The VISES of Garage Journal

[KMScott]

Finished this Reed 2C, Just love Reeds. All new parts including removing the cast in jaws and adding the newer 2C jaws. This one is going back to work in our local weld shop in Estes Park.

 

[Shiftless]

KMS:
Another fantastic renovation making it actually BETTER than new. And for a Reed, that’s saying quite a bit.

I love the brownish black finish on that one. Is that straight black oil or are you advancing to blending colors or applying different layers of different colored oils?
Whatever you’re doing...it’s BEAUTIFUL.

I hope that one stays away from weld spatter.

Dave:
Nice collection! Looks like you have plenty of wall space. You’ll have to delay vise renovations for a while and build some shelving. Don’t forget some extra lighting as well to help show off your vises. I went with ceiling mounted LED floodlight bulbs screwed into basic outdoor bulb holders. That way the beam spread can be aimed at the shelves.



.

 

[KMScott]

Shift, every time I finish a vise I learn something, it has taken me a while to figure out how to put this Black Oil from Sculpt Nouveau on. I use a brush and put it on heavy. Takes practice and I am figuring it out. Thanks for your comments and to be honest if this vise goes back to work then I succeeded.

 

[Shiftless]

Did you highlight the lettering with silver paint or ???
Brush or dab on the lettering?

 

[KMScott]

Did you highlight the lettering with silver paint or ???
Brush or dab on the lettering?

Just bare metal with Sculpt Nouveau semi gloss clear, I flatten the letters before I add the finish.

 

[RBarnes]

I saw this stand on a board for $40 last summer and picked it up immediately. I could tell right away that it was a kick press stand because I have one. The stand was heavily rusted and it took a good three hours to clean up. I found markings that indicate it was for a Famco #10 press which would weigh about 600 lbs.
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Smitty,
Here is a photo of a Famco #10 I use to own. Was a really neat vintage press with the foot petal - it was HEAVY.

 

[Tennessee Cattleman]

Finished this Reed 2C, Just love Reeds. All new parts including removing the cast in jaws and adding the newer 2C jaws. This one is going back to work in our local weld shop in Estes Park.

That is nice, very nice indeed.

 

[tin medic]

Basically unused Craftsman Long-C vise, made by Reed from what I've been told.

 

[akasrick]

Possibly for the record.
Jersey-Leavens #56 throught the bench swivel vise.
An EBay find, I missed out long ago on a few other goodies.

The neat stuff, 1 3/4" Jaws, opens safely to 1 3/4", weighs 3lb 7ozs.
Has the welded hardened steel jaw inserts.

The swivel post is shimed and pressed, no visible threads.

The main nut pin is fitted then deformed (struck?) to keep it in place.
The nut itself left round would be too large to fit in the vise body, was milled flat to two sides.
The screw retaning pin is straight and not bellied, probably not hammered on properly .

Carries a "AT'D JAN.28. 0" patent date on the anvil wich would make it a Baker patent.
https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=786531&d=1530628544

The not so neat, is that the handle is bent and is missing the under bench washer which doesn't show in these cuts.
Still to do, drop into an Etank. I'm not much of a painter so it will be waxed, blue.
If I knew my color wheel I'd try to approximate the brown japanning which I think is neat.
Don't think I'll be mixing vehicle, pigment, hardener and thinner though, maybe wax to the rescue.
Then lube it.
Hoping for it to take me through the present day circumstances.
For want of a better desc. The vise wont tighten with a flat washer, balls up,
I wonder if that's engineering.

akasrick

 

[sqznby]

Cool vises guys

 

[Smitty]

RBarnes
That’s a really clean Famco kick press that you had, they’re really hard to find these days in good condition. I could just imagine sitting at one for eight hours a day stamping out parts, not an easy job.

KMS
That reed came out great, the finish looks awesome.

 

[RyanE]

Stripped the paint off the Parkinsons 38A. This thing has really been beat on!

Maybe not the approach that all would take, but I spent a lot of time with a flap wheel and blended all of the larger smash marks down along with removal of all of the weld spatter. Based on some of the weld spatter and erroneous lumps, it looks like this thing was welded down to a bench at some point.

Now for some fresh paint!

