The VISES of Garage Journal

[Swingpress]

Seriously, do any of you guys have one?
.

........

 

[Outlawmws]

'Tis a dream Shift...

 

[FMC1959]

SHIFT I had another 107 that needs more work than the one I just got so I swapped the main screw nut for now. There are some very good machinists at my work so I’m going to pick their brain and see what we can come up with.

DRIVES thanks I will check that post out!

Merry Christmas everyone!

That is pretty cool, 7 inchers were not common production, some MFR's never made any, others only certain years. Funny that a rare vise like a 107, you have two of them. Reminds me of Jakemac; the Columbian 804 is also on the rare side and Jake has 2 of them. (the 804 is made from welded steel plates rather than a cast type body).

Nice find and great vise Loydski

....On another note, Small Daughter brought a young man home from school to visit for Christmas. And he sure enough left something hard and heavy under the tree for me. 4-1/2" Columbian. Pics below. What a nice young man...

Tell your daughter that boy is marrying material!

Belated Merry Christmas to all, and all the best for the New Year...health, family, friends...and most importantly, more vices

 

[Mark in Indiana]

All:


Happy New Year vise enthusiasts!

For the artisans: May we continue enjoy & to improve our skills.

For the collectors: May we find our "holy grail" vises.

For the resellers: May we continue so we can $upport our vice and find new homes for unwanted vises.

For all of us: May we all be able to learn from each other and enjoy our camaraderie.

 

[va.grouseman]

Hear, Hear!

 

[drivesitfar]

MARK: VERY WELL SAID!!

Wout: love the YORK. i'm sure you probably know that Wilton used their design to make their high quality bullets?

Loydski: if you might have time or want to post up a family picture of your big reeds with maybe a few other members of your vise family you have my vote.

Shift: yep i'm sure i've got 10 or 20 of them floating around here somewhere.

 

[Outlawmws]

 

[Firewire]

And maybe half a dozen Bugattis like this one?
.
.

Seriously, do any of you guys have one?
.

That looks like a holy grail! Wow!

 

[Firewire]

Freshly cleaned up Reed 224 1/2 R Coach Makers vise. 4.5" jaws and an 11" opening. 78lbs. Flat nose, 4 hole swivel, & dual oil ports.

It had 5 coats of paint on it so I used aircraft paint remover and then a wire wheel to clean it off (mostly) and then used Corrosion X on it to "seal" it and protect from flash rust. It darkened it up quite a bit more than I expected, but that could be because I didn't do a final wash before applying the oil.

https://scontent-dft4-3.**.fbcdn.net/v/t31.0-8/26172359_10213198609832633_1447891604878888980_o.jpg?oh=b36123632311900a8d149f2b46ca19be&oe=5AF83094
https://scontent-dft4-3.**.fbcdn.net/v/t31.0-8/26173636_10213198608312595_5365861496864797335_o.jpg?oh=6172cea25ffe5882a7f63cf8114496c4&oe=5AFC28F6
https://scontent-dft4-3.**.fbcdn.net/v/t31.0-8/26173081_10213198608352596_5783481595708327927_o.jpg?oh=38cc93e93faf99bd4b989590cc58ca15&oe=5AFC8A5F
https://scontent-dft4-3.**.fbcdn.net/v/t31.0-8/26170798_10213198609552626_4960157039896237696_o.jpg?oh=9612b06978695854cb3d0f677e417145&oe=5AF781B6
https://scontent-dft4-3.**.fbcdn.net/v/t31.0-8/26114765_10213198609232618_3992557175332126923_o.jpg?oh=5bb2e5ed6e4ed239ed39eab86b1271c0&oe=5AB732AD
https://scontent-dft4-3.**.fbcdn.net/v/t31.0-8/26172320_10213198659993887_9033557052730016219_o.jpg?oh=fca38ca43bfeab7b66bbd06c788af536&oe=5AF8E816
https://scontent-dft4-3.**.fbcdn.net/v/t31.0-8/26172763_10213198661753931_7979882929298054927_o.jpg?oh=1c6e540487e120f9183e26bbbcc56ecd&oe=5AFF1036

 

[Outlawmws]

That's gorgeous FW!

