XJSuperman
Well-known member
Can you post a pic of the spindle nut and how it is locked in place? Mine was destroyed and I made a little wedging bolt but Im not thrilled with it. It binds just a little. Well done on the resto. Thanks.
The VISES of Garage Journal
- Thread starter mjozefow
- Start date
Can you post a pic of the spindle nut and how it is locked in place? Mine was destroyed and I made a little wedging bolt but Im not thrilled with it. It binds just a little. Well done on the resto. Thanks.
After paying a lot for my offset vise (in euros and backpain) I stumbled across this little fella in one of the small towns next to the city. Looks ragged and neglected, has a lot of spirit, but you just can't say no to that smile, can you? Will go to a certain very happy member of this forum.
Attachments
Last edited:
This is one of my absolute favorite threads on the internet, but I have to say this is the first time it made me laugh
It looks like an early Prentiss Bull Dog.
Any guess on size??? It's very hard to tell from pics. I am told it has 8" jaws and weights at least 150 lbs.? It just doesn't look like a 8" jaw vise in the pics.
Attachments
Last edited:
Any friendly vise/vice guy in UK who would be willing to help me out buying a small vice from UK? 
The seller is not willing to post it abroads due some past bad experience but will post it postage free inside UK. Its a small 6lbs vice with 2.25" jaws which would be perfect to my small English vice collection.
The seller is not willing to post it abroads due some past bad experience but will post it postage free inside UK. Its a small 6lbs vice with 2.25" jaws which would be perfect to my small English vice collection.
Productbob
Well-known member
Dan, that could be my last big road trip before we downsize to a retirement place in FL. Load up my vises, drive to California and sell them out of the back of a truck
Shiftless
Well-known member
Dan, that could be my last big road trip before we downsize to a retirement place in FL. Load up my vises, drive to California and sell them out of the back of a truck
Good plan!
Let me know when you’ll be here.
Don’t come right now...
My wife and I did a month long 7000 mile road trip as far east as Detroit, met several GJ guys along the way, and brought home a dozen vises.
Based on the size of the vise relative to that truck bed, that's what I was going to say as well - 5-6" wide jaws
That’s a prentiss I’d wager and prentiss only made the bull dog pattern up to 7in. the 8in vise prentiss made is a heavy chipping model which looks different then the plain Jane non heavy chipping models.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Last edited:
Dan8906
Well-known member
Dan, that could be my last big road trip before we downsize to a retirement place in FL. Load up my vises, drive to California and sell them out of the back of a truck
Well that would be something I’d check out! Do things really sell for that much more here to make that worth it?
I did just get a line on a Reed 103 3 looks good so hopefully I can pick that up.
Shiftless
Well-known member
This is the first vise I’ve finished since the “shelter in place” order began.
A friend and fellow GJ member CRSINMICH found it for me at a local estate sale near Detroit. Yes, it fit into a flat rate box.
The paint is satin ruby metallic and the lettering is bare cast iron, sanded as smooth as I could get it. The jaws are reversible so I did that. Original slotted screws were OK.
The slide was really bad and wouldn’t clean up very well so I finished it off with some silver modeling paint rubbed on very thin.
A friend and fellow GJ member CRSINMICH found it for me at a local estate sale near Detroit. Yes, it fit into a flat rate box.
The paint is satin ruby metallic and the lettering is bare cast iron, sanded as smooth as I could get it. The jaws are reversible so I did that. Original slotted screws were OK.
The slide was really bad and wouldn’t clean up very well so I finished it off with some silver modeling paint rubbed on very thin.
Attachments
Last edited:
va.grouseman
Well-known member
Nice job Shift.
Lesserstore
Well-known member
Shiftless
Well-known member
Thanks va.
That vise was the first one I painted using a relatively new product line from Benjamin Moore called Modern Masters. The price per ounce is crazy but we don’t need much to paint a vise, right?
Lessorstore:
I suppose any useable vise is worth $20
I’m glad you saved it from the scrap heap.
