The VISES of Garage Journal

[KMScott]

Speaking of swivel pins. I’ve had a 3.5 prentiss apart on my bench since the fall and now I can’t find the swivel pin. Been too busy remodeling my house. I guess that’s what I get for not putting all the parts in a container like I usually do. I’m removing that bench so hopefully it just fell under or behind it and I find it.

Here you go Bags, a drawing of your pin, buy Joe a six pack and have him make one on his lathe. I use 300 series SS since does not rust, yes 300 series steel is soft but I believe a good choice for this application.

Shift, great that my method worked for you. Have to be careful without heat since the back side of swivel jaws are thin and you could snap off the swivel jaw if the pin is really frozen. I never have the time for soaking stuck vises and have found heat to be my friend.

 

[jwsia]

Saw this guy today. IT was too rich for my blood even though i'mn green to the core. Anyone seen one of these in the wild?

 

[bagged89s10]

Here you go Bags, a drawing of your pin, buy Joe a six pack and have him make one on his lathe. I use 300 series SS since does not rust, yes 300 series steel is soft but I believe a good choice for this application.



Shift, great that my method worked for you. Have to be careful without heat since the back side of swivel jaws are thin and you could snap off the swivel jaw if the pin is really frozen. I never have the time for soaking stuck vises and have found heat to be my friend.

Thanks Kevin. I’ll attempt to make it on my small lathe. It will take a little longer on mine but it will get the job done. I have to order some stock to make some handles so I will order some 300 series stainless while I’m at it. I remember why I lost the pin now. It’s because there was never the original pin, there was just a copper pipe jammed in the hole when I bought the vise. But it was a deal at $30.

 

[bagged89s10]

I’m also kind of pissed I gave away a prentiss 20 to a friend. I just didn’t have time to derust it because i took apart my e-tank and he needed a seized up tool for a YouTube video. I also didn’t realize the pins were the same size.

 

[georgiadave]

Thanks for all the advice fellas. I really want to get the pin out as I want a swivel jaw vise. I am going to go slow with this process as I do not want to damage the vise.

SHIFTLESS: I've thought about the drilling and tap method, I think I will go that route. Ill keep you guys posted.

I took my Prentiss vise apart, and got access to the other side of the pin from the bottom hole in the vise I took a long punch and knocked out the pin. That might work on your vise. My $.02.

 

[bigb56]

This is my Columbian made Gyro vise. It was given to me by my Dad when he moved into assisted living. I was amazed to see how much the Brownell version sells for. I have heard them referred to as "gunsmith's" vises, "guitar maker" vises and "sheet metal" vises.
I have numerous vises and as I dig them out I will post them up.

 

[BeardedOne]

Today I stumbled upon a little Scout 4" which needed some work but I'm happy I picked it up.

How much should I have paid for this little piece of history?

I've had the breaker bar for a while and I know the base doesn't have the locking screw parts but I think I got a pretty good deal on it. The first picture has some depth stop collars in the corner, and I had to use one to put this vise to work. Happy with it so far

 

[exmaxima1]

Has anyone here ever seen one of these vises before? It's the largest exposed screw vise that I have ever come across. The owner claims that the jaws are about 6" wide and the vise weighs well over 100 lbs. It appears to be welded around the jaws, and may have some other issues as well. It was manufactured by the General Fire Extinguisher Company in Providence Rhode Island if I read the letters on it correctly.

There's one similar to that for sale locally. Owner claims it is 100 lbs with 4" jaws. Has the biggest spindle nose I've ever seen (which probably weighs 20 lbs by itself!). Wants $225 which seems high, but it is advertised as "Open box, never used"

 

[GETRIDAONE]

Maybe he meant the "BOX" was never used. !!!!

 

[sgoodwin410]

I have a Columbian Vise in my possession. I have had this vise sitting in the bottom of a trunk in my garage for the past fifteen (15) years. Prior to that, it sat in the bottom of the same trunk sitting in my parents garage for the past twenty-five (25) plus years. the vise is welded together, not cast molded. The one side is stamped:

Columbian
PATS PENDING

there is a number on the inner housing of the bolt:

84-4

below that number there is a "c" inslide of a circle.

Also, the main bolt to secure the vise to the swivel base has a "c" cast on it.

