The VISES of Garage Journal

[Shiftless]

Kevin, we are all looking forward to your “better than average” job on that unusual vise sitting on that fantastic one of a kind stand fabbed up by Royce. You and he together make an amazing team.
We have all seen your past restorations. If your shooting for “better than average” it’s hard for me to imagine even higher levels of craftsmanship and attention to detail...

 

[va.grouseman]

KMS, that vise looks solid as Gibraltar.---Have you given out the stats on that one yet?---If so could you repeat them, cause I must have missed them.

That will be a righteous combination when you marry it to the stand.

 

[Fierljeppen]

Very interested in the KMScott-Royce project! Hopefully an annual event going forward.

The casting on the vise "C St P M & O" stands for Chicago St. Paul Minneapolis and Omaha Railway. They were incorporated in 1880. I'd love to know who was manufacturing the vise for them?

 

[KMScott]

KMS, that vise looks solid as Gibraltar.---Have you given out the stats on that one yet?---If so could you repeat them, cause I must have missed them.

That will be a righteous combination when you marry it to the stand.

Here ya go va.

P-1833 (8”) Railroad Vise Spec;s

Height from Base to top of vise. 12”
Final Stand height to top of vise for the stand. 40”
Over all length of vise. 30-1/2”
Max opening of vise. 12”
Hold down cast holes diameter. ¾”
Weight. 172lbs

va, I traded it for a Wilton 450S and a red paint job on a Sears or something vise. I think I got the better deal. Here is the listing I posted back a while ago on this vise made just for a few Railroad yards.

https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showpost.php?p=7200096&postcount=444


Thanks Shift.

 

[bagged89s10]

So i’m trying to put together a youtube video series on how I restore a vise. This is is for a wilton tradesman, which wasn’t in really bad shape. Not much rust other than some of the swivel lock parts. Filming the process adds a ton of time and I’m still learning the style of video I like to edit my footage into. I also have minimal time in be in the shop right now so I thought making a video on each time I have a chance to work on it would be best. Thanks

 

[Gerard]

Does anyone have any more information or advertisements for this vise? It's a "universal all purpose" rotating/double swivel vise made by Universal Vise & Tool Co and I couldn't find any similar to it in a search. The wheel handle seems like something somebody drilled for and bolted on at some point and the spindle has a hole for a normal handle which is missing. The whole dynamic jaw also comes off and is bolted on but it actually seems like it's supposed to be like this and not broken.

Edit: Looked at the pictures again. Clearly the dynamic jaw is meant to swivel, I just didn't even think of that at first because I'm used to seeing the much more common design with the swiveling static jaw. So it's basically a triple swiveling vise...

I'm wondering if there's any chance the wheel handle might be a factory option.

 

[Outlawmws]

Gerard, a missing handle is NOTHING. Easy Peasy!

If that were close I'd be all over it!

 

[PacificaVette]

I picked up these four vises at an estate sale a few weeks ago, but I'm just getting around to working on them.The first is a little clamp-on Babco, made in Japan, nothing special. The next one is a Majestic 35 with plenty of rust. This one will be a bit of a challenge to restore, but I don't think I'll want to spend a lot of time and effort on it.

The next two are more interesting. The Versa-Vise is in pretty good condition, and it came with several of the accessories to mount it in different orientations. From what I can tell, the mounting adaptors are harder to find than the vise.

The last one is the one that will probably be a keeper (I'm a sucker for the old stuff). It is a Victor Jersey No. 776, made by Stanley. I could barely make out the engraving on the slide---it took magnification, angled lighting, and fill to be able to read it all:

VICTOR JERSEY
NO. 776
Stanley Rule __Level Co.
New Britain, Conn. USA
Pat'd JAN 28, 08

The "Stanley Rule and Level Co." engraving gives a manufacturing date of before 1921. The jaws are 3" and it opens 3". Weight = 9.5 lb. The through-the-bench mounting makes it a bit of a pain to mount, but it will be more of a museum piece, anyway.

Altogether, $40 for all of them. Not bad.

 

[Shiftless]

$40 for ALL of that is a GREAT price. Congrats on a sweet score

 

[Josh C]

Gerard- That looks to be a super interesting vise and if not too pricey please, go buy it ��. And post some pictures when you get it to the shop. My curiosity is peeked.

