The VISES of Garage Journal

[macgee]

I haven't posted here in years but I thought would contribute as well as see what others can post.

Here are three speedy vises that I recently cleaned up. Not sure which one I prefer, they all work very well on there own right. The Cardinal speed vise is ridiculously fast to adjust. The Heinrich style green vise is very clean, I milled new stepped soft jaws for it with a stop on it.

The Quick-Action vise by Moore & Lock (Santa Monica, CA) has the strongest holding power of the three and good enough for accurate milling on a mill. Has anyone seen or heard of one of these before???

Moore & Lock Quick Action Vise:

Cardinal 3B Speed vise

Heinrich vise:

 

[dannyr]

Is the Moore Lock the middle one (light blue)?

Never seen such, but in the 50s (about) Rededa of Sheffield UK used this mech for one of their woodworking vices - simply lift the buttress screw off the half nut to release - drop it back down to re-engage at whatever opening - holds surprisingly well

 

[macgee]

Is the Moore Lock the middle one (light blue)?

Never seen such, but in the 50s (about) Rededa of Sheffield UK used this mech for one of their woodworking vices - simply lift the buttress screw off the half nut to release - drop it back down to re-engage at whatever opening - holds surprisingly well

The middle one with the City of LA engraving is a Cardinal 3B speed vise, I believe they are still in production. These Have a strong following and are well respected. And yes, it's the same principle as you mentioned.

The Moore and Lock is the top raw no paint milled steel one.

 

[PierceA]

To ClintNZ: be aware that an exposed main-screw vise ought not be used for holding items while being welded. The weld spatter will get on and stick to the main screw, ruining the threads very quickly. Especially if you are stick welding.
If you do use this vise on your welding bench, make a metal shield to lay over the main screw while you are welding. Then you can throw away the shield if it gets covered in spatter and slag..

PierceA

 

[Outlawmws]

You can (and should) "Lube" the screw with anti spatter spray. I have an exposed screw vise as my welding "Clamp" for any smaller jobs that fit and the screw is un-sheilded and fine.

I don't however use it for stick welding.

 

[Shiftless]

macgee:
Welcome back. And thanks for posting pics of those unusual drill press or milling machine vises. We don’t see enough of those. Cool to find one born in Santa Monica CA. I’ve spent many days visiting there back when our daughter and her husband lived in a little garden apartment on Colorado.

 

[ClintNZ]

To ClintNZ: be aware that an exposed main-screw vise ought not be used for holding items while being welded. The weld spatter will get on and stick to the main screw, ruining the threads very quickly. Especially if you are stick welding.
If you do use this vise on your welding bench, make a metal shield to lay over the main screw while you are welding. Then you can throw away the shield if it gets covered in spatter and slag..

PierceA

Thanks, she'll be right. I mostly use TIG & this vice has to be open a fair way before the working part of the screw is exposed. Will likely make a little cover. I will definitely make a tube to cover the other end of the screw to keep the grinding dust off.

Thanks for the tip on anti spatter spray Outlaw!

Cheers
Clint

 

[pelletman]

Pelletman, you actually need two pieces. The pin and the retaining plate.

Thanks! I did realize that..

 

[tool_scrounge]

The middle one with the City of LA engraving is a Cardinal 3B speed vise, I believe they are still in production. These Have a strong following and are well respected. And yes, it's the same principle as you mentioned.
.

Still around.

Cardinal Tool Co, 1256 W 1st St, Pomona, CA 91766

 

[macgee]

macgee:
Welcome back. And thanks for posting pics of those unusual drill press or milling machine vises. Cool to find one born in Santa Monica CA. I’ve spent many days visiting there back when our daughter and her husband lived in a little garden apartment on Colorado.

Thanks Shiftless,

As a teenager I spent lots of time on Colorado ave. at a surfboard manufacturer (Natural Progression) and at a friends classic car shop.

Here's the Moore & Lock on a recent drill press I just finished restoring and also a couple of my other vises.



C1 Bullet


C0, Baby Bullet and Bison-FPU baby bullet


A rare Craftsman 5222 with octagon slide & 360 rotating head. I think from mid 30's?


Reed 204R


Wilton 4" Bullet


A very mini me Prentiss swivel jaw vise

 

[Shiftless]

All I can say is ...

WOW !

 

[Isaiah6113]

Thanks Shiftless,

As a teenager I spent lots of time on Colorado ave. at a surfboard manufacturer (Natural Progression) and at a friends classic car shop.

Here's the Moore & Lock on a recent drill press I just finished restoring and also a couple of my other vises.

A rare Craftsman 5222 with octagon slide & 360 rotating head. I think from mid 30's?

