The VISES of Garage Journal

[Z3K3Y]

Any ideas what this is used for? or part of? I was thinking maybe a vise for a large horizontal bandsaw.
Just wanted to edit that isnt mine.

 

[wrenchguy]

No.3 available next week online. Is that what's left of original decal on the ol'timer Wilton?

 

[Outlawmws]

Any ideas what this is used for? or part of? I was thinking maybe a vise for a large horizontal bandsaw.
Just wanted to edit that isnt mine.

Almost certainly for the saw you mentioned.

 

[TylerRNEMT]

Some would say a cheap 30 year old Duracraft wouldn't be worth the time or effort, but to me a vise is made to hold things and it seems to hold things just fine . Picked it up for $10 at a garage sale...Might as well make it look a little better.

Figured I might as well pick up a carpenter's vise also and found this little guy dirt cheap at Lowe's.... Went ahead and painted it to match the bench vise before I installed it:

And then I figured I needed a drill press vise..... soooo of course it had to match also:

So for now I think i'm pretty set on vises..... albeit they're all pretty poor quality, but they get the job done and don't look half bad doing it. Maybe one day i'll pick up a Wilton

Thanks GarageJournal for making me obsess over vises for 2 weeks

-Tyler

 

[Fierljeppen]

TylerRNEMT...Your presentation and restoration skills are to be commended. Unfortunately, your vise, after all that nice work is only worth about $20 now. For a few more dollars, why not do the same thing to an older American vise and have a much better user that you'll never lose a dime on when it's time to sell or trade?

Anyway, knowing that the Asian vises seem to always be a copy of other vises, I wonder if they got the idea of putting the large number on the dynamic jaw from the Merrill Bros. vises.

 

[TylerRNEMT]

TylerRNEMT...Your presentation and restoration skills are to be commended. Unfortunately, your vise, after all that nice work is only worth about $20 now. For a few more dollars, why not do the same thing to an older American vise and have a much better user that you'll never lose a dime on when it's time to sell or trade?

Anyway, knowing that the Asian vises seem to always be a copy of other vises, I wonder if they got the idea of putting the large number on the dynamic jaw from the Merrill Bros. vises.

Thank you! I will take your post as a compliment for sure! To answer your question simply, I purchased this vise 8 years ago shortly after I purchased my home/garage at a garage sale...... I had no idea about vises at the time of purchase and $10 seemed very fair. It honestly has served me well and I have pounded pretty hard on that thing over the last few years.... I had no idea how to tell a quality vise from this one for many years until i found this forum. I feel strongly that we should all take pride in ownership of all of our possessions regardless of cost and felt that although this was a cheap overseas sub-par quality vise that it still deserved the time and effort I put into it. I would do the same for a 20 year old Chevy Cavalier as I would a brand new Ferrari. Now that I have educated myself more on vises I will definitely keep a look out for something more vintage and American made, but again I don’t feel that this cheap vise deserved a proper restoration any less than any Wilton or otherwise that may find its way into my garage.

-Tyler

 

[va.grouseman]

TylerRNEMT, a vise like that is just fine for home use and can probably take most anything put to it on the homeowner level.---I've got some good USA vises and a few Asian.---I always think of that song about ugly girls when I think of breaking an Asian vises.

Always marry an ugly girl
That’s the only kind
She’ll never ever leave you
But if she does you don’t mind

My uncle married an ugly girl
And he thought that he had it made
But every night when she undressed
The neighbors pulled the shade

(chorus)
Always marry an ugly girl
That’s the only kind
She’ll never ever leave you
But if she does you don’t mind

My uncle married an ugly girl
She drank from a special cup
Her bottom lip stuck out three inches
But her top lip covered it up.

(chorus)
Always marry an ugly girl
That’s the only kind
She’ll never ever leave you
But if she does you don’t mind

My brother married an ugly girl
She was big as a tandem truck
When her beeper went off, they ran for miles
Cause they thought she was backing up

(chorus)
Always marry an ugly girl
That’s the only kind
She’ll never ever leave you
But if she does you don’t mind

 

[MayerMR]

va.grouseman - I have never heard that song before (maybe I'm showing my age here), but even so, after having read it, it is stuck in my head!

