The VISES of Garage Journal

[VISEs]

Very cool, Andrew! But you've been far too quiet lately for this to be your only treasure. Time to give up the other goods

And where the heck is Zoomie?? MIA

Yes! It's been crazy around the shop lately! I have been buying lots and lots of vises lately! I'll get some pictures put together soon!

Summer time is busy busy busy...

I'll check in on zoomieport!


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[Mikeybc]

After cleaning all the black paint off my recently acquired Record No 6 I noticed a "201" cast into the lower front left side. Anyone ever see this in the casting before ? Can it be given an approximate build date by the little oil symbol on the right side ? I might leave it as-is

 

[RagTopTA]

Any of you guys have any Indestro Vises? I found neat one at the Flea a while back, and cant find much on them anywhere. Did they make a big vise ?

 

[rusty65]

Any of you guys have any Indestro Vises? I found neat one at the Flea a while back, and cant find much on them anywhere. Did they make a big vise ?

The only indestro vises I've seen are clamp on style If you have found a full size bench vise enclosed screw I just might have to buy that from you haha.

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[RagTopTA]

The only indestro vises I've seen are clamp on style If you have found a full size bench vise enclosed screw I just might have to buy that from you haha.

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i found it at a flea market a month or two ago. Its become my favorite vise find so far. I was hoping they made similar but bigger ones. Cant find hardly anything on this one.. only a few clamp style like you mentioned. I'm guessing its pretty rare. I cant find any other numbers or marking than whats on the side of it. Anyone got info on Indestro Vises?

 

[va.grouseman]

RagTop, there is another Indestro on page 127, post 2530.---But not much help.

 

[RagTopTA]

RagTop, there is another Indestro on page 127, post 2530.---But not much help.

cool, thanks for the info, thats a little smaller than mine it looks like.. and built a little different.. now I'm gonna really have to start digging for info n this thing.

 

[Jawn]

Trying to get this thing apart...

<snip>

I figured it out. Shined a flashlight in around it looking at the perimeter of the "nut", saw no sign of threads. Looked in the bottom of the holes, saw additional holes with what looked like threads going into the jaw casting. Decided to take a chance, so I stuck a piece of soft pine over the opposite end of the screw and gave it a sharp whack with a hammer... popped the whole assembly right out. Seems it was supposed to have some 10-24 screws as a retainer for that ring, and with them long gone it was only held in with a casting flaw wedging it in along with some rust to keep it extra snug.

Pictured below, using a bottoming tap to chase the threads after flushing them out as much as I could with some WD40 through a straw.

Vise is now completely stripped except for the handle in the end of the screw... not sure if I'll do that or just try to clean it up in place. Would be easier to deal with straightening it if I could get it out... or then I could just make a new handle.

 

[Mister J]

After cleaning all the black paint off my recently acquired Record No 6 I noticed a "201" cast into the lower front left side. Anyone ever see this in the casting before ? Can it be given an approximate build date by the little oil symbol on the right side ? I might leave it as-is

Take it off the swivel base and have a look underneath. You might find a stamp that may or may not be (I'm nor really positive, but it would seem to make sense with my Records, at least) the last 2 digits of the year it was made.

My no 6 has a 63.

 

[Mikeybc]

Take it off the swivel base and have a look underneath. You might find a stamp that may or may not be (I'm nor really positive, but it would seem to make sense with my Records, at least) the last 2 digits of the year it was made.

My no 6 has a 63.

Thanks, I'll try and look tomorrow , that "201" stamping has me stumped though, I've seen many No 6's here where I work and non have it.

 

[eddieK]

the wilton magnet hadn't been turned on for a while, so i fired it up and reeled in an nos 450s yesterday. It appears completely unused. The slide still had the packing grease on it and there isn't a mark on it anywhere...jaws, slide, jaw supports, anvil etc...not a mark. I flipped it upside down and the swivel base appears to never have moved. One of the swivel locks is seized, so i sprayed a little penetrating fluid in there and let it sit over night...we'll see if it needs more, but even if i have to cut it off it's not a big deal. Other than light surface rust and the seized swivel lock i can't find anything wrong with it.

