The VISES of Garage Journal

[lhloy]

Thanks Smitty! Would love to find the factory color for CP 383 1/2.
Larry

 

[trijeff]

Thanks Smitty!!!

Sent from my Moto G (5) Plus using Tapatalk

 

[Smitty]

You’re welcome guys, I’ve saved quite a few scans from this board so I wanted contribute. The catalog seems to be well illustrated, the baby Prentiss jewelers vise has the pinstriping drawn in.

 

[Loydski29]

Well I finally got a Parker bear to go with the salesman sample. Hopefully I can find a non broken salesman sample one day.


Sent from my iPhone using Garage Journal

 

[kenc184]

An interesting six page ad for vises came up on eBay a couple of days ago.

Smitty, did you know that ebay will be collecting sales tax as of this month I think? No doubt, CA states attempt to get more tax revenue they can then give away in their usual incompetent manner.

It also means that when we sell anything, we will end up with 10% less than before as the buyers will figure the 10% sales tax into their cost.

edit: Sorry, Oct 1st.

 

[trijeff]

the baby Prentiss jewelers vise has the pinstriping drawn in.

Whoa, double thanks!! Don't think I've seen that before

Sent from my Moto G (5) Plus using Tapatalk

 

[Cajun226]

Outlawmws, I just mainly want something that looks decent and serves me good for what little work I do in the garage. It's my grandma's garage since I haven't moved out yet so I'm limited to the amount of space I can have and what I can do in it. It's pretty lightweight as you mentioned. Thank you as well for the comparisons va.grouseman. I looked and couldn't find one with similar scripture on the side so it's nice to see the same one.

 

[Smitty]

We’re gonna shake, rattle and roll
I said, shake rattle and roll

 

[mdkcal]

I finally finished my Reed 32 vise after screwing around for 5 months. I got this vise from my mom, who had it mounted to her bench in the garage for at least 45 years. I believe it's 1910 vintage looking at numbers stamped on it. It came from a machine shop in the Los Angeles area and was covered in a thick layer of grease.
Pictures of what it looked like when I got it:

 

[mdkcal]

The vise was in good shape, except for the crack at the tail of the slide. I posted pictures a couple of weeks ago of that repair. It went as follows: Degreased, derusted (electrolysis), drilled/counterbored/ tapped and inserted cap screws from the side. Then I ground out the crack, and applied a mixture of JB Weld with a LOT of cast iron chips from drilling. I spread the epoxy over the entire top surface. With it ground down, it's almost hard to tell it isn't metal.

 

[mdkcal]

The only other "repair" I did was insert a .025 thick arbor shim behind the collar to eliminate some of the backlash in the handle. I couldn't quite get the pin behind the nut tight enough to get all the play out, but it doesn't move much. Pictures below of the finished vise.
Anybody out there know where I can get pipe jaws for this? I'll probably mock-up some jaws with wood or something to get the size down, draw it up in CAD and have my buddy machine a set. Heat treat is the issue though.

 

[mdkcal]

We’re gonna shake, rattle and roll
I said, shake rattle and roll

Yes, I felt that too

 

[jmhinkle]

The only other "repair" I did was insert a .025 thick arbor shim behind the collar to eliminate some of the backlash in the handle. I couldn't quite get the pin behind the nut tight enough to get all the play out, but it doesn't move much. Pictures below of the finished vise.
Anybody out there know where I can get pipe jaws for this? I'll probably mock-up some jaws with wood or something to get the size down, draw it up in CAD and have my buddy machine a set. Heat treat is the issue though.

Looks great. All these refurbs make me want to clean up my old Reed and paint it up nice.

 

[jonshonda]

I explained poorly. What I meant was to replace the pin with a longer one, insert into hole and then use a hammer to knock the now long pin down towards the nut to affix it in place to remove the slop. Picture a bent nail in a board...

Make sense?

Yup!

Another way to close the gap is with a spacer cut in the shape of the bottom of the nut.

Good idea!

A bigger question is "why is there a gap"? Wrong nut?

That is my thinking. Wondering if there is a spacer missing, or its the wrong nut.

 

[HandsomeDan]

Have you guys ever seen a Wilton Bullet with no stampings or castings on it? A “machinist vise” popped up on my local CL, seller says it’s not a wilton, but it looks pretty nice.

 

[trijeff]

Dan, definitely a Wilton Tradesman 1740

Sent from my Moto G (5) Plus using Tapatalk

 

[va.grouseman]

Probably one of several that was turned out under contract for some hardware line, so they could slap their own sticker on it.---Most all major vise producers did that some, at one time or another.