Thanks for a good chuckle,

-Matt

 

[gearhead1960]

va.grouseman,

Great lyrics....

Reminds me of a favorite lyric of mine:
"Nice legs, shame about her face"
Can't remember the song name or artist, but that line has always stuck with me....

 

[Cyclotronguy]

Z3K3Y

That's a pretty interesting casting that you're using for a vise pedestal. Any providence on that piece?

 

[Smitty]

I just got a beautiful little Prentiss no. 30 today. It has a bit of the original paint and hasn’t been harshly cleaned over the years. The vise has a great daily user patina.


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[GForceJunky]

I just got a beautiful little Prentiss no. 30 today. It has a bit of the original paint and hasn’t been harshly cleaned over the years. The vise has a great daily user patina.


Sent from my iPad using The Garage Journal mobile app

That thing is adorable. I have some serious iron envy right now. Would love one of these little Prentiss vises and a Baby Bullet on a Pow-r-Arm. Would really be something!

 

[Tinkerer2]

I just got a beautiful little Prentiss no. 30 today. It has a bit of the original paint and hasn’t been harshly cleaned over the years.
Sent from my iPad using The Garage Journal mobile app

Why does that jaw swivel? What would it be used for?

 

[Outlawmws]

Irregular or tapered parts.

 

[Z3K3Y]

Z3K3Y

That's a pretty interesting casting that you're using for a vise pedestal. Any providence on that piece?

Its the base of a Wardwell Manufacturing Bandsaw blade sharpener. I bought the whole unit just for the stand and sold the blade sharpener.

 

[va.grouseman]

Why does that jaw swivel? What would it be used for?

To increase the value of a vise exponentially.

 

[Heavymetal]

Auction grab. Anybody have a clue of brand?

 

[Heavymetal]

Forgot the other side picture.

 

[GETRIDAONE]

It is a Hollands Keystone

 

[Thrumcap]

Hello gents, been a while. Have been scrolling through all the good works!

A couple Emmerts have appeared between the quiet bits...

Here’s an Emmert 101 (aka 4a) tool makers vise. has a minor crack near the body handle but that can be ignored. Should clean up well.



This Emmert #2 patternmakers 14” vise is a late model and in fantastic condition.




Thrumcap

 

[Thrumcap]

Also arrived is a Reed 4c vise. I think it was used machining dynamite sticks because the static jaw appears to have been broken into shards. Anyway it was welded back together, and I can’t complain for $50 because it has a split nut in excellent shape.





Any GJ users needing 4c split nuts (part C-24 split adjusting screw collar) let me know, because I’m looking into having a number of these replicated.

Thrumcap

 

[Thrumcap]

I have a question for anyone who has late model Reed info to hand.... can anyone ID the model of this Reed vise?
8.25” jaws, 12” opening.





Thrumcap

 

[emeraldcoupe]

picked this up at an estate sale this morning, it's a Morgan Chicago 40. pretty heavy for a small vise. it's in great condition, no cracks, just a bit dirty. $40

any idea on age?

 

[jmac219]

I recently acquired a free Wilton USA 3 3/4" vise. It closes fine, but it does not open by turning the spindle handle. I have to grab the jaw and pull it back by hand to get it to open. What piece am I missing to get it to work properly? Is it something I can find in a hardware store, or do I have to find the missing piece online? Thanks!

 

[Fierljeppen]

I have a question for anyone who has late model Reed info to hand.... can anyone ID the model of this Reed vise?
8.25” jaws, 12” opening.

It's a Reed vise no.308S, see link below for additional information. Love the Emmerts!

https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?p=7912596&highlight=reed+308s#post7912596

picked this up at an estate sale this morning, it's a Morgan Chicago 40. pretty heavy for a small vise. it's in great condition, no cracks, just a bit dirty. $40

any idea on age?

