The VISES of Garage Journal
- Thread starter mjozefow
- Start date
jakemac
Well-known member
Found my first Gyro-Vise today. Model 73-1/2.
The seller was asking $3. I handed him a fiver and said thank you.
It still has the pipe jaws.
As our Brit friends would say, I'm chuffed !
Started cleaning up the Gyro. It's amazing what a rattail brush and a wire wheel can do. I used a junk screwdriver to lightly scrape the glue drips off.
I'm thinking that I may just hand clean and wax this one instead of striping and painting.
I want to preserve what's left of the decal and I'm liking the "as used" look on this vise.
Outlawmws
Well-known member
Jake, you actually got it apart without breaking it? Can you show a closeup of the main screw retainer?
jakemac
Well-known member
It took me a while to figure it out. In the end, I got lucky.
The screw is held in with a fluted knurled collar that is retained by a ring clip in a groove.
All of it is hidden in the casting and is pressure fit to the dynamic jaw casting.
To remove the screw, I ran out the dynamic jaw until it stopped.
Then, I -slowly- (with slight effort) continued to unscrew the thread. As I did, the collar began to slide out of the casting.
Once the screw came out of the nut, the nut dropped out of the static jaw and freed the dynamic jaw.
When I go to put it back together, I'll just reverse the process and let the screw press the collar back in. Maybe a drop of Loctite on the flutes.
If you try this, you'll need to have a feel for the screw to make sure you aren't twisting the threads, or damaging the nut.
I did this by hand, on the bench, I didn't need to hold the jaw in a vise.
It was much easier than I was expecting.
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Bighead38
Well-known member
Some really cool vises on that page. The polishing is impressive. What's the best way to achieve that? I started redoing a vise for my old man and he likes the metal look. I was thinking about poLishing certain parts but don't know the best method. Regardless of the polishing what's the best for a bare metal vise? Should I spray it clear or is there a better option?
va.grouseman
Well-known member
I thought the J. Allen was a small anvil vise until I came across this one.---J. Allen weighs 13.6 lbs., the little one weighs 11 oz., has no name and no markings.
This is what you start buying when your big ones have taken up all your walking room, you go small.---Funny thing,,,they cost about the same.
This is what you start buying when your big ones have taken up all your walking room, you go small.---Funny thing,,,they cost about the same.
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va.grouseman
Well-known member
eddieK
Well-known member
Nice find...they clean up real nice. Found this for $40.00...just needed a cleanup and some paint.
found it like this -
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General Geoff
Well-known member
Ok so, for vise gurus here, what's the word on replacing jaws on a Prentiss 56? I don't see any fasteners or separation for the jaws on this new acquisition. Are these part of the vise casting, i.e. nonreplaceable? I see some pics of 56s with the U shaped replaceable jaws, and others that seem to have no separate jaws.
trijeff
Well-known member
General Geoff
Well-known member
Yeah I see nothing on the jaw faces.
trijeff
Well-known member
Maybe send it to Rev Kev in Estes Park? But the one you show actually doesn't look too bad. Maybe some jaw covers?
Also, please more pics of the vise!
Also, please more pics of the vise!
General Geoff
Well-known member
I'll see if I can snap more pics tomorrow, as it's dark out now and I'm not really in the mood to haul that 135 pound sucker inside just yet.
She's not much to look at yet, but I know she's a diamond in the rough.
drivesitfar
Well-known member
DAVE: cool looking vise.
GG: nice one yourself and if your jaws are solid you've got a pretty old Prentiss cause i think they went to replacable jaws in the late 1910's. nice find.
Jake: i also didn't know you could take that versa vise apart and i'll check your posts later or PM you for instructions if you don't want to post them up over on the VISE REPAIR 101 thread cause i can't recall anybody taking one apart before.
Bcom: great looking Reed 2C
Va: so are you ready to start selling some soon?
NICE FIND and WELL DONE!!