 

[drivesitfar]

Fire: i've yet to find that Reed around here to add to my Reed family and yours looks AMAZING with that Corrosion X on it. almost looks like you used gun blueing. WOW!!

 

[Loydski29]

Loydski: if you might have time or want to post up a family picture of your big reeds with maybe a few other members of your vise family you have my vote.

drives I’ll work on getting a group photo for you!

 

[CrotalusAtrox]

Did someone say REED CHRISINAZ found this one in CA on CL and made a deal for me. I picked it up today in Prescott AZ. It should look good once I get it cleaned up.

 

[Shiftless]

Nice one CA !
Is that a 406 perhaps?

FW:
Great job! I love that Corrosion X finish you applied. You polished the tops of the letters, right?

 

[CrotalusAtrox]

Nice one CA !
Is that a 406 perhaps?

FW:
Great job! I love that Corrosion X finish you applied. You polished the tops of the letters, right?

It is a 406

 

[jonshonda]

Had the day off yesterday and was fishing through the local for sale ads. I found this big son-a-***** Prentiss No95 and ended up buying it this morning. Seller said it was his grandpa's who lived in the New Jersey area and worked on ship related items. There is number 18 stamped on the bottom of the dynamic jaw...what does this mean? I am going to ask him to text me the history of the vise so I can share with others. Unfortunatly it has been sitting on his garage floor for the last 20 years, so there will more then likely be some issues to deal with.

The swivel base appears to be fused via rust to the base. I was able to get the swivel lever to turn w/o much force, so we will see what happens after some heat and vinegar. Based on the condition of the lever, someone was trying pretty hard to get it to clamp tight.

I have the dynamic portion soaking in a vinegar bath right now, and will put the static portion in later. How long do you think she should soak?

 

[Shiftless]

Congrats on finding a nice old vise. Prentiss Vises were in production back in 1876 or maybe earlier!
Besides the bent handle it looks to be in pretty goood shape.
I would take it out of the vinegar as soon as the swivel base was loose and then use a wire wheel to remove rust from the castings.
IMHO, it is safer to use penetrating oil to free up stuck parts instead of vinegar soaks.

 

[gman007]

Had the day off yesterday and was fishing through the local for sale ads. I found this big son-a-***** Prentiss No95 and ended up buying it this morning. Seller said it was his grandpa's who lived in the New Jersey area and worked on ship related items. There is number 18 stamped on the bottom of the dynamic jaw...what does this mean? I am going to ask him to text me the history of the vise so I can share with others. Unfortunatly it has been sitting on his garage floor for the last 20 years, so there will more then likely be some issues to deal with.

The swivel base appears to be fused via rust to the base. I was able to get the swivel lever to turn w/o much force, so we will see what happens after some heat and vinegar. Based on the condition of the lever, someone was trying pretty hard to get it to clamp tight.

I have the dynamic portion soaking in a vinegar bath right now, and will put the static portion in later. How long do you think she should soak?

Jon
Maui, Shiftless and I have responded to your enquiry on the vise repair thread where you had posed the same question.

https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=252830&page=269
007

 

[joe.striper]

Happy New Year All! Went shopping Yesterday with the bride and brought these home, quite the eclectic grouping...

1.) Parker 439 in really clean original shape

2.) Columbian 5" with pipe jaws

3.) 2" Prentiss swivel jaw

4.) 3" early Wilton #3 with some oroginal label left. Slide is dated 09 46

5.) 3.5" Athol Swivel

6.) 2 odd design machinist vises with cam lock

 

[Provincial]

Joe, the machinist vise is a production vise. The fixed jaw supports a custom jaw that attaches with the two allen head bolts. The custom jaw would have been machined to hold the part in the desired position so the cam lock could clamp it within it's limited adjustment range. The big hex between the dynamic jaw and the cam mechanism is that adjustment.

