The VISES of Garage Journal

[Smitty]

I managed to lock up a couple of heavy hitters today at pretty reasonable prices. The Reed 106S at 156 lbs and the Morgan 60 at 150 lbs.


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[Mr. Wonderful]

This is my first post, so please bear with me.

Long time lurker and recent vise addict. Picked up a Yost 33C and built a stand for it. The base is a 24” harrow disc from Agrisupply. Sealed that off on the bottom with some 1/4” plate and added a 5” x 3/16” wall square post and a 3/8” plate on top cut to match the base of the vise. Filled the stand with 120 pounds of steel shot and sand, for a total weight of just over 300 pounds. It’s absolutely rock solid and yet still somewhat easy to move - just tilt it about 30 degrees and roll it around the shop.

Can’t claim credit for the ideas as I borrowed parts of the design from various fellow garagejournal members. Thanks to all!

Crossing my fingers that the pics show up...

Bill, that harrow base is a great idea! I wish we had an agrisupply here. I have been looking for a base for my baldor grinder stand project for a while. I cant imagine anything that would be better for it. Nice job!

 

[va.grouseman]

Smitty, I want to buy stock in your business.---Let me know when you are about to IPO.

 

[454ragtop]

RE unused vises stored closed - what's the problem? They're not micrometers, and hopefully not nearly as fragile.

 

[Smitty]

Smitty, I want to buy stock in your business.---Let me know when you are about to IPO.

Lol, you’ll be the first

 

[zkling]

RE unused vises stored closed - what's the problem? They're not micrometers, and hopefully not nearly as fragile.

Creep?

 

[zkling]

Juat a phenomenal job on that Millhoff. As I love to say, its the only vise in my shop I wont sell. Welcome to the club!!!!

Joe, since you are the resident milhoff expert, do you know when they changed from the open to closed (top piece added) slide and from the straight to pressed side jaw towers?

 

[trijeff]

It's probably being way over paranoid and I have absolutely zero metallurgical or thermodynamic basis for saying so, but I keep it one half turn back from just closed because of temperature dips/rises in my unheated/uninsulated garage. I fear that if I close it up when it's cold at night and then temps significantly raise the next day, seems like there's the chance the locked jaws wouldn't allow the metal to expand as it heats, resulting in a crack or break somewhere. Once again, probably all a bunch of hooey, but that's my reason for doing so.

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[jonshonda]

And the award for the most obnoxious signature goes to AndrewH

 

[AndrewH]

And the award for the most obnoxious signature goes to AndrewH

Yeah, it’s from 4 years ago, keep forgetting to delete it but I’ll do it now to make you feel better.

Edit: Hopefully you feel better now!

 

[davethorik]

RE unused vises stored closed - what's the problem? They're not micrometers, and hopefully not nearly as fragile.

I don't think there's a problem. I just said my OCD alarm going off. What I say usually means my personal preference, not THE LAW like how everyone is interpreting it.

If I was forced to give an answer, I envision something hitting the vise accidentally in the handle and causing damage. Probably not going to happen, but there ya go.

That or every time you go to use the vise you damn near blow out a testicle loosening it because you are unfortunately forced to share the vise with "coworkers" with more brawn than brains. Who like to crank it shut every time.

Edit: smitty, jealous of the reed. I've yet to see one of those oval logo vises.

 

[Thrumcap]

i scrounged a couple big vises over the end of the winter.

Here’s a Reed 4C, dragged out of an icy workshop in the dead of February. It’s all there, but it is missing the split nut. There’s a post on here from Grigg detailing the exact same problem, so I need to find a machinist. It’s end standing while I try to unseize it, but I think a press will be needed. It waits for better weather.







The bigger one just arrived, so I’ll post some pictures once it’s unloaded.

Thrumcap

 

[Smitty]

I kind of went from one extreme to the other when this little Prentiss vise showed up at my door today. It has 3” jaws and weighs in at 17 lbs. You can barely make out the patent stamps on the end of the jaws.




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[ScopinBill]

Bill, that harrow base is a great idea! I wish we had an agrisupply here. I have been looking for a base for my baldor grinder stand project for a while. I cant imagine anything that would be better for it. Nice job!

Thanks! I used harrow discs as bases for stands for my grinder/multitool and portaband. Both work great. The discs are 3 1/2” high at the center and slope down to zero which makes it really easy to get up close - plus it’s basically impossible to stub my toes on them

If you have any sort of farm supply/implement stores where you live, you might be able to pick up a few discs - even if they have to order them for you. Think they were $35 each from Agrisupply which I was happy to pay.

