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The VISES of Garage Journal

Qualitytools

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Outlawmws, thanks for the leads and information, much appreciated! :) I found the Craftsman in "Craftsman/Sears, Vise ID by Catalog" post 5 and 6. Very useful information, thanks again!
 
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TTLLOGIC

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Amherst, OH
Picked up this new Wilton C0 today with some homemade magnetic jaws for $200

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Qualitytools

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Members, I have the opportunity to get a couple of vises (shown here) however, I am not sure what they are worth. They appear to have little wear on them so I wanted to hear from those experts in Vises on their worth, quality and anything else you can tell me about them please. Thanks!

My good fortune today is that my neighbor decided to just give me both vises post 65548 above for photos, as he is moving and does not want to take them. Lucky me! Thanks to those that have already replied and helped me identify them, Outlawmws and gman007 :)
 

Outlawmws

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Great Score QT!

The Morgan would be good on a solid bench or on a pedestal, I'd suggest putting the Craftsman on either a rolling toolbox, for more portable use or setup on a WorkMate if you have one, .
 

Qualitytools

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Great Score QT!

The Morgan would be good on a solid bench or on a pedestal, I'd suggest putting the Craftsman on either a rolling toolbox, for more portable use or setup on a WorkMate if you have one, .

Great suggestions! Any tips on maintenance before I place them? Especially what not to use?
 

Outlawmws

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Clean them and grease them on the moving parts. Painting is up to you if you want to indulge.

Do consider where the static jaw is placed in relation to the bench/mounting surface edge. Ideally something long and sticking down past the level of the base should also miss the edge of the bench.

If the slide has dings you may need to stone any raised parts down so the slide runs cleanly.
 

mgmlvks

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Leavenworth, KS
I think most prentiss vises are older than we realize. Ive done a bit of research on it, and from what I can tell the ones with just the model on the back of the jaw are oldest, 1880s-1900. The script writing seem to be 1900-1910/1920. The semi circle are 1920-1930. I think around 1930 they changed the number system to the 52X/51X. And that stayed until 1948? when parker bought them, changed it again and put meridian CT on the side. I believe the bull dog was introduced in 1886 from an old patent out there I can't find right now, and those vises with the big brass badges may have been a 50th anniversary thing, circa mid 1930s, but thats pure speculation.

I had posted this unmarked coach maker vise a while back - general consensus was that it was a Prentiss 26. Your comments on Prentiss vises that "model on the back of the jaws are oldest, 1880s-1900" made me curious if the number "148" is an early model number. Any insight?

Lots of Pics here
https://www.flickr.com/photos/46064258@N08/albums/72157695927853762

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Number on Jaw - 148
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jrobb316

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OK G-man Morgan class is in session:

Chicago '29-'47-Early were grey, later blue
Aurora '47-'70
Milwaukee '70 to present

To add YES they are still in business. I've been there personally.
 

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drivesitfar

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MGM: pretty sure your Prentiss Coachmaker's swivel jaw vise is a #26 and the 148 is most likely a part # cause guessing by the swivel pin it left the factory in the 1920's.

I really can't recall what the pre Prentiss vise companies vises look like even though I might own one so maybe somebody else has one or more information on the vises that left the Prentiss factory from 1850's to 1900's?

any chance Prentiss vise company made blacksmith vises when they first started?
 

gman007

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To add YES they are still in business. I've been there personally.

Jrobb Wow nice! Thanks for posting the pictures! If I was to visit the place I would feel like the Kidds in Willy wonka & the chocolate factory but these morgan vises would be sweeter than chocolate :drool:

But seriously at least from the photos the office building and the plant do not look that big! Alas are gone the days of huge American foundries, vise and other American iron factories.
 

trijeff

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Happy birthday bro ... go UW Huskies!28383a8493a2d2c492b1c52efeab4920.jpg

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jrobb316

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Jrobb Wow nice! Thanks for posting the pictures! If I was to visit the place I would feel like the Kidds in Willy wonka & the chocolate factory but these morgan vises would be sweeter than chocolate :drool:

But seriously at least from the photos the office building and the plant do not look that big! Alas are gone the days of huge American foundries, vise and other American iron factories.