A very mini me Prentiss swivel jaw vise

. . . with a drive by of a well loved Koh-I-Noor Rapidomatic

Matthew


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[Andy FitzGibbon]

Not mine, but this one is interesting. "Smith's Combination Vise" by the Oil Well Supply Co. of Pittsburgh, PA. Because of the early oil boom in western Pennsylvania, there were a lot of manufacturers of pipe tools and other oilfield-specific tools and machinery from Pittsburgh on north. Reed, Hollands, and Erie all were part of that, to some extent.

On edit: apparently not as rare as I thought, after some.quick searching. First one I've seen, though, and because its semi-local I got excited

 

[macgee]

. . . with a drive by of a well loved Koh-I-Noor Rapidomatic

Matthew

And a Starrett 298 Key Seat Clamp just hanging out.

 

[Vise]

Nice vises, Macgee. That craftsman is especially sweet.

 

[dkroth]

macgee,

What's your process for getting those Wilton slides so satiny smooth?






.

 

[va.grouseman]

Real nice eye candy Macgee.---Thanks for the fix.

 

[Outlawmws]

That Smith has Parker jaws; I wonder if the whole vise was contract, or just the jaws?

Cool selection Macgee!

 

[Plumber4]

I picked this up for $25 from my neighbors' moving sale. I haven't been able to find much information on it since I can't make out the model number on the sticker.
It is a whole lot better quality than the vises I'm used to. Then again, I've never spent more than $50 on a new one, haha.

 

[Outlawmws]

The sticker is for an importer. The vise has Asian origins.

 

[macgee]

Thanks guys for the compliments

macgee,

What's your process for getting those Wilton slides so satiny smooth?



.

With lots of patience, tender loving care and a svelte touch!


Half joking

It's really important not to remove metal off the slide as that will make for a looser fit and more play in the slide when in the static jaw which is a big negative; it's amazing how a little amount removed can make that happen. Wilton bullets have a lathe turned slide, you can feel the grooves on a fresh bullet. You want to keep those grooves and not remove them or go below them; I'm guessing theyre about .004" high.

I use a strong degrease (oven-off), then evaporust soak or alternatively naval jelly with a soft tooth brush or a light brass brush to try to get inside those small grooves, after that, I sparingly use with a light touch a 3M bristle bush wheel (broken-in 220), and then a soft 400 bristle brush wheel. Getting the shine is really from the degrease/oven off and the de-rusting process that I found are the two keys in making the metal really shine. I don't use sandpaper or a wire wheel (if I can help it and most of time I don't) as those remove too much material and a wire wheel texturizes the metal too much.

The trick is to remove the crud and rust in the lows while not removing the machined metal (the intended highs).

I'll be honest, I'll take a nice patina vise that has a tight & smooth slide than a shiny over restored but sloppy loose vise any day of the week.

Here's an example of an old long C craftsman angle vise that was sitting outside in the junk pile for years because it was so badly covered in crud & rust with lots of shame holes in it that I didn't want to deal with it but recently acquired a 6L ultrasonic heated cleaner and wanted to test it. A hot degrease soak equivalent to a coin operated ******** bed in a cheap death valley motel during a summer heatwave and then immediately into an Evaporust bath while hot and then with only needed about 5-10 mins of finishing after that and then re-assembly.

Below are before and after pics. This vise is a little too shiny for my taste but its ready to prep for painting or leave raw & oiled and let a patina develop which would not take too long, maybe a BLO would be good? Not sure what I'm going to do with this vise as I already have too many.

Before:

After:

 

[PierceA]

I'm going to have to try the heated simple-green or other solvent. The 'after' photos are amazing!!

I've got the 'bug' really bad. Here are some recent acquisitions over the last few weeks.

PierceA

 

[PierceA]

I have always wanted a pattern-maker's vise or sheetmetal vise.. And over the last three weeks have bought 3.
A Yost, a Rock Island, and a Reed 424-1/2.
I'm trying to find a C. Parker one.. Since Parkers are by far my favorite make vise.

PierceA

 

[macgee]

I'm going to have to try the heated simple-green or other solvent.

I've got the 'bug' really bad. Here are some recent acquisitions over the last few weeks.

PierceA

Thanks Pierce,

If you're going to try Simple Green, I suggest trying the Lavender version with purple label and color that can be found cheap in 1gal. at HomeDep. I much prefer it over the orig. green version. I've also been using Oil Eater in the ultrasonic cleaner, its earth safe and not as harsh as a typical degreaser but does fine and its cheap. It cleaned that last vise.

Have you tried using electroysis bath yet? Might be worth doing with all those vises you have.

You have a lot of nice vises and while there's quite a few vises in my neck of the woods, you don't see too too many pattern makers vises. I have a C. Parker 973 but its going on selling block as I have too many vises.