I assume you picked this one up for a user. I guess the original jaws were long gone and a previous owner just welded on some scraps of angle iron or whatever was handy.
If the swivel lock handle got all bent up, the last guy just cut the f@#$+r off and welded it solid. Practicality was King in his mind. I used to own a Reed 4C where a previous owner did a similiar thing. And that’s a $1000 vise if it’s in great shape.
Your craftsman seems to be a rare model. Too bad it was so abused before it landed into your hands.
That vise was the first one I painted using a relatively new product line from Benjamin Moore called Modern Masters. The price per ounce is crazy but we don’t need much to paint a vise, right?
Lessorstore:
I suppose any useable vise is worth $20
I’m glad you saved it from the scrap heap.
I assume you picked this one up for a user. I guess the original jaws were long gone and a previous owner just welded on some scraps of angle iron or whatever was handy.
If the swivel lock handle got all bent up, the last guy just cut the f@#$+r off and welded it solid. Practicality was King in his mind. I used to own a Reed 4C where a previous owner did a similiar thing. And that’s a $1000 vise if it’s in great shape.
Your craftsman seems to be a rare model. Too bad it was so abused before it landed into your hands.
Last edited:
Shiftless
Well-known member
Thanks Smitty, I had fun experimenting with new products and new techniques.
Staying at home 24/7 requires making adjustments to one’s mental outlook.
Staying at home 24/7 requires making adjustments to one’s mental outlook.
I just finished up the Rock Island 544B and this thing is a beast. The vise has 6” jaws and weighs 205 lbs. The vise came from an old longshoreman from up in the Bay Area (that would explain the rust). It’s been well used but not abused, I’m proud to add it to my collection. It’s the largest combo vise I have at this point.
Sent from my iPad using The Garage Journal mobile app
Sent from my iPad using The Garage Journal mobile app
Attachments
Lesserstore
Well-known member
I figured $20 was a good price for an old vise. I wanted to restore it to it's former glory, but after further inspection I just decided to repaint it. The weld was broken when I got it and the swivel base still works although the screw is VERY stiff even lubed.
Last edited:
wrenchguy
Well-known member
Soooo, Is that a warranty date code?
Shiftless
Well-known member
Is it stiff and hard to operate all the way in and out or only at the end of the travel?
I hope you don’t have a bent screw or misaligned slide.
Smitty:
Great work...good to show the before and after.
Lesserstore
Well-known member
Is it stiff and hard to operate all the way in and out or only at the end of the travel?
I hope you don’t have a bent screw or misaligned slide.
Smitty:
Great work...good to show the before and after.
At the end of travel on and off
Fierljeppen
Well-known member
- Joined
- Jan 26, 2018
- Messages
- 1,159
va.grouseman
Well-known member
Smitty, the RI is a jewel.---You know it deserves a set of pipe jaws.---It's worthy of the whole enchilada.
Rustoleum verde green in hammered finish!
This one doesn’t have the spindle nut but uses a collar with set screw within the dynamic jaw cavity. You can see the set screw hole in this pic of the lead screw.
Shiftless
Well-known member
Check and see if the slide is square to the dynamic jaw support. I bet it isn’t.
Misalignment leads to binding. The slide is just a press fit into the jaw tower so if the vise is abused by overextending and/or hammering on the dynamic, it will be damaged.
Any of you other guys have a different theory or a possible fix?
Be glad you didn’t pay more than $20
Last edited:
Jeppen. Thanks for the scan, this vise seems to be a rare model. I’ve only seen a couple of others. I like the sound of first year now that you mention is.
VA. Thanks, I was really happy to find it. Whenever I get a vise without pipe jaws I think of you. KMS offered to share the specs on the pipe jaws, I’m trying to find a local machinist that does small jobs at a reasonable price. The 326 is my next wish list combo.
VA. Thanks, I was really happy to find it. Whenever I get a vise without pipe jaws I think of you. KMS offered to share the specs on the pipe jaws, I’m trying to find a local machinist that does small jobs at a reasonable price. The 326 is my next wish list combo.
