The VISES of Garage Journal

[drivesitfar]

Shift: so 2 vises was your haul on your long road trip? great that CRS found or had that information and looks like you found a bit more too.

Razor: i'm sure that measurement might help somebody, but I couldn't resist so thanks for being a good sport.

CRS: great detective work!!

Fretters: just wanted to tell the guys that you actually do own and can use POWER TOOLS, but OMG I almost fell off my chair when I heard it you used one on a vise. looks like you made the fix nicely on your old Parkinson drilling out the old jaw's bolts/screws. is your new color for vises NAKED or do you still have some burgundy paint left to brush on?

ALL: while I was looking for the Reed 404.5 I have to say I love the handle on my Reed 2c that is 3/4 inch in diameter, 1.5 inch balls and 14.25 inches long (sorry I didn't get that other measurement) and mine is perfectly straight.

for those of you NEWBIE vise guys just know the handle lengths and types of steel used were actually made a certain size by the engineers and R&D at vise companies so the handle would bend or break before the vise would so if you upgrade to a longer or thicker handle just know that you can't use it to it's max or you might break your vise.

hope you all have a great day!!

 

[Fretters]

Staying with the dark wax currently. It's simpler than painting. I still have some burgundy paint left though.

 

[jonshonda]

Very few vises pop up locally, so when I see one that isn't over priced I get excited. This Prentiss has a crack in the back of the slide, should I pass on It? $15

 

[gman007]

3/4 inch in diameter, 1.5 inch balls and 14.25 inches long (sorry I didn't get that other measurement) and mine is perfectly straight.

Drives Now now, there is no need to brag in public about length and it being perfectly straight . At this point for a modestly lesson you are invite to watch a clip from the movie SpaceBalls called "Your Schwartz Is as Big as Mine"

 

[txlonghorn1989]

...

for those of you NEWBIE vise guys just know the handle lengths and types of steel used were actually made a certain size by the engineers and R&D at vise companies so the handle would bend or break before the vise would so if you upgrade to a longer or thicker handle just know that you can't use it to it's max or you might break your vise.

hope you all have a great day!!

Being a relative vise newbie, I didn't know that Drives but it makes absolute sense. Definitely good information to be aware of. Thanks!

 

[drivesitfar]

Jon: pick it up especially if it's not far cause for that price any part is worth that if you find a brother to it later that needs one or a member here to trade it to that has something you need.

also it could be a great vise to learn or renew your brazing and milling skills on.

Fretters: I'm with you naked or BLO over old clean(ish) old original paint is the best. every once in a while you need a hint of color in the shop though so don't throw out that Burgundy paint.

cheers

Tex: yep I wasn't sure you or others knew or read that so it's good to put out information every now and again. you're welcome

007: if I was bragging i would have mentioned my 2 inch balls on my Reed 4c that also has a straight handle, but as you are probably aware of it's not the size that counts in some things.

 

[trijeff]

MNW: well of course that question might just get your MAN CARD REVOKED here on this thread, but seriously it's up to you. once you get that old beast cleaned up like TriJeff did with his 300+ pound Prentiss you can do almost anything with it and it's always nice to have a few smaller vises mounted for those other jobs.

yeah, I asolutely love the P98 and use it just as much as my Wilton C1

Sent from my SM-G900T using Tapatalk

 

[CrotalusAtrox]

Maui: I can confirm Razor's measurements and most of 007's on the Reed 404.5 handle size.

12.75 length
1.25 inch balls
5/8 inch diameter

sorry I didn't measure BETWEEN THE BALLS cause that just sounded WRONG.

CA: in case you need a new handle for the Reed 4c it's actually 20 inches, 2 inch balls and an inch diameter handle on mine.

ALL: it's 85 in Seattle and i'm heading back out to mow the lawn (AGAIN) instead of making contacts to buy a MONSTER (Or baby) vise so I hope you all have a good time finding the ones I miss.

cheers

Thanks. Love these Reeds

 

[Maui]

Drives, Gman and RazorHunter,

That is exactly what I was looking for. Thank you all! Man, I love this forum.

