The VISES of Garage Journal

[dutchgray]

I found a Record #5 (5") vise at a yard sale today. It has a little welding dribble on each jaw, but is otherwise in pretty decent shape. I didn't try to dicker on her price of $20.00. She said she had already sold two smaller vises, so I'm left with wondering what they were that the buyers left the Record behind.

Nice vice for $20, good general use size, I don't need to see the other side, thats an English one.

 

[Gerard]

Finished cleaning up the two old RAEs this morning...

This included making a set of smooth jaws for the No. 5

Those look great and it looks like you did a fantastic job on those smooth jaws.

It's neat how RAE made vises in both the British style and the American style. If I recall correctly the American style ones were advertised as the more heavy duty variant, but the British design still seems very formidable.

 

[chrisnazzy]

"Well used but still usable" Prentiss 50. People (sellers) never cease to amaze me!

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https://www.ebay.com/ulk/itm/312137941551

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[GETRIDAONE]

Some crazy glue should fix that

 

[Gerard]

"Well used but still usable" Prentiss 50. People (sellers) never cease to amaze me!

Saw that poor Prentiss yesterday and got a kick out of that description. Seller could just be genuinely clueless... At least it's pretty obvious in the pictures.

 

[Outlawmws]

"Well used but still usable" Prentiss 50. People (sellers) never cease to amaze me!

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https://www.ebay.com/ulk/itm/312137941551

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Some crazy glue should fix that

 

[oldldh]

Or...

One could...

Use...

A couple of LONG self tapping, sheet metal screws...

They...

Would tighten that baby, right up...

 

[AngryBeaver]

I finally got around to cleaning up a Reed 214 that I picked up last summer while out of town helping another shop out. instead of heading to the bar after work I was able to stay late at their shop and get some projects done. you can see a side shot of the fused/welded jaws. None of the permanent jaws I've ever seen has had this machining on the side. almost as if they could have been made removable....

anyways, a new cast iron finish... not sure how I feel about it yet. and a group shot on the ones I have at the moment. half of them are sold once I get around to cleaning them up.

 

[BMR24]

Is the following image what you were looking for ? "Don't have enough information" - I'm not sure what other information you want me to put, other than the holes don't line up ?

As this is just the collar, I didn't think there would be a significant amount of stress put on it, hence my thinking a cast iron rod/weld or JBweld would suffice. Cutting a pocket or making my own requires tools, know how and time that I don't have. I may look into having a cast iron copy made of the collar ?

The simplest and cheapest way I can think of to make this work is to use a couple of sizes of round files to elongate the hole in the collar. Then you could use a washer to cover up the elongated hole, or try and find a bolt with a larger head which would look better

 

[BMR24]

Anyone ever seen a threaded pin holding in the main nut instead of the usual tapered pin? The more I get into this vise the more I think it was a project from a casting school or something. No identifying marks and nothing matches it in the spreadsheet

 

[drivesitfar]

BMR: I can't recall exactly which vises i've seen it on, but yes some pins have been threaded on both the ones holding the vise nut in place and some holding the swivel jaws in place. i can't say if it left the factory that way, but maybe a machinist improved the method on how he took apart and put together his vises.

several members have threaded pins holding wilton's vise nut in place and many spent a few minutes showing us how they did it on the vise repair 101 thread.

good luck

 

[chrisnazzy]

Angrybeaver - That is a very nice example of the Reed Filer's / Toolmaker's vise. You did a nice job. I'd like to own it just because they aren't nearly as common as the standard machinists vises and there is something about the pointed jaws that just makes them look cool!

I barely missed picking up this Parker 574X Filer's vise last year but CrotalusAtrox ended up with it and did a fine job fixing it up too!

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[FMC1959]

"Well used but still usable" Prentiss 50. People (sellers) never cease to amaze me!

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https://www.ebay.com/ulk/itm/312137941551

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It's crazy that a Prentiss could have gone through all of that, yet no crack down the slide.

 

[chrisnazzy]

It's crazy that a Prentiss could have gone through all of that, yet no crack down the slide.

I know right! I consider myself very lucky to have two Prentiss vises now and neither one of them has a cracked slide or any other major damage.

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[mike_paxton]

Saw a CL ad with pics (pic 1 &2), advertising a huge vise.

Knew immediately from the pics it was an unmarked double swivel Prentiss 22, with weight around 168 pounds with 6 inch jaws.