The kicker is the seller said his company was getting rid of some excess equipment that wasn't being used so they told the employees they could take anything they wanted from the pile for themselves. I've seen this time and again where companies don't want to bother with having an equipment auction, so they just give it away free to the employees. I'm not sure if it's too much trouble from an accounting standpoint, or they're writing it off for tax purposes, or something else, but it happens a lot.

I think the slide was stamped 2004, so it looks like it's been sitting idle for 13 years.

you suuuuuuck!

 

[dutchgray]

Mikeybc
Your No6 is likely ftom the 1980's

I haven't seen the 201 tag before either, but have seen similar pattern tags on other vices.

 

[eddieK]

I picked up this little beauty! It's a vise display stand for small clamp on vises.


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Dang - I'm looking for something just like that

 

[G-ManBart]

you suuuuuuck!

Thanks....lol.

A really nice guy just left with that vise....took a 400S in partial trade and he left a sweet little Reed 403 1/2R that he wants me to restore.

 

[alinc100]

Hey All,
Just finished putting this one back together after electrolysis ,cleaning and a fresh paint job. I may try and white the raised letters if I get a bolster in confidence or maybe a paint pen(?). The color is Rustoleom Hammered black. I found replacement pipe jaws direct from Yost for nearly $100,which will have to wait a few more pay cycles.

A link to the original post 3 YEARS AGO on GJ:http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showpost.php?p=4204915&postcount=19902

 

[Shiftless]

Anybody know about ACCO vises?

I won't ask if I should buy it...of course you guys will say YES!

Unusual model made in Bridgeport Connecticut.
Here is a pic of another ACCO I found online. The one I have a lead on is not rusty and it has a swivel base. Jaws are very small compared to the general size and weight of the vise.

The weird part is that big nut on the back end. What the heck is that for?
I see it on this picture and I saw it on the vise I previewed this afternoon. Won't hit the garage sale until tomorrow.

 

[drivesitfar]

Shift: that vise is old so of course you should buy it. that nut on the back is the old nut holder that Fulton and LMV and maybe a few other early 1900's vises had which was there version of the sleeve with the screw in it that most of the modern vises use. not sure i've seen a Bridgeport vise, but it looks a lot like my Fultons and LMV vises.

Riley: thanks for posting the pictures of my Columbian 6 inch vise. it's a lot beefier than i thought a Columbian would be with all this HOLLOW JAW talk so maybe this one doesn't have a hollow jaw. i'll weigh it once i get home and have some energy to lift it. i'm guessing it weighs about 150+- pounds.

sorry this one was picked up for a person that already asked about it so it's gone more than likely, but i might even try to give him something else now that i know how nice this is.

keep looking in your area cause now that i don't drive down there as much and Oregon Rock Crusher might have enough big vises there might be one or two for you to find. not that we bought them all, but i bet we found most of them that needed a good home these past couple years.

ALL: enjoying EMPTY NESTING with my bride and she was with me when i picked up the big Columbian and was all smiles so not sure what that means, but i might start keeping a few more again.

 

[Shiftless]

Drives:
Thanks for the quick reply. I couldn't take pictures of the ACCO I'm chasing without tipping my hand about how rare and unusual that vise is. The story I heard was that it belonged to the grandfather of the 40 something guy who is now moving into a condo and selling off his garage stuff. The beefy appearance contrasts with the small jaw width, 2 1/2 inches. At first glance I thought it might be a Rock Island because of that appearance.

Edit
After some googling, I found that a company called American Chain and Cable Co. (ACCO)?
was active in Bridgeport Conn., the city name cast into the ACCO vise I am chasing.

Anybody else have something to add to this discussion?

 

[yjWrangler]

Just got this little guy today, ain't it cute?

Only markings are "Made in USA" and the number 2

 

[PghJKB]

Anybody know about ACCO vises?

I won't ask if I should buy it...of course you guys will say YES!

Unusual model made in Bridgeport Connecticut.
Here is a pic of another ACCO I found online. The one I have a lead on is not rusty and it has a swivel base. Jaws are very small compared to the general size and weight of the vise.

