The VISES of Garage Journal

[kwoswalt99]

I had to post a photo of this Craftsman 5186 (Reed) vise (for sale on local CL), as it is remarkable in a number of ways.

To start with notice the amazingly subtle and professional braze job .

Also we have all seen vises where slide is broken at the point it meets the dynamic jaw but how many vises have you seen where the dynamic jaws itself is diagonally broken off at the shoulder and at that where simultaneously slide is also broken?

How can this even happen? Did a guerrilla hit the piece/vise with a sledge hammer or dropped the vise from a considerable height?

There is a saying, "it is impossible to make anything fool proof as fools are an ingenuous bunch", I guess this fool was super ingenuous

I’ve seen worse and done worse, albeit intentionally.

 

[Burn1]

Thanks man. Funny enough, contacted a gentlemen who had one and a pow-r-arm w/vice.
Had been looking for one for sometime. Bought the swivel base and hardware and he sold his vise.

 

[va.grouseman]

I’ve seen worse and done worse, albeit intentionally.

I don't believe I'd have told that.

 

[CrotalusAtrox]

It is the same base off a 600 Nick hooked me up with it.

 

[CrotalusAtrox]

CA
Looks great, nice restore job (as per usual)

BTW, is the swivel base the original or you managed to find a replacement ( there is no base in the original photo) ?

Same base as a Wilton 600 Nick hooked me up

 

[Outlawmws]

Very nice vise. I think I'd just slather it in paint stripper to get the yellow off without having to worry about the dust. After that, if the whole thing is rusty, probably an electrolysis tank bath to clean that up before a nice coat of Rustoleum Performance Enamel paint. Nice acquisition!

A trip in an E-tank will probably strip the paint as well.

 

[PWRstroke_smoke]

I acquired this beast from my uncles estate when he passed away recently. It’s dirty and beat up but it isn’t abused or rusty so I’m thankful for that. It’s a 1976 09-600.

that thing looks great!

 

[MayerMR]

A trip in an E-tank will probably strip the paint as well.

Fair point.

 

[Jaydb07]

Just refurbished this Reed 204 in Rustoleum Hammered Silver. I try not to lose dimension on the slide and also prefer to leave jaws mostly alone. But I enjoy giving a tired vise a new look and strip and lube fittings and remove old paint and grime and straighten handles and polish them and wax exposed metal. It will be a nice user vise for someone.

 

[va.grouseman]

Here's an interesting little fellow, but a little pricey.


https://www.ebay.com/itm/Antique-Ho...swivel-head-collectible-pat-appl/382578187153

 

[demoman]

Good luck with that trade. Let us know how it turns out

Dave - Here is the Holand's Ad you wanted.

 

[AngryBeaver]

Reed 204 1/2R 4.5" Jaws about 70lbs 4 bolt base
Just got this from my dad and I would like to trade it for a 2" wilton bullet vise if anyone has one they want to trade for a very nice large reed!

LOL everyone here would do that 27-1/2 times. your vise is nice, but is is a very common size. it is not rare, and it isn't large. it is not worth 250-450 like a baby bullet is. yours is worth 100-150.

I acquired this beast from my uncles estate when he passed away recently. It’s dirty and beat up but it isn’t abused or rusty so I’m thankful for that. It’s a 1976 09-600.

nice looking vise. Your vise is a 600S (s for swivel). N for stationary. the 9 is a casting mark for the static, there will be an 8-600 on the dynamic jaw, and a 7-600 on the nut inside...

Good morning all I have a acquired another vise... I'm sure the wife is ready to kill me lol it's a chase parker 974 1/2 they were going to toss it at work so I scooped it up. Want to strip the paint and either refinish it with paint or powder coat. Not sure which direction I want to go with this one. If anyone has any info on it let me know I dont know anything about chase parkers only that they are made not far from me here in ct. Wonder what year it was made has a pat number on it.

