The VISES of Garage Journal

[rtdgfd]

Thanks for the comment. I have a few vises scattered around the shop. I will take some photos and post them. I have been inspired by the folks at GJ to clean up and distribute my extra vises to my kids recently. I wonder if they will ever feel the same way about that extra hand that is so important to the work that gets done in our shops.

 

[Smitty]

rtdgfd:
Tha 108 looks like it’s in great shape and that stand is a beast. More pics would be appreciated.

 

[kenc184]

Poor photo of a great old Reed 108 on a heavy cast iron stand. I bought it at an ATSF auction. My favorite vise is a 6" Ridgid that my Dad and I bought new in the 1970's,can't move it around anymore so my every day vise is a 4 1/2" Rock Island. It is very smooth and I love to work at it.

I can't get my head around an 8" vise. I have four 6" vises and they are LARGE. But an 8"......................??

 

[va.grouseman]

Poor photo of a great old Reed 108 on a heavy cast iron stand. I bought it at an ATSF auction. My favorite vise is a 6" Ridgid that my Dad and I bought new in the 1970's,can't move it around anymore so my every day vise is a 4 1/2" Rock Island. It is very smooth and I love to work at it.

I have to ask, how much did the 108 set you back, and did you get the stand with it?---I gotts to know, I gotts to know.

 

[rtdgfd]

The vise was the only one that sold singly. The other 8" vises were three to a pallet and I only wanted one. Looking back (almost 30 years ago) I should have bought several pallets. The pallets brought about $500.00 each ( 3 vises). I bought the stand from a guy at the auction that bought it at the ATSF shops employee salvage sales. So both of my pieces came from the Topeka shops. I also got a 378# Trenton anvil at the same time.It has been my large anvil for over 30 years. My Dad loved tools and passed on to me the same appreciation. My kids, not so much. I think I paid $165.00 for the vise, more for the stand but can't remember.

 

[Shiftless]

Hmmm...
A Reed 108 for $165 in 1989...
Let’s do the math...
That’s only about $350 in today’s dollars...
Fantastic buy!

Retro suckage earned!

 

[rtdgfd]

The Dow Jones average for 1990 varied between low 2000's to almost 3000. All the tool collectors on this site that helped preserve our wonderful industrial heritage should be rewarded for their efforts. What a great site!

 

[jask]

this is perfect timing! I just came across a Reed 108 of the same vintage and was trying to gauge what a fair price would be in unrestored condition, Iwill post a pic from my phone if I can figure out how to make the file size small enough, but it sounds like people would probably be willing to spend 5-600$ for a good restoration candidate?... or what would fair market price be today?

 

[Shiftless]

this is perfect timing! I just came across a Reed 108 of the same vintage and was trying to gauge what a fair price would be in unrestored condition, Iwill post a pic from my phone if I can figure out how to make the file size small enough, but it sounds like people would probably be willing to spend 5-600$ for a good restoration candidate?... or what would fair market price be today?

Prepare to answer a few PM’s

But the proper GJ procedure is to list it with a few pics on the classified section. These vise pages are not meant as a free appraisal service. If you haven’t set a firm price, just ask a high amount and say O.B.O. Needless to say, shipping $$$ will be a major concern.

 

[jask]

it is not mine, and I am not selling it....

as I said, I am trying to gauge what a fair market price would be. it is part of the estate of a local rancher and will probably end up in an auction.... I would be willing to give them an offer so that it has a reserve but would want the family to get a good price.

so, anyone willing to suggest what they would reasonably be willing to pay if you found yourself facing one?

 

[MayerMR]

it is not mine, and I am not selling it....

as I said, I am trying to gauge what a fair market price would be. it is part of the estate of a local rancher and will probably end up in an auction.... I would be willing to give them an offer so that it has a reserve but would want the family to get a good price.

so, anyone willing to suggest what they would reasonably be willing to pay if you found yourself facing one?

These are kind of one of those things that depend a lot on the condition of the vise, if there were ever any repairs made to it, and kind of the biggest factor is how much you want it. For someone really wanting to use it, it might only be worth $500 or so to them. But as it's the largest version from Reed, a really popular brand, a collector could be willing to pay up to $2k for a pristine example.