No pics of the post blending, will have to take some. This is after some wire wheel action. The most recent paint was red, but there was a machine grey as well as a gray-green color at some point.

 

[Outlawmws]

Another fabulous restore "hot rod" (modified) vise Dr. Scott!

Dave, I made some vise shelves from concrete 1/2 blocks and some heavy salvage boards. I stole the idea from how collage students would make book shelves "back in the day" Its buried in my trashed "welding area" waiting for me to finish the welding area organization centered on the Snap-On KR-300 Rolla-bench someday welding bench, or I'd take pics...

 

[TonyCH]

RyanE, looking good. That Samsonia will be very nice. What color?

 

[Smitty]

I’m bored to tears on lockdown right no so it seems like a good time for some Prentiss vise ****.

This 183 weighs 185 lbs


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[RyanE]

RyanE, looking good. That Samsonia will be very nice. What color?

I've settled on Tremclad Wild Raspberry with silver lettering

Temps aren't the best for painting right now, but I might give it a shot.

 

[Smitty]

More lockdown Prentiss vise ****. The top four shelves are all 3” class Prentiss vises. However there is one imposter.


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[Dan8906]

Samson 5224 cleaned up nice. Whatcha guys think?

 

[DFB]

Samson 5224 cleaned up nice. Whatcha guys think?

Nice work

 

[M635_Guy]

Finished this Reed 2C, Just love Reeds. All new parts including removing the cast in jaws and adding the newer 2C jaws. This one is going back to work in our local weld shop in Estes Park.

That thing looks fantastic. However you're executing the text is perfect

 

[Smitty]

This is an old Columbian no. 913 it has 3” jaws, 2 1/2” opening and weighs 7 lbs. The vise is in almost new condition. The scan is from a 1930 catalog.


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[Shiftless]

Smitty:
That’s quite a collection. Looking great!
How far are you from an earthquake fault?

Do you have any plans to replace the missing mushroom cap on that little Columbian clamp on? I’ve never tried but, like I suppose more than a few of us, one of mine is missing the same piece.


Outlaw:
I still remember the day you drove out to my house and traded away one of your Wilton bullets in exchange for that SnapOn box.

 

[davethorik]

Spent some time cleaning off this Barrett's patent vise. There look to be 12-15 coats of paint on it, good times. Did finally get the lettering to show, even though it is kind of mooshed.

Left side:
J.O. BARRETT
MEADVILLE
PA

Right side:
PATENTED
OCT. 23
1883.

In reference to us patent 286,990

Fierljeppen: does this mean it was made by Barrett?

Heres a shot without the slide. The nut is massive.

 

[Bobioz1]

I decided to pair up the Rock island with the kick press stand. They both weigh 200 lbs so it’s really sturdy and it’s at a great working height.



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Those are some awesome pictures. What a beast!

 

[Fierljeppen]

davethorik...Wow, that's a lot of paint!

With regard to your question, here's the long story short. In Dec. of 1880, brothers J.O. and C.J. Barrett bought the interests of a local business and changed the name to the Barrett Vise & Tool Co. It was later changed to the Meadville Vise Co., and finally to the Barrett Machine Tool Co.

Regardless of the company name, all of the manufacturing was done in Meadville and the plants were always considered a steady employer in the committee.

Although, we know the Barrett Bros. as vise makers, they were actually much more successful with their horizontal cylinder boring machines, which they sold all over the world.

 

[Smitty]

Shift
Thanks, I really like the smaller Prentiss vises. As far as earthquakes are concerned I might have opened up a new fault line under my shop.

Bobioz1
Thanks, the vise spent its life on the docks in San Fran, I’ll bet it has some stories to tell from the war years.

 

[wmb67]

I picked up this Wilton 9300/8300n with 3" jaws dated 5-59 at a garage sale last spring and recently had some time to clean it up.
Unfortunately the static jaw is broken, otherwise everything works great.
It has definitely shows use.
Sorry for the picture dump...

 

[Dan8906]

Cleaned up the Pony 24545. Cheap little vise so I didn’t spend a ton of time on it. Might just give it to a buddy that needs one for hobby stuff. The guy I bought my Reed 103 from gave it to me for free. Also came with a free black widow!!!!