You don't have a chase parker. you have a Chas. That's an abbreviation for charles parker. as in the guy that made very exotic shotguns. Powder coat is a horrible choice for a vise that is used. it chips and flakes off in chunks. paint is more durable when being struck on a tool such as a vise. and its easy to touch up. there are some weird collectors here that will buy every vise they find and they will never see use again. those are the kinds of people that powder coat vises. so if you are going to set it on your coffee table, by all means, powder coat it. most vises being used will have little to no paint left on them, and as a result many people will coat them in boiled linseed oil to protect the raw iron finish.

 

[AZ Dean]

Found a vice for sale nearby and picked it up very cheap. Haven’t even Googled it yet. Hope it’s worth bolting to the bench.

If it’s not total junk, I’ll have fun spiffing it up and making it look like new. Other than being rusty, it looks like it’s had little use.

Edit: Looks like it’s just a ‘common asian’ vise. Nothing special, but Ill clean it up and put it to use.




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[PWRstroke_smoke]

LOL everyone here would do that 27-1/2 times. your vise is nice, but is is a very common size. it is not rare, and it isn't large. it is not worth 250-450 like a baby bullet is. yours is worth 100-150.



nice looking vise. Your vise is a 600S (s for swivel). N for stationary. the 9 is a casting mark for the static, there will be an 8-600 on the dynamic jaw, and a 7-600 on the nut inside...



You don't have a chase parker. you have a Chas. That's an abbreviation for charles parker. as in the guy that made very exotic shotguns. Powder coat is a horrible choice for a vise that is used. it chips and flakes off in chunks. paint is more durable when being struck on a tool such as a vise. and its easy to touch up. there are some weird collectors here that will buy every vise they find and they will never see use again. those are the kinds of people that powder coat vises. so if you are going to set it on your coffee table, by all means, powder coat it. most vises being used will have little to no paint left on them, and as a result many people will coat them in boiled linseed oil to protect the raw iron finish.

Lol they aren’t “worth” anywhere near that much people are just crazy enough to pay that much. the last 2.5” I bought I paid 15$ for

 

[ChrisLS8]

Powdercoat is immensely stronger than ANY paint including enamel, it is also more heat resistant. In addition it can be touched up, polished and waxed just like paint.

If you have the option to paint or powdercoat I would pick powdercoat 10 out of 10 times

 

[PWRstroke_smoke]

Powdercoat is immensely stronger than ANY paint including enamel, it is also more heat resistant. In addition it can be touched up, polished and waxed just like paint.

If you have the option to paint or powdercoat I would pick powdercoat 10 out of 10 times

Agreed next Wilton will go to pc shop.

 

[Rlapointe87]

What would you guys suggest for stripping the paint and rust I had originally thought media blast but someone had mentioned electrolysis.. I dont know anything about it or how to do it. But I love learning new things

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[gman007]

What would you guys suggest for stripping the paint and rust I had originally thought media blast but someone had mentioned electrolysis.. I dont know anything about it or how to do it. But I love learning new things

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Rlapointe
There is a thread fully dedicated to electrolysis. It will tell you everything you need to know. BTW Electrolysis is pretty easy to setup.

https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=237752&highlight=electrolysis

 

[davethorik]

Dave - Here is the Holand's Ad you wanted.

Thanks demoman!

 

[Maui]

Electrolysis works well but glass bead blasting is faster, easier, and results in a pristine looking cast surface that is ready for painting right out of the cabinet.

 

[MissileBear]

Electrolysis works well but glass bead blasting is faster, easier, and results in a pristine looking cast surface that is ready for painting right out of the cabinet.

While I don't disagree, few have a cabinet & equipment for bead blasting, and up here prices are not cheap to have something blasted at a shop.

Electrolysis is very cost effective, and all you need a battery charger and a tub.

I've been running my electrolysis tank nightly for about a month - I do all my projects in batches (post vice, a few bench vises, a few pipe vises, a few axes, some hand tools, etc). I'm also doing some running board bracket cleanup for a guy I know (for a nominal fee ) and the electricity cost is way less than I expected.

