The VISES of Garage Journal

[chrisnazzy]

If the No. 23 uses the same spindle nut as the No 22, I might have a lead for you. Guy on FB group "bench vises forever" messaged me when I was working on my No. 5 that he might be able to help me out with one. I the swivel jaw on my No 5 was frozen as well, and I found lots of heat, a BFH (dead blow) and a very heavy table to clamp the vise to was the only solution, after many other methods.

I'm that guy!

I do have a Prentiss nut available but it is definitely for a no. 22 and at least in my mind it's unlikely a no. 23 uses the same size acme thread leadscrew. More than willing to check though if someone wants.

Chris.

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[Vise]

Thanks, Josh and Chris. I don’t think a 22 nut will work, but to be sure I’ll check the 23 screw against my own 22 and will let you know. I was actually told that the screw of a 23 will fit the nut of an 8” Reed, but those are probably even less common than the 23 nuts. I’m in no rush, but definitely appreciate the help.

Smitty- yes, I bought the swivel base on eBay for $70 including original center bolt and heavy duty center bolt washer. With the plunger now working it swivels very nicely.

AB and VA missed your posts earlier, but those are some nice pick ups.

 

[davethorik]

That's a decent price to pay for a keeper in that condition. I thought about buying it but don't have need for another 6". The seller updated his ad after it sold commenting on somebody who offered $150 that it sold for full price - that person had no shame!

I'd be willing to bet it was a member here.

 

[Smitty]

Spending some quality time in the office.


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[Shiftless]

Looks like the newly acquired BLUE MAGIC is doing a nice job. It will be interesting to see how the whole thing looks when you are done. I wonder how much visible difference there will be between the polished nickel surface and the polished surface where the nickel was worn away.

 

[Smitty]

Shift, I don’t think the worn away areas will blend in all that well. Taking 120 years of tarnish off is proving to be quite a chore I must admit. Here’s a progress photo, I’m about half way done.


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[Shiftless]

Shift, I don’t think the worn away areas will blend in that well. Taking 100 years of tarnish off is proving to be quite a chore. Here’s a progress photo, I’m about half way done

I guess the big variable is how much you polish the unplated areas. Remember some examples where cast iron has been polished to a mirror shine. Of course, the color of the polished nickel and the color of the polished cast iron won’t be exactly the same.
If it was me, I would just finish cleaning the nickel up the best you can and leave the dark bare areas alone as testament to the age of the vise and the amount of service it has provided to its previous users.

Here is a pic of that over polished made in Japan Craftsman that sold on eBay not long ago to illustrate what I’m talking about.

 

[Smitty]

Shift
Wow, sombody really put some time in on that craftsman, they did a great job. I’m with you, I’m not trying to hide the worn areas as this was a working vise for many years. I think I’ll take the polish as far as I can by hand and leave it at that.

 

[txlonghorn1989]

Smitty, is that the Blue product people have been mentioning upthread to polish metal to a brilliant shine? Hope you'll provide a review on how you think it works.

 

[Smitty]

Tex
Rusty mentioned it a few pages back. This is the first time I’ve tried it and I couldn’t be happier. My local auto parts store had it on the shelf and it was around seven bucks. Two thumbs up for Blue Magic.

 

[Outlawmws]

Bastel, it sounds like that vise had a torque multiplier. I have a mill vise that has one. with wrist action alone I think it was #2 in some pressure testing for some of my vises.

 

[Showdog75]

My first post here and all I can say is Wow. 3800+ pages of vise ****. I'll fit right in. I own 4 Wilton's including a baby along with a Kurt d30 for my Rockwell vertical mill and a Palmgren. I just started a restoration on a Wilton 8400 for my dad.

 

[rusty65]

Tex
Rusty mentioned it a few pages back. This is the first time I’ve tried it and I couldn’t be happier. My local auto parts store had it on the shelf and it was around seven bucks. Two thumbs up for Blue Magic.

Your vise is looking great. I’m glad the blue magic is working good for you.


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[Smitty]

Showdog
Welcome to the club, post some pics when you get a chance.

Rusty
Thanks. The polish really brought the original finish back.

 

[Smitty]

VA
I just saw this, it kind of looks like your anvil/vise combo.


