Craftsman/Sears, Vise ID by Catalog

[Keyblazer]

Got this one 2 weeks back and only had time to look at it seriously today...
Paid about $50 for it, and like it already, as its far bigger and beefier than the HF it will replace!

Can someone help me ID it and its approx year?

Part number on the side is #391-5181?
Has "Japan BF C-4" on underside of mount.
Jaw width is 5 1/8" and opening is just over 6".







Part number:




Are replacement jaws available?
How can I repair the dings and saw marks in the heads?

 

[fsantana]

Broken links for me

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Thanks Cruzan I replaced the links with thumbnails.

 

[Outlawmws]

I'm thinking that 5230 is not any Sears vise sold. I'm also thinking that the holes were added for specialized clamping, possibly for 3 point holds on round or irregular parts, and the center hole so a swiveling dog can be installed.

Try main Vises thread, someone may recognize the base vise.

 

[Outlawmws]

KeyB, the 5181 is obv. from Japan, and I think it was the early 70's when they outsourced the style to Japan, as that was also when they started offering the 4" version (I know yours ins the 5", but IIR, I think the Japanese made 3 sizes for Sears, where the earlier ones only came 3-1/3 and 5)

 

[fsantana]

I'm thinking that 5230 is not any Sears vise sold. I'm also thinking that the holes were added for specialized clamping, possibly for 3 point holds on round or irregular parts, and the center hole so a swiveling dog can be installed.

Try main Vises thread, someone may recognize the base vise.

Thanks Outlaw, I'll try the main site. Yeah, I figured the holes were for some sort of clamp but wasn't sure if the vise was manufactured that way.

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[Keyblazer]

Thanks Outlaw!
This is my first Big Boy vice!
Anyone care to direct me to a place that shows how to weld up the ugly hacksaw cuts and dings on the head? I have mig and Tig.

 

[Empty Pockets]

I know I'm a little late to the party, but WOW!!!! Amazing information

 

[Outlawmws]

welding on vises is covered here: http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=252830&page=180

I would recomend searching for KMScot's posts

 

[bubinga]

Thanks Outlaw!
This is my first Big Boy vice!
Anyone care to direct me to a place that shows how to weld up the ugly hacksaw cuts and dings on the head? I have mig and Tig.

Poor mans surface grinder, be super careful if you do this, and pull the vise against the direction of rotation. Take **LIGHT**LIGHT** CUTS!
I took a ~6" grinding disk, the kind you would put in a 1/4" drill, before we got a grinder.
set the table high enough to just take a super light cut while pulling the vise
under the grinding disk.
Just be careful, cause if you "climb cut" it can pull the vise off of you.
I could not get the one jaw out, so I cleaned and evened the top up the best I could.

 

[frozen shed]

Hello, I'm new to the Forum. I dug this old Dunlap 5197 out of the garage and I'm restoring it. I'm guessing late 50's to early 60's but I thought I'd ask some people with experience.


http://imgur.com/ZonXihM

http://imgur.com/d8L1CMu

 

[Outlawmws]

I think you may have misread or typo-ed the number? is it 5187? a 5197 is a Craftsman Heavy duty Machinists vise...

Your vise seems related to the Dunlap 5177 from the mid 60's See Page 1

 

[frozen shed]

100% 5197 (3 1/2" jaws), I just re-checked as she's soaking in the laundry tub. Thanks for the info. Does anyone know the closest matching spray paint to best match the original Dunlap red?

 

[Username already in use]

I found this Craftsman 4" 'Garage vise' at the flea last summer. Looks like it's straight out of the '40/'41 catalog.

 

[bubinga]

Nice!

 

[Outlawmws]

~30 Lbs for an exposed screw vise is no slouch! Nice find!

 

[Sdflcorran]

1945 Tools catalog - The two on the left have been positively ID'ed as Reed from an internal casting of reed on the nut of one of these.

I picked up a 5185 that looks almost identical to the one on the right. Despite the description clearly stating it has "welded" jaws, the picture shows replaceable jaws. Wonder how that slipped past the catalog editor. My 5185 definitely has cast jaws.

I'm having trouble getting the vise nut out so I can't verify that just yet, but the swivel base clearly has a 1C stamped in it, so I would assume the swivel models were made by Reed as well.

 

[waltonbeneric]

Need any help on specifics on my vise.

It's a Sears branded, 4" jaws, model #506-51776. Made in USA. All this info is forged into the vise.

I assume based on the info in this thread it's a Colombian made vise. But any additional info appreciated.

Thanks
Mark

I know this is an old post but I have the same vise. If you look at page 118 of the 1976/77 Sears Tool Catalog I believe it is the anvil we have. The Part numbers match up. Just thought you might be interested. Here is the link to the catalog...
http://vintagemachinery.org/pubs/222/12723.pdf

 

[Sdflcorran]

I picked up a 5185 that looks almost identical to the one on the right. Despite the description clearly stating it has "welded" jaws, the picture shows replaceable jaws. Wonder how that slipped past the catalog editor. My 5185 definitely has cast jaws.

I'm having trouble getting the vise nut out so I can't verify that just yet, but the swivel base clearly has a 1C stamped in it, so I would assume the swivel models were made by Reed as well.

Here's a shot of the cast jaws after stripping all the pain/grime.



Here's the original paint color.