 

[va.grouseman]

Mdkcal, are you anywhere near the shake and bake.---If you are, I'm thinking about you and all the fellows in the proximity.---My thoughts and prayers are with yaw.

A real nice restore on the Reed by-the-way, Mdk.

 

[Vise]

A big step towards finishing the stand for the 978 today: the top plate is cut out of 1/2” steel.

Next I’ll drill and tap holes in the top of the stand and bolt the plate on.

 

[mdkcal]

Mdkcal, are you anywhere near the shake and bake.---If you are, I'm thinking about you and all the fellows in the proximity.---My thoughts and prayers are with yaw.

A real nice restore on the Reed by-the-way, Mdk.

Thanks and I'm about 100 miles away. Quietest, smoothest earthquake roller I've ever felt. Lost about 3 inches of water in the pool.

 

[Smitty]

A big step towards finishing the stand for the 978 today: the top plate is cut out of 1/2” steel.

Next I’ll drill and tap holes in the top of the stand and bolt the plate on.

I think that a heavy top plate was a good call, it looks more substantial.

 

[HandsomeDan]

Probably one of several that was turned out under contract for some hardware line, so they could slap their own sticker on it.---Most all major vise producers did that some, at one time or another.

Dan, definitely a Wilton Tradesman 1740

Sent from my Moto G (5) Plus using Tapatalk

Thanks, guys. I figured. It’s too nice, and it’s definitely older.

 

[Vise]

I think that a heavy top plate was a good call, it looks more substantial.

Thanks Smitty. Agreed. Still a long way to go on it, but progress is being made.

 

[Productbob]

mslund1 nice job on the Reed

mdkcal the repair and the finished vise look great

vise like that top plate; will look perfect with the big boy mounted on it!

 

[mdkcal]

I never knew epoxy could look that good! Did you use JBWeld or clear?

I did braze weld similar damage on my Prentiss 56 (on this or the vise repair thread, I forget) and it took a TON of heat and I had to paint the slide afterwards to hide the brass color.

Sorry for late reply. Was out of town. I used JB Weld (1/3 epoxy, 1/3 hardener, 1/3 or more metal chips). The mix was very stiff. Looking at an angle it looks like the sides. Straight on, you can see the metal flakes. I think it'll hold up good as long as it's greased regularly and kept clean. It looks rough/granular in this shot, but it's smooth a butter.

Close up shot looking down (hard not to get light reflection).

 

[MayerMR]

Ok vise experts, any idea what this one is?

 

[trijeff]

Looks like a Rock Island 574

Sent from my Moto G (5) Plus using Tapatalk

 

[Smitty]

I found a nice little Prentiss Bull Dog no. 91. The vise has 3 5/8” jaws and weighs in at 36lbs.


Sent from my iPad using The Garage Journal mobile app

 

[Productbob]

Smitty nice find, you are a Prentiss magnet!

 

[Smitty]

I’m running the So Cal Bull Dog rescue. I’ve got a 3” no. 263 hitting the door tomorrow, I can’t wait.

 

[blind]

Saw this today at work.

 

[va.grouseman]

I’m running the So Cal Bull Dog rescue. I’ve got a 3” no. 263 hitting the door tomorrow, I can’t wait.

PAWS will be so proud of you Smitty.

 

[kenc184]

If you had to keep only three bench vises from your personal collection what would they be?

 

[Smitty]

PAWS will be so proud of you Smitty.

Maybe they can help with their shots, the needles keep bending. The 263 that I have coming tomorrow has a split base with the original wrench. I know your partial to those.

 

[Vise]

Nice find Smitty. I passed on a Prentiss 92 today that was missing its swivel base and had a decent chip on the static; the slide was clean though.

Ended up buying his Morgan 88 for $30 with no base and missing a few pipe jaws.

Then I drove a couple hours to pick up this yellow guy...

 

[Smitty]

Two hours is a small price to pay for a 6” Parker.

 

[trijeff]

Saw this today at work.

Hanz and Franz will clamp you up

Sent from my Moto G (5) Plus using Tapatalk

 

[Smitty]

If you had to keep only three bench vises from your personal collection what would they be?

1. The 6” Bessey
2. The Zyliss that I bought at the fair
3. The Central Machinery 4” with the pretzel shaped handle

 

[va.grouseman]

Yep Smitty, I love the split base.---I can't believe that with your affinity for the Prentiss line, that there wouldn't be at least 1 that the heart just can't part with.


Oh, and I couldn't even begin to answer Kenc's question.---I'd constantly be revising the list.

 

[Smitty]

Prentiss shmentiss, the Zyliss is still in the original box. It’s NOS