The VISES of Garage Journal
- Thread starter mjozefow
- Start date
wrenchguy
Well-known member
"wagon tongue" near the hoofs or is it hooves??
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AngryBeaver
Well-known member
Found a Reed 204 1/2 on craigslist recently. This is how i found it in the wild.
The first thing I noticed after bringing it home was that the main fastener on the bottom is not the typical style that I see online for Reeds (they seem to usually have a round with a large slot). This 204 1/2 has a hex head fastener (similar to my Parker 205) but larger. I used a 1 3/4" socket on it. The second thing I noticed was that this fastener did not want to give up. I used anti-rust soak, heat, and vibration before it eventually succumbed to my 18" breaker bar (with cheater bar attached). This effort bent the metal table that the vise was clamped to at the time. (!)
For the Reed experts, is this a replacement added by a former owner? I think this vise is fairly old (see below) so maybe they used different fasteners back then?
Age? I was worried I wouldn't be able to find any production markings. But after some basic cleaning, I found some markings on the passenger side of the dynamic.
I see a "515" in the red box. My understanding is that this would make this vise a May 1915 production. The 3 patent dates on the static are from 1908, 1912, and 1914 (so that shouldn't preclude May 1915). Any Reed experts know if they updated their casting the very next year after the 1914 patent(s)? Assuming this is correct, I acquired and started working on this vise when it was exactly 105 years old. Seems really cool to me.
One more question for the Reed experts, even after removing the main fastener on the bottom of the base, I can't get the swivel fastener (see last picture) to budge. Are there any good tricks to loosen a frozen swivel base lever/fastener?
Since no one has answered you here, although they did on FB...
yes is 5/15 date. Congrats on the 105 year old score.
The swivel bolt you see with the slot are for the later style R series.. That is the correct swivel bolt for your vise. all the pre R models used a hex bolt.. The slotted bolt didn't start until about 1942.
Any tricks to loosen the swivel lock? sure. hit it with your purse. Seriously. dead blow, lead hammer, etc. A good whack should get it moving.
lucasd2002
Well-known member
Thanks very much AB. Really happy about the Reed find.
I have already soaked the swivel lock in oil/penetrant and hammered on it. It is soaking again now. I will add more leverage the next time I mess with it. I wasn't sure if there is any other consideration after the main (bottom) fastener is removed.
KMScott
Well-known member
lucasd2002, I would use heat, it will swell the swivel body and break the rust and will make it easier to remove, you do not want to bend the handle.
Shiftless
Well-known member
That’s good advice.
After heating try hammering on the top of the swivel lock body, not the handle. That just might be a good enough shock to break the rust bond. After that try tapping on the handle but not hard enough to bend it. Try tapping in both directions as well. Loosen first. It’s counterintuitive but sometimes moving it in a clockwise direction can also break the rust bond.
I have seen shop made tools for that purpose. Find a junk socket big enough to slip over the swivel lock. Cut slots in the sides of the socket to accommodate the swivel lock handle. Now you have a tool to apply lots of torque to the swivel lock without as much danger to the handle.
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And now its done!
Ps. the color was chosen to match my Hazet stuff. I did do a "grease burn" for the jaws and handle with BLO to give them little anti rust properties. I used 2 sets of needle thrust bearings on the screw. The base pole is a piece of 50+ year old of telephone pole. I straightened the crank by beating it on a wood splitting block few times with a 4lbs sledge hammer and using a piece of firewood to protect the crank from blows.
Ps. the color was chosen to match my Hazet stuff. I did do a "grease burn" for the jaws and handle with BLO to give them little anti rust properties. I used 2 sets of needle thrust bearings on the screw. The base pole is a piece of 50+ year old of telephone pole. I straightened the crank by beating it on a wood splitting block few times with a 4lbs sledge hammer and using a piece of firewood to protect the crank from blows.
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Mark in Indiana
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davethorik
Well-known member
davethorik
Well-known member
That looks nicer than this one. It spent a couple decades bolted to a stump outdoors, so there is some pitting. This one isn't staying sadly, but it is a badass vise.
Shiftless
Well-known member
I just finished this one tonight. A late model Yost 32C that came to me with splotchy damaged blue paint and the usual brown staining on the handles, nose and slide. But the jaws looked like new under the greasy dirt.
4 1/2 inch wide jaws.
I’m not crazy about the econo pinched ends on the handles, but that’s how Yost did it.
Rustoleum Hammered Verde Green over gray primer. Fluid Film on the bare parts.
4 1/2 inch wide jaws.
