The VISES of Garage Journal

[kenc184]

Nutjob, Rusty, Mr W - thanks! Guess it's a quick try with the vice grips (gently!), then back to the oxy.

shift Looks like our mileage varies, not surprising I guess since the amount of corrosion would have a bearing.

 

[Mr. Wonderful]

Shift/Ken, I should have prefaced my post with I am no expert at all! Funny thing is even though it has not worked for me I still use it EVERY time. I'd love to be in the other camp on this one. It just hasn't worked for me yet.

 

[HandsomeDan]

Just picked up this Wilton Tradesman 1745 for $75.

Those are the listing pics. Hitch mount was included.

 

[ricleh]

I did see some have very good luck online a while back with left hand drill bits when I was trying to solve your same problem. I am almost ready to purchase a set. Good luck.

I have had great success with left hand cobalt drill bits in situations like this.

 

[bastel]

Pristine condition Zeus3 (VS4) fetched. Probably 80+ years old. This was expensive. Just to mock me a VS4 in a bit worse shape popped up tonight for 2/5th the price with misleading title, though. I am sure somebody will be interested in that one. That remote 55 € VS2 is still available, still no shipping and there seems to be some damage at a jaw, so I dunno...

 

[kenc184]

Just picked up this Wilton Tradesman 1745 for $75.



Those are the listing pics. Hitch mount was included.

Super bargain for a minty 1745.

Considering I paid $60 for the worst condition 1750 I've ever come across! Saveable though.

 

[Oily Nails]

Introducing my Gumtree buy for the evening.
£10 for a "no name" PRC cross slide drill vice.
A quick Google shows pretty much the same vice at ~£30 new.
£10 feels fair

She'll be cleaned up (WD40+wire wool) and a wooden bracket made to sit her into the drill base before putting her into use.

 

[KMScott]

Pristine condition Zeus3 (VS4) fetched. Probably 80+ years old. This was expensive. Just to mock me a VS4 in a bit worse shape popped up tonight for 2/5th the price with misleading title, though. I am sure somebody will be interested in that one. That remote 55 € VS2 is still available, still no shipping and there seems to be some damage at a jaw, so I dunno...

bastel, educate us on these vises. Who made them. Are they German made? What are the jaw widths related to the model numbers. Nice looking vice's. Nice collection. Thanks in advance.

 

[Smitty]

I finally found it. Here’s my long sought after Wilton C0, it has 3 1/2” jaws and weighs in at 52 lbs. The vise is pretty clean and I got it for a fair price.


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[skulldrinker]

Bought this vise off a friend back in 1979 for $40. I should paint it up nice. It's my main use vise.

 

[454ragtop]

Anybody seen anything like this before? Armstrong vise, 3-1/4" jaws, opens to 4-1/2", has pipe jaws, looks like it mounts like a common pipe vise, pretty strange. Found it at the swap meet, stumbled across it as I was on my way back to my space from the head. Very fine screw, it was badly seized, but I got it freed up today, main thing it needs is a new handle. I get the weight shortly, guessing around 40 lbs.

Sorry guys, don't seem to be able to load pics from my desktop or my phone, just locks up.

Have more pics, but if I fight with this any more right now I may smash this computer, what a waste of time!

 

[NastyNate]

Found a couple more vises. They are accumulating quickly.

 

[Smitty]

I know it only Monday but I’m already planning on getting hammered this weekend.


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[bastel]

bastel, educate us on these vises. Who made them. Are they German made? What are the jaw widths related to the model numbers. Nice looking vice's. Nice collection. Thanks in advance.

My first post https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showpost.php?p=8094706&postcount=74989 contains some info. I gotta measure all the vises I have, but for catalogues I need to reserve a time slot for them to be available for me from the archives and then travel 100 miles there. It's all non digitized, at least they know what is stored where. So I can only give some quick info for now.
What I figured out so far is
Zeus4 labeled ones are the same as VS6, Zeus3 as VS4, Zeus2 as VS2.
Zeus stamped ones are older, the D.R.P. gives it away. They also use 3 bolts to clamp down the guide plate, VS stamped ones only 2 (was it creating a weak spot in the cast? I guess the middle bolt is really not a good place. Or just optimized away? We'll never know.)
Except for my mini sampe/watchmakers vise I have not seen any other size, but unless that is the Zeus1, i guess there should be one.
The VS6 is indeed 6", the other numbers don't match, they are bigger. 12cm for VS4 (have to verify) and 9cm for VS2 (have none, can't verify). Mini vise measurements are in the mini vise post.
VS6 weights 51 kg, i measured that.

 

[Carolina82]

Long time lurker so I decided to join. Hoarded these up over the last couple years. Yost 33C, Wilton 600, Wilton C1 and a Columbian 503 1/2. I keep my eyes peeled for old vises.

 

[Smitty]

Long time lurker so I decided to join. Hoarded these up over the last couple years. Yost 33C, Wilton 600, Wilton C1 and a Columbian 503 1/2. I keep my eyes peeled for old vises.

I for one am happy that you gave up lurking, nice collection.