I'm very jealous you have a Emmert swivel vise, is it complete and does it have any cracks? You don't see those very often.

 

[Andy FitzGibbon]

Hot Pine-Sol also works well as a degreaser, I've found. Had it in my parts washer for a while.

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[va.grouseman]

Pierce, you've been very busy.---Very nice iron Sir.

 

[stokefire7]

My Rock Island that I picked up this morning. As an added plus, it came out of the Rock Island Arsenal. I'm pretty happy.

 

[akasrick]

I have always wanted a pattern-maker's vise or sheetmetal vise.. And over the last three weeks have bought 3.
A Yost, a Rock Island, and a Reed 424-1/2.
I'm trying to find a C. Parker one.. Since Parkers are by far my favorite make vise.

PierceA

I'm going to have to try the heated simple-green or other solvent. The 'after' photos are amazing!!

I've got the 'bug' really bad. Here are some recent acquisitions over the last few weeks.

PierceA

Pierce, you've been very busy.---Very nice iron Sir.

Very nice iron indeed!

You are aware that Emmert is a pattern makers vise. Covered by Fierljeppen
elsewhere in this thread.

Thats it bottom left.

akasrick

 

[rusty65]

My Rock Island that I picked up this morning. As an added plus, it came out of the Rock Island Arsenal. I'm pretty happy.

All: the picture I have attached has a letter A pictured which is on the front of the lead screw on a vise I recently acquired. if anyone has seen this on a vise you own please post a picture of it. I believe some Boley vises are marked with this A.

Stokefire7 : My old shop teacher was a machinist at that arsenal . He told me the shop he worked in had a open floor layout to the lower levels and the machinists would make round disks on the lathes to toss around the shop and see how many levels they could get it to go.



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[stokefire7]

Hello Rusty ! My Dad spent some time there after International Harvester shut down. He brought home a Lignum Vitae bearing from the heat plant(I think) that had spent considerable time underwater in the Mississippi.
I did get to apply there for a plumbers position back in the day. Of course, he gave me the grand tour, lots of awesomeness around that place !

 

[chrisnazzy]

In true Garage Journal fashion, each night this week after work I've been putting some time into getting my signs up in the new garage. Plenty of vises on display in the back there to remain relevant to this thread.

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[stokefire7]

For what it's worth.

 

[htw]

For what it's worth.

Nice! Seeing that car, is the building still in use?

 

[stokefire7]

Nice! Seeing that car, is the building still in use?

Sign on the door said some auction co.

 

[PierceA]

I want to thank everyone for the compliments regarding my instant vise collection.

I was lucky to chance upon the basement full of tools and vises. And after everyone's comments and doing some research on some of the odd-ball vises I purchased, I'm glad that I gave the sellers more than their asking prices. Luck is one thing, being appreciative of having been lucky is another.

Here in South East Michigan, there are thousands of retired machinists and they all have some tools. Some have wonderful machine shops. So it seems vises and good tools are plentiful. But there are still those who offer items on ebay or craigslist at ridiculous prices.

I will answer the many questions asked about the 'instant collection' and answer the PM's as well. It may take me a day or two. I can't seem to get away from my pile of new vises that need cleaning, lubricating and an occasional weld or part machined for them..

PierceA

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Just picked this up at a flea market. (That coin is a quarter.) Primitive. No markings. I'll post more photos later after cleaning.

 

[Outlawmws]

Nice Vise display Chris!


I picked up an unmarked aluminum vise, yesterday. I don't have any doubt who made it however - Speedmaster out of Oakland CA "Back in the day"

The blue one with the clamp repair is the new one; the other is the one I had before that I had to repair in a different place, then I broke it just clamping it on the first time I actually used it! Almost all I have seen have this break or are completely missing the clamp screw...

I think the repair is a pretty good one! The steel insert gives it strength, and the one screw from the bottom simply holds the broken part in place...

The jaws on the marked version are offset. At first I thought it was an owner modification, but I've seem several others with the offset so it must have been factory.

 

[AngryBeaver]

haven't posted alot in the last few months, but here is a 5181 (4" reed 104R) I picked up a couple months ago. Dated 1/43. This one has smooth jaws and will be my main user.

 

[va.grouseman]

Outlaw, I've got one of those aluminum vises and use it at the kitchen table for small projects all the time.

Very clever fix on the blue vise.---Should have come out with that kind skeletal installment to begin with.

 

[Outlawmws]

VA I can't take credit for the fix. The gentleman that did it was apparently quite a machinist, based on the tools and tooling I saw in the garage, which was loaded with cool stuff and many indications he'd delved into watchmaking work as well as other fine machine work. (a 24" Swiss lathe? probably a 4" or so swing? I was drooling! (sold before I got there for $200!