I also frequently use it for paint removal....works as well if not better than chemicals/wire wheel.

Edit: Looks like it’s just a ‘common asian’ vise. Nothing special, but Ill clean it up and put it to use.

If it were me, I'd do a cleanup on it and resell it. Saw one of this same style this summer that at a nearby flea market with a $90 pricetag on it. I got to talking with the guy selling it and he said he knew it was not a nice vise but got it for $5 and spent a few hours casually spiffing it up and repainting it. When I came back around he said he had sold it for $65.

For $65, you could pick up a nice, old American iron vise and have something worth using.

 

[MayerMR]

While I don't disagree, few have a cabinet & equipment for bead blasting, and up here prices are not cheap to have something blasted at a shop.

Electrolysis is very cost effective, and all you need a battery charger and a tub.

I've been running my electrolysis tank nightly for about a month - I do all my projects in batches (post vice, a few bench vises, a few pipe vises, a few axes, some hand tools, etc). I'm also doing some running board bracket cleanup for a guy I know (for a nominal fee ) and the electricity cost is way less than I expected.

I also frequently use it for paint removal....works as well if not better than chemicals/wire wheel.



If it were me, I'd do a cleanup on it and resell it. Saw one of this same style this summer that at a nearby flea market with a $90 pricetag on it. I got to talking with the guy selling it and he said he knew it was not a nice vise but got it for $5 and spent a few hours casually spiffing it up and repainting it. When I came back around he said he had sold it for $65.

For $65, you could pick up a nice, old American iron vise and have something worth using.

I agree with everything you just said MissleBear. While I've not purposefully used electrolysis to remove paint, I have noticed that it does it quite well. I *have* purposefully used Evaporust to remove paint from small items like nuts and bolts and it works wonders. But Evaporust is pricey, so I'm always cognizant to ensure the parts I drop in there are degreased as best I can to prolong the life of the solution.

 

[MissileBear]

I *have* purposefully used Evaporust to remove paint from small items like nuts and bolts and it works wonders. But Evaporust is pricey, so I'm always cognizant to ensure the parts I drop in there are degreased as best I can to prolong the life of the solution.

Evaporust is great for removing paint, but it sure does kill the effectiveness of the solution, just like grease/oil does.

I've found that a 5 gallon jug of Simplegreen industrial goes a long way to degrease stuff, and will often remove the paint too ^_^ . I leave the evaporust for small parts & tools only at this point since it's so expensive, even 5 gallons at a time.

 

[MayerMR]

Evaporust is great for removing paint, but it sure does kill the effectiveness of the solution, just like grease/oil does.

I've found that a 5 gallon jug of Simplegreen industrial goes a long way to degrease stuff, and will often remove the paint too ^_^ . I leave the evaporust for small parts & tools only at this point since it's so expensive, even 5 gallons at a time.

I hadn't noticed that using it for paint removal affects the lifespan as you say, I'll have to pay a bit more attention to it. Grease and oil murders it though.

I use it in the same way as you; basically, if it's small and an simple or if I don't feel like going to the trouble of setting up a electrolysis tank for the part, in the Evaporust she goes.

 

[jonshonda]

Steal of a deal on an abused Prentiss right here on GJ https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=404314

 

[MayerMR]

Steal of a deal on an abused Prentiss right here on GJ https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=404314

 

[chrisnazzy]

Evaporust is great for removing paint, but it sure does kill the effectiveness of the solution, just like grease/oil does.

I've found that a 5 gallon jug of Simplegreen industrial goes a long way to degrease stuff, and will often remove the paint too ^_^ . I leave the evaporust for small parts & tools only at this point since it's so expensive, even 5 gallons at a time.

I use a 5 gallon bucket with a full gallon of Simple Green and 2 gallons of water. Still a pretty potent Simple Green Solution and after disassembly most vises I get go for a bath in it for a few days. It does a great job of degreasing and loosens most paint as well in preparation for wire wheeling.