 

[AndrewH]

Thanks! I used harrow discs as bases for stands for my grinder/multitool and portaband. Both work great. The discs are 3 1/2” high at the center and slope down to zero which makes it really easy to get up close - plus it’s basically impossible to stub my toes on them

If you have any sort of farm supply/implement stores where you live, you might be able to pick up a few discs - even if they have to order them for you. Think they were $35 each from Agrisupply which I was happy to pay.

That’s a great idea for my swag portaband!

What diameter did you use?

 

[ScopinBill]

That’s a great idea for my swag portaband!

What diameter did you use?

The portaband stand is really easy to move and yet stays put while cutting. The pedestal is 4” x 1/8” wall round tubing and the disc is 24” x 1/4” thick. That was the first stand I built. After that, I switched to 5” x 3/16” square tubing for the grinder and vise. I prefer the beefier look of that although either should be plenty strong.

And for the vise, I wanted to fill the pedestal and base with steel shot, so I welded a plate to the underside of the disc to contain the shot.

Here’s a pic of the disc flipped inside down during the build...

 

[sch]

I picked up this Hollands Keystone F a while back on Ebay, and recently finished getting the rust off of it, and some paint on.

It's been mentioned that Hollands are well made, and this one is wonderful, despite what I suspect is advanced age. The jaws align nicely, and the action is smoooooth.

Alas, I somehow did not take a "before" pic while it was assembled.

Anyway, if you're a collector and haven't added this model to your collection, I highly recommend it.

 

[ken w.]

I picked up this vise at an estate sale today. It looks like a shop class vise. I couldn't help myself for $ 5.00.

 

[Shiftless]

I picked up this Hollands Keystone F a while back on Ebay, and recently finished getting the rust off of it, and some paint on.

It's been mentioned that Hollands are well made, and this one is wonderful, despite what I suspect is advanced age. The jaws align nicely, and the action is smoooooth.

Alas, I somehow did not take a "before" pic while it was assembled.

Anyway, if you're a collector and haven't added this model to your collection, I highly recommend it.

sch:
I see you’re growing your collection. Nice find on the Keystone. That looks like an appropriate color too.
Here is the little brother to your model F
Mine is a B.
I saw that the braze repair was well done and settled on an appropriate price. I picked it up at a dusty flea market in Northern Missouri for $11

 

[454ragtop]

Nice! Only other one I’ve seen so far. Can you post a picture of the underside of the static jaw on yours? I’m trying to decide if mine has a casting anomaly or if that’s how it was intentionally made. From the side of the jaw yours looks the same so I’m thinking it was intentionally made like that.

Here you go Andrew, sorry for the delay, didn't have these pics on my computer. Slight casting imperfection, not surprising considering these were probably considered low end vises by Parker at the time.

 

[Thrumcap]

Here’s the newest vise arrival, now correctly identified as a Record 518 heavy chipping vice. It’s listed at 182 lbs with 8” jaws.









I’ve only seen one photo of a 518 1/2 before.
It needs some jaw screws and a new paint job, coloured blue.

Thrumcap

 

[KMScott]

Very nice Thrumcap. That is a beast.

 

[davethorik]

Very cool, thrum. I haven't seen many "American pattern" vises made in England, let alone a monster like that. Did someone take a disc grinder to the snout?

 

[Shiftless]

Great find, Thrum...

You’ve certainly been hauling in the heavyweights recently!

 

[Outlawmws]

I picked up this vise at an estate sale today. It looks like a shop class vise. I couldn't help myself for $ 5.00.

That's an interesting version! I'd have picked it up for a fiver!

I have a shop made bench vise, that is very well made. I ought to put it to use on the small inside workbench...

 

[Smitty]

Thrumcap
That vise is a beast, nice pick up.

 

[jeffyhog]

I went to buy a Beverly Shear last weekend that was listed on Craigslist. I also noticed he had several vises and ended up buying a Reed 206R, which I posted a picture of a few days ago. He also had a chain driven vise which he told me he was going to keep. Today I went over again to look at another tool, and ended up buying this Fisher #4 and this Prentiss Bulldog 522. Both have been repainted, but the Prentiss looks super clean. I'm pretty sure the chain has been replaced on the Fisher, but I know they're old and don't come up often. Otherwise works great and seems to be in nice shape. I didn't have a beer can around, so the V8 can will have to do.

