The VISES of Garage Journal

[va.grouseman]

Vise, does me good to know that the 8'' and 8+'' units can still be found.---Very good hunting there Sir.---If it were a deer, it would be a Boon and Crocket 200+''.

 

[Vise]

Thanks very much Smitty. A 98 has been near the top of the list for awhile. Happy to have it.

Much appreciated VA. They do come up from time to time and can be found for sure.

 

[Vono]

Hello all

My recently bought Fortis Standard Steel. I'm rather pleased with this

I've never seen one of these marked with Standard on before.

If anyone knows any information on these or if the blue paint still present in some areas is original (it looks old) please let me know.

Cheers

 

[cretedog]

Here’s something I picked up last week: a Prentiss 98.

Awesome Vise! Congrats!

 

[Vise]

Awesome Vise! Congrats!

Thank you very much!

 

[Outlawmws]

Great Find Vise! It will do credit to the stand! (Or vice versa!)

 

[1982fxr]

Any ideas on who made my Peerless? Was Fulton a vise manufacturer?

https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?p=8992138#post8992138

 

[Shiftless]

Any ideas on who made my Peerless? Was Fulton a vise manufacturer?

https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?p=8992138#post8992138

Yes
I have a Fulton vise downstairs on a shelf.
There are 15 listed on the big spreadsheet.

 

[rk_tek]

I just picked up this 6” C3 shown with my restored 4” on top for scale. It’s currently frozen, but the price was worth taking a chance and the previous owner had not tried very much to get it working. I believe it lived outdoors for many years so it will take some work to bring back. Missing the back cap and I think the horseshoe is a shop made replacement
View media item 110995

 

[Outlawmws]

Uh, the 4" looks like a baby up there!

 

[Shiftless]

Uh, the 4" looks like a baby up there!

That is indeed dramatic... but not quite as dramatic as the 2 Prentiss vises posted by trijeff

 

[Vise]

Great Find Vise! It will do credit to the stand! (Or vice versa!)

Thank you! Couldn’t resist throwing it up on the stand today. Also designed up a top plate for it.




Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[rk_tek]

That is indeed dramatic... but not quite as dramatic as the 2 Prentiss vises posted by trijeff

I’m always on the lookout for a baby bullet as I frequently to fine work as well. If I find one at the right price, I’ll update the pic

 

[CRSINMICH]

Vono: See my next post.

 

[CRSINMICH]

Vono: This is the only information I have on Fortis vices that look like yours. It came from a 1935 Buck & Hickman catalogue. I have to say it sounds like it is very stout and well made. Similar models showed up in B&H as late as 1964 but they looked very similar to Record. See above. Nice find.

 

[11b30b4]

Guys, do any of yall have any knowledge about the history of the Columbian Autorcrat vise like the 415? Why it was named autocrat and not just given a number like most other vises?

I have been looking for a good 4" vise that has a usable anvil attached. I really like the Columbian 605 M2 series. I also like the Craftsman 508 series as well as the Craftsman 5171 and the 506.51840. Unfortunately, most of these go for a premium on ebay and down here in Atlanta, vises are a finite resource. I have only started to look and decided to grab what I could at a good price over the weekend.
5 estate sales produced a Columbian 203 ½ M2

View media item 110914
A Reed 204 ½ R

View media item 110932
And a Columbian D44M5 Made in the USA

View media item 111008
I will most likely keep these vises, but I really need to find a good 4 or 5” vise with a workable anvil.

Thanks for any information yall can provide.

 

[Shiftless]

11b:
You scored a couple of very nice vises there. The 204 1/2 R especially! Congrats

But...

Please don’t do heavy or even moderate pounding on the “anvil” section of a vise or the tail.
With VERY few exceptions, vises are made of cast iron which is quite brittle and will crack or even break in 2 if pounded on.

Real “anvils” are forged steel and quite collectible these days so prices are quite high. $5 or so a pound is normal.

If you need to pound on something, either get a dedicated anvil or be like many of us, find a short length of train rail (or an I beam cut off drop). Steel rails are basically impossible to bust.

.

 

[11b30b4]

Shiftless, that is actually what I had been considering. I will look into getting a section of rail road. Thanks for the information and response. I like the Reed as well.

 

[Vono]

Vono: This is the only information I have on Fortis vices that look like yours. It came from a 1935 Buck & Hickman catalogue. I have to say it sounds like it is very stout and well made. Similar models showed up in B&H as late as 1964 but they looked very similar to Record. See above. Nice find.

Hello, that's excellent, thanks for that, much appreciated

It is certainly stout & well made. I must admit, I'm very pleased with it.

 

[PSCo1867]

Shiftless, that is actually what I had been considering. I will look into getting a section of rail road. Thanks for the information and response. I like the Reed as well.

11b,

Where in GA do you live? I work at a rail mill in PA, and visit Roswell
several times a year. I could bring a 2 to 3 ft section of 136 or 175CR
down with. Would have to pick it up in Roswell though.

 

[Shiftless]

11b,

Where in GA do you live? I work at a rail mill in PA, and visit Roswell
several times a year. I could bring a 2 to 3 ft section of 136 or 175CR
down with. Would have to pick it up in Roswell though.

That’s very generous of you.
If you could cut those down into a length that would fit into a flat rate box and weigh under 70 pounds, I bet a few of the GJ guys would buy them.
Would that be cool with the “boss”?