I’m not crazy about the econo pinched ends on the handles, but that’s how Yost did it.
Rustoleum Hammered Verde Green over gray primer. Fluid Film on the bare parts.
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antwon412
Well-known member
I have an old craftsman 4” my father in law gave me. The handle is pretty bent. Where’s the best place to source a new one?
tool_scrounge
Well-known member
That is how Yost made them for government contracts. The standard commercial version has a chromed handle with ball ends and a chromed leadscrew. At least that was they way they were made for the commercial US made versions.
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Thanks!Nicely done Tony! That's a beautiful vise, and it's a nice mix of patina and fresh.
That looks great. I am going to have to repaint mine this way. Mine has same pinched handles. Came off the top of a huge Military Wrecker Truck and every part was OD green.
Outlawmws
Well-known member
Looks great Shift. You have got this down for sure!
Shiftless
Well-known member
tool scrounge:
Thanks for the input on the gov’t vs. ordinary models of Yost. Every day I learn something on GJ.
Craftfab, Outlaw, and Smitty:
Thanks for the kudos. This one came out better than I expected. I was planning on matching the original medium blue factory paint but I didn’t have any on the shelf and I try to stay out of stores these days. I did have several cans of Verde Green so I used that.
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Thanks for the input on the gov’t vs. ordinary models of Yost. Every day I learn something on GJ.
Craftfab, Outlaw, and Smitty:
Thanks for the kudos. This one came out better than I expected. I was planning on matching the original medium blue factory paint but I didn’t have any on the shelf and I try to stay out of stores these days. I did have several cans of Verde Green so I used that.
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1320stang
Well-known member
I've got a Columbian D6 with a worn out spindle nut, I've done a search thru old posts for a replacement but those sources now come up dry.
Toolpartsdirect.com came up and has a 1010S204 spindle nut. But it lists it for a Wilton 6" Columbian 10106, the picture looks a lot like my vise and the spindle nut in the diagram says Columbian on it and is similar looking to mine.
My screw is 3/4" and has 4 tpi.
https://www.toolpartsdirect.com/wilton-10106-6-columbian-machinist-bench-vise-506m3.html
Toolpartsdirect.com came up and has a 1010S204 spindle nut. But it lists it for a Wilton 6" Columbian 10106, the picture looks a lot like my vise and the spindle nut in the diagram says Columbian on it and is similar looking to mine.
My screw is 3/4" and has 4 tpi.
https://www.toolpartsdirect.com/wilton-10106-6-columbian-machinist-bench-vise-506m3.html
KMScott
Well-known member
Looks great Shift. Not crazy how they pinched the ends of the handle.
Shiftless
Well-known member
1320
Wow...74 bucks for a vise nut.
I suppose you could just buy it, try it, and return it if it didn’t fit.
I’ve never found a vise with a worn out nut. Would that be from a total lack of lubrication and a determined user (not you of course) continuing to force it open and closed hundreds of times without addressing the problem so easily remedied?
I’m sure I’m preaching to the choir here on the vise pages, but it seems to me anybody using a vise realizes that difficult operation means you probably need some grease somewhere. How long would it take to apply? One minute? Any grease will do. Even WD40 is better than nothing. Vaseline? Used motor oil? Sure!
(Rant over)
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Wow...74 bucks for a vise nut.
I suppose you could just buy it, try it, and return it if it didn’t fit.
I’ve never found a vise with a worn out nut. Would that be from a total lack of lubrication and a determined user (not you of course) continuing to force it open and closed hundreds of times without addressing the problem so easily remedied?
I’m sure I’m preaching to the choir here on the vise pages, but it seems to me anybody using a vise realizes that difficult operation means you probably need some grease somewhere. How long would it take to apply? One minute? Any grease will do. Even WD40 is better than nothing. Vaseline? Used motor oil? Sure!
(Rant over)
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1320stang
Well-known member
1320stang
Well-known member
I found it on a scrap pile, handle is a bit bent, probably no lubricant and abuse.
mlam
Member
Thanks!
1320stang
Well-known member
Is it possible to buy an ACME long nut? I could weld one up then.
Shiftless
Well-known member
MacMaster Carr has Acme coupling nuts 3/4 -5 and 3/4 -6
You said your screw pitch was 4...too bad.
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royce
Well-known member
A few years ago, I was able to get a screw and nut from dependable acme co.
They are out of New York and have a good website, you could check.
Royce
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Hoorn
Well-known member
Here is my contribution. My 87 year old father recently gave me his Athol 614. He bought it used in 1964 and has had it ever since.
