The VISES of Garage Journal

[va.grouseman]

Acquired this Wilton vise 940 stamped"Acme Tool New York" a few years ago and just wondering if anyone has one or any info on them. Mine has 12-50 on the slide as the manufacture and warranty start date. I haven't seen many of these around, thanks gg54

Garageguy, I found a couple of those.---You don't see them pop up too often anymore.---I don't think they made a lot of them.---That is a nice one you have.---Hang on to it.---Mine are dated 47.

 

[Garageguy54]

VA. Grouseman thanks for sharing that is a beautiful pair you have there. GG54

 

[MayerMR]

Oh the humanity!

But in all-seriousness, while I'd hate to see an older, well-made vise subjected to such silliness, I can't help but think a Starett or Wilton wouldn't explode in such as fashion.

 

[Gerard]

Oh the humanity!

But in all-seriousness, while I'd hate to see an older, well-made vise subjected to such silliness, I can't help but think a Starett or Wilton wouldn't explode in such as fashion.

I was surprised by how much "give" the jaws seemed to have before they actually snapped, since the vise looks like one that would be made out of cheap gray iron.

 

[rumb]

Drop forged in Germany. This model was produced between 1936 and 1948.

Ball bearing on spindle, double start threads, slop adjustment from bottom, felt dust covers to prevent dirt! And YES, its made ~80 years ago.

PS 125mm jaw width and opens ap to 135mm

 

[Razorhunter]

What are double start threads?

 

[dkroth]

What are double start threads?

Two threads that run in parallel down the length of the screw.



.

 

[gman007]

What are double start threads?

Like dkroth stated in a multi thread two OR more threads start simultaneously at the start point.

Now considering that the lead is the total distance covered in one revolution (and pitch is the distance between threads), for a single thread lead and pitch are equal. For a two start thread pitch is half of lead and in 4 start pitch is one forth of lead and so on. So the advantage of multi thread is that it leads to a better mechanical advantage and the strength is increased by providing more number of threads.

 

[rumb]

Yes, correct and it's operation very quick. One full turn of handle opens it ~10mm.

Every HEUER bench vice has double start thread, and RIDGID MATADOR too.

 

[andgott]

I picked up this gorgeous hunk of American iron this week... $65 at a yard sale, but talked 'em down to $50-

A 3 1/2" Starrett Athol vise. It has to be the BIGGEST 3 1/2" vise I've ever seen! It's in good condition, too. Just needs some cleanup.

 

[Shiftless]

andgott:
Those Athol-Starrett vises are certainly top shelf! Nice find.
You might want to address whatever happened to this area.
It’s hard to tell from your one picture, but there seems to be some jaw damage in this spot.

 

[andgott]

andgot:
Those Athol-Starrett vises are certainly top shelf! Nice find.
You might want to address whatever happened to this area.
It’s hard to tell from your one picture, but there seems to be some jaw damage in this spot.

It's missing the jaw pad on one side, but there is no damage to the vise itself. I'll just have to make new pads! A great project for the new milling machine that I have ordered...

 

[Shiftless]

A nice set of aluminum jaws would be a good first project for your new mill.

If you want serrated hardened steel jaws you can always go to fellow GJ member KMScott. He has quite a few models in stock.

 

[Diesel Dan]

So, without further adieu, my Dake #4 floor model arbor press has arrived. 12 tons, 1350lbs of great American iron.

Nice!
Believe I have the exact one as well.
Moved it to 3 different states so far.

 

[gman007]

andgott:
Those Athol-Starrett vises are certainly top shelf! Nice find.
You might want to address whatever happened to this area.
It’s hard to tell from your one picture, but there seems to be some jaw damage in this spot.

It seems the jaw insert might be missing rather than an actual damage to the jaw.

 

[Shiftless]

It seems the jaw insert might be missing rather than an actual damage to the jaw.

I bet you’re right.
We seem to see a few vises with missing jaw inserts. How do jaw inserts turn up missing? None of mine just unexpectedly fall off and get lost.

(I understand how pipe jaws get separated from exposed screw homeowner vises.)

 

[andgott]

It seems the jaw insert might be missing rather than an actual damage to the jaw.

Yes, that is what is missing... Not even the whole insert, just a corner of it. It'll be a quick fix.

 

[CRSINMICH]

I understand how pipe jaws get separated from exposed screw homeowner vises.

Speaking of homeowner's vises, I just picked up this Athol A 3 1/2 S for my Homeowner's Collection . Captive wrench and buttress threads. Pretty classy for a light duty vise.

 

[chrisnazzy]

I've been watching for a good deal on a little Stanley vise for awhile now and I finally got one.