PVette- All for forty? Wow that’s a cheap haul of fun stuff ���� Nice

 

[PghJKB]

Does anyone have any more information or advertisements for this vise? It's a "universal all purpose" rotating/double swivel vise made by Universal Vise & Tool Co and I couldn't find any similar to it in a search. The wheel handle seems like something somebody drilled for and bolted on at some point and the spindle has a hole for a normal handle which is missing. The whole dynamic jaw also comes off and is bolted on but it actually seems like it's supposed to be like this and not broken.

Edit: Looked at the pictures again. Clearly the dynamic jaw is meant to swivel, I just didn't even think of that at first because I'm used to seeing the much more common design with the swiveling static jaw. So it's basically a triple swiveling vise...

I'm wondering if there's any chance the wheel handle might be a factory option.

Gerard
This is the best match I can find. Patent #579618 issued to W.J. Wanless. Use the USPTO link as it shows the whole patent.

Here is the link to USPTO:
https://pdfpiw.uspto.gov/.piw?PageN...6S1=0579618.PN.%26OS=pn/579618%26RS=PN/579618

Attached is the first page of that patent as a .pdf. and jpg.

JKB

 

[va.grouseman]

Gerard, I'm afraid you are going to come back and announce that you wasn't a dollar short, but was 5 minutes late.---If it's for sale, you better ****** it.


Pacifica, look on the top back of the slide and see if it doesn't say SW for Sweetheart, inside a heart shaped insignia.---You may have to wire brush it to see it.

 

[Productbob]

KM; your stand is awesome and looking forward to the finished product after you work your magic on the RR vise!

 

[AndrewH]

So some people have been following along on my quest to find a single 8” example from each manufacturer, so I thought I would post this here. These are the manufacturers and common 8” models that I still need:

American Scale Co. 58 / 68
Holland 18 / 28 / 48 or 19 / 29 (yes I know these are 9”, I’m not picky)
Prentiss 58 / 98
Ridgid 80SN
Yost 108 / 208

If anyone has one of these or knows someone that does and would be willing to part with them, please shoot me a message with contact info! Obviously don’t post anything in this thread as that’s not what I’m asking for, just looking for a little nudge in the right direction so that I can continue on with my quest!

Thanks guys

 

[KMScott]

Gerard I hope you grabbed the Universal Vise, it's a rare one for sure. If you do grab it please post more pic's and a few spec:s. Some of the similarities match PghJKB patent he found, where it looks like it was built the right way.

 

[Josh C]

Afternoon all- Little busy lately and just haven’t been able to make the time to add much to the thread. That little Stanley sweetheart is still waiting to be put together (Smitty I have been trying to get to it cuz you asked for a picture ) because I have a question regarding the spindle nut and the fact that therean 1/8”+ between it and the retaining pin. I have had a plan to drill and thread the pin for a 6-32 machine “set” screw but haven’t been able to track down a #36 drill bit yet. If you could see the amount of bits that I have bought and inherited through the years you’d be baffled too. Does anyone see a problem with me going this route? The pin itself is 1/4” in diameter btw.
Acquired a 5” (it’s actually about 4 13/16”) post vise for $50 because it needs a little work and the seller was a super generous guy. Not only did he take me to his former shop where he used to build hot rods complete with showroom with four rods in it (T-bucket, 55’, 57’ Chevrolet’s and I forget the fourth) but showed me all around (6-8 anvils and 10 plus post vises including 2-8” monsters) and when we went to leave he gave me a small propane forge that was his first. He just acquired the final tools to be able to make a complete black powder rifle by getting the line boring and rifling machines from Colonial Williamsburg VA. Pretty neat. Anyway the vise is in need of a handle and I have an idea for it but I’m not a experienced metal worker/machinist/welder so wanted to toss the idea out for comments or advice. I have a stick of 3/4” rod that fits very well and since I don’t care for the welded nut version of a homemade handle I have a couple spare 2” receiver balls and was gonna attempt to make one using them. Gotta knock off the chrome for the welds but since they are a 3/4” thread they would match the round stock. Let me know what you all think.
Lastly I was able to snag the Wilton combo vise from the auction that I had inquired about here a few days back. Payed more than I had wanted to but didn’t go over the figure that some her suggested (that is i didn’t go over BEFORE you add in the buyers premium;-))
Probably just gonna flip it making a few bucks and getting the $ back in action. I am thinking of pricing it at $300 on marketplace but wondering if that’s too steep because I don’t like pushing prices to the high end of market value, just want to have someone get a quality tool at a good price and make a little so any feedback is welcome. Also since I have been helped out by this forum so many times over the past year and a half I am gonna offer a large discount on it to anyone from GJ that’s interested. PM me or send an email as a few times I have gone a spell without checking my messages here. Thanks to all of you here for providing pictures and colorful commentary, instruction and detailed schematics/catalog pages pages. An amazing resource that you all provide that I am extremely grateful for (wait, if it wasn’t for you I wouldn’t have gotten addicted to vintage/antique vises in the first place... ;-) Really do enjoy having a safe place to go and immerse myself in rusty metal and fresh paint on old steel and iron allowing me to shut off all the nonsense that surrounds us constantly. Sorry for the long post. Have a great day! Josh. Email me [email protected]
and yes there should be a space between the word at and the jcoffin

