The VISES of Garage Journal

[Brandon_oma#692]

Made a mount for my Columbian vise. Need to add a receiver tube to the welding table to use it. Currently have been clamping it down with a c clamp when needed.

 

[kenc184]

Looks great on the bench! I just picked up a 614 1/2 a couple weeks ago and you had me curious, went back to look but mine doesn’t have the same numbers on the dynamic... just repeats the 614 1/2. Guessing maybe from different eras? Mine does not have replaceable jaws, I know some models did... are yours replaceable?

No, mine are cast in. I think you're right about the eras.

I found some other pictures and the 5" has "5-6", the 3-1/2 has "3-1/2-6" so I reckon it 's jaw width - "6 series vise". Just guessing......but seems plausible.

You'll like the 614-1/2, all Athol vises have a buttress thread and spring preload of the screw. They are - IMO - up there with Reed in quality.

 

[Smitty]

Vintage vises in their natural habitats.

The stand in the middle pic is a beast.

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[rusty65]

Smitty: Yep, me too but there's 7-1/4" sticking out the back, no matter how conservatively you reckon on opening, surely it's 7-1/4".

Catalog page says 7in opening for a 614 1/2.


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[kenc184]

Catalog page says 7in opening for a 614 1/2.

It's definitely 7-1/4", maybe they changed slightly by era?

Actually 7-5/16" more accurately.

 

[dannyr]

Heavy (700+lbs) floor standing vices UK


Not getting the quote system right, but this refers to earlier upload by fierljeppen (page3862) with a picture from a 1938 Record catalogue -- here's one from Woden in 1952. At first glance identical, but differs in many details.

Also couple other pages same date.

Once the Parkinsons patents ran out, Record (Sheffield) and Woden (Birmingham) both covered every move the other made, Fortis (Coventry) concentrated on cast steel (not cast iron) bench vices. A few years later Record acquired Woden (both run by different branches of Hampton family) and other Sheffield brands such as Paramo and Rededa made their own ranges (mostly very similar) for a while.

 

[dannyr]

here's the 'couple of other'

ps love those loco-shed vice pictures, smitty

 

[Filly]

No, mine are cast in. I think you're right about the eras.

I found some other pictures and the 5" has "5-6", the 3-1/2 has "3-1/2-6" so I reckon it 's jaw width - "6 series vise". Just guessing......but seems plausible.

You'll like the 614-1/2, all Athol vises have a buttress thread and spring preload of the screw. They are - IMO - up there with Reed in quality.

I bet you’re right on the number being possibly a series number.

Thanks for the info, I was excited to pick it up for $30 and it’s in good shape, and I like your point about it sitting lower without the swivel base... I was tossing around the idea of swapping the one I have on my bench now for this one after I clean it up!

And I measured mine, same as yours 7 1/4... if not 7 5/16 out the back... wonder why they would short change the specs on the catalog?? (I found a couple and they all say 7)

 

[JGarcia]

I am new here but just bought a vintage York 80, hehe, and could not find one and bought a brand new York 150 (it was cheaper than buying an old one, people ask too much for them) which will arrive in about 2 months directly from York... I will post a picture here. Been enjoying this forum very much btw!

the 80 is pristine, on the small side for what I wanted but ... bought it anyway...

Pics coming soon I promise. Cheers

 

[RTM]

How as shipping price from .cz? Did they sell direct, or did they connect you to a distributor? All I was seeing was pallet load info, not individual, on their website.

I've been trying to find a retailer for a few tools for my next trip to Europe. Get a friend to do the shopping, then hand him a bunch of Euros when I get there. Vise is straining the luggage budget tho...