I actually want to get a couple of them and I've envisioned cutting the clamp off one to make a cool desk conversation piece / business card holder. So when this 741 popped up on eBay the other day for $20 and with the clamp already removed I jumped on the opportunity to buy it and not feel bad about cutting up a perfectly good vise.

I worked on it a bit last night and a bit at work today. I think I got it looking pretty handsome for such a little guy.

Before and after.

Sent from my SM-G930P using Tapatalk

 

[davethorik]

I picked up this gorgeous hunk of American iron this week... $65 at a yard sale, but talked 'em down to $50-

A 3 1/2" Starrett Athol vise. It has to be the BIGGEST 3 1/2" vise I've ever seen! It's in good condition, too. Just needs some cleanup.

Nice score. I have a Starrett 923 fixed base 3" and it is surprisingly beefy for size. I can only imagine the larger models are monsters. What is the weight?

Starrett swivel bases are modular, they are just added to a fixed base. I believe yours would work on mine. However, I plan to find a butcher block top for my Kennedy side cab, and mount the little Starrett to it fixed.

 

[gman007]

I've been watching for a good deal on a little Stanley vise for awhile now and I finally got one.

I actually want to get a couple of them and I've envisioned cutting the clamp off one to make a cool desk conversation piece / business card holder. So when this 741 popped up on eBay the other day for $20 and with the clamp already removed I jumped on the opportunity to buy it and not feel bad about cutting up a perfectly good vise.

I worked on it a bit last night and a bit at work today. I think I got it looking pretty handsome for such a little guy.

Sent from my SM-G930P using Tapatalk

Chris Very nicely done but then again all your work is always top notch therefore I am not surprised it turned great

 

[gman007]

Speaking of homeowner's vises, I just picked up this Athol A 3 1/2 S for my Homeowner's Collection . Captive wrench and buttress threads. Pretty classy for a light duty vise.

Crs That is a great find and for sure a classy little vise.

 

[Diesel Dan]

my Dake #4 floor model arbor press has arrived. 12 tons, 1350lbs of great American iron.

Went and looked at my arbor press.
It's a: atlas compound mandrel press #4 12 ton, looks very similar to yours. Took some pics but can't upload them.

Have some pics of my 2 bullet vises, Wilton 654 and a larger no named vise. Will try and post them sometime.

 

[KMScott]

I've been watching for a good deal on a little Stanley vise for awhile now and I finally got one.

I actually want to get a couple of them and I've envisioned cutting the clamp off one to make a cool desk conversation piece / business card holder. So when this 741 popped up on eBay the other day for $20 and with the clamp already removed I jumped on the opportunity to buy it and not feel bad about cutting up a perfectly good vise.

I worked on it a bit last night and a bit at work today. I think I got it looking pretty handsome for such a little guy.

Nice job Chris. It did not hurt my feelings when I cut off the bench clamp to make a more useful small vise. I have done several and like them even better then the little baby's made by Wilton. Copied the Parker swivel base design. Pretty awesome vises, the Stanley's are built pretty good, just needed a little thicker collar shim which I made out of Bronze.

 

[chrisnazzy]

Nice job Chris. It did not hurt my feelings when I cut off the bench clamp to make a more useful small vise. I have done several and like them even better then the little baby's made by Wilton. Copied the Parker swivel base design. Pretty awesome vises, the Stanley's are built pretty good, just needed a little thicker collar shim which I made out of Bronze.

Thanks for the kind words Kevin!

Like I'm sure most of us do, I follow along with your posts religiously and I'm pretty sure I saved several of the pics you posted of those four little baby swivel conversions. In my book they were marvels of a master machinist!

Once I realized your restored vises were available to purchase on your site I was even more intrigued and someday, sooner than later when my pockets are a little deeper, I will buy one!

Sent from my SM-G930P using Tapatalk

 

[chrisnazzy]

Chris Very nicely done but then again all your work is always top notch therefore I am not surprised it turned great [emoji481] [emoji106]

Thanks buddy! You're always so flattering to me but the truth is I'm still experimenting and learning. Me being totally intrigued with these antique vises and being a bit OCD sure help though!

Sent from my SM-G930P using Tapatalk

 

[davethorik]

I've been watching for a good deal on a little Stanley vise for awhile now and I finally got one.

I actually want to get a couple of them and I've envisioned cutting the clamp off one to make a cool desk conversation piece / business card holder. So when this 741 popped up on eBay the other day for $20 and with the clamp already removed I jumped on the opportunity to buy it and not feel bad about cutting up a perfectly good vise.

I worked on it a bit last night and a bit at work today. I think I got it looking pretty handsome for such a little guy.