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[va.grouseman]

Yep, and that's why I think Milwaukee had something to do with the making of the anvil vise.---You know Milwaukee made a quick release version of the vise in your AD.---Man I'd love to get a hold of one of those.

 

[Bcom]

I havent been in here in a very long time. Have I missed anything

 

[Shiftless]

I havent been in here in a very long time. Have I missed anything

Not much...
6 months absence = 12,000 postings

Welcome back. Pick up any good vises lately?

 

[ScottyV]

First time posting. Am needing help ID’ing a couple vises. The one mounted on the table is at an auction and the second is one I picked up recently and have started restoring. I believe it is an early Prentiss #19 with the swivel jaw. Any help would be appreciated.




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[Shiftless]

ScottyV:
Welcome!
The first one is a Parker combination vise that is missing the pipe jaws. Somebody attached a plate to the side with WELD something or other ID covering up the Parker lettering.
The nose where the handle goes through looks to be quite wallowed out from heavy use.
But as you probably already know, Parkers are very well made and the history behind the co. makes them to me interesting vises to have around. I have a few in my collection.

 

[jonshonda]

On the Prentiss No. 19 I can't see where the model info is, but if it's behind the swivel jaw on the top, combined with the cast in jaws, it's Pre 1910, so late 1800's early 1900's?

 

[GETRIDAONE]

ScottyV:
Welcome!
The first one is a Parker combination vise that is missing the pipe jaws. Somebody attached a plate to the side with WELD something or other ID covering up the Parker lettering.
The nose where the handle goes through looks to be quite wallowed out from heavy use.
But as you probably already know, Parkers are very well made and the history behind the co. makes them to me interesting vises to have around. I have a few in my collection.

That looks like it is an Oil Well Supply Co. Pittsburgh PA
I am sure that Parker ? probably made it and some others private brands as well .

 

[va.grouseman]

That looks like it is an Oil Well Supply Co. Pittsburgh PA
I am sure that Parker ? probably made it and some others private brands as well .

That's a ---I don't think that is an add-on plate, but is more than likely made by Parker.---Here is a few more humpbacks just like the Parkers.


https://www.google.com/search?q=pic...-kQ9QEwAnoECAcQBg#imgrc=nnSImu_P2j8iHM:&vet=1

 

[davethorik]

I've posted pics of an Oil Well Supply vise in this thread. The one I took pictures of had Oswego markings, but the jaws did look like Parker.

 

[Shiftless]

I bet you guys are right. Manufactured by Parker sold through private label marketing as Oil Well Supply. Makes sense to me.

 

[PghJKB]

That looks like it is an Oil Well Supply Co. Pittsburgh PA
I am sure that Parker ? probably made it and some others private brands as well .

That's a ---I don't think that is an add-on plate, but is more than likely made by Parker.---Here is a few more humpbacks just like the Parkers.


https://www.google.com/search?q=pic...-kQ9QEwAnoECAcQBg#imgrc=nnSImu_P2j8iHM:&vet=1

Am 100% behind the Oil Well Supply.

Not so sure of Parker as the manufacturer. There is no collar on any of the vises pictured. The patent for the collar was granted to Charles Kingsley (and assigned to Chas Parker) 26 Nov 1867 (#71498). Parker as manufacturer is certainly implied, but without some sort of proof, it is conjecture. The lack of a collar puts the manufacturing date pre-1867.

If this a Parker, the vise should have a rather stout spring wrapped around the main screw to open the front jaw(s). Maybe we could also get a diameter and thread pitch of the main screw of a same sized Parker and Oil Well.

My opinion - and as I have said before, Opinions are like a$$holes, everyone has one, they all stink.

JKB

 

[Fierljeppen]

I'll go with "Oil Well Supply" casting, made by the Oswego Tool Co., with the model being a "Smith Pattern".

Maybe?

 

[Shiftless]

After some quick research, I found that the Oil Well Supply Co. was founded in 1877...10 years after the patent date that Pgh mentioned above.
Except for the front horseshoe retainer, it looks just like a Parker.

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Edit: It looks like Fierljeppen, as usual, has come up with the scholarly work to answer the question... Thanks! ...
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[davethorik]

After some quick research, I found that the Oil Well Supply Co. was founded in 1877...10 years after the patent date that Pgh mentioned above.
Except for the front horseshoe retainer, it looks just like a Parker.

... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...
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Edit: It looks like Fierljeppen, as usual, has come up with the scholarly work to answer the question... Thanks! ...
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Actually...i did...and those pics are the ones I posted...everyone else ignored my comment but thanks for corroborating Fierljeppen

 

[Shiftless]

Dave said “Actually...i did...and those pics are the ones I posted...everyone else ignored my comment but thanks for corroborating Fierljeppen”

dave:
Sorry...I must have missed that detail. Good call on the vise ID

 

[honza.vosalik]

In December 2018 I purchased this pre-ww2 German Carl Froh (CFROH) 4" vise at an online auction in Czech Republic. Has it shipped from there and then USPS lost it and eventually sent it to the sender sometime in April. He eventually picked it up several months later and had to pay extra postage to get it back. He then shipped it to a friend of mine in Czech. My friend finally shipped it through Fedex last Friday and now five days later it finally showed up at my door step ... a year after I purchased it. LOL LOL

Only thing damaged from all these extra trips is a bent handle.

I was also able to purchase a bigger 5" CHROH in between all this, so now I have two.

 

[bastel]

Very nice!

 

[bastel]

Was googling facebook and vises due to a certain signature that was here yesterday, and while that wasn't really doing anything I found this: Orange Bench Vise
Hmmm. A CNC made, precision "Wilton"?

 

[Smitty]

I found a beautiful Little Prentiss no 19. The vise has 3 1/2” jaws and weighs in a 32 lbs. This vise should clean up exceptionally well for being over 100 years old.


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[va.grouseman]

Mr. Prentiss strikes again.

 

[Smitty]

Mr. Prentiss strikes again.

Thanks VA. This one really has a diamond in the rough quality to it, I can’t wait to clean it up.

 

[Old Radar]

I posted this on the Garage Sale thread, but thought I might get some help from you knowledgeable folks.

In my excitement over finding three vises for a total of $25, at one estate sale last week, I failed to properly examine them all. The black vise, with the obvious repair to the spindle didn't bother me too much because I thought it was unusual with its dynamic jaw to the rear and a full back-to-front centerline mounting slot. I didn't notice until I got home that the dynamic jaw's right side guide tab was broken off and missing. So that's a bummer. I'd still like to know who made it and for what application but since there are no maker's marks or stamps on it whatsoever, I'm at a loss as to where to start researching--so I'll start here! Does anyone recognize this vise? It has 2.5 inch jaws.



The little jeweler's vise looks a lot like several I've seen here on GJ but, again, this one has no markings at all. It has a 1.75 inch jaw.



The third is a 3.5 inch Fuller. I'd never heard of Fuller, but apparently the company started in N.Y. in the '30s, opened a Canadian branch in '44 and moved their HQ to Montreal in the '90s. Their website doesn't mention vises, nor does their history, so I'm wondering if it is, in fact, the same company. The swivel has Japan and BF cast into the bottom--which I believe indicates early post-war production. I see 3baygarage sold the same exact one earlier this year: https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=415504 so I'll link to his since I've reached my 7 photo limit.

The nesting screwdriver/hammer is okay, as is the Chinese wood clamp ($1 each), but the real steal of the day was a box of 47 hack saw blades for $2. All told, $29.

 

[Productbob]

Smitty well done as usual! The number of Prentiss's you turn up in California is amazing.

Nice joint effort identifying Scotty's vise

 

[454ragtop]

OR, that broken I beam slide vise might be a Bonney or Millers Falls, very common to find damage like that on that style of vise, see more broken ones than unbroken.
The little clamp on might be a Brinks & Cotton, Millers Falls, Walker Turner, Stanley or something else, they're pretty common.
As to the Fuller, I think the Craftsman vises made in Japan also have "BF" cast into them. Seem to remember it stands for ------- Foundry, can't remember what the B stands for. Those Craftsman vises are decent for what they are, a lighter duty vise, and likely the Fuller is as well.

 

[Shiftless]

454:
BF is the foundry code for Daido. I had a Craftsman made in Japan model marked BF on the bottom of the swivel base. It was my user (and my only vise) for a long time until I joined GJ. It was a fine vise and did everything I asked it to do.

Imagine...only owning ONE vise!!!!!