Seller turned out to be someone I knew years ago, so he was able to fill me in that he bought it a year ago from a machinist who lived on my end of town when I was growing up.

We actually had worked out the price for vise over phone, with one price if the pin that allows upper swivel, was stuck or able to be pulled out. (It was stuck).

Got it home and stripped it clean (pics 3,4, 5 & 6), and for first time with a Prentiss 22, was able to get vise nut and the pin that holds the nut in place extracted, which made it easy to punch out the pin from below on upper swivel.

Now have finished triplets of the Prentiss 22, with one fully marked with maker information in the castings, while the other two (including this one), have no markings at all.

Mike

 

[PacificaVette]

I know right! I consider myself very lucky to have two Prentiss vises now and neither one of them has a cracked slide or any other major damage.

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I also have two Prentiss vises that have no damage. They seem like pretty solid vises, so I wonder how they got the reputation of being easily damaged, especially the perceived problem of cracked slides. Could it be that that Prentiss's actual track record is better than their reputation?

 

[Outlawmws]

Uncracked slides do exist for Prentiss's, however Prentisse leads the pack by far for slides spit up the middle...

 

[nutjob]

Here is a Wilton 4" I finished a refurb on. This is sitting next to my Wilton 4 1/2" that I purchased new in 1987. The 4" is stamped 1986 so almost the same age. It was pretty nasty with everything spray painted but cleaned up pretty good. No breaks or repairs and it is missing one swivel handle and the one I have is real pitted.

I can confirm the end cap pins are tapered and splined on the end. If you knock them in they will most likely split the casting. They have to be pushed out from the inside. The allen key trick works fine.

Here again this shows that the Verde Green is the wrong color for at least 80's vintage Wiltons.

Kevin

 

[ed4banger]

Here is a Wilton 4" I finished a refurb on. This is sitting next to my Wilton 4 1/2" that I purchased new in 1987. The 4" is stamped 1986 so almost the same age. It was pretty nasty with everything spray painted but cleaned up pretty good. No breaks or repairs and it is missing one swivel handle and the one I have is real pitted.

I can confirm the end cap pins are tapered and splined on the end. If you knock them in they will most likely split the casting. They have to be pushed out from the inside. The allen key trick works fine.

Here again this shows that the Verde Green is the wrong color for at least 80's vintage Wiltons.

Kevin

For the 80s vintage, I like the Dupli-Color EDE161607 Ceramic Pontiac Blue Metallic Engine Paint

 

[Gerard]

Uncracked slides do exist for Prentiss's, however Prentisse leads the pack by far for slides spit up the middle...

I've even seen split slides on the Meriden CT Prentiss vises, which were seemingly built in the Parker factory after the buyout.

There's a Prentiss 264 (Meriden model) on eBay right now with a split slide, which is worrying since that's the same vise I have.

 

[gman007]

I've even seen split slides on the Meriden CT Prentiss vises, which were seemingly built in the Parker factory after the buyout.

There's a Prentiss 264 (Meriden model) on eBay right now with a split slide, which is worrying since that's the same vise I have.

Gerard
While there seems to be a lot of anecdotal evidence for Prentiss developing cracks more than some of the other America vises , I would venture to say that these cracks were not spontaneously created under normal and reasonable uses. I have a feeling that a human abusing the vise might have something to do with. Granted some other brands might have withstood the abuse better than Prentiss.

Bottom line is that if you take care of Prentiss most likely it will have no issues.

 

[1NRO]

I'm not sure it's always down to abuse. I bought a Prentiss recently, it has a cracked slide but virtually no other marks on the slide. I have another, an old coachmakers which has had a bit of "use" on the slide but no crack. I pray it won't get one as it's my favourite.

 

[ed4banger]

I'm not sure it's always down to abuse. I bought a Prentiss recently, it has a cracked slide but virtually no other marks on the slide. I have another, an old coachmakers which has had a bit of "use" on the slide but no crack. I pray it won't get one as it's my favourite.

I have seen a number of slide breaks, on Rock Islands as well. My theory on many of these as they do not occur during use. A break on the side during use makes little sense. I believe a lot of these slide breaks occur when the vise is dropped on the floor. It happens.....

 

[gman007]

I have seen a number of slide breaks, on Rock Islands as well. My theory on many of these as they do not occur during use. A break on the side during use makes little sense. I believe a lot of these slide breaks occur when the vise is dropped on the floor. It happens.....

Unless the Slide bar is used a nice flat surface to beat on (instead of using a real anvil).