 

[S4cruiser]

While doing some rearranging of stuff in the garage, I went through my small stash of unrestored vises. Unbeknownst to me, I have the baby brother of the Reed 106 I refreshed last week, a Reed 103. Going to do this one in the same color as it's big brother. It's in way better shape too!

 

[Smitty]

Possibly for the record.
Jersey-Leavens #56 throught the bench swivel vise.
An EBay find, I missed out long ago on a few other goodies.

The neat stuff, 1 3/4" Jaws, opens safely to 1 3/4", weighs 3lb 7ozs.
Has the welded hardened steel jaw inserts.

The swivel post is shimed and pressed, no visible threads.

The main nut pin is fitted then deformed (struck?) to keep it in place.
The nut itself left round would be too large to fit in the vise body, was milled flat to two sides.
The screw retaning pin is straight and not bellied, probably not hammered on properly .

Carries a "AT'D JAN.28. 0" patent date on the anvil wich would make it a Baker patent.
https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=786531&d=1530628544
The not so neat, is that the handle is bent and is missing the under bench washer which doesn't show in these cuts.
Still to do, drop into an Etank. I'm not much of a painter so it will be waxed, blue.
If I knew my color wheel I'd try to approximate the brown japanning which I think is neat.
Don't think I'll be mixing vehicle, pigment, hardener and thinner though, maybe wax to the rescue.
Then lube it.
Hoping for it to take me through the present day circumstances.
Saving room for finish.
akasrick

Akasrick
That leavens Jersey is a rare vise. I notice it isn’t pictured in the spreadsheet. Nice find

 

[akasrick]

Akasrick
That leavens Jersey is a rare vise. I notice it isn’t pictured in the spreadsheet. Nice find

Thanks Smitty. I was looking for one to do blue, seems hardware stores back then were a little more colorful then the drab underlit pictures the b&w photos
show. Wonder if color was a selling point or just a way to show difference between models. Anyways, that's some herd you have there.

akasrick

 

[Smitty]

Thanks rick. I can’t wait to see how you finish the vise. Here’s a cleaner scan that I found.

The ad is from 1909


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[akasrick]

Thanks rick. I can’t wait to see how you finish the vise. Here’s a cleaner scan that I found.
Sent from my iPad using The Garage Journal mobile app

akasrick

 

[davethorik]

There was a Leavens clamp-on that disappeared off ebay due to your vise, akasrick. I didnt get it but i bet one of the viewing audience did

Edit: Fierljeppen, i had this pic from somewhere. Shows both!

 

[Smitty]

There was a Leavens clamp-on that disappeared off ebay due to your vise, akasrick. I didnt get it but i bet one of the viewing audience did

Edit: Fierljeppen, i had this pic from somewhere. Shows both!

If you mean the #42 I got it. I’ll post up when it gets here around mid week.

 

[akasrick]

There was a Leavens clamp-on that disappeared off ebay due to your vise, akasrick. I didnt get it but i bet one of the viewing audience did

Edit: Fierljeppen, i had this pic from somewhere. Shows both!

If you mean the #42 I got it. I’ll post up when it gets here around mid week.

I like to think I keep the sellers somewat interested, unable though to buy them all.
I see it went to a good home.

akasrick

 

[joe.striper]

Baby Emmert

I found this 2" Emmert pattern makers vise a couple of weeks ago. Originally I thought it was a 4" but thought it might be smaller, and it was!
It has the original post jaws as well. It is missing its bench plate but I can make one of those.

It is in exceptional condition.

It is going in my curio cabinet with my 2" collection

The black base is an aluminum idler wheel from a 4" belt sander. It fits almost perfectly. I will use this until I can find a better stand.

 

[wrenchguy]

Thanks rick. I can’t wait to see how you finish the vise. Here’s a cleaner scan that I found.

HA! Looks like they got a hoarding problem.... Kevin confronted and conquered a hoard sometime ago, I still got issues with mine! Thanks 4 posting this ad!

 

[Shiftless]

Joe:
That’s an AMAZING find!
Thumbup indeed.

 

[Shiftless]

That Ferris wheel of vises is inspirational. Maybe one of you guys who like to weld up custom vise stands etc. will copy that idea. That would be an amazing display for somebody who had a lot of open space.