Seems no garage/workshop is really complete without a big old cast iron American made vise.
Seems no garage/workshop is really complete without a big old cast iron American made vise.
Hoorn
Well-known member
Hoorn
Well-known member
Here was the vise a couple weeks ago. Had some deep pitting (maybe from me
pounding on it when I was a kid) I wanted to fill. I had seen past examples of some vise restorations going with JB weld and spread it on pretty good. I let it sit overnight and sanded it down. All in all it was a rewarding experience. For guys with Athol vises, be sure to use 3/4" schedule 1120 pvc with cut outs to push the lead screw spring back in so you can easily tap in the cotter pin, otherwise it can be rough sledding.
pounding on it when I was a kid) I wanted to fill. I had seen past examples of some vise restorations going with JB weld and spread it on pretty good. I let it sit overnight and sanded it down. All in all it was a rewarding experience. For guys with Athol vises, be sure to use 3/4" schedule 1120 pvc with cut outs to push the lead screw spring back in so you can easily tap in the cotter pin, otherwise it can be rough sledding.
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Shiftless
Well-known member
Hoorn:
Thanks for posting that story with the before and after pics. You’re right...Athol made some great vises and you have one of their more popular ones. And the family history makes it all the better.
Remember this one...It might be your entry model into the wonderful world of vise collecting. Like Lay’s potato chips motto “bet you can’t eat (only) one”
Thanks for posting that story with the before and after pics. You’re right...Athol made some great vises and you have one of their more popular ones. And the family history makes it all the better.
Remember this one...It might be your entry model into the wonderful world of vise collecting. Like Lay’s potato chips motto “bet you can’t eat (only) one”
I had a rock island vise with a worn out main nut and I believe the issue was from the screw being to hard and the nut to soft. Combine both those factors and a vise from ww2 used in a school shop makes for a worn down cast nut. The vise opened and closed smooth only issue was excessive slop in the threads I bought a replacement nut from eBay and the screw seemed to not be worn.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Shiftless
Well-known member
Rusty:
I believe the strategy was to make the nut softer because it was back then a replaceable part. The screw and handle assembly was to be protected from wearing out.
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I believe the strategy was to make the nut softer because it was back then a replaceable part. The screw and handle assembly was to be protected from wearing out.
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AngryBeaver
Well-known member
Here is a 8/43 model Reed 2c. I bought this one as my first reed about 4-5 years ago. It was badly damaged. It was missing one pipe jaw, missing the swivel base, the handle was missing one of the forged balls on the end and had a nut welded in place.
And to top it off, the slide was busted. It had been brazed from the very end to the machine marks under the jaw... so I tossed it on the shelf.
A month or two ago I ran across another 2C that was badly broken on the rear of the static. I had the guy disassemble it and mail me the dynamic jaw, both pipe jaws, the swivel base and lockdowns.
I’m thoroughly amazed at the quantity of the machining from Reed. These vises were made 15 years apart. The static jaw in 8/43 and the dynamic in 8/1958.
They fit together like they were made as one. Short of the slight height difference (1/32” or so) from grinding on one jaw... they fit together perfectly. I had intentions of selling this one, but as a survivor of what was likely a WW2 vise, I may just hang onto this one. The 2c is about the most perfect size vise for any shop.
The 7/58 donor vise. The whole back of the static jaw was broken off.
The 8/43 slide....
And the resurrected WW2 reed C2...
And to top it off, the slide was busted. It had been brazed from the very end to the machine marks under the jaw... so I tossed it on the shelf.
A month or two ago I ran across another 2C that was badly broken on the rear of the static. I had the guy disassemble it and mail me the dynamic jaw, both pipe jaws, the swivel base and lockdowns.
I’m thoroughly amazed at the quantity of the machining from Reed. These vises were made 15 years apart. The static jaw in 8/43 and the dynamic in 8/1958.
They fit together like they were made as one. Short of the slight height difference (1/32” or so) from grinding on one jaw... they fit together perfectly. I had intentions of selling this one, but as a survivor of what was likely a WW2 vise, I may just hang onto this one. The 2c is about the most perfect size vise for any shop.
The 7/58 donor vise. The whole back of the static jaw was broken off.
The 8/43 slide....
And the resurrected WW2 reed C2...
Borntrager
New member
I was looking at my old vise that I sved from my Grandpa Borntrager from our ranch in Montana. It is a good old vise. I decided to look and see when it was made. I came across this forum. I saw an old post where somebody said Holland vises did not make a 104 1/2 I guess they did. Any other info on it would be nice.