 

[ed4banger]

Unless the Slide bar is used a nice flat surface to beat on (instead of using a real anvil).

That's fine, but does not explain side of slide breaks on slides having pristine upper surfaces, which I have seen. I have a RI automatic with a slide crack, AND a broken mounting tab. I think some dimwit was using the vise as a shot put......

 

[gman007]

That's fine, but does not explain side of slide breaks on slides having pristine upper surfaces, which I have seen. I have a RI automatic with a slide crack, AND a broken mounting tab. I think some dimwit was using the vise as a shot put......

The side of slide breaks are like you said most likely due to the vise being dropped. But I think the main point of concern being discussed here is the crack at the top (and usually center of the top) of the slide bar (like Outlaw said "Prentisse leads the pack by far for slides spit up the middle.")

PS
One would think if the vise was dropped, the chances of the side of it breaking is lot higher than the top developing a crack. And we do see a lot of slides from all brands whose sides are broken and that does not seem to be unique to Prentiss.

 

[Fretters]

How to tell you're becoming a bit of a sad git.

 

[oneoldboot]

Greetings! Just joined the forum last week and love it!

I started collecting vises last year and focus on Littlestown (Littco). They are a local company. I was born and raised in Erie, PA and do like Reed for that reason.

I picked up my first Reed #204 and can't get the swivel base off. Any tricks for removing it?

Thank you!

 

[Shiftless]

Boot:
Welcome to the home of many vises!

For that task, I reach for my drag link socket. First soak the area thoroughly with penetrating oil. Personally I like Kroil or PB Blaster or a 50-50 mix of acetone and ATF.

 

[va.grouseman]

Gman, I hade a Reed 4C arrive with a chunk broke out of the back of the slide.---Got loose in the crate and got thrown around like a football evidently.---Broke my heart.---Guy had it insured, kept the insurance money, but sent me $100.00 for my troubles.---He got paid twice.---Enough about that.

I cottoned on to a stationary Columbian, 6'' jaws, from VDOT, as they were going to throw it in the scrap pile.---Reason being, for the previous 24 years it wasn't used as a vise but an anvil by the mowing machine men to hammer the ribbits out of their mowing sickle blades, and then brad the rivets back in.---They would use the edge of the slide to cut the rivet heads off and the center to brad them back in..---Needless to say the slide looked like a pregnant cow with the center sunk in a 1/2'' and the sides pooched out 3/8'' on each side.---It was ruined as far as VDOT was concerned, but some grinding the sides and filler welding on the top of the slide and I used it for 30 years as my only vise.---That is a testimony to Columbians Malleable Steel.---I can't even imagine what that would have done to a Prentiss.---I've told this story before, but it seemed relevant to the subject at hand.

 

[Shiftless]

Imagine va. going for 30 years with only one vise! But it certainly was a good one. My 5 1/2 inch fixed base Columbian survived a Liberty Ship fabrication shop in Richmond, CA that probably ran 3 shifts.
Thanks for the story and the warning about shipping and properly preparing vises for their hazardous journeys.

Broken 4C... say it ain’t so!

 

[gman007]

Gman, I hade a Reed 4C arrive with a chunk broke out of the back of the slide.---Got loose in the crate and got thrown around like a football evidently.---Broke my heart.---Guy had it insured, kept the insurance money, but sent me $100.00 for my troubles.---He got paid twice.---Enough about that.

I cottoned on to a stationary Columbian, 6'' jaws, from VDOT, as they were going to throw it in the scrap pile.---Reason being, for the previous 24 years it wasn't used as a vise but an anvil by the mowing machine men to hammer the ribbits out of their mowing sickle blades, and then brad the rivets back in.---They would use the edge of the slide to cut the rivet heads off and the center to brad them back in..---Needless to say the slide looked like a pregnant cow with the center sunk in a 1/2'' and the sides pooched out 3/8'' on each side.---It was ruined as far as VDOT was concerned, but some grinding the sides and filler welding on the top of the slide and I used it for 30 years as my only vise.---That is a testimony to Columbians Malleable Steel.---I can't even imagine what that would have done to a Prentiss.---I've told this story before, but it seemed relevant to the subject at hand.

VA What happned to your Reed 4C would indeed break any tool man's heart.

Thank you for sharing the story of your Columbian. It seems stupidity of mankind knows no bound. Why would anyone abuse a tool that is faithfully serving him?

Here are photos of slide bars of my Parker 204 and Reed 204. As you can see these poor guys were subject to some beating on top of their slide bars and have scars to testify to the abuse.