GG: nice one yourself and if your jaws are solid you've got a pretty old Prentiss cause i think they went to replacable jaws in the late 1910's. nice find.
Jake: i also didn't know you could take that versa vise apart and i'll check your posts later or PM you for instructions if you don't want to post them up over on the VISE REPAIR 101 thread cause i can't recall anybody taking one apart before.
Bcom: great looking Reed 2C
Va: so are you ready to start selling some soon?
NICE FIND and WELL DONE!!General Geoff
Well-known member
Wow, I didn't know the solid jaws were that old! That might make this the oldest tool I own!
jakemac
Well-known member
Done
Not sure if the Versa-Vise is built the same as the Gyro-Vise. This is the only version of this style that I've ever seen in the wild. It HAD to come home with me.
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drivesitfar
Well-known member
Jake: thanks!!
1NRO: your vise looks a lot like my late 1800's Massey so i'm curious what more you can find out about yours. here's my Massey and maybe you'll agree it has some similarities?
cheers and nice find
Jim: you know we like all vises and i like your Sheldon a lot. nice find or has it been sitting under one of your benches for a few years?
1NRO: your vise looks a lot like my late 1800's Massey so i'm curious what more you can find out about yours. here's my Massey and maybe you'll agree it has some similarities?
cheers and nice find
Jim: you know we like all vises and i like your Sheldon a lot. nice find or has it been sitting under one of your benches for a few years?
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eddieK
Well-known member
A typo on a vise?
1NRO: your vise looks a lot like my late 1800's Massey so i'm curious what more you can find out about yours. here's my Massey and maybe you'll agree it has some similarities?
cheers and nice find
It certainly looks to be very close. Just the mounting holes for a base on mine make it different though it's also drilled and tapped in the centre like yours must be. So not a Sheldon but more likely a Massey. I'm pants at researching info so if anyone has some snippets of knowledge I'd be very grateful.
cheers and nice find
It certainly looks to be very close. Just the mounting holes for a base on mine make it different though it's also drilled and tapped in the centre like yours must be. So not a Sheldon but more likely a Massey. I'm pants at researching info so if anyone has some snippets of knowledge I'd be very grateful.
Outlawmws
Well-known member
Actually it's fairly common. many of the letters are just stuck on the patterns and often fall off. sometimes they get transposed. $#!+ happens...
va.grouseman
Well-known member
Eddiek,, Outlaw is right, it happens more than you think.---A lot of guy's on here have vises with letters or numbers missing or upside down or transposed.---It happens, or it use to.---Mostly on Fridays about 5:00 o'clock, when that neon sign across the street stole all of a workers concentration.
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meatsis
Well-known member
Eddiek,, Outlaw is right, it happens more than you think.---A lot of guy's on here have vises with letters or numbers missing or upside down or transposed.---It happens, or it use to.---Mostly on Fridays about 5:00 o'clock, when that neon sign across the street stole all of a workers concentration.
Here's another one.
eddieK
Well-known member
Here's another one.
Losing a letter makes sense...
Misspelling is hilarious...and should make it rare and worth even more...
jakemac
Well-known member
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Outlawmws
Well-known member
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akasrick
Well-known member
Lest we forget,
jumbled #'s were probably the 25 cent play of the week.
jumbled #'s were probably the 25 cent play of the week.
gman007
Well-known member
Can someone please kindly identify this vise? All it says in the description is "Big bench vise weighs about 130 lbs swivel jaw" and no jaw size is mentioned either.
On one side of the vise there is a No 54 and also there is a metal tag which reads "Machinists Supply Chicago" (see photos).
Based on some recent post on Rock Island 55
https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?p=6601827#post6601827
is it possible this is a Rock Island 54? But then again unlike the above mentioned post nowhere on the vise there is a mention of "Rock Island" (Speaking of missing or misspelled letters, may be someone was in real rush to get to the bar and decided letters were all together over rated and not necessary)
thx
007
On one side of the vise there is a No 54 and also there is a metal tag which reads "Machinists Supply Chicago" (see photos).