You have the 1st Morgan vise I've seen with a round "meatball" screw spindle. If it's OEM, I'd say you have a very early Morgan vise. If not, Morgan vises didn't change much, if any over time and the "Chicago" casting was used from (1920-1968).

I recently acquired a free Wilton USA 3 3/4" vise. It closes fine, but it does not open by turning the spindle handle. I have to grab the jaw and pull it back by hand to get it to open What piece am I missing to get it to work properly? Is it something I can find in a hardware store, or do I have to find the missing piece online?. Thanks!

Wilton used -2- styles of retaining the screw. Use the photos to determine which one is your style. A little imagination and a trip to the hardware store should solve your problem.

 

[Outlawmws]

I recently acquired a free Wilton USA 3 3/4" vise. It closes fine, but it does not open by turning the spindle handle. I have to grab the jaw and pull it back by hand to get it to open. What piece am I missing to get it to work properly? Is it something I can find in a hardware store, or do I have to find the missing piece online? Thanks!

Your slide is also broken out of the dynamic jaw. Its not supposed to be removable.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Anybody recognize this? 4" jaws. Swivel base. Swivel jaw (missing the pin). Not a single mark (brand, number, etc) on it anywhere, which I found very strange.

 

[Rockil]

here is my Starrett 416 1/2 4 1/2 jaws

 

[WhoWhatNow]

Anybody recognize this? 4" jaws. Swivel base. Swivel jaw (missing the pin). Not a single mark (brand, number, etc) on it anywhere, which I found very strange.

Prentiss most likely based on the design of the swivel jaw and the swivel lock.

 

[Shiftless]

Lugz:
I hope that carriage makers vise came home with you. Along with WWN, I too think it’s a Prentiss.

Smitty:
That’s another beautiful little jeweler’s vise for your collection. You’ve got an amazing ability to attract the best of the best. I know that you “cast a wide net”.

Emeraldcoupe:
That meatball nose is different than my Morgan 40 pictured below.

Thrumcap:
Wow! You scored not one but TWO great vises. Nice.

 

[emeraldcoupe]

You have the 1st Morgan vise I've seen with a round "meatball" screw spindle. If it's OEM, I'd say you have a very early Morgan vise. If not, Morgan vises didn't change much, if any over time and the "Chicago" casting was used from (1920-1968).

Lugz:
Emeraldcoupe:
That meatball nose is different than my Morgan 40 pictured below.

yeah, when i did an image search, didn't see any with the meatball "nose" , could it be original or from another vise? everything moves smooth with no binding

 

[Shiftless]

Another good mystery for the combined forces of the GJ vise guys.

Challenge: Does anybody have a Morgan Chicago era 40 with a round meatball nose?

 

[rusty65]

Another good mystery for the combined forces of the GJ vise guys.

Challenge: Does anybody have a Morgan Chicago era 40 with a round meatball nose?

Morgan did make them early on with the round meatball but I’d say this example has a screw from a rock island.


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[Outlawmws]

Neither of my Morgan's do - Reed Transplant?

 

[emeraldcoupe]

Morgan did make them early on with the round meatball but I’d say this example has a screw from a rock island.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

why do you say that? is it not possible this is an early vise? i'd like to know.

 

[rusty65]

why do you say that? is it not possible this is an early vise? i'd like to know.

Morgan used a different shape from my experience.


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[emeraldcoupe]

thanks. either way i'm fine with it, it works fine and is going to get used.

 

[rusty65]

thanks. either way i'm fine with it, it works fine and is going to get used.

Morgan made a great vise. I would say yours is from 1930-1946 period.


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[Shiftless]

Morgan used a different shape from my experience.

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Yes, my image search found a few that had cylindrical noses with a front face that had a very blunt, almost unnoticeable cone shape rather than perfectly flat like mine that I posted and like most everybody else has.

 

[zeug]

Saw this on my local craigslist. Thought is was worth sharing:

https://denver.craigslist.org/tls/d/longmont-wilton-swivel-jaw-vise-no/7170725488.html