The weird part is that big nut on the back end. What the heck is that for?
I see it on this picture and I saw it on the vise I previewed this afternoon. Won't hit the garage sale until tomorrow.

Shiftless
Have you tried searching this thread for ACCO or A C C O?

I have actually run into two more since my first post, both were swivel bases, both with delusional pricing. And one of the two was also missing the jaws.

JKB

 

[Shiftless]

JKB:
How delusional is delusional in $$$?

(I see one was listed on eBay 6 years ago for $100 but didn't sell) But prices today in most areas are way higher than back then...perhaps we have ourselves to blame for that.

I am still searching...GJ function isn't working well for me

 

[Mark in Indiana]

Nice, real nice, Mark. Great work, lucky customer.

Thanks for the kind words. Customer picked them up today and was pleased.
Moving forward, I'll start to restore bench & pipe vises in sets. I tried that last year and had positive results.

All:
Hope y'all have a Happy Father's Day.

 

[Mikeybc]

Mikeybc
Your No6 is likely ftom the 1980's

I haven't seen the 201 tag before either, but have seen similar pattern tags on other vices.

Thanks, I'm still debating if I'm going to paint it or not...as it looks now I'm not afraid to use it

 

[G-ManBart]

Took this 400S in trade today. I think it may wind up being my rags to riches entry for the annual vise awards thread.

Nothing is stuck, the jaws are actually pretty nice under those copper covers, and it came apart easily. This was the "clean" side....

 

[va.grouseman]

PghJKB, what was one of the delusional prices if you don't mind telling, so I kind of have a heads up on knowing what to expect if I ever come across one?---Never come across an ACCO before, not even on EBay.---Almost captured a General Fire Extinguisher once, but he backed out.

Oh, yea, what was the jaw width on the ACCO if you don't mind telling?

 

[eddieK]

Hey All,
Just finished putting this one back together after electrolysis ,cleaning and a fresh paint job. I may try and white the raised letters if I get a bolster in confidence or maybe a paint pen(?). The color is Rustoleom Hammered black. I found replacement pipe jaws direct from Yost for nearly $100,which will have to wait a few more pay cycles.

A link to the original post 3 YEARS AGO on GJ:http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showpost.php?p=4204915&postcount=19902

Sweet...Very nice work

 

[Private Lugnutz]

As reported in the Garage Sale thread, 3bay found a neat vise a couple days ago – a Desmond Stephan with a Defense Plant Corporation data plate and copper jaw covers.
Links to his posts:
http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showpost.php?p=6562412&postcount=3514
http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showpost.php?p=6562422&postcount=3515

I told him I would post some elaborating info over here. This is it…

3bay,

This February 1945 War Department TM –

- has two great photos of a Desmond Stephan double lock down swivel base bench vise.

Fortunately, it has been scanned by the University of North Texas and is on-line. Link to first Desmond Stephan photo here: https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc29944/m1/73/ Page ahead for the second photo, which shows the same vise with a jig held in the jaws.

What’s interesting about the jaw caps on yours is their composition. Eventually the broad restrictions on copper and brass, being preserved for munitions, caught up to jaw caps. As I first reported in a summary of Limitation Order Schedule VI (Vises) here (http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showpost.php?p=6485654&postcount=631) on the ‘Wilton Dating’ thread, after January 1944, jaw caps could only be made of lead or lead-based alloy. Here is the excerpt itself:

That dates those jaw caps, the date of their fastening to that vise, and most likely the vise to earlier in the war.

As I reported in a summary here (http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showpost.php?p=6509492&postcount=655), also in the ‘Wilton Dating’ thread, Desmond Stephan was supplying vises ($297,000 worth) to the US Army Quartermaster Corps and Navy from 1943 to 1945. Here is their entire record:

Given the data plate on your vise, it sure looks like Desmond Stephan was also making vises for the Defense Plant Corporation. As you already know, the DPC built entire standalone production plants, converted other existing facilities into defense plants, or bought equipment for the purpose of expanding the capacity of an existing plant. The DPC also purchased machine tools and hand tools and allocated them to private industry. According to the WPB Major War Supply Contracts books I have, they also had massive contracts ($13.225M) with the Air Corps, the Corps of Engineers, the Navy and others. None of those contracts were for vises, exclusively, but I suspect they were included in one of the ‘HAND TOOLS’ or perhaps even one of the ‘MACHINE TOOLS’ contracts on this list.