Based on some recent post on Rock Island 55
https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?p=6601827#post6601827
is it possible this is a Rock Island 54? But then again unlike the above mentioned post nowhere on the vise there is a mention of "Rock Island" (Speaking of missing or misspelled letters, may be someone was in real rush to get to the bar and decided letters were all together over rated and not necessary
) thx
007
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Rileysan
Well-known member
That is a dead ringer for the Rock Island 55 I just bought! I would agree with your assessment that it's a Rock Island vise.
Brian
Sent from my LGL41C using Tapatalk
gman007
Well-known member
drivesitfar
Well-known member
Outlaw and Jake: I thought we were we talking about 8 inch vises again with the direction the conversations were taking us. 
007: yep i have to agree with you and Riley that you found an old swivel jaw Rock Island. very very very nice.
ALL: so on another thread a member is getting treatment for the big C and he honestly had a doctor who's name was Dr. ******. can you imagine the guys at mecicare looking at the bills and seeing this guy's bill from his Dr. ******. NUFF SAID.
cheers
007: yep i have to agree with you and Riley that you found an old swivel jaw Rock Island. very very very nice.
ALL: so on another thread a member is getting treatment for the big C and he honestly had a doctor who's name was Dr. ******. can you imagine the guys at mecicare looking at the bills and seeing this guy's bill from his Dr. ******. NUFF SAID.
cheers
gman007
Well-known member
Outlaw and Jake: I thought we were we talking about 8 inch vises again with the direction the conversations were taking us.
007: yep i have to agree with you and Riley that you found an old swivel jaw Rock Island. very very very nice.
ALL: so on another thread a member is getting treatment for the big C and he honestly had a doctor who's name was Dr. ******. can you imagine the guys at mecicare looking at the bills and seeing this guy's bill from his Dr. ******. NUFF SAID.
cheers
Drives
Thanks much, as usual you have been most helpful.
007
Fretters
Well-known member
This turned up today.
First impressions; Seems a nice vice.
Comparisons against some approx. 3" English vices. It's slightly larger than the Record and Paramo No.1's, but dwarved by the Parkinson No.5.
First impressions; Seems a nice vice.
Comparisons against some approx. 3" English vices. It's slightly larger than the Record and Paramo No.1's, but dwarved by the Parkinson No.5.
dutchgray
Well-known member
Nice Fretters, the QR vices are usually bigger and heavier, the QR costs more so is only found on the better spec vices, not the bog standard mechanics pattern, the thing I like most about American vises is that they open further than the British ones, although the Samsonia ones have pretty good openings also.
Fretters
Well-known member
Aye, I noticed the slide is longer than its equivalent counterparts. It's slightly taller too. Must admit that I'm quite taken with it. Seems a sound vice, and quite weighty for its size too.
drivesitfar
Well-known member
Fretters: nice hauls lately. now just so you know you caught the TADPOLE in the pond and the BIG UNS are there to catch if you have enough bait (pounds/dollars). also a 3 inch old USA vise to us is almost one you'd throw back cause they go up substancially in size and weight as the jaws widen unlike the OLD ENGLISH ones that get wider jaws, but don't double in size with each inch.
good to hear that mama is helping with the vise (vice) collection so when you do need to expand the shed she might give up a strawberry patch to make it a tad bigger.
cheers
good to hear that mama is helping with the vise (vice) collection so when you do need to expand the shed she might give up a strawberry patch to make it a tad bigger.
cheers
eddieK
Well-known member
So gentlemen...what are we looking at here?
Provincial
Well-known member
Probably Asian, but a clever variation on the Wilton/York design. I like the rotation option. I wonder how well it works in the real world?
Outlawmws
Well-known member
Hmmm... no plating on the screws and handles. I wonder...
I wonder...