 

[Productbob]

Ken first, nice choice with the Athol! Second, time for a larger bench!
Smitty- fabulous pics; the size of those locomotives never ceases to amaze me
Bummer- failed today--Buddy asked me to drive over (45 mins) and help with a vise he had in his shop yard. Sitting in the snow, bolted to a big stand was a rusted over Reed 407. Half a day of effort and we got all the moving parts free, yeah us! the failure part was no matter what I said, or offered in cash or trade (Reed 34), pleaded or begged he would not give the damn thing up! He's decided he needs a big working vise outside and this is it. Saturated the vise with grease but sad to drive away and leave the old girl in the snow. Gonna have to come up with a new strategy.

 

[Chadwilliam1]

Where can I locate some of these bolts. Thread is 1/4-20.
.thank you

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[Shiftless]

Where can I locate some of these bolts. Thread is 1/4-20.
.thank you

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We were just talking about those rather unique bolts a few days ago.
I don’t know where you can get them new. Guys here make their own.
If you find a supply, please let us know or at least buy a hundred and resell them at cost.

 

[Chadwilliam1]

Thanks. I'll see what I can come up with.

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[kenc184]

Bob: Sorry to hear about the 407, what a killer vise that would be, man o man.
I wish I had room for a bigger bench, but I have too much heavy equipment occupying the room for anything even an inch bigger!


Filly: Yes, I amended my post - mine is also 7-5/16". $30? That's a real "you ****" price, I paid $90 for mine and was happy to pay it.

Mine was out of Lockheed, and came with a flat base and smooth jaws. At first I wondered if Lockheed had modified the base because they are usually shown with the "bench hook" kind of base - you know, the vertical surface that registers with the front of the bench? Anyway, I've now seen pictures of at least three other 614-1/2s with the identical flat base so I assume it was an option. The seller said that all Lockheed's vises were smooth jawed.

 

[amh]

Hello folks, need your help with any history on this vise. This is a 3 inch Joplin (Australian mfg) cast vice. I'd like to know approximate date of manufacture.

It had 2 coats of bad paint on original orange, I put it in electrolysis bath then coated with boiled linseed oil.
Thx.

 

[va.grouseman]

Interesting old vise about to be sold.


https://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-American-Vise-Co-Bench-Vise-RARE/153808953812

 

[davethorik]

For some reason that eBay link no worky for me, va. But I know who the seller is, and I'm guessing it's overpriced. EBay name slussii or something like that.

 

[va.grouseman]

Yea, it went for a tidy sum, but it is a rare bird.---Anybody who is a serious collector would be right proud to acquire that one I would think.---Would have jumped in there myself except for 2 things.---Lack of vise funds right now, and lack of vise room.---Space is my most precious commodity at this point.

Once you think about it, Baby Bullets, Baby Prentiss's, Baby NuTYPs etc. sell for a whole lot more than that old swivel jaw, and they are not near as rare.

 

[Shiftless]

amh:
I’ve never seen a Joplin before. Thanks for posting. I love that chunky look. Even for a 3 inch vise, that one looks bad-***.

Did the electrolysis remove all of the paint including the factory original or did you need to wire wheel a bit? The BLO finish suits that vise very well.

I tweaked your photo a bit so that others can better see the lettering etc.

va:
I agree with your statement about the value of a swivel jaw coach builder vise complete with the under bench swivel mount parts that are so often missing.

Let’s remember this.

“An item is worth what a willing buy and seller agree to at any one point in time”

.

 

[Productbob]

stopped at an estate auction this morning and picked up some smaller vises for a change. got a 2 1/2' Luther clamp-on, a Simplex Tool Co. Utility No. 3 1/2 (pre Desmond-Stephan) and a Stanley 993A machinist vise. All a little dirty but complete and working well. PO took care of his tools and kept them a long time! $35 with auction fees

 

[Smitty]

Bob, looks like you had a great morning.

 

[Smitty]

I have so many vises with problem handles that I decided to try and fab one up with limited tooling. I purchased some 3/4” steel rod and balls to get started. I saw how KMS made his handles and decided to try that method. After drilling the end caps I used the chop saw to make the initial cut while spinning the bar. I then spun the bar while using an angle grinder to remove the excess material.