 

[Serrat Yasargil]

These are kind of one of those things that depend a lot on the condition of the vise, if there were ever any repairs made to it, and kind of the biggest factor is how much you want it. For someone really wanting to use it, it might only be worth $500 or so to them. But as it's the largest version from Reed, a really popular brand, a collector could be willing to pay up to $2k for a pristine example.

I still kick myself for not buying Viceman's! Arrrggghhh! Why did i let that go!

 

[Smitty]

Saturday R&R
Putting the Reed to work making pretzels out of 1/2” rebar.


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[Shiftless]

Very well done, Smitty.
If anybody asks “Why?”
Just say “Because I can!”

 

[Smitty]

Very well done, Smitty.

If anybody asks “Why?”

Just say “Because I can!”

Lol
It actually has an interesting tactile feel to it.


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[davethorik]

In boy scouts we called that a square knot. Never in rebar, though, I missed out on blacksmithing merit badge

 

[chrisnazzy]

Lol
It actually has an interesting tactile feel to it.


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Smitty, that anvil looks like a pretty big boy. How much does it weigh?

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[Smitty]

In boy scouts we called that a square knot. Never in rebar, though, I missed out on blacksmithing merit badge

Yeah I was a Boy Scout back in the day, good times.

 

[Smitty]

Smitty, that anvil looks like a pretty big boy. How much does it weigh?

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That’s my baby. It was made in 1912 and has a hand made stand with hand forged chain links. I added the wood base to get it to striking height. The anvil itself weighs 410 lbs.

 

[Smitty]

The project was a combined effort of Anvil and vise. The Reed is my go to vise for bending hot steel.
Here’s a few more pics.


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[chrisnazzy]

That’s my baby. It was made in 1912 and has a hand made stand with hand forged chain links. I added the wood base to get it to striking height. The anvil itself weighs 410 lbs.

Impressive! I've got nearly 30 vises but have yet to come across one anvil that was reasonably priced enough to buy. I only want one. Not looking to collect. Just would like to have one in the 100 something pound range to actually use from time to time. Someday I'll just need to pony up!

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[va.grouseman]

Smitty, I love that HOT PINK color scheme on the rebar.---Thinking about using that flavor on my next vise project.

 

[Smitty]

Smitty, I love that HOT PINK color scheme on the rebar.---Thinking about using that flavor on my next vise project.

They kind of look like Red Vines.

 

[va.grouseman]

Chris, I have a 150lb. anvil but my go-to beater is a chunk of railroad track.---I also have a Cleat for mooring big ships that weighs about 100lbs. that makes a pretty good banger.

 

[AngryBeaver]

Impressive! I've got nearly 30 vises but have yet to come across one anvil that was reasonably priced enough to buy. I only want one. Not looking to collect. Just would like to have one in the 100 something pound range to actually use from time to time. Someday I'll just need to pony up!

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I think you and I are on the same page with a lot of things. I too want a nice bigger anvil, but I'm not some hipster blacksmith and refuse to pay 5-900 for something to smash stuff on. lol I have a small section of RR trail on my main bench and I have a trashed 150lb vulcan that 1/2 of the face is missing. IT was 50 bucks and works just find for straightening car and fab stuff.

 

[Smitty]

Impressive! I've got nearly 30 vises but have yet to come across one anvil that was reasonably priced enough to buy. I only want one. Not looking to collect. Just would like to have one in the 100 something pound range to actually use from time to time. Someday I'll just need to pony up!

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Chris, it’s almost cathartic to come home and hit hot steel after a long week at work. I started out with a 3x3 of 1018 as an anvil and an old cast iron frying pan as my forge. I used hardwood charcoal and the key was to have air blowing on the fire to get it hot enough. I used the exhaust from a small vacuum to blow on the coals.


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[Smitty]

Chris, I have a 150lb. anvil but my go-to beater is a chunk of railroad track.---I also have a Cleat for mooring big ships that weighs about 100lbs. that makes a pretty good banger.

I went to fleet week in LA harbor last weekendand they had massive cleats about four foot long and two feet high set up as park benches to sit on. The problem was the sun on a 90°day.

