VISES of Garage Journal

[cajunfirehawk]

Thanks VA!

Mike

BTW; Welcome back Mike!

 

[va.grouseman]

Oh, and page 951 also.

 

[Boatman53]

Here is another Reed I have, I was thinking of selling it but now having second thought as I took the pics.

Yup just the right amount of white paint splatter.

Jim

 

[G-ManBart]

Finished restoring a Prentiss 354-1/2 Combination vise, Yes CrotalusAtrox pipe jaws are expensive, I have over 3 hours in making these and another 2 hours fitting them to this Prentiss. Prentiss had issues aligning the two pipe jaw pockets to each other and I did not catch it before building this set. I should make another set but these will work fine. I can't remember to many pipe jaw Prentiss vises but I could be wrong.

This one came from the Golden Pile so it needed some work since I was the second in line and got all the leftovers.

This is the second Prentiss I have restored and to tell the truth their quality of manufacturing dropped a couple notches in my mind. The Reeds, Starrett and Hollands to me are built better and rank higher. Both Prentiss restores had issues with the jaw accuracy and needed adjustment's. Both vises needed the screw holes slotted and issues on the boss area that aligns the jaws.

Wowzers....

 

[nnnnnate]

I apologize for posting yesterday then not having the pictures display. I've adjusted them and believe that they are working correctly.

Here is the link to my post, #50775

 

[GETRIDAONE]

WOW a lot of great restorations and finds posted yesterday.

I am reluctant to even post my lowly Columbian. I bought it with some other stuff so I would guess in the $10 to $15 range. It had rust pitting on top covered with a primer and and two different colors not including the original red. The handle was bent three different ways so I made a new one. I picked it out the pile because it was the ugliest one in there.

The pipe jaws on those Prentiss combos are very substantial. Pic is from my 356

The extra jaws for the Emmert 4 & 6 would be a great addition to to your product line Kevin. The mounting posts have about 1/16" taper that would make these a little more difficult. I would like to find one of the 2" or 6" models I did not even know were made.

https://books.google.com/books?id=_...maxy_is&as_brr=1&pg=PA815#v=onepage&q&f=false

 

[Bcom]

KMscott--- Nice Prentiss. How many different vise brands used that same pipe jaw? I know Reed and Wilton is similar but never knew Prentiss used them too.

Crotalusatrox-- like ur new avatar

 

[wrenchguy]

Here is another Reed I have, I was thinking of selling it but now having second thought as I took the pics.
Yup just the right amount of white paint splatter.

Jim

nice, real nice. i'm liking these styled reeds the best.

 

[KMScott]

Thanks Royce, I enjoy your work too.

Zoomie and Get, making parts for a Emmert!!! In 5 years only Joe has asked for parts. maybe I am missing something. I have access to one locally but really how many are out there. I am always open to making a custom part for a vise owner to fix their vise. I looked at all my drawings of vise parts that I have built and do not see any Emmert parts except for Joe's lock down clamp, no jaws.

Thanks G-Man

Bcom, Thanks, as I mentioned earlier Reed and Wilton have similar pipe jaws. These Prentiss pipe jaws like Get mentioned are heavier and much bigger then Reeds and Wiltons. The Prentiss pipe jaws used a 3/16 pin in a 5/16 hole through the pipe jaw, it was bent from the miss alignment of the two coming together clamped over a pipe. Their way of fixing their alignment issue.

 

[Boatman53]

I agree Wrench that's why I changed my mind.
Jim

 

[Boatman53]

This has been in my dads basement for as long as I can remember. I never used it, but when we cleaned out the house I found the box (he saved many things) and it said it was made in my home town. My dad was a tool and die maker so it is possible he had a hand in its manufacture. It seems pretty useless, the mounting holes are only large enough for a #8 screw. Has anybody seen something like this before?

The box makes it sound wonderful.

So this is a number 2, I wonder how many models they made? I have look for more info but can't seem to find anything. I'd love to find out more about it.
Jim

 

[drivesitfar]

Boatman: i really like your Reed coachmaker's swivel jaw vise and you are right a Reed is very hard to sell once you get one in your hands and start using one.

i've never seen your AVA little vise before. nice that it has the original box, but unless you have a specific use for it i'd probably use my Zyliss for some of those lighter duty projects.

NNNN: good to see you got your pictures figured out. nothing wrong with an old Athol that's in decent shape so clean it up, put some new grease on the screw a little oil on the slide and do that again in a year or so and in 50 more years you can give it to your grandson.

 

[FMC1959]

I have found this to be an extremely generous estimation; I do not get anywhere near this before the stuff wears out.

I think the 250-300 lb estimation makes the assumption that the parts are only lightly rusted; I clean really rusted hand tools and would bet I get about 100 pounds of metal cleaned per gallon....