I've only been in the machine shop area which is also the shipping and receiving, none of which is shown in the pic. It's a big place, very old, and probably way bigger than it needs to be. I think he said 10 people or so are employed in the machine area. They work 4 days a week, weird hours, but full time and keep very busy. Sold mostly through industrial channels and for governments.

My 50 (swivel base not shown), my main user on my bench all the time.
 

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va.grouseman

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Originally posted by Gman007.

I mean in real world, the statement "that's all the vise you will ever need" for most people is 100% accurate BUT at GJ a man can not live on "tool needs" alone! He also has "tool wants" and in case of tools and in particular vises, as we (GJ members) all know it takes a lot more (and I mean a lot) than one vise to satisfy a man's wants.

And what is wrong with you today, anyway? The poor guy is getting hooked on vises and you are trying sensibly to set him straight! I am shocked and offened
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Gman, sorry about getting back late to the party, power went out and screwed our WIFI.---What I said about Elsinore13's 205R was basically true and a brain-fart at the same time.---Even the most aggressive collector usually has that one special go-to, every-day vise he calls his beater with 200 or more setting around the walls, like Demo or VISEs.---The brain-fart, well I shouldn't have said anything more than that's a really great score cause in about 2 years he'll have 200 setting around the walls.---I don't know what he paid for it but most of the time you have to pay a little more for old iron in good shape.---I got what I think is a real nice 208R that with shipping cost me nearly a grand, but as singer Bobby Bear said, ("I gotter boys, that makes me the winner").:D


As far as the flooding, we got real lucky.---About 5 1/2'' but in a 4 day span so creeks didn't hardly rise, but we needed the rain.---Others on the east coast weren't so lucky.---The whole time, I'm thinking why can't California get about half of all this.---Don't seem fair.
 
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AngryBeaver

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Lake Milton Ohio
Got around to working on a few that have been in the pile waiting. Still need to polish some handles (or make some). I’m not sold on the cobalt blue on the 104 yet...

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The reedsman started off pretty beat up.

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Elsinore13

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Happy birthday bro ... go UW Huskies!28383a8493a2d2c492b1c52efeab4920.jpg

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Damn, I have some work to do. My 1C I found welded to a piece of plate needs some attention.

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There is also this Wilton that needs a touch up from my favorite welder guy...100 miles away.

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Found this Starrett which could get by with a good cleaning.

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Rileysan

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I purchased an American Scale #79 a few weeks ago ($120) and am a broken shell of a man for my efforts (just being melodramatic), so I am working towards smaller vises.

Today my aching back sighed in relief when I pick up this Athol No. 4 clamp-on vise with 1 1/2" jaws ($15). It's far from perfect; one jaw is chipped in the top corner and the bar for the main screw is bent, but overall this is an amazing vise. It is by far the nicest miniature vise I've ever encountered.


Pictured on top of the American Scale 79 for effect.

Brian.
 

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jrobb316

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Last week was Prentiss week which is why I started thinking about them again. Found a 22 (6" swivel jaw swivel base 168 lb) for 125. Came out of a WI papermill. Had a real hard time removing the swivel pin. Heat, heat, Jack bolt while heating, hammering, air hammering, swearing, more heat, vise grips on slide hammer, and even more heat, couldn't get it out. Made a vat of acetone/ATF mix and let it soak 24 hours. Jack bolt and a hammer and it popped loose. Swivel lever isn't original, someone modified it and it is easier to lift up. Then later that week I found an almost pristine 526 (5" jaw) paid 100, not a steal but very good IMO. Its been cleaned up waiting paint. Slide is near perfect, no hammering. Pictured in it's totally naked state.
 

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gman007

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I purchased an American Scale #79 a few weeks ago ($120) and am a broken shell of a man for my efforts (just being melodramatic), so I am working towards smaller vises.

Today my aching back sighed in relief when I pick up this Athol No. 4 clamp-on vise with 1 1/2" jaws ($15). It's far from perfect; one jaw is chipped in the top corner and the bar for the main screw is bent, but overall this is an amazing vise. It is by far the nicest miniature vise I've ever encountered.


Pictured on top of the American Scale 79 for effect.

Brian.