Maui

 

[joe.striper]

For all you restorers out there I found this today. Blue/gray paint, an exact match to all old machinery, my baldor grinders etc....Ive been looking for it for 3 years!

You can buy it directly from the maker.

 

[va.grouseman]

yeah, I asolutely love the P98 and use it just as much as my Wilton C1

Sent from my SM-G900T using Tapatalk

, Trijeff on using an 8 incher.---My everyday vise is a 608 Columbian.---Muffduster say's it's junk, but it sure has been good to me.---Go to it about every day for something.---8'' x 2'' jaws will clamp anything I need, large or small, and swivels to boot.---But it's a matter of choice I guess.---Everyone has a different preference, different need.

 

[trijeff]

Hope the Easter Bunny brings you some nice goodies!!

Update for those that have mentioned they like the vise acquisition/back story ... even though I was the seller instead of buyer in this case. In short, a woman bought it for her husband for father's day ... can you even imagine??? It went for over $500. Maybe some of you are lucky enough to be in that boat ... if I got three uninterrupted hours of time just working on vises it would be unbelievable. That dude has it good

Sent from my SM-G900T using Tapatalk

 

[gman007]

Update for those that have mentioned they like the vise acquisition/back story ... even though I was the seller instead of buyer in this case. In short, a woman bought it for her husband for father's day ... can you even imagine??? It went for over $500. Maybe some of you are lucky enough to be in that boat ... if I got three uninterrupted hours of time just working on vises it would be unbelievable. That dude has it good

Sent from my SM-G900T using Tapatalk

TJ That looks better than new, superb job and certainly is worth the price. As for the lady, well I think there are 4 other wives in US like her and mine is certainly not of those 4.

 

[KMinAF]

ERON vise that a friend at work gave me. He got it from the scrap yard along with a Wilton.
Before and after pics

 

[gman007]

Any advise or info on the exact dimensions of the pin for 404 1/2 would be
greatly appreciated.

Drives, mikeswrenches and Dr. Scott

Thank you all for the info and advise.

Whoever might be interested

For the record the taper angle/slope for the Reed 404 1/2 turned out to be 3 degrees

 

[KMScott]

007, What is the major diameter of your pin and the taper length. I would appreciate these numbers. Kevin

 

[Outlawmws]

Very few vises pop up locally, so when I see one that isn't over priced I get excited. This Prentiss has a crack in the back of the slide, should I pass on It? $15

That's a no brainer even if only one part is good.

 

[rusty65]

I think I finally found the maker of this little vise. I believe was made by the Smith machine company sometime around 1877-1900. Along with backus I believe these style of beam vises were among the first on the bench mount vises.








Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[gman007]

007, What is the major diameter of your pin and the taper length. I would appreciate these numbers. Kevin

Dr Scott

Here it is

Major Diam 0.72586"
Minor Diam 0.5555"
Height of the pin from top of taper point to bottom of taper point 1.625"
Taper length (hypotenuse of the triangle) 1.6272"
Angle 3 deg

I did check the trig and it seems the number match

arctan(((0.72586-0.5555)/2)/1.625)=3 deg
and
1.625/cos(3)=1.6272

 

[KMScott]

Thanks 007. for trig all you have to remember is SOH,CAH,TOA.

 

[Shiftless]

Drives:
You mentioned my vise buying trip so I thought I should update.
The vise pile in our car is getting bigger. My cousin’s husband in Iowa gave me 2 little clamp ons. One is a Craftsman, one is that Peck, Stow and Wilcox that I posted earlier. (Thank you again to CRSINMICH for the ID.)
Next to pile into the car was the Holland keystone that I found at a flea market in a tiny town in northern Missouri. (Posted earlier)
Today I attended an estate sale in a suburb of Detroit that friend and fellow GJ member CRSINMICH took me to. There I found the Wilton Shopking that was in the advertisement photos and also a nice little Desmond Stephans that wasn’t. Both of these vises look to be low mileage and still in original paint. To me, the prices were more than fair... $20 each.