Before and after.

Sent from my SM-G930P using Tapatalk

Those lil Stanleys clean up well!!!
I had wanted one forever but they were always broke or too much $$$.

I found this no. 743 on Letgo for cheap, and jumped on it. It was totally not broken, nothing missing, just rusty. I was so happy!

Then my dad sends me a text saying his electrolysis tank was ready to go, and I suggested the Stanley as guinea pig. It did a great job removing rust, I was able to read lettering on slide finally, and got another surprise... It was actually made by Stanley Rule & Level, so is no newer than 1919-1920 merger between SR&L and The Stanley Works, pre-dating the Sweetheart tools. I wish there was a way to date even more accurately, but I suppose I lucked out knowing what I do.

I think I'm gonna BLO the patina left from electrolysis, sure does look good imho.

 

[CRSINMICH]

1915 CATALOG PAGE Notice that they were selling Stanley Jersey and Victor Jersey vises and that Stanley had a stationary base model.

 

[Razorhunter]

Went and looked at my arbor press.
It's a: atlas compound mandrel press #4 12 ton, looks very similar to yours. Took some pics but can't upload them.

Have some pics of my 2 bullet vises, Wilton 654 and a larger no named vise. Will try and post them sometime.

Dan,
Yes, the older Atlas #4 is the exact same press as my Dake #4. The even older "Eames" #4 mandrel press is also the same press. The design changed hands a few times over the last hundred or more years, but has been with Dake the longest, and still is to this day. Parts are still readily available as well. How much was seller asking for the Atlas? I'd love to see pics. Email them to me if you dont care to post them here in the vise thread as I did lol

 

[twertsy]

Gents,
I swear I've seen this vise but I can't find a pic here, and don't see it (under Weathers) in the spreadsheet. Anybody got one that can post pics? James Weathers Vise Patents are below, but he had TONS of patents, many (most) for improvements in lifting jacks.


If any of you folks remember seeing one of these vises, please post a pic or point me to them. Thanks!! Todd

1884 US Patent: https://patentimages.storage.googleapis.com/53/f0/46/d510a95edce9b4/US296658.pdf

1894 US Patent: https://patentimages.storage.googleapis.com/01/37/c7/a6495f0a2b643a/US516288.pdf

1894 Canadian Patent: https://books.google.com/books?id=H...6AEINDAC#v=onepage&q="James Weathers"&f=false

1903 Canadian Patent: https://books.google.com/books?id=I...oAQhNMAY#v=onepage&q="James Weathers"&f=false

 

[gman007]

Dan,
Yes, the older Atlas #4 is the exact same press as my Dake #4. The even older "Eames" #4 mandrel press is also the same press. The design changed hands a few times over the last hundred or more years, but has been with Dake the longest, and still is to this day. Parts are still readily available as well. How much was seller asking for the Atlas? I'd love to see pics. Email them to me if you dont care to post them here in the vise thread as I did lol

Vises and presses are siblings and personally I would also like to see some photos here (and I don’t think anybody would object to seeing an impressive old press here)

Ps I did enjoy photos of your Dakar #4 , thank you for posting them

 

[Diesel Dan]

Dan,
Yes, the older Atlas #4 is the exact same press as my Dake #4. The even older "Eames" #4 mandrel press is also the same press. The design changed hands a few times over the last hundred or more years, but has been with Dake the longest, and still is to this day. Parts are still readily available as well. How much was seller asking for the Atlas? I'd love to see pics. Email them to me if you dont care to post them here in the vise thread as I did lol

Picked my atlas up about 15 yrs ago foe $165, divorce sale.
Pics are an issue because we can't get internet at our new house and cell reception is horrible, data very sketchy at times.

 

[BMR24]

Anybody know of any manufacturers who pinned the meatball onto the mainscrew?

 

[jaxpc]

Unknown manufacturer. Anvil/Drill/Vise, on You Tube.

 

[KMScott]

Anybody know of any manufacturers who pinned the meatball onto the mainscrew?

American Scale did on the couple I worked on.

 

[Aquaholic_user]

Just finished this little guy

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

 

[gman007]

Just finished this little guy

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

Aqua
Welcome to GJ! Very nice job, turned out great!

 

[va.grouseman]

Aqua.---Very nice job.---The Cadet is one that I don't have and would like to get but I haven't found a deal on one yet.---Welcome to the Forum.

 

[oneoldboot]

Newbie vise guy question. . . .

I have been using linseed oil on my vises, but they are rusting. I put on the oil, then wipe off gently, as not to remove it all.

What should I use?

Thamks!

 

[Outlawmws]

Is it boiled linseed oil or regular? Needs to be boiled.