Notice most of the scars are in fact at the very end of the slide bar which would never be under a piece being held by the jaws. In other words it is not like someone was working on a piece that then marred the slide as the end of slide would be either in the housing or sticking out from the back end of the static housing.

 

[gman007]

Greetings! Just joined the forum last week and love it!

I started collecting vises last year and focus on Littlestown (Littco). They are a local company. I was born and raised in Erie, PA and do like Reed for that reason.

I picked up my first Reed #204 and can't get the swivel base off. Any tricks for removing it?

Thank you!

One
I had the exact same issue with my Reed 204. I bought the largest drag link socket that locally I could find which was 1". The bolt is over twice as wide plus the drag link socket edge was nowhere near as thick as the width of the slot so this did not workout for me. I then made this home made socket and steel washer contraption and with Pneumatic Impact Wrench it did the job.

 

[va.grouseman]

Gman, I'm just like you, I've sacrificed a lot of tools for just one particular job many times.---Altering the function of a tool to a specific need.---I've got a lot of custome tools I've altered but I never toss them cause I never know when that situation may come up again.---My father was an old-school mechanic, he was 3 times worse than me for custom making tools.---He had an entire tool chest of nothing but altered tools for unique situations.---He looked at it kind of like the CIA's motto, ("WHAT EVER IT TAKES'').


I have never altered a vise to degrade it's value,,,for any reason.

 

[chrisnazzy]

Greetings! Just joined the forum last week and love it!

I started collecting vises last year and focus on Littlestown (Littco). They are a local company. I was born and raised in Erie, PA and do like Reed for that reason.

I picked up my first Reed #204 and can't get the swivel base off. Any tricks for removing it?

Thank you!

Welcome to Garage Journal!

The last one I took apart that had a slotted shoulder bolt was an Athol. This is what I came up with to remove it. Worked well.

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[va.grouseman]

Originally posted by Gman.

Thank you for sharing the story of your Columbian. It seems stupidity of mankind knows no bound. Why would anyone abuse a tool that is faithfully serving him?
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Well Gman, the situation was that the Columbian being abused was in the old discontinued blacksmith shop.---VDOT no longer made their own tools and hardware.---That generation had long since past.---Someone had long since absconded the big anvil and blower and all the tongs and hammers and there was nothing left in the BS shop but the old Columbian, so that's what they beat on.---There were 3 other big Columbians in 3 other shops on the premises, so they showed this one no respect.---And it was bolted down to a bridge timber bench and bradded hard or it would have surely disappeared to.---The only reason I got it was they took a front end loader, hooked a chain around the vise, lifted the whole bench up in the air, shook it violently till the bench broke up and fell off.---OSHA was making them tear all the old wooden structures down so it had to go.---That was back in 74.---Was the only vise I had and used for 30, and then I discovered just how much I liked collecting the things.---But I've still got that old friend, he's retired now, he's earned it.

 

[gman007]

Welcome to Garage Journal!

The last one I took apart that had a slotted shoulder bolt was an Athol. This is what I came up with to remove it. Worked well.

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Chris
Out of curiosity how large was the slotted shoulder bolt on your Athol and what was the model of the vise (or alternatively the jaw size and weight)? I am interested to compare the Reed and Athol center bolt sizes. For reference the 2" slotted shoulder bolt was for a 4" , 51 lb. Reed 204.

 

[drivesitfar]

Fretters: so did you paint the entire vise that grabber green or is that florescent green? vise looks pretty damn good naked. did you make the little holder you painted green or did it just clean up differently?

ALL: as most of you know a lot of Prentiss vises were made during the time when most guys had a blacksmith vise that was constantly beat on hence all the ads about hitting vises with sledgehammers. sure you shouldn't hit the back of any slide with a hammer, but tell that to a guy that had a wood bench and a part that needed flattening. I agree Prentiss made great vises, but they didn't make them as well to stand up to ABUSE as some of the other old vises did.

 

[Fretters]

The rest of the vice is waxed. That front plate is quite smooth though, so doesn't darken the same with the wax, hence my eye turned to the spray tin of luminous paint which I've been wanting to test for ages.

 

[drivesitfar]

Fretters: i think we'll need to see a few pictures of the green part on the vise if it makes it to it.

also when you say WAX is that your LINSEED OIL & BEESWAX and OTHER INGREDIENTS that you mix up yourself? kinda looks similar to your shoe polished vise.