It’s uncertain to me whether the items they were supplying to the services under the contracts above were going directly to those services or to plants those services were using for production. Either way, your vise looks like an early wartime vise made by Desmond Stephan for the DPC for one of their plants or for delivery to one of the services plants.

 

[Shiftless]

va:
We still haven't head back from JKB about the ACCO he saw with the "delusional" price, so I don't know how big that one was. The one I mentioned earlier today is the one I will be going after tomorrow. Hopefully the seller isn't logged onto this forum right now so he jacks up his price to something delusional. I won't pay delusional unless one of you guys wants to go delusional to own an ACCO. If so PM me now...before 8 AM Pacific time Sunday. The one I might score tomorrow has jaws just 2 1/2 inches wide but the body and the swivel base are proportionally HUGE!

 

[PghJKB]

JKB:
How delusional is delusional in $$$?

(I see one was listed on eBay 6 years ago for $100 but didn't sell) But prices today in most areas are way higher than back then...perhaps we have ourselves to blame for that.

I am still searching...GJ function isn't working well for me

I am firmly in the $1.00 per pound on larger vises - by larger, 3 inch or wider jaws. We are responsible for the recent wave of vise inflation (have you seen what baby bullets are selling for on EvilPrey these days )

On pricing - I have actually been offered $$ to get that "heavy thing" out of the basement.

The ACCOs I have seen for sale around here on CL (a 200 mile radius of the 'Burgh) were both priced above $250.00 "because they were rare". Rare does not equal valuable. Desirability equals value, unless you are one of the Hunt Brothers, or share their disability.

PghJKB, what was one of the delusional prices if you don't mind telling, so I kind of have a heads up on knowing what to expect if I ever come across one?---Never come across an ACCO before, not even on EBay.---Almost captured a General Fire Extinguisher once, but he backed out.

Oh, yea, what was the jaw width on the ACCO if you don't mind telling?

There have been at least two on EvilPrey since my first posting, one over $300.00 if I recall correctly and the other over $200.00.

va:
We still haven't head back from JKB about the ACCO he saw with the delusional price, so I don't know how big that one was. The one I mentioned earlier today is the one I will be going after tomorrow. Hopefully the seller isn't logged onto this forum right now so he jacks up his price to something delusional. I won't pay delusional unless one of you guys wants to go delusional to own an ACCO. If so PM me now...before 8 AM Pacific time Sunday. The one I might score tomorrow has jaws just 2 1/2 inches wide but the body and the swivel base are proportionally HUGE!

The vises I have seen personally were 4 and 4.5 inches. The ones on EvilPrey in the same range. A 2.5 wide jaw would most likely fall into my special pricing range that often exceeds $2.00 per pound.....

On pricing, if we are not paying big money, the sellers would not be selling them for big money. Greed takes many forms, and I include having much more than one needs as a form of greed. Unfortunately more $$$ than sense seems to be a common condition these days amongst all types of collectors.

I am up before 4:00 AM, hence bedtime is 9:00 PM. Do not expect any postings from me after about 7:30 PM.

JKB

 

[Shiftless]

JKB:
Thank you very much for your detailed reply. I share your sentiment and appreciate your honesty. GJ at times becomes an enabler for those seeking support and/or rationalization for their "over-accumulation tendencies".

 

[Shiftless]

I brought it home!

Here is my ACCO model 21 in its "as found" condition. Quite neglected but in remarkably good condition under the dirt and paint overspray. Nothing is stuck. Jaws are full of crud but not worn out.
Weighing in at 65 pounds with jaws only 2 1/2 inches wide.

Does anybody else have one of these?