Not much good for general use, but very fast to change parts in a production setting.

 

[jonshonda]

Jon
Maui, Shiftless and I have responded to your enquiry on the vise repair thread where you had posed the same question.

https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=252830&page=269
007

I saw that...thanks!! I'm excited to own my first nice vise. What I'm not so thrilled about is hauling this pig around!! Vise Spreadsheet says its 115lbs . I can believe that!

 

[gman007]

I saw that...thanks!! I'm excited to own my first nice vise. What I'm not so thrilled about is hauling this pig around!! Vise Spreadsheet says its 115lbs . I can believe that!

Jon
In general the feeling among GJ members seems to be that the bigger the vise the better but there is something to be said about reasonably sized vise say around 50-90 lb and 4” -5” jaws which should suffice for most average needs of a home garage. The needs of pros and serious collectors are of course different.

Most likely someone would happily trade a smaller vise for your 115 lb vise should you be interested
007

 

[Thru-hika]

I picked up an old Wilton 500 bullet today and it had Chicago 14 U.S.A. Does anyone know what the 14 represents? Thank you in advance.

 

[gman007]

Happy New Year All! Went shopping Yesterday with the bride and brought these home, quite the eclectic grouping...

1.) Parker 439 in really clean original shape

2.) Columbian 5" with pipe jaws

3.) 2" Prentiss swivel jaw

4.) 3" early Wilton #3 with some oroginal label left. Slide is dated 09 46

5.) 3.5" Athol Swivel

6.) 2 odd design machinist vises with cam lock

Joe
That is A very nice groups of vises. You not only had a successful treasure hunt but more importantly had your bride’s approval. I dare say for many of us, if we are lucky the better half at best tolerates our addiction

007

 

[GETRIDAONE]

I picked up an old Wilton 500 bullet today and it had Chicago 14 U.S.A. Does anyone know what the 14 represents? Thank you in advance.

That #14 was like an old zip code for Chicago.

 

[jonshonda]

Jon
In general the feeling among GJ members seems to be that the bigger the vise the better but there is something to be said about reasonably sized vise say around 50-90 lb and 4” -5” jaws which should suffice for most average needs of a home garage. The needs of pros and serious collectors are of course different.

Most likely someone would happily trade a smaller vise for your 115 lb vise should you be interested
007

It's funny....I had driven 1.5 to meet a seller of some T4R Trail wheels for my vehicle, and I was a little early so I was looking around the CL ads and came upon a fuller vise. I swear I recall it being on the list of quality vises to buy and the seller was willing to meet me at the same spot I was waiting, so I bit the bullet. I was happy at first but soon realized it wasn't much of a vise. I stripped and restored it, and got a lot of enjoyment and compliments on the finished product.

But I was never happy with it's size or heft, so I have been hunting for a larger vise since the transaction. I am also 6'2" and 265lbs so I like bigger stuff. I have a vision of a big vise sitting upon a 40" tall work bench with a top made of laminated 2x4's w/ a pair of US General 44" tool chests mounted in the bench.

I do need a smaller vise for my basement workshop so I think the fuller will be retired to lighter duty downstairs.

 

[honza.vosalik]

I was offered this Athol 614 1/2 for $60. Honestly I am hesitating because it's over an hour drive each way. What are your thoughts? The plate stating department of defense seems cool.

 

[Fretters]

Jon
In general the feeling among GJ members seems to be that the bigger the vise the better but there is something to be said about reasonably sized vise say around 50-90 lb and 4” -5” jaws which should suffice for most average needs of a home garage. The needs of pros and serious collectors are of course different.

6" at around 100lb is definitely more than enough vice for my needs. I know full well I'll never make one of my 6" vices break a sweat. 4" to 5" is definitely plenty for me in general. Even some 3" ones are plenty for most tasks.

Seems that over here, very few have ever felt the need for anything larger than the 6", 100lb or so range, as the amount of times you ever see anything above that is extremely limited. We must have better technique over here.

 

[Outlawmws]

How many Englishmen does it take to use an 8" vise?
















