Ridgid Vise experts needed. 45F Possible columbian made?

[AngryBeaver]

Long story short, I bought a "cheap old" vise for my service truck while scouting scrap yards, garage sales and Craigslist for years trying to find a large vise for my shop.

This one ended up being larger than the pictures made it look. Paid 50 bucks for it.

I've been trying to find out more about it since I'm an ohio native and lived down the road from the ridge tool company for 3-4 years.

Any ways. I can't find any info on the Ridgid 45FCPN. After searching the vise thread and seeing a few Columbian 204-1/2, I believe this is a 1971 columbian made Ridgid.

The swivel has 604-1/2 - 3 stamped in the bottom. There is a 7128 raised casting beside it. What I assume is a date code.

The dynamic jaw has 71 15 cast into it (15 or maybe 25 from the best I can make it out). The set screws for the pipe inserts resembles the Colombians to a tee.

The jaws are mint and held on by Phillips head bolts. Actually the whole thing is mint other than surface rust. I think it was purchased and then sat in a barn. The score has very minimal grease on it (like the amount on new ones) no **** inside the base, etc

Now. The date of 1/71 or 2/71 fits the timeline before Wilton purchase columbian in 72.

If it's columbian, why would a company like ridgid have someone else cast them when they made their own pipe vises and wrench castings? Or did the ridge tool company buy the columbian molds?

Thoughts?

Img]

 

[AngryBeaver]

More pics

 

[tool_scrounge]

Looks just like a Columbian 200 series combination vise.

 

[exmaxima1]

Looks just like a Columbian 200 series combination vise.

+1
Like he said.

 

[EOC_Jason]

Yes it's a columbian...

Ridge Tool Company bought up the vise division of Desmond Stephans Company. (Which Desmond still makes wheel dressers to this day.) For a while they made their own vises that kind of stemmed from the style of the Desmonds, even up until some were branded as Ridgid...

Then at some point they ended up selling rebranded Columbians... Probably just simple economics as sales dropped and costs went up... I used to have a big 8" Ridgid branded Columbian.

I can't say much for the numbers if they are a date code, a serial, some internal tracking, or whatever... You can usually date them by the style, yours with the screw-in jaws would be a 70's or 80's style at latest... Earlier model columbians had T-jaws that were pinned in.

 

[Bcom]

Yes your Ridgid is made by Coumbian. Your ridgd 45s is the same as Columbian 204 1/2 M3. Take a peek at my Columbians. I have 2 of the 204 1/2 M3's.

 

[Bcom]

If you are interested in selling your 45f, please send me a pm. Im also in Ohio.

 

[G-ManBart]

If it's columbian, why would a company like ridgid have someone else cast them when they made their own pipe vises and wrench castings? Or did the ridge tool company buy the columbian molds?

Over the years it has been very common for vise manufacturers to sub-contract production of certain models. Often it seems like one company would make the castings for several companies, with the only differences being the lettering. I'm sure it's a case where the company has to determine whether they expect to make enough money to offset the setup costs for a new model.

 

[jeffmoss26]

Makes sense. Ridgid has been in Elyria for years, Columbian Vise was in Cleveland.

 

[AngryBeaver]

Yes it's a columbian...

Ridge Tool Company bought up the vise division of Desmond Stephans Company. (Which Desmond still makes wheel dressers to this day.) For a while they made their own vises that kind of stemmed from the style of the Desmonds, even up until some were branded as Ridgid...

Then at some point they ended up selling rebranded Columbians... Probably just simple economics as sales dropped and costs went up... I used to have a big 8" Ridgid branded Columbian.

I can't say much for the numbers if they are a date code, a serial, some internal tracking, or whatever... You can usually date them by the style, yours with the screw-in jaws would be a 70's or 80's style at latest... Earlier model columbians had T-jaws that were pinned in.

Thanks. Didn't Wilton use their own designs when they took them overin the early 70's?

If you are interested in selling your 45f, please send me a pm. Im also in Ohio.