 

[Josh C]

I had completely forgotten to post pictures of a vise I saw on EBay last week that I thought everyone should see if you hadn’t already. Love the idea and it’s something that I had been tossing around for a bit. Not saying that I would desire to own one with these colors or scheme but the concept is so vintage cool I had to share!

 

[chrisnazzy]

Rock Island 572 I might go pick up. Curious if anyone here knows anything about the little anvil. I've got no illusions about it being anything special.

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[Josh C]

Chris- Don’t know what you are facing for prices but both of them look like good tools to me. The anvil looks better than the one I picked up last week for $60 which I think was too much. I plan to move it on to some budding blacksmith as a starter for what I have in it. But if they’re reasonable I would snag em but I have heard that I have a problem passing up vintage tools and so you might wait for a more reasonable minded person to chime in

 

[RivennHewn]

Found this one at the swap meet today, but couldn’t bring myself to drop the asking price.

Never heard of a Rio.

Well built rotating head.

 

[Productbob]

Chris; for what it's worth- if the price is reasonable (so you can resell it without losing money) and/or you have a use for the anvil bring it home. Where trouble comes in is when the price is reasonable, you don't have a use for it but you become attached to the thing and decide to hang on to it. Then your workshop or garage becomes a dust collecting museum (wait,,,I think I'm describing my workshop)

 

[oldldh]

As my "Ever Faithful Readers" know, I sometimes wax poetic on these pages...

Well, when one will turn 74 next month, a little self appraisal is sometimes in order...

The first attached photo, was taken by the Hubble Telescope...

It shows a tiny piece of sky...Think a hundredth of a degree by a hundredth of a degree...Actually it's the space between two very distant stars, but you get the idea...A microscopic portion of the sky...

Those "Stars" aren't stars...

They're GALAXIES!!!!

As one's life winds down, toward the last few chapters, it behoves one to think about one's place in the heavenly firmament...

Sports Fans --- If those are galaxies, in a minuscule piece of sky, how big a deal are we???...Check your egos, at the door...

The "Attached Image", is "Snowflake", the albino gorilla, from the Barcelona Zoo...I told my children that my "brother" was in jail in Barcelona, and we were going to visit him...I am a slimy *******, aren't I???

The last two photos were of the "Kowabonga Cowboy Bob" variety...

I've never even heard of something like that, much less seen them...Amazing!!!

And now for a thought about the cast iron world, in which we play...

This forum's member search for things numbered 109, 209, 409, 5198, etc...

Looking at the Galaxies Photo --- what are out odds of finding them???

Puts our "Quests" in perspective...Doesn't it???

We'll never surrender!!!

We'll find them all!!!

Have a truly luverly day!!!

 

[Productbob]

Rivenn; sorry, didn't find anything in a search on Rio Vises. Hopefully someone can shed some light on them. Couldn't have spent $425 on an unknown vise either.

 

[Smitty]

A weekend without a new Prentiss is like a weekend without sunshine. It’s starting to look like a Bull Dog shelter around here.



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[chrisnazzy]

After over a week of trying to communicate with an offerup seller about my interest in buying "the little red vise" only in this ad, I used google translate to become bilingual and I was able to arrange for my brother to pick it up in Palm Springs, CA on his way out to AZ tonight.
My brother took this pic but had no idea how funny it actually is.


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[Vise]

Oldldh - it’s like you’ve been reading my search history...

Smitty - another beauty. Did you clean it up or did you find it in that condition?

Chris - I admire that resourcefulness. Nice pickup.

