VISE REPAIR 101 all vise repairs, lubricants, sources for parts and the tricks to fix

[MattGavriloff]

And here it is back together. Still needs the final touches mentioned, but I'm happy with it. The terrier approves as well, but wanted supper more than had interest in the vise...lol

 

[Fretters]

And here it is back together. Still needs the final touches mentioned, but I'm happy with it. The terrier approves as well, but wanted supper more than had interest in the vise...lol

That looks lovely.

 

[Outlawmws]

Nice job on the Parker Matt!

 

[MattGavriloff]

Thanks fellas, appreciate the kind words!

Was quiet here today because I drug the wife on a vise acquiring mission. Much success was had, but here's all I'm showing of it now. Mostly because it'll have to wait till I finish up some other projects before I tear it apart. My biggest Reed, a 105R, and my first "hockey puck". Paid just over $1/lb=Satisfied... Seems in good nik, jaws are just average, slide, body, and handle are fairly unabused though. Should clean up nicely and then I can add it to the pile.

I'm going to need to find a good place for the pile...lolol

Edit: I did spend well MORE than "$1/lb of vise" on lunch and things the wife wanted while we were out of town, but that's not really something I figure into the price of the vise....lolol...

 

[Shiftless]

Nice score, Matt.
I love those R models and the C’s with the split nut adjuster in front.

 

[drivesitfar]

Pierce: nice work on your PARKER and yep I even get a hidden surprise now and again cause I'm not always willing to do a 10-20 minute full on inspection when buying an old vise especially if it's a good deal cause we always need parts.

you've found some amazing vises in your searches and probably a few other gems that were hidden next to these old vises like Anvils, old logging tools, hand tools and such.

I think you should start a garage thread in Garage Gallery even if it's only mostly about your old cars you like, but i'd follow along just to see what other things you've dragged home and restored and/or repaired.

MATT: I haven't had great luck finding old Parkers around here that weren't beaten to **** so even though I've seen a few good 4 and 5 inchers I passed and saved my gold for some old Reeds, Rock Islands and swivel jaw Prentiss vises. speaking of Prentiss is your swivel jaw up and running?

in case you didn't know SEARS (CRAFTSMAN) had Rock Island and Reed make vises for them and I have that same Reed 105r you have in a REEDSMAN, but mine is a bit older and has the rounded hub and not the hockey puck like my Reed 2c and 4c's do.

I spend most of the weekend cleaning off one of the 4 benches in my little garage and wanted to share this picture of a steel piece I picked up a few years ago that I beat on instead of my vise(s). it's about 2 inches thick and has a nice hole sawed into it for shaping things if I need to. I also have a few chunks of RR track I can pick up off the floor and use if I need to bend something a bit bigger.

 

[Machinitect]

That looks lovely.

Agreed! Matt, that looks awesome.

 

[Fretters]

Trying to resist ordering one of these, to top that pin. Ebay has a lot to answer for.

 

[Shiftless]

Fretters:
I’ll try not to think of how that would look on your vice.

 

[Shiftless]

I finished my Prentiss 524 this morning.
The swivel base was rusted solid but the wrench, so often missing, was still there.
Some penetrating oil and a few taps with my rubber faced dead blow hammer loosened it up. If any of you find yourself struggling with this kind of base, I suggest gently driving a metal wedge into the gap where the bolt runs through. That helped on mine.

I removed 4 layers of paint. The top layer was probably latex house paint.

After stripping in hot water and dishwasher detergent, I dried it with a heat gun and brushed on Rustoleum primer thinned with mineral spirits.

After a full day to cure, I brushed on 2 thin coats of steel gray metallic paint (satin) that I got from my local Benjamin Moore paint store. The emblem is ruby red and the lettering is highlighted with a silver paint pen.

With the extensive stripping process, it is of course necessary to re lubricate the vise. I use Mobil One synthetic grease on the bottom of the slide and the main screw and nut. A little squirt of light oil goes on the back of the nose and the inside rubbing surface of the main shaft. Because of the castle nut type of retainer, I chose to keep the vise original and not destroy it. I cleaned and polished the nose without removal.

 

[Fretters]

Fretters:
I’ll try not to think of how that would look on your vice.

It'd definitely stand out, & plenty to grab if it's stuck.

 

[Fretters]

I finished my Prentiss 524 this morning.
The swivel base was rusted solid but the wrench, so often missing, was still there.
Some penetrating oil and a few taps with my rubber faced dead blow hammer loosened it up. If any of you find yourself struggling with this kind of base, I suggest gently driving a metal wedge into the gap where the bolt runs through. That helped on mine.

I removed 4 layers of paint. The top layer was probably latex house paint.

After stripping in hot water and dishwasher detergent, I dried it with a heat gun and brushed on Rustoleum primer thinned with mineral spirits.

After a full day to cure, I brushed on 2 coats of steel gray metallic paint (satin) that I got from my local Benjamin Moore paint store. The emblem is ruby red and the lettering is highlighted with a silver paint pen.

With the extensive stripping process, it is of course necessary to re lubricate the vise. I use Mobil One synthetic grease on the bottom of the slide and the main screw and nut. A little squirt of light oil goes on the back of the nose and the inside rubbing surface of the main shaft. Because of the castle nut type of retainer, I chose to keep the vise original and not destroy it. I cleaned and polished the nose without removal.

Looks a completely different vice now. Nice work.

 

[MattGavriloff]

Thanks MACHINITECT! And that looks very sharp SHIFT!

DRIVES, nice Reedsman vise for sure. I have 3 and 4" Rock Island made Craftsman vises too. Cleaned up; Awaiting paint...lol. The Prentiss is still same stage it last was, needs lite file/Dremel clean up to refit jaws, misc other touches before paint. Kinda just waiting for spring to spring!