Brian This Athol # 4 is for sure a nice miniature vise! :thumbup:

However you should have not used the 79 as back ground for effect because the effect worked and now my back hurts in sympathy with your back just looking at its 190 lbs of goodness :)
 

gman007

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Last week was Prentiss week which is why I started thinking about them again. Found a 22 (6" swivel jaw swivel base 168 lb) for 125. Came out of a WI papermill. Had a real hard time removing the swivel pin. Heat, heat, Jack bolt while heating, hammering, air hammering, swearing, more heat, vise grips on slide hammer, and even more heat, couldn't get it out. Made a vat of acetone/ATF mix and let it soak 24 hours. Jack bolt and a hammer and it popped loose. Swivel lever isn't original, someone modified it and it is easier to lift up. Then later that week I found an almost pristine 526 (5" jaw) paid 100, not a steal but very good IMO. Its been cleaned up waiting paint. Slide is near perfect, no hammering. Pictured in it's totally naked state.

Jrobb Man you are on a roll. Great scores!
 

BeardedOne

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Nov 22, 2017
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KY
Nice Starrett you found, Elsinore13.

I'd like to pick up one of those someday.

My most recently acquired wise is another Wilton a friend of mine said he'd seen.

It says 121072 (guessing that is a model number?) and the dynamic jaw is tilted a few degrees to the left. $29.

It uses the same jaws as my Scout 4" which is cool. I also used an E-clip and a couple washers (in the front, and one right behind the e-clip) to secure the lead screw to the dynamic.

Is there a specific model name of this kind?
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I also took a picture showing my trio of Wiltons.
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jrobb316

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Jrobb Man you are on a roll. Great scores!

Funny thing is I haven't purchased anything in quite a while then 2 in a week (I just remembered the 2C I picked up a few months back). I only hunt big game now, 5"+ unless it's something rare or just something a can't pass up. My designated vise area is now too full so the herd must be thinned.
 

jonshonda

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Funny thing is I haven't purchased anything in quite a while then 2 in a week (I just remembered the 2C I picked up a few months back). I only hunt big game now, 5"+ unless it's something rare or just something a can't pass up. My designated vise area is now too full so the herd must be thinned.

You have so much more luck on your side of the state compared to what I see. If I take a look at CL on your side of the state I figure I am just looking at jrobb's sloppy seconds!! haha
 

Elsinore13

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gman007

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It is a 015. Looks pretty much unused.

The reason I asked for the model is that even though this vise is a workshop vise, it looks pretty muscular say than a similar size Columbian workshop/mechanics vise like D45 (5”) . Which seems to enforce the idea that Athol vises in general are beefy (even their none machinist vises).

However the surprising fact is that it weighs only around 39 lbs which is about the same as D45. So I guess there was an art in designing vises not just for functionality and strength but also for visual effect.
 

drivesitfar

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Riley: I think we need a few more pictures of your American Scale #79 unless I missed a prior post. sounds like that gardening exercise is really paying off for that new shoulder if you are lifting this big buy around in one piece. WELL DONE!!

AB: nice work on the vises and I think you might be the first one I know of to call a Craftsman made by Reed a REEDSMAN.
 

Techna

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Mar 18, 2018
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Any ideas on this vise? The pictures I have show do discernible markings.
Edited to add more pictures.
 

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drivesitfar

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Techna: until somebody else shows up maybe with a match or a better answer i'm going to guess it was made in Europe somewhere and it might be a BOLEY.

how big is it and a few more pics might help
 

jrobb316

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You have so much more luck on your side of the state compared to what I see. If I take a look at CL on your side of the state I figure I am just looking at jrobb's sloppy seconds!! haha

Nah, honestly I don't buy much. I go on binges then I sell a bunch. Prices when you don't NEED them matter way more. The P22 i WANTED bad, it was by Wisconsin rapids, so probably half way between us, and wasn't on CL. As the quality and rarity goes up it gets harder to sell some but in the end I like to see someone get a tool and use it.
 

LawnBoy-5247

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Aug 20, 2016
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303
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Kansas City
Picked up my first real vice today a 4-1/2" Athol 624 1/2 for $45. It is not perfect and has a chunk broken off the back of the dynamic jaw but I plan on using the vice so the damage does not bother me.
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