The VISES of Garage Journal

[rusty65]

Thanks Dave.

My first thought was also McMaster, but don't these old vises use square thread, not Acme? Is there a source for an Acme threaded nut for Parker vises? Apologies if these are obvious questions - I'm learning.

Also, can I remove the broken rod from the meatball and attach a new rod? How simple of an operation is that? I have access to nice machine shop at work (although I would depend on others' skills).

The broken rod is at work so I'll measure the length, diameter, pitch, etc. tomorrow.

Edit: thanks to the GJ spreadsheet, I know that the Parker 205 has 4.5" wide jaws and opens to a capacity of 7" wide (and weighs about 75lb). The Parker 974 1/2 has the same stats. Can anyone confirm that the main screw and nut are interchangeable for these 2 models? Are there other models that would be compatible with the 205?

I sold some one a while back a screw and nut from a Parker 203 to put into a 973 1/2 and every thing went together just fine.


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[bastel]

How do you like your vise? Medium rare? Rare? Extra rare!

I've been browsing all the nice patents at worldwide.espacenet.com, they have patents from all over the world, I went for german ones.

I tried different manufacturers, and I did find many for the vises I have. But I also saw plenty I had no clue about like this DE654822C patent. Hmm a Peddinghaus made 180° rotator? Interesting!

Two days later I go to ebay.de, something I usually don't do because there isn't much to find there, or it is overpriced. And I see a vise I usually would have glanced over, thinking it is a Peddinghaus Record swivel (which I have the pre war version of already), if not for knowing about that patent. It was "kinda" expensive, but mine now .

 

[va.grouseman]

Smitty, love the Chromed Wilton.---Trace Adkins would agree with me.---Pity they all don't come chromed, we wouldn't have to clean, degrease, depaint, and repaint so much.---Either come chromed or stainless steel, except for the jaws.---My friend, at the rate that you're hauling them in, you are going to have a little isle between piles to walk through.---But stacking vises up to the roof is far better than news papers and magazines.---Keep up the good work.




Nice find Bastel.---That will be a jewel when all spruced up.---That thing has got all the bells and whistles.

 

[exmaxima1]

Smitty...It appears Wilton did offer chrome plating as an option. I found a couple of Google snippets and this 2010 GJ post.

Apparently Wilton gave chromed vises to many of their retiring executives. Several years ago I ran into a retired Product Manager, "Jim", that offered to sell me his chromed vise but I declined (too much $$) and forgot his address. And yes, I regret not buying it when I had the chance....

 

[Smitty]

Thanks VA. Yeah this would have made a good hood ornament in the Trace Adkins video. I’m not running out of room yet but it’s getting pretty tight. This 3 1/2” Wilton was the missing piece of the puzzle for the Wilton set 2”- 8”. I’ll do a family photo of all 9 this week.

 

[Smitty]

Exmaxima1, that’s a great photo and a really clean vise.

 

[SP3]

https://www.cpooutlets.com/ridgid-f-45-f-series-4-1-2-in.-forged-bench-vise/rgsn66987.html

allegedly free shipping, even to HI. don't forget the promo code.

 

[Smitty]

I was looking at the keyway on the chrome Wilton and noticed what seems to be a 9 or a 6 from the original date stamp. I’m starting to think that the 17 could be vise no 17 from a special order of chromed vises. It seems odd that a private party would mark the vise on the keyway.
Edit: the number could be an 8



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[lucasd2002]

... I'll measure the length, diameter, pitch, etc. tomorrow.

Edit: thanks to the GJ spreadsheet, I know that the Parker 205 has 4.5" wide jaws and opens to a capacity of 7" wide (and weighs about 75lb). The Parker 974 1/2 has the same stats. Can anyone confirm that the main screw and nut are interchangeable for these 2 models? Are there other models that would be compatible with the 205?

The broken rod is 7/8" diameter and the pitch appears to be 3 TPI.

 

[Fierljeppen]

Smitty...A very common date stamp in the 1970's was "17X", as seen in the photos. Your stamped #7 looks different though.

I'd say your chrome plated Wilton 350 vise is more than likely a 1970's stamp, maybe?

 

[Smitty]

Jeppen, it seems like the 17 stamped on my vise is way bigger that any Wilton stamp that I’ve seen and I have quite a few. I love a good mystery, it makes me feel like Colombo.

 

[va.grouseman]

https://www.cpooutlets.com/ridgid-f-45-f-series-4-1-2-in.-forged-bench-vise/rgsn66987.html

allegedly free shipping, even to HI. don't forget the promo code.

SP3, that Ridge is a really sleek looking vise but I have always had a problem trusting cast in pipe jaws.---I just don't think they can or will stand the strain of serious torque that removable tool steel pipe jaws can stand.---And some of those cast iron pipe jaws that ride the open screw I wouldn't trust either.