 

[fsantana]

Thanks Outlaw, I'll try the main site. Yeah, I figured the holes were for some sort of clamp but wasn't sure if the vise was manufactured that way.

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I just saw this on ebay. There are two listing for Dunlap 5230 vises.
http://m.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-3-5-D...%3A868673da15b0aa471f8ad64efffd2a3c%7Ciid%3A1


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[fsantana]

I'm thinking that 5230 is not any Sears vise sold. I'm also thinking that the holes were added for specialized clamping, possibly for 3 point holds on round or irregular parts, and the center hole so a swiveling dog can be installed.

Try main Vises thread, someone may recognize the base vise.

Outlaw I came across this Dunlap 5230 on ebay, see above post. Looks like Sears may have made a 5230 after all. I couldn't find it in any of the catalogues. I wonder how rare it is? Also the one on ebay only had three holes total on the jaws. Interesting.

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[Slinger646]

Fresh from the auction;$10 cash and carry.

 

[Capt. Johnny]

The prices illustrate how much the Fed has diluted the money supply in the last 50+ years.

 

[tool_scrounge]

I recently ran into an interesting variation recently. It is marked as a 506-51840 (Columbian made, 4.5" wide jaws, Craftsman Commercial) but the handle and screw looked all wrong. The usual ones have a tapered end of the screw and the end of the handles are tapered.





I was a bit sad because someone had obviously replaces the screw and handle. But on further research, I found it was a transition version only made for one or two years.

From the 1969 catalog, this has the classic handle/screw with the sculpted 1960's castings.:


But in the 1971 catalog, it has the more standard screw and handle, but with the the sculpted 1960's castings.:



And in the 1972/3 catalog, it has the more standard screw and handle and the blocky Columbian machinist vise castings.:



I wish I had a 1970 catalog to see what version of the vise is in that catalog.

 

[SuperChuck]

First post!

Long time lurker though. Love this site. I bought this Craftsman 5169 at a yard sale for $55. I'm trying to confirm it is a made in the USA one and the year timeframe. I've looked at the catalogs and it looks like a model offered from about 1948 to around 1957 but what's throwing me off is the forged lettering. All the others I've seen have a nameplate. No writing on the other side of the vise. Any ideas? Thanks in advance.

 

[motorick]

Awesome thread, but a bad influence! After reading, I had to have a vintage Craftsman vise to go with my King Seeley Drill Press. Found a decent 5169 on ebay. Love this forum, even if I'm primarily lurking and drooling : )

 

[Outlawmws]

Chuck, its definitely made in the US. Keep in mind the pics in the catalogs were artists renditions and did not always get updated with nuances like cast letters vs, a label.

Rick,



'Cause we're all about the pics!

 

[Shiftless]

Chuck:
I agree with Outlaw. That is definately a USA made model. Post a few more pics if you can.

Here is my 5191

 

[ndnchf]

Last week I picked up this nice Craftsman 506-51811. The seller had already cleaned and painted it. Its actually red, the flash kind of washed out the color. Its is very nice shape, good jaws etc.

 

[ptgarcia]

Last week I picked up this nice Craftsman 506-51811. The seller had already cleaned and painted it. Its actually red, the flash kind of washed out the color. Its is very nice shape, good jaws etc.

I have a 5" that looks just like that but its a 506-51810. I wonder what the difference is?


Edit: Actually, now that I look a little closer the shape is different.

 

[FrogPrince]

I found what may be the debut advertisement for the Craftsman 5176/5169 series vise:
Sears 1947 Christmas Catalog. So, the dates for this vise now appear to be 1947 to 1957. A great vise that is still holding work on my bench today.

 

[Outlawmws]

That catalog page is a nice find!

 

[bubinga]

I found what may be the debut advertisement for the Craftsman 5176/5169 series vise:
Sears 1947 Christmas Catalog. So, the dates for this vise now appear to be 1947 to 1957. A great vise that is still holding work on my bench today.

That catalog page is a nice find!

That wood working vise looks nice too.

 

[bdbaggr]

Can anyone give info on a 3-1/2" 506-51800-3 thank you! Great site btw!

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[Outlawmws]

What do you want to know that isn't on the catalog pages on page 1?

 

[bdbaggr]

What do you want to know that isn't on the catalog pages on page 1?

Was looking for the year but couldn't find my particular model number. Many look similar but the precise number I didn't see...

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[Outlawmws]

"518X series w/506 prefix - Colombian; w/391 prefix - Japan"

Made from at least 1960, to at least 1973. For a short period some were made in Japan, but mostly later. So you won't get an exact year but the general decade was 60's

The model number has the key part of the catalog stock No. buried in it. first three digits of the Mod. No. are the MFG of the item.:

506-51800-3 = 99 m 5180C

 

[bdbaggr]

Thanks I appreciate it!

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[Qualitytools]

Here is my Japan made (based on my search and Outlawmws) Craftsman vise
No 391-5180 that my neighbor decided to just give me
Any preventative maintenance tips are welcomed!

 

[bubinga]

I have the same Vise, had to make the clamp down nut for mine..... Was missing.
It's a fine little Vise.

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[bubinga]

I don't know if it was my mother's really or my grandfather's but we had one of those vices when I was growing up she used to fool around with jewelry and stuff she's pretty good really but anyways me and my late cousin we were trying to use it as a jerry-rigged pitman arm puller for my Monte Carlo and we busted it in half LOL

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