None ;they don't have any...

 

[drivesitfar]

Thru: 14 for Chicago used to be their ZIP CODE

Honza: i wouldn't have asked cause other than needing a good stripping that Athol looks pretty decent and is worth a lot more than that.

CA: KEEPER??

 

[Fretters]

how many englishmen does it take to use an 8" vise?




None ;they don't have any...

Quality over quantity. It's not the size of the wand which matters, but rather the magic of the magician.

On a slightly related tangent, finally decided what & how I'm going to mount to the new bench. Swindens 4" & Parkinson 3". Going to chop that piece of butchers block underneath them in half, and have the vices bolted to their blocks and then bolt the block to the bench, so that I can switch between them if desired. The Parkinson will likely be the main resident.

 

[honza.vosalik]

Thru: 14 for Chicago used to be their ZIP CODE

Honza: i wouldn't have asked cause other than needing a good stripping that Athol looks pretty decent and is worth a lot more than that.

CA: KEEPER??

From what I can see on the pictures, the jaws look flat. I'll probably ask for a detailed picture of the jaws to be sure.

 

[drivesitfar]

Honza: most of the Athols i've owned and seen there jaws are not serrated other than maybe some faint markings. if you don't want to drive I bet a bunch of other guys on GJ would LOVE THAT VISE so let them have it. a 4.5 old US made vise is perfect for about 95% of all the member's shops/garages, but of course it's nice to have a baby bullet and a monster too.

 

[Fretters]

Quality over quantity. It's not the size of the wand which matters, but rather the magic of the magician.

On a slightly related tangent, finally decided what & how I'm going to mount to the new bench. Swindens 4" & Parkinson 3". Going to chop that piece of butchers block underneath them in half, and have the vices bolted to their blocks and then bolt the block to the bench, so that I can switch between them if desired. The Parkinson will likely be the main resident.

Was toying with the idea of cleaning this one up & mounting it there, (the 6" Parkinson), but thought it might be a touch much.

 

[jonshonda]

honza; before my recent Prentiss purchase I was lusting over Athol and Starrett vises in that size. From everything I read they were the crème of the crop and quality is second to none. The only thing I don't like about that vise is the lack of a swivel. To me stationary vises are meant to be mounted on a stand with 360 degrees of access around the vise, whereas swivel vises are meant for a work bench where access is limited. But I am sure you could find use for it.

 

[Fretters]

To me stationary vises are meant to be mounted on a stand with 360 degrees of access around the vise, whereas swivel vises are meant for a work bench where access is limited. But I am sure you could find use for it.

Another thing which we tend to differ from you lot over there on. Who needs swivellers.

 

[gman007]

Another thing which we tend to differ from you lot over there on. Who needs swivellers.

Well the great man across the pond said “the United States and Britain are two nations separated by a common language” but I think he meant to say they are separated by vises (with swivel bases) and vices (stationary)
Ps
Fret, what the heck are you doing at 3:20 am , do the English never sleep either?

 

[jonshonda]

Another thing which we tend to differ from you lot over there on. Who needs swivellers.

I am unclear as to why one would choose a stationary vise when a swivel is available?

 

[drivesitfar]

007 & FRETTERS & ALL: we don't even spell VISE (VICE) the same way!!

Fretters: i know you might not ever see a 300 pound 8 inch old USA vise in person cause I haven't and some of the guys here own several. You'd probably never NEED one that big or have room for it. SIZE ISN'T EVERYTHING, but it would be cool to own one.

 

[gman007]

I am unclear as to why one would choose a stationary vise when a swivel is available?

It is an English thing and only English can understand it. You should also ask yourself why would some people drive on the wrong side of the road

In early 80s I lived in England (Cambridge) and then in Scotland (in Glasgow and then Edinburgh). You could always tell tourists and visitors by the fact that when crossing a street they would be looking at the wrong side and nearly getting hit by cars. Try driving a stick shift car and shifting with the left hand and mixing up 1st gear with 3 gear, and 2nd with 4th!