 

[KMScott]

Nice vise Smitty, next time when you take the Chrome Vise out for a drive be sure to buckle her up, she looked a little unsafe in your car. When I was in my Toolmaker's apprenticeship I had to spend three months in our plating shop. We did it all, to plate chrome the finish has to be real smooth, I bet there is 20+ hours in polishing your vise before plating. If I remember right we put like a primer underneath the Chrome like a flash nickle before doing the Chrome Plating. My favorite was black Chrome.

 

[Smitty]

Thanks KMS. I can tell that somebody spent a ton of time prepping the vise for plating. Now that you mention it black chrome would look awesome. I hear what you’re saying about securing the vise while driving, it could real do some damage in a roll over situation. I guess I really dodged a bullet yesterday.

 

[Outlawmws]

Thanks KMS. I can tell that somebody spent a ton of time prepping the vise for plating. Now that you mention it black chrome would look awesome. I hear what you’re saying about securing the vise while driving, it could real do some damage in a roll over situation. I guess I really dodged a bullet yesterday.

[groan] Let me guess, you drive a Dodge truck too? [/groan]

 

[Smitty]

I had to try and Ram it through.

 

[Dandy Dave]

Depending on the manufacturer and the time of manufacture, the threads can be acme, square, buttress and even double/twin. Kevin Scott would be the best source for this information.

Friction welding can be used to mate the rod into the nose - IIRC Wilton currently uses this method. You can Google friction weld and check out how it works.

JKB

Yeah, Thinking about it, Your right. Could be any of the above threads. Although I think my 13 X 6 South Bend or my 16 X 12 would handle the task.

 

[Shiftless]

Outlaw beat me to it. Very punny guys.

 

[KMScott]

Yeah, Thinking about it, Your right. Could be any of the above threads. Although I think my 13 X 6 South Bend or my 16 X 12 would handle the task.

Dave, are you putting the word out that you can build new Acme, Buttress and Square threaded rods for vises? If so then guys are looking from time to time. If you can make the meatballs and attach the spindles then again guys will contact you. Nice lathe you have there, I am jealous.

 

[Smitty]

I just found this Columbian Coachmakers vise, it has 4 1/2” jaws and weighs in at 56 lbs. Somebody really took care of this vise, it’s pretty clean.


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[Shiftless]

Nice find!
You’re really on a vise finding tear Smitty! Are you starting to look around for a bigger shop building yet? .

 

[Outlawmws]

No, but replacing his garage floor with 12" thick pre-stressed and reinforced concrete HAS to be in the plan!

But on the nice find!

 

[Smitty]

Nice find!
You’re really on a vise finding tear Smitty! Are you starting to look around for a bigger shop building yet? .

Thanks shift. I just got off the road, it was 150 mi. round trip. Somebody here has a signature that mentions Advanced Tetris, I’m starting to understand.

 

[Smitty]

No, but replacing his garage floor with 12" thick pre-stressed and reinforced concrete HAS to be in the plan!

But on the nice find!

Thanks Outlaw. I watched a show about the concrete pour at the Hoover Dam. I’m wondering if the plans are still available.

 

[Ryan_340]

Today must be coachmaker vise day.... Lol. I just picked up this Lewis Tool Co. No. 55

 

[Smitty]

Ryan...Wow, you don’t see one of those very often. That’s going to clean up really well. Awesome find.

 

[Shiftless]

Yes, Ryan, coachmaker’s vises are rare and being a Lewis makes it even harder to find. Under all of that rust lies a real beauty no doubt.

I have a fairly big collection but I don’t have a coachmakers and I don’t have a Lewis.

 

[Ryan_340]

Anybody have any info. on Lewis Tool Co.? I have never heard of this brand before. When I saw the classified ad for it I originally thought it was a Prentiss.

 

[cclfn]

Anybody have any info. on Lewis Tool Co.? I have never heard of this brand before. When I saw the classified ad for it I originally thought it was a Prentiss.

Well there doesn't seem to be much history but they did have quit a few patents issue at the turn of the century: http://www.datamp.org/patents/displayPics.php?source=xrefCompany924&start=0&id=924

That will be a great looking vise I'll bet. Nice get!

 

[Vise]

Anybody have any info. on Lewis Tool Co.? I have never heard of this brand before. When I saw the classified ad for it I originally thought it was a Prentiss.

Lewis was predecessor to Prentiss. That’s an old vise. Very nice find.

Smitty - that coachmakers vise looks clean! Another great score.

 

[Smitty]

Thanks Vise, it’s hard to pass these up.