 

[Fierljeppen]

Anybody seen anything like this before? Armstrong vise, 3-1/4" jaws, opens to 4-1/2", has pipe jaws, looks like it mounts like a common pipe vise, pretty strange. Found it at the swap meet, stumbled across it as I was on my way back to my space from the head. Very fine screw, it was badly seized, but I got it freed up today, main thing it needs is a new handle. I get the weight shortly, guessing around 40 lbs.

Sorry guys, don't seem to be able to load pics from my desktop or my phone, just locks up.

Have more pics, but if I fight with this any more right now I may smash this computer, what a waste of time!

Great find! Rare and old make for an interesting vise. Armstrong started advertising their first combo vise in the late 1880's. They seemed to come in a few different flavors over the years.

Here's some ownership notes for you. Try not to smash your computer, we need your photo's.

 

[Carolina82]

I for one am happy that you gave up lurking, nice collection.

Thanks. Also have a unknown brand post vise and a 172lb Hay Budden. Suppose that's for another thread though.

 

[Smitty]

I’ve been waiting quite a while to post this pic. I finally pulled the set together, Wilton Vise numbers C0, C1, C2 and C3. 400 lbs of happiness.


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[454ragtop]

Let try some more pics of the Armstrong, and thanks Fierljeppen for the info, awesome as usual!

 

[Vise]

Nice job with the Wilton C collection Smitty.

454- that Armstrong is very cool. And great info, as always, Fierljeppen.

 

[bastel]

Here a little vise for your kid's workbench. Final evolution of communist east germany's bench vises: material and cost reduction! Economic and modern design . This is the small 8cm jaw version. Back dynamic jaw, dovetail style. Low profile. 7kg. Trademark blue color. Made by Spannwerkzeuge Zeulenroda. Picked it up for 15 bucks, I don't actually want and need it.

 

[kenc184]

I’ve been waiting quite a while to post this pic. I finally pulled the set together, Wilton Vise numbers C0, C1, C2 and C3. 400 lbs of happiness.


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Nice, Smitty, very nice indeed. All we get round here is tradesman vises or way overpriced 0/1/2/3C vises. *****.

 

[rusty65]

I’ve been waiting quite a while to post this pic. I finally pulled the set together, Wilton Vise numbers C0, C1, C2 and C3. 400 lbs of happiness.


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That’s awesome!


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[1967M-715]

In large vises without getting into crazy weird ones on wheels or of odd designs. Are teh biggest bench vises the 9" Reed 109? There are several 8 and 8.5's but were there any at all in in the common bench design bigger than 9"?

 

[davethorik]

Erie Tool Works Mogul 10"

 

[Smitty]

Vise, Ken and Rusty
Thanks guys, I was pretty happy to finally find the last piece of the puzzle today.

 

[454ragtop]

Smitty, I'm pretty jealous, can't seem to come up with a C1 for some strange reason, never even seen one other than pics.

 

[Smitty]

454
If I had to guess I’d say that the C0 was the least produced of the series. They’re pretty scarce in these parts as well.

 

[454ragtop]

Weird, have 2 C0's currently, sold one a couple years back as well. Just no C1's...….

 

[kenc184]

I want a C2, just no good deals around here.......My C1 makes a great user, but a C2 would be even better.

 

[trijeff]

Ken, there's a cherry C2 in Tracy on OfferUp for 350

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[Duderino]

My first vise restore. Rescued it from a friends shed
Union MFG Co Parker 976B

Before


After




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[Carolina82]

Nice! Did you just wire wheel it and apply oil?

 

[Duderino]

Soaked it in a electrolysis bath and wire wheeled it.

I didn’t find a fleck of paint on it, so figured that was the original finish.


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[kenc184]

Ken, there's a cherry C2 in Tracy on OfferUp for 350

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Jeff, thanks yes, that's the guy who sold me my Reed 3C. Nice guy and a real Wilton lover. Price is a bit high for me though, I'm cheap. Maybe in a week or two I'll offer him $300 if it's still around. It has no lock down handles though, although for me as a user I would remove the rotary base anyway so no real loss except in resale value.

 

[Thrumcap]

Do they sell evaporust in 55 gallon drums?

I finally found my C0 today

Why yes, yes they do. Also in 275 gallon totes.

Thrumcap

 

[va.grouseman]

So is this...

As I get older, I see more clearly that all cool old pieces of Americana are not worth messing with.

Some things are fixable...others aren’t.

You know a lot of that will buff right out.

 

[va.grouseman]

454, here's a pic of a similar vise as the Armstrong.---Google says it's a Columbian but everything points to Armstrong IMO.---Also has the plunger Dynamic lock instead of the ratchet lock on yours.

Here's a side by side comparison.

Hit this link and scroll down half page.

https://www.google.com/search?q=pic...DkQ9QEwAXoECAcQCQ#imgrc=1Dn_S_CYIHD6mM:&vet=1

 

[Shiftless]

Weird, have 2 C0's currently, sold one a couple years back as well. Just no C1's...….

Gee...I have 2 C1’s and no C zeros!
If you feel like driving out to a warmer spot this winter, maybe we can work out a trade.
Here’s my extra one.