 

[Productbob]

Smitty congrats on another great pickup! It looks clean and ready to go already.

 

[Productbob]

didn't need to be as innovative as Chrisnazzy on his cool little Wilton pickup but here's what I grabbed for a couple of bucks today. Don't believe the handle is OEM and it's sitting on big Yost to give an idea of size.

 

[Smitty]

Thanks guys, it was a quick cleanup to bring it up to speed.
Nice find Chris, the poor little guy looks a bit lonely with the cargo bay all to itself.

 

[Vise]

Not as nice as that beautiful stand that Royce made, but here’s a big industrial cast iron stand I picked up today. Heavy duty is an understatement.

 

[wrenchguy]

Not as nice as that beautiful stand that Royce made, but here’s a big industrial cast iron stand I picked up today. Heavy duty is an understatement.

i got that saw, its 4 my big jobs. its a tilty top with 15" blade in it. u got any other parts from it?

heres 1 in full tilt without anything seen 4 size perspective.

 

[Vise]

i got that saw, its 4 my big jobs. its a tilty top with 15" blade in it. u got any other parts from it?

heres 1 in full tilt without anything seen 4 size perspective.

Ah, so that’s what it’s supposed to be. I don’t have any other parts. My plan was the grind off the protrusions on the top, weld a plate to it, and mount on a big vise.

 

[chrisnazzy]

I couldn't help myself. My new baby bullet seemed to be in such great condition under the red paint and 51 year old patina, I went right to town getting it stripped and cleaned up. Just need to find an endcap and straighten the handle which is odd that it's bent up so badly because otherwise the vise looks unused. Oh yeah, I'm gonna need to find a powerarm!

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[Shiftless]

Chris:
That’s a mighty fine looking baby bullet. Its interesting that some babies have a somewhat flush fit to the top of the jaws and others have jaws that are noticeably proud of the top of the jaw towers. I have 2 baby bullets...one is mostly flush and one is proud of the tops like the one you pictured.

Here is one without a base that sold on ebay tonight for $405

 

[Outlawmws]

Keep in mind that is cast iron, so welding may not be the best plan? maybe grind flat and bolt up through the plate from the bottom?

 

[PacificaVette]

Pacifica, look on the top back of the slide and see if it doesn't say SW for Sweetheart, inside a heart shaped insignia.---You may have to wire brush it to see it.[/QUOTE]

The engraving is on the top of the slide right at the end. There is no engraving of "Sweetheart" anywhere on the slide. This vise may pre-date the SW line from Stanley.

In looking at the vise spreadsheet, I see that there is a Stanley 776 listed as a clamp-on, but mine is a through-the-bench mount. I wonder if there are other examples out there of vises that are very different, but with the same model number? This catalog from 1919 shows the No. 776 appearing exactly like mine.

 

[Vise]

Keep in mind that is cast iron, so welding may not be the best plan? maybe grind flat and bolt up through the plate from the bottom?

It’s a fair point. I had read that some nickel based rods worked decent on cast iron. The only problem with bolting is that the top of cast iron stand is pretty narrow, so I’m not sure there’s room for the bolts once the vise is mounted. Will have to measure it out. Thanks for the guidance.

 

[wrenchguy]

Ah, so that’s what it’s supposed to be. I don’t have any other parts. My plan was the grind off the protrusions on the top, weld a plate to it, and mount on a big vise.

With that big footprint i'd bolt a hd plate 2 it and mount a 8'er on each corner.

edit, can u show the backside? i'm wondering if it was modified for electric motor.

 

[davethorik]

The engraving is on the top of the slide right at the end. There is no engraving of "Sweetheart" anywhere on the slide. This vise may pre-date the SW line from Stanley.

In looking at the vise spreadsheet, I see that there is a Stanley 776 listed as a clamp-on, but mine is a through-the-bench mount. I wonder if there are other examples out there of vises that are very different, but with the same model number? This catalog from 1919 shows the No. 776 appearing exactly like mine.

Stanley vises made before 1919-1920 won't be marked Sweetheart. They should be marked Stanley Rule & Level.

 

[Vise]

With that big footprint i'd bolt a hd plate 2 it and mount a 8'er on each corner.

edit, can u show the backside? i'm wondering if it was modified for electric motor.

That plan would demand four 8" vises, huh? I'll see what I can do.

I'll try to get some pics of the back. It's got a big rectangular opening back there.