Ryan 340
I believe that Prentiss bought out the Lewis vise company, I’ve seen quite a few with PV co stamped on them. I keep looking at pics of your vise and it just keeps getting better. The slide, handle and meatball all look super clean. I’m going to look into this a little further but I wouldn’t be surprised if it was 110 years old.
The brow over the meatball and the meatball itself sure look Prentiss to me.

 

[RTM]

The 1901 catalog excerpt here doesn’t show a 55. It’s the latest catalog they have.

https://archive.org/details/LewisVises1901/mode/2up

 

[dannyr]

I doubt there's any connection, but there was a Samuel Lewis and Co of Dudley, near Birmingham England which made vices and anvils (and much else) - established 1750s as a nail maker. Lewis Anglo Works.
One of the family emigrated to NY?

 

[PghJKB]

Thanks Vise, it’s hard to pass these up.

Ryan 340
I believe that Prentiss bought out the Lewis vise company, I’ve seen quite a few with PV co stamped on them. I keep looking at pics of your vise and it just keeps getting better. The slide, handle and meatball all look super clean. I’m going to look into this a little further but I wouldn’t be surprised if it was 110 years old.
The brow over the meatball and the meatball itself sure look Prentiss to me.

Have you seen this?

URL:
https://archive.org/details/IronAgeVol54Nov291894/page/n59/mode/2up

They are consecutive pages from the 29 Nov, 1894 issue of Iron Age. Prentiss and Lewis are listed at the same NYC address. If Prentiss bought out Lewis, when??

There may be other "forces" at work here.

JKB

 

[davethorik]

I haven't found a deal like this in a while, always a pleasant surprise when it does happen. Picked this up yesterday, a Stanley sweetheart no. 745 clamp-on vise with 2.5" jaws, for $5, only 15 minutes from home. This was on Letgo.

It's a little sloppy and has been hammered/sawed on, and there are remains of petrified masking tape "soft jaws" that need cleaned off.....but....everything is there & unbroken, neither handle is bent, and the stamp is legible.

 

[Dandy Dave]

Dave, are you putting the word out that you can build new Acme, Buttress and Square threaded rods for vises? If so then guys are looking from time to time. If you can make the meatballs and attach the spindles then again guys will contact you. Nice lathe you have there, I am jealous.

Yeah. I suppose so. To do the meat balls you need a radius cutter. Both of my lathes are set up with quick change gear boxes. I can do as little as 4 threads per inch with either lathe all the way down to 224 Threads per inch. In the photo is a 9 foot long hydraulic ram shaft in the lathe that I machined last week for one of the roll off trucks at the shop. had to turn it and cut threads at the end to fit the piston. I'm located at Wards Collision Center in Hudson, NY. The main business is an Auto body shop. I have recently set up my Machine shop in the mechanical side of the building. My better other half is half partners in the building. I'd be game to make vice parts. Can't be any worse than anything else I have done. I guess now I need a real piece of junk vice to rebuild so I can show my skills on this thread of this site. Anyone have one they want to drop off? You can even have it back when I'm done.

 

[doily_grunge]

So how do you guys test the clamping strength on your vice?
I think I might be doing it wrong.

 

[dannyr]

So how do you guys test the clamping strength on your vice?
I think I might be doing it wrong.

that's how we do it here too -- on lighter bench, which then goes west - but at least we've tested the clamp strength
there goes another rib

 

[Vise]

PGH messaged me asking why I thought Lewis was a predecessor to Prentiss. Yes, there are several design similarities and I’m pretty sure there was some literature circulated here on this at one point. But I think these pics also answer the question.





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[KMScott]

Yeah. I suppose so. To do the meat balls you need a radius cutter. Both of my lathes are set up with quick change gear boxes. I can do as little as 4 threads per inch with either lathe all the way down to 224 Threads per inch. In the photo is a 9 foot long hydraulic ram shaft in the lathe that I machined last week for one of the roll off trucks at the shop. had to turn it and cut threads at the end to fit the piston. I'm located at Wards Collision Center in Hudson, NY. The main business is an Auto body shop. I have recently set up my Machine shop in the mechanical side of the building. My better other half is half partners in the building. I'd be game to make vice parts. Can't be any worse than anything else I have done. I guess now I need a real piece of junk vice to rebuild so I can show my skills on this thread of this site. Anyone have one they want to drop off? You can even have it back when I'm done.

Dave, I can give you hints and drawings for cutting meatballs with out a radius cutter. I use to make the cones on the nose of high flying jet's for N.C.A.R. in Boulder. As for the thread pitch, most spindles 7/8 and larger are in the 3 TPI range so it might not work with your lathe's. Years ago the vise makers spindles were threaded with a Geometric Die Head, you can tell by seeing 4 stopping points on a spindle thread. Those screwmachines were big and powerful years ago. Imagine cutting a large Acme thread in seconds. You put the word out there that you have lathe work for hire then I am sure some guys here will be getting a hold of you.