I’ll try to get a good set of pictures posted tomorrow.

KMS:
Thanks for reminding us all about So-Ca-Toe-Ah

 

[Outlawmws]

Guys, we did another price drop adjustment on Carla's vises.

https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?p=7169406#post7169406

 

[CRSINMICH]

Shift: Don't forget to give credit to good old #8 who grabbed the Shop King for you. He's a nice person despite being a notorious tool guy who usually ends up beating me to the best stuff.

 

[Shiftless]

Absolutely!... “#8”
Unlike the estate sales where I live, back here the custom is to start handing out numbers very early. You don’t have to stay in line....just pick up a number, or have a buddy who gets up at dawn pick up a number for you, and then show up a few minutes before the sale starts and get into the line according to your number. Thank you CRS for doing that.
I wouldn’t have been able to grab that $20 Shop King unless a ********* local picker who CRS referred to as number 8 picked it up down in the basement within the first minute of the sale and handed it over to CRS to whom he owed a favor. CRS then handed it to me to buy.
Long story but Thanks to everybody involved
I’ll remember the adventure when I look at that vise up on the shelf.

(Pics to follow...I didn’t forget)

 

[z-edition 006]

Here is my vice.

 

[drivesitfar]

Z: great looking vise and bench. hope it serves you well and thanks for posting from my homeland that I hope some day to visit since I'm 100% Norwegian and i've never been there.

Shift: sounds like you brought in the FIRST TEAM at the estate sale and CRS and #8 sound like they know how to get a vise or tool if they want one.

ALL: am I hearing an old Laugh in quote with all this Trig posts or maybe my mind went a different direction?

I just put in a oak cabinet on my bride's side of the garage next to a very stout steel one and since it already had a shelf that I couldn't change the height it looked like it might hold my Reed 4c until I make a stand and it did. even though i'm working out 3 days a week this big Reed still isn't easy to move a few feet and maybe GOD is keeping me from finding those 250+ pound monster vises so I don't drop one on my toe.

have a great day everyone!!

 

[454ragtop]

Wow, your wife sure has a lot of vises.

 

[drivesitfar]

454: yep she's been on more than a few road trips with me helping me pick them up. funny I had them for years spread about and sort of hidden out of site and when I put that shelf there and loaded it up she didn't freak out. she has mentioned when I go over the speed limit to pass somebody or just get to someplace quicker that I might have to sell a vise to pay the ticket. I think I married the right gal cause she's a KEEPER.

(of course she hasn't seen the other ones all in one place yet so we'll see if she still want's to keep me if I ever make that mistake)

cheers

 

[CrotalusAtrox]

Z: great looking vise and bench. hope it serves you well and thanks for posting from my homeland that I hope some day to visit since I'm 100% Norwegian and i've never been there.

Shift: sounds like you brought in the FIRST TEAM at the estate sale and CRS and #8 sound like they know how to get a vise or tool if they want one.

ALL: am I hearing an old Laugh in quote with all this Trig posts or maybe my mind went a different direction?

I just put in a oak cabinet on my bride's side of the garage next to a very stout steel one and since it already had a shelf that I couldn't change the height it looked like it might hold my Reed 4c until I make a stand and it did. even though i'm working out 3 days a week this big Reed still isn't easy to move a few feet and maybe GOD is keeping me from finding those 250+ pound monster vises so I don't drop one on my toe.

have a great day everyone!!

4C

 

[hammerit]

Hi folks-

I found this place looking for information on Versa Vises. I have a long jaw carpenter's model I inherited from my father long ago.
.

Just added this one to my garage. No makers mark on it.
.