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[Smitty]

I heated the tang up and peened it onto the handle. I then sanded the end flat and cleaned it up on a wire wheel. I was pretty happy with how it turned out with minimum tooling.


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[kenc184]

Great job Smitty! Looks very professional and "OEM".

Love that furnace!

Where'd you get the steel balls (no, not those ones) McMaster?

 

[Smitty]

Thanks Ken. Somebody could get the tang hot enough with a Map gas torch so a forge isn’t necessary. I also put a well in the top of the ball to give the steel somewhere to go. I got the balls from Industrial Metal Supply. They have quite a few stores in my area.


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[Outlawmws]

Nice work Smitty!

 

[amh]

Shiftless, I did have to hand scrub the original paint ( wit stainless scrubbing pad) a little but after electrolysis it came off without too much effort. The two newer coats did come off the metal on their own.

I never heard of Joplin vises untill I bought this one. It is well made and the manufacturing techniques would have made me guess it was made prior to the 50s if it was a US maker, but I do not know anything about Australia's Joplin cast and grind finish techniques and dates. It does look quite beefy for a 3" vise.

 

[Dru]

I was given this vise as a gift, any i formation on what is it??
It says RECORD STEEL, 833P and MADE IN ENGLAND, under a few layers of paint was a dark blue original, jaws are about 90mm wide
Would really like to get new jaws for it as these are all banged up, but this is the first time I have seen threaded jaws...
Did not take pictures but i removed old paint and rust and primed it, will post more pictures when its painted

 

[AngryBeaver]

Thanks Ken. Somebody could get the tang hot enough with a Map gas torch so a forge isn’t necessary. I also put a well in the top of the ball to give the steel somewhere to go. I got the balls from Industrial Metal Supply. They have quite a few stores in my area.


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Nice work Smitty. I've done the same. I've also flattened one or both ends, and drilled and tapped and used a cut down bolt for all thread.

McMaster sells them in 10 packs, and in tons of sizes. I wish i had a lathe to make repairs easier.....

 

[Mark in Indiana]

Smitty:Very impressive way of thinking outside of the box. Thanks for your detailed posts.

 

[Shiftless]

Nice work Smitty!
Always handy to have a little forge in your shop.

 

[KMScott]

It's good to see you guys making new handles, really not that hard. Should work fine for you Smitty.

 

[Outlawmws]

Monster vise alert! (Not)

Picked this up at a yard sale today. I was thinking almost certainly Asian made but the jaw direction smacks of European not Asian?

Jaws are about 1-1/8 wide, and one has a casting gap...

 

[Smitty]

Thanks everybody for the kind words, I appreciate it.

 

[ifirefight]

@Smitty how did you make the flat end on the round ball? Very nice work, I can see this job in my future as I have a few Vises that are in need .


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[wrenchguy]

A woodworker would use his good eye and a angle grinder
nice job smitty!

 

[mz44]

I just dug out this old AM Co 44 vise. I think it was my grandfathers. Am I correct that it is an Athol Machine/Starrett. Any idea how old this would be? I am also curious about the swiveling jaw on the back, is it to be removed and replaced with other jaws? or just to swivel to hold an odd shape? It is the first vise I have seen with a "quick" opening feature, lift and pull it out.

 

[Vise]

I just dug out this old AM Co 44 vise. I think it was my grandfathers. Am I correct that it is an Athol Machine/Starrett. Any idea how old this would be? I am also curious about the swiveling jaw on the back, is it to be removed and replaced with other jaws? or just to swivel to hold an odd shape? It is the first vise I have seen with a "quick" opening feature, lift and pull it out.

See Post #77501. It’s a very old Athol and a rare vise. The quick release is especially cool. Nice vise.

 

[Smitty]

A woodworker would use his good eye and a angle grinder
nice job smitty!

Thanks Wrenchguy. Yeah, as a career cabinet maker I was flying by the seat of my pants. I’m sure I gave the precision machinists in the group a good chuckle.