I cannot find anything out about this vise. My mother believes the vice belonged to her father (my grandfather). He was born in 1905 in NE Ohio. Columbian Vises were manufactured out of Cleveland Ohio at that time.

I have pictures to share.

If anyone knows more about where this vise came from, year it was made, model number, original paint color. I would greatly appreciate it.

 

[drivesitfar]

SG: it looks like you might have a PROTOTYPE Columbian vise with the PAT PEND on the side. i'm not sure they ever made this vise for sale, but it looks like it might work well and it's unique.

any chance you can give us the jaw width size when jaws are closed and the total weight of your vise?

I'd probably just clean it up, re grease it and put on some BLO (boiled linseed oil) and mount it proudly on my workbench if it's been in your family that many years and i'm not a huge fan of Columbian vises.

Also welcome to the forum and hope you like Garage Journal and their members as much as I do.

EX: GEESH some people's kids? it's a different old stout open screw vise and not a common brand, but why do sellers put on stuff like that in their descriptions.

 

[sgoodwin410]

Someone replied to my post, I am new to this Garage Journal, I cannot find his response on this thread - only in my email inbox.

To answer your questions:
the jaws width are 4" - i could not remove them. do you recommend me trying harder to remove them so I can regroove them. they are pretty smooth right now.

The Jaws open to nearly 8", but i would have to recheck that number.

I am not sure what Bioled Linseed Oil (BLO) is, are you suggesting that over repainting?

 

[GETRIDAONE]

Goodwin,
https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?p=6841769

Check this GJ link

 

[sgoodwin410]

Total weight is about twenty (20) pounds.

 

[drivesitfar]

SG: you don't have to remove the jaws if they can grip what you are trying to hold and if you maybe need a bit more grip make or buy some copper jaw covers similar to these a member made for his vise out of copper pipe. you can clean up your vise and just put BLO on the paint or if you like to strip the paint and just put BLO on the naked steel that works too. you can paint over BLO if you like a color or leave it black and mount it cause it's your vise.

not sure who sent you a PM (private message sort of like email between members here), but they might have given you information or offered to buy it from you. if you need a vise nothing better than using your Gramp's if it will do the job so I'd keep it.

GET: great post and thanks for the link that had great information and a catalog page too!!

 

[va.grouseman]

Speaking of swivel pins. I’ve had a 3.5 prentiss apart on my bench since the fall and now I can’t find the swivel pin. Been too busy remodeling my house. I guess that’s what I get for not putting all the parts in a container like I usually do. I’m removing that bench so hopefully it just fell under or behind it and I find it.

Bagged, if you will make another pin or buy another pin then the missing one will come rolling out of hiding right yo your feet, and not one second before, if your luck is like mine.---So no matter how long you wait, a month, a year, 2 years, you won't find the missing pin till you don't need it anymore.---But glass half full, you'll have a spare.

 

[gman007]

There's one similar to that for sale locally. Owner claims it is 100 lbs with 4" jaws. Has the biggest spindle nose I've ever seen (which probably weighs 20 lbs by itself!). Wants $225 which seems high, but it is advertised as "Open box, never used"

Even though it is hard to judge the size from photo (in comparison to back of the car) it seems that 100 lbs might be a tad too high for that size vise

 

[va.grouseman]

I tell you, I would go as high as 5, 6, $7000.00 on that Pittsburgh Rotator, but I just absolutely refuse to pay that $47.16 shipping.---That's a deal breaker.



https://www.ebay.com/itm/Rare-Antiq...e=STRK:MEBIDX:IT&_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649

 

[drivesitfar]

007: just an FYI. some of those old open screw vises were the best and heaviest vises made in their day. here's my Vanderman #1 that weighs a bit more than 100 pounds and there is a #2 and #3 that are quite a bit heavier.

VA: you woke up on the right side of the bed today. how's the woodcutting coming along and do you keep any of that wood to feed to the chain gang or stick in a lathe?

 

[Shiftless]

SG:
Although certainly rare, I don’t believe your Columbian is a one off prototype.
Here are some pics of the one I have. I believe that this one is still in original paint.
It’s hard to see in the 3rd pic, but it says Columbian and patent pending

Hop onto google and look for images of Columbian 804 vise.

 

[drivesitfar]

Shift: I probably like Parker better than Columbian if that matters, but still like these old vises. I'm thinking the PAT PENDING on his vise is not as common as the ones they made for production. does yours have PAT PEND on it?