 

[Smitty]

I went to buy a Beverly Shear last weekend that was listed on Craigslist. I also noticed he had several vises and ended up buying a Reed 206R, which I posted a picture of a few days ago. He also had a chain driven vise which he told me he was going to keep. Today I went over again to look at another tool, and ended up buying this Fisher #4 and this Prentiss Bulldog 522. Both have been repainted, but the Prentiss looks super clean. I'm pretty sure the chain has been replaced on the Fisher, but I know they're old and don't come up often. Otherwise works great and seems to be in nice shape. I didn't have a beer can around, so the V8 can will have to do.

As a Prentiss collector I will say that that 522 looks pristine.

 

[Smitty]

I just got back from the middle of the desert with the twins. At 150 lbs a piece it took a bit longer than expected. The Morgan is clean but the Reed appears to be a diamond in the rough.


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[Thrumcap]

Very nice Thrumcap. Does it have the 1/2 on the casting anywhere or is it listed as 518-1/2 in the catalog page. That is a beast.

It only has 518 on the casting that I can see. The two catalogs I have are from 1962 and 1921.
The ‘62 only has a listing, but I can’t find one for 518. I think they ran out of room. Unless it’s a different model.....

Here is the other extant photo.

They did some Grinder work on the front, looks factory cleaning up t(e castings.



Thrumcap

 

[Fierljeppen]

It only has 518 on the casting that I can see. The two catalogs I have are from 1962 and 1921.
The ‘62 only has a listing, but I can’t find one for 518. I think they ran out of room. Unless it’s a different model.....

Thrumcap

Weird seeing that style made in England. The catalog page is from 1967.

 

[Thrumcap]

Weird seeing that style made in England. The catalog page is from 1967.

So they actually did have a different model late in production. The hunt continues for the extra 1/2 then... numbers updated.

Interesting that the other vice picture lists itself as steel, as the catalog entries are all iron or pearlitic iron. That means there’s yet another variant.

Thrumcap

 

[va.grouseman]

Thrum, Jeffy, Smitty, you fellows are coming with some real eye candy.---I hope yaw think this is a competition, cause I am really enjoying it here in the bleachers.

 

[ScopinBill]

Hey folks,

I picked up a “free” vise today - it was bolted to the top of an old Vidmar cabinet I’m going to refurbish. I don’t know anything about the vise and I’m not even qualified to call myself a vise novice yet. It appears to be very well built (maybe comparable to my Yost 33C, but again... I’m a newbie here).

On one side of the vise, in raised letters, it says...
5” JAW
MADE IN USA

175C (the C could also be a zero)

The other side of the vise has recessed (punched?) numbers...
111052
Diamond symbol and a 2

111692
3

If anyone had any idea what it is, who made it, etc. I’d really appreciate the education. Thanks in advance!

 

[Smitty]

Thrum, Jeffy, Smitty, you fellows are coming with some real eye candy.---I hope yaw think this is a competition, cause I am really enjoying it here in the bleachers.

i put 300 lbs of iron on the board today and drove 240 miles to get it but I still feel like I came in third.
8 1/2” Record and Fisher chain vises are a hard act to follow.

 

[chrisnazzy]

Hey folks,



I picked up a “free” vise today - it was bolted to the top of an old Vidmar cabinet I’m going to refurbish. I don’t know anything about the vise and I’m not even qualified to call myself a vise novice yet. It appears to be very well built (maybe comparable to my Yost 33C, but again... I’m a newbie here).



On one side of the vise, in raised letters, it says...

5” JAW

MADE IN USA



175C (the C could also be a zero)



The other side of the vise has recessed (punched?) numbers...

111052

Diamond symbol and a 2



111692

3



If anyone had any idea what it is, who made it, etc. I’d really appreciate the education. Thanks in advance!

Well sir, your free vise is actually a Wilton Tradesman 1750 or could have possibly originally been a Snap-on vise made by Wilton. Either way, great score!

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[chrisnazzy]

I actually picked up a vise today also!

My first Morgan is a Morgan Chicago 140 in what looks to be very good condition.

Negotiated to buy just the vise that was in a FB Marketplace ad for a workbench w/ good vise.

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[Smitty]

Nice pick up Chris, it looks like it’s in great shape.

 

[chrisnazzy]

Nice pick up Chris, it looks like it’s in great shape.

Thanks Smitty. Sounds like you had a fun day. Is that a Reed 106? I thought it was a 108 at first until I read your 150 lb comment.

Where abouts in the desert did you have go trek to?

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[Smitty]

Both the Reed and the Morgan are 6” vises. My travels took me to the town of Daggett, both vises were used in the power plant there.