 

[lowdowndodge]

I don't post much but wanted to share these two babies.... Dates on them 5/50 for the left one and 2/47 for the right one. Both bought at auctions the one on the right last Saturday the one on the left 5 years ago the only two I have seen in the wild.

 

[drivesitfar]

Hammer: i'm guessing the newer versa vise you have now is an inexpensive Chinese copy, but I bet it will work ok if you stick to light duty work.

CA: I agree 100% about my 4c that has a new pair of smooth and serrated jaws from KM!!

ALL: I think it might have been harder for me to put my Reed 2c on the upper shelf without a step ladder than it was to move the Reed 4c to a waist high shelf. also the Reed 2c is close to the limit of a lighter duty plywood shelf held by pins, but it should work for a while until I move my benches around and get the Reed 2c back on a bench.

speaking of Versa vises I have a few of the oldie and goodies. did anybody make that extra piece to attach to the base to get more angles?

 

[hammerit]

>>Hammer: i'm guessing the newer versa vise you have now is an inexpensive Chinese copy, but I bet it will work ok if you stick to light duty work.<<

Yeah, it's probably a Chinese copy. But it looks like it wasn't used much if at all and it's less than $50 delivered. I've got the for real Versa Vise and another heavy duty vise so I can reserve this one for relatively light duty.

 

[hammerit]

>>speaking of Versa vises I have a few of the oldie and goodies. did anybody make that extra piece to attach to the base to get more angles? <<

Did you know the company that is making them here is making that adapter?

http://www.willburtversavise.com/shop/kw88m1febvpoo0kn7ehp44jxpdk7p0

 

[CRSINMICH]

hammerit: Here's a link to the Vise company manufacturing thread. Post #113 has a Versa-Vise pamphlet from the original Wil-Burt company. One of the accessories that was offered was a TILT-ADAPTER. The DRILL PRESS ADAPTER looks like it could be handy too.
https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=283430&highlight=vise+manufacturers&page=6

 

[gman007]

I don't post much but wanted to share these two babies.... Dates on them 5/50 for the left one and 2/47 for the right one. Both bought at auctions the one on the right last Saturday the one on the left 5 years ago the only two I have seen in the wild.

Dodge
They are both nice vises. The left one (5/50) even has remnants of the original Wilton sticker. Therefore I am wondering if the color is the original. It is is a bit hard to tell from the photo, is the color light green or grey?

 

[drivesitfar]

Dodge: i think you need to post a few more of your gems if that's the kind of stuff you buy at auctions. hard to find a baby with a swivel base much less two at the same auction. well done!!

Hammer: thanks for the link and I like the original adapters look better than the machined one, but looks like it should work.

CRS: thanks for posting the link. I think a member or two had machined some that look like originals. I'm guessing most of the originals didn't get picked up at sales when buyers bought the vise or maybe it wasn't a common item?

ALL: here's another catalog page of the versa vises just because i'm posting and mentioning them in case any of they new members want to see it. also check YouTube for a versa vise video where an old guy showed me how useful it is and got me hooked on buying them.

have a great weekend!!

 

[lowdowndodge]

I will check when I get home from work but I have yet to clean either one of them.

 

[Outlawmws]

hammerit: Here's a link to the Vise company manufacturing thread. Post #113 has a Versa-Vise pamphlet from the original Wil-Burt company. One of the accessories that was offered was a TILT-ADAPTER. The DRILL PRESS ADAPTER looks like it could be handy too.
https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=283430&highlight=vise+manufacturers&page=6

That would also be a simple one to make!

 

[Krash Kadillak]

I'm FINALLY a vise owner....

I've been looking for a while, mostly at estate sales. Up until now, all of the vises I've seen have either been too small (want at least 5" jaws); too worn out; or too expensive.

Today was the day. Picked up this Bessey for $25.00. Seems to be fairly new. Looking it up, I believe it's model # BV-MPV5.