 

[Shiftless]

Drives:
Yes, mine says patent pending right below the Columbian stamping.

That is another unusual feature of this vise. As all of us know, such markings are almost always cast in rather than this which is obviously stamped.

My 3rd photo shows a close up of that mark, but the surface is faded, chipped and weathered looking so it is hard to read without studio grade lighting.

Does anybody else have one of these unusual welded steel Columbians and does it also say patent pending?

BTW, jaw width on mine is 4 inches. The model number is 804 although I cannot see that stamped into my vise anywhere. Many restored examples have large paper labels so that may be why the model number is not stamped in.
.
.
.

 

[va.grouseman]

Previously posted by Drivesitfar.

VA: you woke up on the right side of the bed today. how's the woodcutting coming along and do you keep any of that wood to feed to the chain gang or stick in a lathe?
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Going pretty good Drive.---Got 4 of them cut up.---You can see from the cuts what I do with the wood.---I broke out Heavy Duty for this job, I'm not going to say what brand it is cause I don't want to start a product debate, but I've got to get it all up before the grass starts growing.---With my Vise Lifter Tripod holding the logs at waist level and Heavy Duty screaming, It might be weeks instead of months.---It's a real luxury standing upright, dropping blocks, and not having to bend over.---Easy on the back.

 

[Provincial]

VA, I cheat too, and use a Bobcat 341 excavator with a thumb to hold the logs at waist height. After I cut the rounds, I use the excavator to load them in my dump truck for a trip to the big machine shed where the splitter and firewood piles live.

Picking up the rounds and putting them in the splitter is the hardest part. Some rounds are too big to lift, but I can tilt up the splitter and lay big rounds flat on the ground for splitting. It still takes some muscle to get the big ones into the mouth of the splitter!

 

[Razorhunter]

Guys, I just scored this Reed 406R today. Unfortunately I think its missing a swivel base it shouldve had originally. Or so i think. Also, the swivel pin appears to just be a cut off hex bolt. I believe this id not stock either.
Anyhow, can someone tell me how the hell you actually (physically) swivel the rear jaw? Despite any possible rust or corrosion, I cannot see how the damn jaw even swivels, based on the casting lines I'm seeing. Its a little odd and I gotta get it home tonight to better figure this thing out!

 

[drivesitfar]

Razor: maybe my Reed 404.5 taken apart might give you and idea how your Reed 406 works.

if you do find a swivel base for it I hope you find it's big bolt that needs a drag link socket to remove or tighten the swivel's base to your vise.

or if you don't find a swivel you might make yourself a hitch mount type base for your to attach to your bench.

good luck and nice find

Provi and VA: sounds like even with all that help from your big boy tools you both are getting some EXERCISE. WELL DONE!!

 

[tmcquinn]

Mine are beat up but they still hold whatever I want to cut or drill.

The blue one was bolted to a workbench in the basement of my father's house since the 50s. It has had a hard life. It's in my house now and I expect that it will still be working when I'm dead and gone.

I think the portable one was a present when I was 12. I am 61. Craftsman actually made decent tools at one time.

 

[KMScott]

Guys, I just scored this Reed 406R today. Unfortunately I think its missing a swivel base it shouldve had originally. Or so i think. Also, the swivel pin appears to just be a cut off hex bolt. I believe this id not stock either.
Anyhow, can someone tell me how the hell you actually (physically) swivel the rear jaw? Despite any possible rust or corrosion, I cannot see how the damn jaw even swivels, based on the casting lines I'm seeing. Its a little odd and I gotta get it home tonight to better figure this thing out!

Razor, looks like someone drilled a hole in the center of the swivel pin and added a fake bolt. Here is a drawing of your pin so you can see how big the pin is. The minor diameter is almost 3/4 of a inch. Looks like you might be able to tap the hole and somehow pull that pin out with a slide hammer or a pry method. Clean it up so you can see the taper pin witness line. Good luck.

 

[Provincial]

tmcquinn, the Craftsman drill press vise is a rebranded Palmgren. Very high quality vise.

That was a very nice present for a kid! You are lucky.