Not a chance man. I never get good deals. lol

Over the years it has been very common for vise manufacturers to sub-contract production of certain models. Often it seems like one company would make the castings for several companies, with the only differences being the lettering. I'm sure it's a case where the company has to determine whether they expect to make enough money to offset the setup costs for a new model.

I know that's been the practice for other companies, such as craftsman. Just figured ridgid having their own foundry would have made their own.

Yes your Ridgid is made by Coumbian. Your ridgd 45s is the same as Columbian 204 1/2 M3. Take a peek at my Columbians. I have 2 of the 204 1/2 M3's.

Thanks. Figured as much after finding zero info about them and seeing multiple pictures of the columbians. Nice looking vises. Why you need two?

 

[AngryBeaver]

Makes sense. Ridgid has been in Elyria for years, Columbian Vise was in Cleveland.

Do you know exactly where in Cleveland columbian vise was? I do a lot of work in the steel mills as a contractor. Interesting history to say the least.

 

[Bcom]

Thanks. Didn't Wilton use their own designs when they took them overin the early 70's?



Not a chance man. I never get good deals. lol



I know that's been the practice for other companies, such as craftsman. Just figured ridgid having their own foundry would have made their own.




Thanks. Figured as much after finding zero info about them and seeing multiple pictures of the columbians. Nice looking vises. Why you need two?

I need two for the same reason i want 3 or 4 more of them. Just a favorite vise of mine. They were a perfect size vise for almost anything. Not too big and not too small. Pipe jaws are beefy and the vise wont take up a whole table but it will stand up to a beating. Thats why i want more of them

 

[AngryBeaver]

I need two for the same reason i want 3 or 4 more of them. Just a favorite vise of mine. They were a perfect size vise for almost anything. Not too big and not too small. Pipe jaws are beefy and the vise wont take up a whole table but it will stand up to a beating. Thats why i want more of them

No need to explain. I want another already. This one is way to nice to end up on my service truck and get exposed to the elements. I want to clean her up some without doing a Walmart rattle can. She's built like a brick *********

 

[1982fxr]

I've also had two of those with an Armstrong metal ID plate attached.

 

[jeffmoss26]

Do you know exactly where in Cleveland columbian vise was? I do a lot of work in the steel mills as a contractor. Interesting history to say the least.

Bessemer Avenue - lousy area.

 

[G-ManBart]

I know that's been the practice for other companies, such as craftsman. Just figured ridgid having their own foundry would have made their own.

Craftsman was a different kind of deal, but Yost, Columbian, Reed, Hollands, Erie, and probably others either sold vises someone else made for them, or made vises for someone else.

 

[AngryBeaver]

Found a brother to my ridgid 45FCPN. I had been looking for a beater vise for the service truck. I wasn't expecting to find the gorgeous sister. I guess this means I need to weather proof the columbian made Ridgid or find another service truck beater. Lol

62 date coded 204-1/2 M2. Pretty sure it's original paint. Came out of a factory in Cleveland. Identical to the ridgid minus the jaws.

 

[castellscl]

Old thread, but what would be a good price for the Rigid variant? Is $200 asking too much?

 

[Phaus01]

I know this is an old thread but it's the right topic, so I'll try this here before starting a new one.

I have (3) broken Ridgid 45FCPN vises. It's the screw on all of them. Is anyone aware of replacement parts that are available for them? I would hate to have to scrap them due to a broken screw.

 

[tool_scrounge]

I know this is an old thread but it's the right topic, so I'll try this here before starting a new one.

I have (3) broken Ridgid 45FCPN vises. It's the screw on all of them. Is anyone aware of replacement parts that are available for them? I would hate to have to scrap them due to a broken screw.

Could you please take a photo of the screw and measure the diameter and thread pitch of the screw? I have seen that Columbian model 504 1/2 screw (7/8" diameter, 4 threads per inch acme) interchanges with the Morgan Chicago (now Milwaukee) model 88 4.5" combination vise. Milwaukee is still in business. They usually have parts available.

 

[Phaus01]

The screw is 7/8" with a 4 TPI. Please see picture.