Drive,

A gallon actually goes a long way if you recycle it. I use a funnel with two coffee filters in it with great results to refill what I have left back into the Evaporust container.....


Electrolysis is great and I agree it's the best way to go for larger parts like a big vise but it will not give you the same shiny clean results as I can get with Evaporust cleaning hand tools with chrome and does take much longer and more hassle to set up but electrolysis is excellent.

There have been a few posts on ER recently. I remember a YT video or TV show where they said for large items, to soak a rag with ER, an wrap the item to be derusted with it. I can't remember exactly but then said something about putting the item in a garbage bag or similar to keep the rag from drying out to quickly.

Do you guys that use the ER ever try this, or think it would work?

Probably do the letters in silver eventually.

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Lapkritis, I am sure it is a good job, but try taking pictures that has some lighting in the front, especially if you do the lettering, it will show up much better. More light will make the vise show up better

Here is my Reed 324 1/2 as I bought it. Found it through Craigslist but it wasn't advertised, I went to look at a belt grinder and came home with this instead.

We have had a snow storm all day here so more vises to come.
Jim

Nice belt grinder

 

[CrotalusAtrox]

Since Reeds have been the topic I got the gumption to do some shop rearrangement and cleaning and installed my 404 1/2. It's a small shop hopefully one day I can build something larger.

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[bluebolt]

Found a big one! 7" wide swivel jaw, no lettering but I think it's a Prentiss. Jaws are smooth with no obvious teeth. Has the typical Prentiss crack in the back of the slide that has been repaired. Swivel base but it is missing the pin that you pull up to change position. $150 plus $40 in gas for 4 hour round trip in the Excursion. Tempting but just don't know. Only a few pics. Thoughts?

 

[dkroth]

There have been a few posts on ER recently. I remember a YT video or TV show where they said for large items, to soak a rag with ER, an wrap the item to be derusted with it. I can't remember exactly but then said something about putting the item in a garbage bag or similar to keep the rag from drying out to quickly.

Do you guys that use the ER ever try this, or think it would work?

It would work, but probably not very well.

Evaporust works by chelation. A given volume of ER will convert a certain amount of rust. Once the reaction takes place, that's it. The ER is dead.

A wet rag isn't going to provide much ER for conversion. Light surface rust may come of well with the technique you describe.

Evaporust does seem to evaporate quickly. IME faster than plain water.

 

[drivesitfar]

BB: i'd probably pass on the rusted no name vise if i didn't need a big one. if you had KM's skills and equipment it might be a fun challenge. also if you can get a couple more pictures from the seller of the top of the static jaw just behind the pin sometimes Prentiss vise company vises had names cast there with a #.

CA: great looking shop and love the REED 404.5 sitting there looking awesome and ready for any job. i also like your Titleist golf ball handle on your DP.

ALL: some of the guys put Evaporust in a garbage bag and their parts inside with it and have had good results. Jake filters his with coffee filters and hadn't mentioned it not working as well after a while so i'll let him tell his story.

 

[bluebolt]

Hard to pass up a 7" swivel jaw Drives! Resisting so far, if I pick it up might as well just make a trip to Colorado and drop it off with KMScott!

 

[Tomthumb717]

Bluebolt - Looks like the top of the slide has possible been welded?

 

[oldldh]

Hard to pass up a 7" swivel jaw Drives! Resisting so far, if I pick it up might as well just make a trip to Colorado and drop it off with KMScott!

Seven inch swivel jaws are almost as rare as...

1.) Rocking Horse Manure

2.) Unicorn races

or (The rarest thing in the known universe...)

3.) An Honest Politician!!!!

You'd better grab that jewel!!!

 

[bluebolt]

Bluebolt - Looks like the top of the slide has possible been welded?

It has been welded or I would be on my way!

 

[zoomieport]

BTW; Welcome back Mike!

Oh, and page 951 also.

Thank you, Gentlemen!

 

[Mark in Indiana]

Bluebolt & All,

I would vote to look at the 7" swivel jaw, at least. A lengthwise crack in the slide wouldn't scare me away. It would even give you some bargaining leverage.

I'm currently repairing a slide crack in a Prentiss No.54 vise.
The crack in the top of the slide can be properly repaired by:
1. Drilling a hole with a #7 or 3/16" drill, almost all the way through.
2. Drill a 1/4" hole from the top to the center of the crack,
3. Drill a 3/8" hole, about 1/2" deep from the top.
4. Tap the first hole you drilled with a 1/4"-20 tap. You will need to use a bottom tap also.
5. Clamp the slide in a BIG vise, near the hole that you drilled.
6. Squeeze the slide while in the big vise. This will draw the crack closed.
7. Insert a 1/4"-20, Grade-8 socket head cap screw in the threaded hole and GORILLA tighten it.