 

[dirt_dobber]

Man you guy's on here amaze me with your Vise knowledge. I have had this old partially broken LH&F Vise of New York laying around for over 40 years. And I got it then from an old guy's barn.
I have tried to find info about this company and mostly I found the ones that were made in PA. I rubbed some chalk on the lettering to get it to stand out.
I don't know much about Vise anatomy but one shoulder is broken off but I figure someone might want the other parts of this to make theirs complete.

 

[Shiftless]

ACCO jaw detail

 

[gman007]

Gents
Does anyone know what brand is this vise? This is the only photo and the description just says "Large Vise"
Cheers
007

 

[drivesitfar]

007: your mystery vise doesn't have the LOOK of a quality vise with the small handle and the import looking jaws and supports. it might be an 80's or maybe a 70's Taiwan import or i guess it could be a US brand i'm not familiar with.

Shift: nice Father's day present to yourself and congrats.

how do you like that screw attachment on the rear of the dynamic now that you see it in person and you know what it is?

ALL: hope all you FATHERS have a great day and make sure to call yours if you aren't able to see them in person.

cheers

 

[Outlawmws]

Shift. nice score, how delusional was the price?

Is that a weld line on the slide near the jaw? Or is that corrosion from a spill?

 

[Mikeybc]

Take it off the swivel base and have a look underneath. You might find a stamp that may or may not be (I'm nor really positive, but it would seem to make sense with my Records, at least) the last 2 digits of the year it was made.

My no 6 has a 63.

Hmmm, 21 on mine.

 

[KMScott]

ACCO jaw detail

Look at those jaws. the width ratio to the length are greater then most jaws. Gonna clean that ACCO vise up Shift. Nice vise. This set of jaws I made for Demo's 109 were 2-1/2 inches tall creating a massive clamping pad. That Reed of Demo's can get back to work.

 

[Shiftless]

Drives:
Thanks! I will know more later when I get a chance to take it apart for cleaning.

Outlaw:
It is hard to say exactly what I paid. As I said in yesterday's posts, I don't pay delusional prices. But I got this one for far less than delusional pricing. The guy told me yesterday he didn't know what he might ask but to come back on Sunday. This morning I was the first guy at the sale and the guy still hadn't set a price. I don't like to name a price before the seller names one, but I took a chance and threw out an opening bid of $60. He said "sure" I'll take it.
But he told me yesterday that he was moving into a condo and couldn't take that big vise with him.
So I took some little clamp on vises with me as well as that dirty Columbian D43 1/2 that came on top of a certain SnapOn cabinet that you know of.
The vise seller took the Columbian and a low value, no name clamp on vise I picked up myself at another garage sale last year (nothing special...just trade fodder)
So my ACCO cost me 2 low value vises (maybe worth at the most $50 all together) and the $10 cash I threw in to assuage my conscience.

No weld repair, that line is just some schmutz. The other side of the slide is smooth...heavy patina, but smooth.
I passed up a vintage Craftsman radial arm saw he was going to let me have free.

KMScott:
Thanks. I'm excited about that find. Do you need jaw face measurements for your library of dimensions?

 

[Mister J]

I managed to get the screws out of the jaws on the Record No 6 this morning. I tried the clamp a bit and turn with a wrench trick but they just wouldn't budge so I took it all apart for easier access to the screws. The broken screw on the top left turned out to be the easiest, there was a little ledge where half the head broke off and I was able to get it to turn with a small punch and a bit of tapping with a hammer. The next one was in the best shape and came out with a screwdriver and a bit of elbow grease. I ground a small relief in the third one to get the correct angle and it turned with the punch and hammer. The last one was totally peened over and wedged in there so I had to drill it out until I was able to break away some of the head and it too came out with the hammer and punch.

The jaws aren't too bad but I may just go ahead and order some new ones. I found these https://absupply.net/irwin-t6d-repl...aw-plates-6-screws-for-6-mechanics-vise-.aspx $12.83. For that price why not? I'm also thinking about ordering a swivel base from the same place https://absupply.net/irwin-t6sb-swivel-base-for-item-6-6-mechanics-vise.aspx, but I don't know how I feel about having a nice old English made vise with a Chinese swivel base. Again the price seems ridiculously low compared to everywhere else.