 

[PSCo1867]

That’s very generous of you.
If you could cut those down into a length that would fit into a flat rate box and weigh under 70 pounds, I bet a few of the GJ guys would buy them.
Would that be cool with the “boss”?

I can "scrap-pass" test pcs, crop ends, & scrap within reason. This would not be a for-profit venture. PM me, and I'd be glad to try and help GJ members.

 

[Shiftless]

Here are a couple of pics of my latest project. Prentiss 524 with the early style swivel base. I was fortunate enough to get the often lost Prentiss marked captive wrench. The swivel was rusted tight when I got it. It works fine now. More pics over on the vise repair thread.
I’ll include 2 “before” pics taken after it got of the “hot tub” and before it got pressure washed. I removed 4 layers of paint. The top layer was probably latex house paint.


.

 

[Old Radar]

That’s very generous of you.
If you could cut those down into a length that would fit into a flat rate box and weigh under 70 pounds, I bet a few of the GJ guys would buy them.
Would that be cool with the “boss”?

The Law of Unintended Consequences comes into play here.

If people actually max out their flat rate shipments at 70 pounds, the USPS will soon treble the price or reduce the max weight!! I'm sure his local PO would complain after the first five shipments! And let's not forget the propensity for postal workers to shoot first and ask questions later...

 

[Shiftless]

The Law of Unintended Consequences comes into play here.

If people actually max out their flat rate shipments at 70 pounds, the USPS will soon treble the price or reduce the max weight!! I'm sure his local PO would complain after the first five shipments! And let's not forget the propensity for postal workers to shoot first and ask questions later...

Excellent point!
Let’s not stress the flat rate system. It’s truly amazing what you can send cross country for under $20

 

[PSCo1867]

Here are a couple of pics of my latest project. Prentiss 524 with the early style swivel base. I was fortunate enough to get the often lost Prentiss marked captive wrench. The swivel was rusted tight when I got it. It works fine now. More pics over on the vise repair thread.
I’ll include 2 “before” pics taken after it got of the “hot tub” and before it got pressure washed. I removed 4 layers of paint. The top layer was probably latex house paint.


.

Fantastic job! That contrasting paint scheme is a home run for sure.

 

[Smitty]

Shift - The Prentiss came out great and the wrench really makes it.

 

[Shiftless]

Thanks Smitty and PSCo. Some projects we all work on are just a little clean up and fine tuning. This one was a BIG difference in the before and after. On to another one in the queue.

 

[KMScott]

Nice job Shift, the jaws look to be in decent shape too.

 

[Shiftless]

Nice job Shift, the jaws look to be in decent shape too.

Thanks Kevin,

I KNOW you know what good jaws look like.

Speaking of jaws, what’s the current situation with mountain products jaw production? Just Wilton’s? Is your successor doing any others routinely?

 

[11b30b4]

Wow! PSCO1867, I live in Snellville and work in Tucker. I am about 30 minutes from Roswell and would very much like to meet up and receive the offered RR track. I have been wondering all day where to get some from. I will PM you. Thank you for the kind offer.

Shift, love the paint job and score on the captive wrench.

So, there are several GJ members in the ATL area and many others that travel through GA. Just spit balling here but if PSCO1867 want to drop a few pieces with me, I am glad to help push them out locally to member here or anyone passing through. Anyway, just a thought.

 

[Bighead38]

Forgot this was hidden in the back of the garage.

 

[Shiftless]

Nice discovery Bighead !
What else might be back there?

If you don’t need a vise as big as a 600S Wilton, there are more than a few of us who might help haul it away.

 

[Bighead38]

Nice discovery Bighead !
What else might be back there?

If you don’t need a vise as big as a 600S Wilton, there are more than a few of us who might help haul it away.

There’s all sorts of stuff packed in there. Hopefully I’ll have a garage I can set it up to use in a few years.

 

[M635_Guy]

The Law of Unintended Consequences comes into play here.

If people actually max out their flat rate shipments at 70 pounds, the USPS will soon treble the price or reduce the max weight!! I'm sure his local PO would complain after the first five shipments! And let's not forget the propensity for postal workers to shoot first and ask questions later...

Well, they set that weight limit on purpose, but I understand your meaning.

I just received this a few days ago, and unboxed it tonight:

Think it was listed at 43#, and feels like it could be heavier than that. Just under a foot long. It was $73 delivered (which I felt was doing pretty good until PSCo1867 showed up )

 

[Old Radar]

And that's about as big a piece you can mail in a large flat rate box. 12 x 12 x 5.5"

 

[Vise]

Shift - the Prentiss looks fantastic! Really nice work.

 

[RTM]

The trick with heavy stuff in a flat rate box is make sure it can’t move and hit the edges. I put 42# of files into a flat rate box. By strapping them down to a board cut to fit, they didn’t move. A track like that, a hair smaller, with plywood slabs top and bottom, and the box has a better chance of getting through.

 

[PierceA]

So when did the USPS put a weight limit on the flat rate box? I shipped 75-80# in them many times. This was 4-5 years ago.
At that time the PO only said if it fits in the box, it ships.

PierceA.

 

[PierceA]

Considering the absolutely destroyed boxes that the USPS has delivered, and the amount of insurance payouts they pay, I'd say if they want the package business they need to leave their prices the same and improve their handling of the packages process.

PierceA