Holding the crack together with a bolt is the secret to the crack repair. You will want to drill a small hole where the crack ends, away from your bolt, to relieve the stress that makes a crack grow. I'm only using one bolt in my vise. However, if you can, use 2 or more bolts if needed. After that, you can weld, braze or solder the crack to fill it in. I brazed mine and brazed over the cap screw head. Afterwords, I smoothed the slide down with a portable belt sander until all surfaces that I worked on were smooth to the touch and the stationary vise body would move across the slide smoothly.

KM Scott did a similar repair and had a great description with pictures sometime back. Sorry I couldn't find it. However, I will post pictures of my crack repair in the Vise Repair 101 thread as soon as I download them.

Edit:
Here are some pictures of a 6" Prentiss that I saw at an antique farm machinery show / flea market a few years back.

 

[Mark in Indiana]

All,

Here are some B & F pictures of a Columbia D44 M5 vise that I just finished.
I hope to find it a good home.

 

[bluebolt]

I'm going to pass on the Prentiss 7" swivel jaw. Here is the Craigslist add. After discussing the welded crack I got him down to $125 but that was it. It is 2 hours away from me and I have plenty of projects already. http://easttexas.craigslist.org/tls/5947595471.html

 

[Mark in Indiana]

Bluebolt & All,
I wish I was closer to the seller. Even 150$ is a good price. if nothing else is wrong with it. Hope a GJer gets it.

 

[drivesitfar]

BB & All: as much as i'd love a big/huge swivel jaw vise that one needs a lot of loving.

1) handle doesn't look original
2) cracked slide we already talked about
3) missing swivel pin so not sure how to fix or even if it can be fixed or machined
4) jaws looked welded in first bunch of photos which turns the vise over to a machinist at that point for me so it better be REAL SPECIAL
5) surface rust doesn't usually bother me, but that old girl has had a tough life
6) hard to say what i could even use for parts

Zoomie: did you go to Canada or do tell if you wish to? welcome back and guessing you had fun and did you manage to buy an anvil or vise too?

 

[petro244]

Nice job Get. I like that Copper / Bronze color. I painted a Prentiss #20 the same color and the new owner stripped it and painted it bright Red that Oldie likes. I gotta paint one a red to get a smile out of Oldie. I had time and finished a Prentiss 19 swivel jaw today. Had fun restoring this one.

nice

 

[kwoswalt99]

nice

 

[4Nines]

I'm going to pass on the Prentiss 7" swivel jaw. Here is the Craigslist add. After discussing the welded crack I got him down to $125 but that was it. It is 2 hours away from me and I have plenty of projects already. http://easttexas.craigslist.org/tls/5947595471.html

Does the slide look short to anyone else? Looks like it has already been bobbed?

 

[G-ManBart]

Since Reeds have been the topic I got the gumption to do some shop rearrangement and cleaning and installed my 404 1/2. It's a small shop hopefully one day I can build something larger.

404 1/2R.....Mmmmmm

 

[G-ManBart]

Does the slide look short to anyone else? Looks like it has already been bobbed?

Looks pretty short to me...think you're onto something there.

 

[trijeff]

I'm going to pass on the Prentiss 7" swivel jaw. Here is the Craigslist add. After discussing the welded crack I got him down to $125 but that was it. It is 2 hours away from me and I have plenty of projects already. http://easttexas.craigslist.org/tls/5947595471.html

Did you ever see a ruler across the jaws? To me it really looks like a 4 incher that opens 7 inches. Even if the handle is a replacement, look at it in relation to the face ... my P98 handle is ginormous and is only half the width of the face.

 

[zoomieport]

Did you ever see a ruler across the jaws? To me it really looks like a 4 incher that opens 7 inches. Even if the handle is a replacement, look at it in relation to the face ... my P98 handle is ginormous and is only half the width of the face.

Looks like a #19 to me too... Though to get "scale" on that, but a #23 would dwarf that rim and jug...?

 

[KMScott]

Here is a Prentiss 7" swivel jaw, the one on CL has been welded on the meat ball end. The one I have is missing the swivel base but it did not have the spring loaded boss area. Some one hammered the swivel pin on this one and will be a difficult fix. The CL vise looks like a large vise to me but without proof you have to go see it. Why did they weld the spindle would be a good question to get answered.

 

[zoomieport]

Prentiss #23 with base, for scale.

 

[Bcom]

That water bottle is gonna tip that prentiss right off the table if you arent careful!

 

[Mooreag47]

Need some info on the ridge tool company vise no.43. what size jaws? Replaceable jaws ?

 

[jboehm]

Just a cheap HF vise but it has worked well for more than 10 years.


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[va.grouseman]

Zoom, I sure would love to say that I was the proud owner of that #23.---That is just about the cleanest one I've ever seen.---Don't guess phy6 would take a gold monkey for it, would he.