 

[Razorhunter]

Ok Drives,
Thanks for posting those pics.
I just gave the rear jaw of this Reed 406R a whack with a chunk of 4x4 and it broke free. It probably hasn't swiveled in decades.
Anyhow, I see benchviseparts has a pin for my 406R, and I see it's apparently a tapered plug shaped pin, so I'll probably pick one of those up from him. If anyone has any other sources, by all means, please let me know.
Also, if anyone here has a 406R, and has some specs/dimensions/pics of an actual 406R swivel bases parts, I would love to get in touch with you. Or better yet, if anyone has a broken 406R's swivel base parts, that would really be great.

 

[trijeff]

Were those replaceable jaws added on? One appears to have a jaw shelf of sorts, the other missing or damaged. Not sure I've ever seen a Reed 40X with replaceable jaws but could totally be wrong about that.

 

[Razorhunter]

Trijeff,
They appear to be stock. The jaws are even pinned in the middle with alignment pin. That little end of the vise jaw shelf is the only bit of damage I've found on this vise. Gonna fimd a good welder that knows his stuff to possibly build it back up and then I'll grind it down. Unless you guys think thats a bad idea?. Anyone know if any of the other Reed vises had compatible swivel bases with my 406R? I know I saw a 405R on ebay that looked like its swivel might fit, but not sure? Anyone with a 406R on this forum?

 

[drivesitfar]

TJ: i think Zoomie has a few of those old REED 404's with replaceable jaws. can't say i have one, but I'm not sure cause don't have all my 404's in one place to check.

Razor: best of luck with your big Reed 406 and good to hear you have the swivel jaw loose. not 100% sure, but guessing a Reed 206 would have a similar swivel base as your 406. I think 2 or 3 of the 406's have popped up lately here and over on the vise repair 101 thread so read back a month or so on both threads and you might find a member if they don't see your new post.

 

[Razorhunter]

One more question. I've seen smaller vises with only one hole in the dynamic jaw, which were marked "oil" here. This vise has two holes. I'm assuming there might be a pin or setscrew in one, but is one hole used for oiling purposes? If so which? Just doing a little research until I get it broke down this weekend and see for sure.

 

[drivesitfar]

Razor: i'm guessing the extra hole has a set screw in it to hold the split nut in place that is holding your main screw on your dynamic jaw.

 

[Razorhunter]

Thanks Drives, probably right.
Here's another question for you Reed guys. If I'm looking for a swivel base for my 406R, what are the chances Reed could help? I noticed the big 4C that's still in production has a swivel base on it, or at least on some of the ones I've seen.
Anyone know if a 4C's swivel base might fit, or has Reed gone to a different updated design?
I don't even know their company history, or when they stopped production on these older Reeds like mine.
My real question is with regards to Reed over the phone. I mean, are they a helpful company, that knows their company history/timeline on topics such as this? Or are they one of those companies that don't know jack squat about older vises they once made????

 

[jpickar]

I have a Columbian Vise in my possession. I have had this vise sitting in the bottom of a trunk in my garage for the past fifteen (15) years. Prior to that, it sat in the bottom of the same trunk sitting in my parents garage for the past twenty-five (25) plus years. the vise is welded together, not cast molded. The one side is stamped:

Columbian
PATS PENDING

there is a number on the inner housing of the bolt:

84-4

below that number there is a "c" inslide of a circle.

Also, the main bolt to secure the vise to the swivel base has a "c" cast on it.

I cannot find anything out about this vise. My mother believes the vice belonged to her father (my grandfather). He was born in 1905 in NE Ohio. Columbian Vises were manufactured out of Cleveland Ohio at that time.

I have pictures to share.

If anyone knows more about where this vise came from, year it was made, model number, original paint color. I would greatly appreciate it.

I had one like that for a while, but since I'm not a collector I sold it to get a bigger, heavy duty vise.
Columbian made these vises in the 1930's from the information I found and here on the this thread. They are nothing special and do not get much for collector value. But they are unique to say the least.

 

[fullthrottle24]

Parker 474 alert
https://cleveland.craigslist.org/tls/d/bench-vise/6522996589.

 

[XJSuperman]

Is that a joke? The link takes me to an ad with no pics and says it was posted 48 YEARS ago... what does that mean?

 

[fullthrottle24]

Sorry, I'll try again.
https://cleveland.craigslist.org/tls/d/bench-vise/6522996589.html