I've never tried the electrolysis but I have had 3 vises media blasted and I really love the results. I have a friend who owns a powdercoat business so he blasts stuff for me pretty cheap. I do always ask him to avoid blasting the slide though and I don't have parts like removable jaws or handle done. I've found that I prefer the wire wheel on those surfaces to achieve the desired finish.

Here is my Prentiss 53 and Wilton 600 straight out of media blasting. It's nice knowing that the vise has been "completely" cleaned back down to it's "bare cast" state in preparation for a new finish.

I've also never powdercoated a vise (although I've contemplated it). Personally I've always found powdercoat to be extremely durable and I've had several other items done for me personally but being in the tire business, the majority of powdercoat jobs I commission are wheels and beadlock rings. If they are stripped properly and completely, I've never seen any durability issues. Of course they're not being struck with a hammer but I try to avoid hitting my vises with a hammer as well. Beadlock rings are exposed to some pretty nasty bumps and scrapes over rough desert terrain and they seem to fare well!

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[chrisnazzy]

Steal of a deal on an abused Prentiss right here on GJ https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=404314

I saw that last night and I hope you're kidding!

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[MissileBear]

I saw that last night and I hope you're kidding!

Eh, that'll buff right out.

 

[va.grouseman]

Eh, that'll buff right out.

---Never notice it.

 

[Question]

This nutcracker has been in my family for about 60 years, I've owned it for 35 years. I had to learn how to release the bar and where not to put your hand....



Found this at a local flee market for $50, cleaned up real easy...







Took a chainsaw to an abandoned woodworking bench to save two vice mechanisms that I incorporated into my woodworking bench..

 

[Tomthumb717]

Picked up this vise the other week it has 6 inch jaws and is in pretty good shape minus one of the base side mounts had been broken off and re-welded back on. I have not started to restore it to this point but cannot find any markings whatsoever as to the manufacturer. I do know having had an older Prentiss double swivel model #19 that the only marking found on that one was a 19 stamped on the static jaw. This I only found after I had taken the wire wheel to it. Does anyone have any idea as to the manufacture for this one?

 

[RAGGED]

nice looking vise. Your vise is a 600S (s for swivel). N for stationary. the 9 is a casting mark for the static, there will be an 8-600 on the dynamic jaw, and a 7-600 on the nut inside...

Thanks for the info, I actually did not know what. I had seen them listed as model 09-600 on Ebay and just assumed that was the model number. Where would I find the 8-600 on the Dynamic jaw? I only see 1 2 3 and 101203 and they are a negative into the casting, not positive like the 9-600 on the main body.

 

[kwoswalt99]

Picked up this vise the other week it has 6 inch jaws and is in pretty good shape minus one of the base side mounts had been broken off and re-welded back on. I have not started to restore it to this point but cannot find any markings whatsoever as to the manufacturer. I do know having had an older Prentiss double swivel model #19 that the only marking found on that one was a 19 stamped on the static jaw. This I only found after I had taken the wire wheel to it. Does anyone have any idea as to the manufacture for this one?

Athol.

 

[Tomthumb717]

kwoswalt99 - Thank you for the insight.

 

[MayerMR]

Athol.

Out of curiosity, what makes you say that? I would have said it was one of the non-branded Prentiss models. I've not ever see a non-branded Athol vise before.

 

[gman007]

Out of curiosity, what makes you say that? I would have said it was one of the non-branded Prentiss models. I've not ever see a non-branded Athol vise before.

Plus, at least to me the support shelf does NOT at all resemble that of any Athol that I have seen. The support shelf on Athols are very hefty and have a distinct smooth quarter circle shape.

 

[kwoswalt99]

Maybe a really early parker/howard.

 

[gman007]

Maybe a really early parker/howard.

I am not so sure of this being a Parker. Again, personally I have never seen a non-branded Parker and also the distinct Parker collar and jaw inserts are absent.

 

[meatsis]

Yeah nothing about that vise resembles any Athol I’ve seen