 

[va.grouseman]

Man that would make some kind of an anvil Smitty.---At 90° you could fry bacon and scramble eggs on that thing.---Just think what it would do to some of those delicate tushes.---I wanted one of those big disks that Drive had so bad I could taste it.---24'' across, 4'' thick, but shipping would have been a real bear.---The point is, there are a lot of heavy items that make dandy anvils without having a conventional one.---I'd like to have a 1000lb. anvil but this 2'' x 15'' x 24'' bulldozer blade I have will straighten about anything I put on it and has far more whacking surface.

 

[davethorik]

Oh man. The eBay Stanley Rule & Level no. 772 showed up. It is in great shape! The seller's pictures were kind of fuzzy, but it looked all there, so I kinda took a gamble. I believe it is missing the original washer, which has a replacement. The cast wing "knob" and swivel base are present, which is all I really cared about with the thru-bench swivel base.

There are some dings in the jaw and one chip on the right side lower static jaw.

Other than that...this thing is NICE and looks to have 70-80% of an original looking brown paint. It is hard to tell what is paint and what is patina. I'm super jazzed about getting this vise, Poor Man's Prentiss Jewelers vise

It works smooth and looks good for being 100-104 years old, or so. 1-3/4" jaws, opens 1-1/2".

 

[davethorik]

A few more. Edit: just noticed how asymmetrical the rear of slide is. Apprentice machinist tool too much off one side, oops

 

[Shiftless]

Nice score, Dave.
I’m diggin’ the brown patina.

 

[davethorik]

Thanks shift, I can't believe how tiny it is!

 

[davethorik]

Ok, just a couple more for now.

Here it is alongside my matching Stanley Victor no. 743 clamp-on, which has slightly larger 2" jaws. It also opens slightly wider (1-7/8"). Both have the same size (height 1-1/16", width 7/8") slide cross section.

There is only one patent date on the 743.

It also doesn't use the 2 pc. clips to retain the spindle, it has what looks like a roll pin pressed into casting that fits in a groove on spindle.

They do make a nice odd couple.

 

[Outlawmws]

Nice find on the 733 Dave!

Not sure on the Pre-Sweetheart vises for color? I have a Sweethart that is black and orange and I believe its original.


Something I collected on the history:

Stanley bought the P.J. Leavens Co. of Vineland, New Jersey in 1911, and introduced two new lines of vises named Stanley "Jersey" and Victor "Jersey" to make use of the familiar Leavens' "Jersey" vise name. When Stanley made their big internal merger and introduced the Sweetheart logo in 1919, they also dropped the "Jersey" name and began casting the Stanely name in the side of their vises. A few years later they also added the model number to the side of the vise. By 1929 they started to pare down the number of vises they offered, and did the same in 1934, then again in 1939 (although they also introduced 3 new styles of vises in 1934 that were much cheaper to produce)

So 1911-1919, Victor & Jersey
1919/20 - to 1935 SW "Sweetheart"

 

[akasrick]

Nice find on the 733 Dave!

Not sure on the Pre-Sweetheart vises for color? I have a Sweethart that is black and orange and I believe its original.


Something I collected on the history:


So 1911-1919, Victor & Jersey
1919/20 - to 1935 SW "Sweetheart"

From memory... Brown Asphaltum on that color, seems to be a little thiner than the black asphaltum.

akasrick

 

[Vise]

Here’s a cool piece I picked up this week. Needs some jaw work, but you don’t see a lot of 8.5” jaw vises. A Rock Island 67 that weighs 285.6 lbs:

 

[KMScott]

Nice stuff Smitty, Dave and Vises. I have been gathering vises also but overwhelmed with work (vise parts) to show off.

Anyone want a 206R Static before it goes to the scrap yard. All I have is what is pictured.

 

[ganymede]

Off center spindle on a nice Reed 203 I'm cleaning up.
Cant believe it was made that way but its also tough to imagine some one torquing so hard the spindle began to twist and tear rotationaly.
View media item 96822

 

[AngryBeaver]

Here’s a cool piece I picked up this week. Needs some jaw work, but you don’t see a lot of 8.5” jaw vises. A Rock Island 67 that weighs 285.6 lbs:

OUTSTANDINIG

 

[Slednut]

A year or so ago I broke my vise, I really like having two vises on the bench. My SIL has been buying and restoring vises. He found this Columbian for $30 and gave it to me to replace the one I broke.