Lesserstore
Well-known member
I you misunderstood what I meant. I am talking about the screw to adjust the swivel base. I am not up on vise terminology so I might be calling things wrong.
AngryBeaver
Well-known member
nice find smitty my 543b (5") is probably my favorite. heavier than a reed 3c. you are right, there are not many 543's or 544's see many 542's but only one other 543 and two 544's. (not counting yours)
Shiftless
Well-known member
Sorry, when I saw “screw” I falsely assumed you were talking about the main screw. I had a newer Craftsman vise with the misalignment caused binding I described.
The fix for your problem is easy. Just take the lockdown screw handle all the way off. Get the proper tap and die, squirt some oil on the threads and re-tap sometimes called chasing the threads. Clean up both parts and reassemble with a bit of grease. It should run as good as new.
Lesserstore
Well-known member
Thanks a lot for the info.
davethorik
Well-known member
Got these off of a coworker earlier today at work.
I have a soft spot for these little Stanleys.
The larger 746 (3") I bought out of pity. It has been ground down on the dynamic jaw on the left side, and has extensive rust issues even though it doesnt look bad at a glance...as in...factory stamp on top of slide is entirely obliterated! Been ridden hard and put away wet, in a literal sense.
On the plus side, it's all there and unbroken.
Now for the 741 (1-1/2") which I believe is the smallest size of these that Stanley made. The vise has great patina, is unbroken & complete, and is fairly crisp both in detail and action. Stamp is fully legible; it is a sweetheart, my first. Definitely a keeper. Been after a nice example for a while now.
I have a soft spot for these little Stanleys.
The larger 746 (3") I bought out of pity. It has been ground down on the dynamic jaw on the left side, and has extensive rust issues even though it doesnt look bad at a glance...as in...factory stamp on top of slide is entirely obliterated! Been ridden hard and put away wet, in a literal sense.
On the plus side, it's all there and unbroken.
Now for the 741 (1-1/2") which I believe is the smallest size of these that Stanley made. The vise has great patina, is unbroken & complete, and is fairly crisp both in detail and action. Stamp is fully legible; it is a sweetheart, my first. Definitely a keeper. Been after a nice example for a while now.
Attachments
va.grouseman
Well-known member
Yea Dave, that is a real nice example of the Sweetheart.---A lot of them have the logo/emblems worn off and are not legible, yours is nice and crisp.
PghJKB
Well-known member
Got these off of a coworker earlier today at work.
I have a soft spot for these little Stanleys.
The larger 746 (3") I bought out of pity. It has been ground down on the dynamic jaw on the left side, and has extensive rust issues even though it doesnt look bad at a glance...as in...factory stamp on top of slide is entirely obliterated! Been ridden hard and put away wet, in a literal sense.
On the plus side, it's all there and unbroken.
Now for the 741 (1-1/2") which I believe is the smallest size of these that Stanley made. The vise has great patina, is unbroken & complete, and is fairly crisp both in detail and action. Stamp is fully legible; it is a sweetheart, my first. Definitely a keeper. Been after a nice example for a while now.
Dave
Two good examples of "Type 2" early Stanleys. Type 2 = Stanley in raised letters on the left side and the model number on right side.
The Sweetheart logo can be used to get an approximate manufacture date. Here is the best explanation I have found:
https://virginiatoolworks.com/2012/04/19/whos-your-sweetheart/
I have a thing for those buggers and find them fairly often around here..
JKB
I managed to find a Starrett 924 vise with a swivel base here in Iceland. I wouldn't be surprised if it's the only Starrett vise to be found in this country....
The previous owner apparently got it when someone left it in a house he bought.
Still have to clean it up, but it's in pretty good condition, besides the mangled jaw screws and a chipped casting behind one of the jaws.
Does anyone have a spare swivel base bolt for these types of Athol vises that can ship internationally?
The previous owner apparently got it when someone left it in a house he bought.
Still have to clean it up, but it's in pretty good condition, besides the mangled jaw screws and a chipped casting behind one of the jaws.
Does anyone have a spare swivel base bolt for these types of Athol vises that can ship internationally?