Not much progress U.P. (<---does anyone get that..lol) here today. Too much tossing the "new" 105 around yesterday for my back so I just did some garage cleaning and straightening up. Trying to come up with a sutible storage/display solution my ever expanding vise collection...lol...

 

[MattGavriloff]

Oh, and FRETTERS, you could take the elephant off and add an appropriately placed chain as a pull to remove it for the full prince Albert effect...lolol..

 

[Shiftless]

Thanks you Fretters and Matt.

I was concerned that the red would look too wild. But it does seem to fit. It’s called Ruby red and clearly not as bright as Sunrise red or even Regal red.

Plus, it’s only paint. If somebody ends up with this vise and doesn’t like the red, it is easily removable.

The swivel mechanism allows very solid locking in an infinite number of angles. I suppose it was not popular for long due to its need for precision machining and the fact that a little bit of rust would make it seize.

This will be a shelf queen and not a user for me, so I applied a thin coat of anti seize to the sliding surfaces inside the base.

 

[PierceA]

Shift: Your Prentiss look great!! And I agree: nobody likes that 'bend an ear' castle type retainer.
I like a drop of STP, Motor-Honey, or Lucas Oil additive to lube the mainscrew and dynamic jaw bore. Or a bit a Vactra 'ways-oil'. All are a bit slipperier than regular motor oil.

PierceA.

 

[Outlawmws]

Nice job Shift!

Frett... So you want to tell us things like that had nothing to do with your, now, Ex?

 

[Shiftless]

Nice job Shift!

Frett... So you want to tell us things like that had nothing to do with your, now, Ex?

Thanks PierceA and outlaw
Good idea with the lube suggestions. I have some Marvel Mystery oil on the shelf. I remember STP. That was a decal to put on most anything back in the day. That would be a good nostalgic lube.
But really...for a shelf queen, I often just spray with Fluid film if I have scrubbed the main screw on an exposed screw vise.

I recently stumbled upon a good technique for cleaning up exposed screws.
I soak the old dried up dirty grease with WD-40 and then use a short piece of brown sisal string that fits right into the grooves and pull it back and forth like buffing leather shoes with a rag.
Any solvent would do...the WD aerosol is quick. Brake clean, acetone, paint thinner, or gum out carburetor cleaner would work fine too.
When the string gets black just throw it away and cut yourself a new piece. It is less than a penny a foot.

 

[Shiftless]

That’s a very generous offer, PierceA! Thanks!
Unfortunately, I don’t have a parts vise right now to donate a chunk of iron. For now, I’ll just make it look great and function as well as it can without a handle.

edit:
I’m going to order some supplies from McMaster Carr and build my own handle from a 1144 steel rod and a pair of stainless steel shaft collars. I’ll take a picture of the final product some time next week. Amateurish, but quick and inexpensive for a guy with no lathe or oxy acetylene torch.


.

I received a 12” piece of 1144 steel rod and 2 SS collars from McMaster Carr. I cut it to 8 inches and removed the black coating with the 3M bristle brush wheel. The collars attach with set screws so it’s really fast to assemble.

As I said before , it’s amateurish but it’s a fast and inexpensive way to get a halfway decent handle on a vise that has a busted out slide corner. After all, it’s a Reed and deserves something.
For a user, I would drill a shallow hole to accept the set screw. For a shelf dweller, I just cranked down hard on the screw. The screw seems harder than the rod so it sticks on really well but for regular use, I wouldn’t trust it.

 

[va.grouseman]

Trying to resist ordering one of these, to top that pin. Ebay has a lot to answer for.

Right shape, wrong pitch.---would be unique though.

 

[Fretters]

I like that idea with the twine Shift'. Never thought of trying that. I'll be giving that a whirl at some point.

Frett... So you want to tell us things like that had nothing to do with your, now, Ex?

 

[Fretters]

Right shape, wrong pitch.---would be unique though.

I'd never be wondering if it was my pin or not.

 

[Shiftless]

I like that idea with the twine Shift'. Never thought of trying that. I'll be giving that a whirl at some point.

I’d like a few fellows to try that technique and report back on how it compares with their old way of cleaning vise screws whatever that was. I used to use a wire wheel but of course that throws crud all over.
The jute is absorbent and still somewhat abrasive so it digs in to the crud when held in tension and worked back and forth with some solvent.
Plus, it’s really inexpensive! Maybe a penny a foot. Look around, you might have some already laying around. Gardeners use it to tie up tomato vines. If it gets wet, it will rot in a few months.

 

[Fretters]

I've got plenty of it knocking about. Handy stuff to have.

 

[drivesitfar]

Fretters: I guess your EX has your head in the wrong space cause I saw plenty of cute brass naked women figurines you could buy.

Shift: can't say i've seen the twine trick before, but looks like it works. it seems like I either buy vises that are almost dry or greased like they were going to work under the ocean.

nice work on Prentiss!!

looks like a nice easy fix to make a new handle too.

MATT: not that you are weak, but you might want to join my Get Healthy thread cause I'm 65 and I have my 105's and other 80 pound vises up on the top shelf of my cabinet that I put there without using a ladder.

while the boys and girls are waiting for summer or late spring to be painted do you have BLO on them cause I can't recall if you said you did that to all of them?

 

[drivesitfar]

This old Simplex is going to need a vinegar bath or maybe an E Bath to get it un stuck and de rusted. also posting picture so Matt can see that Simplex holder is a bit different than his Parker vise's.

or I might sell or do a trade for this Simplex to a local member if they need a decent vise and want to spend a bit of time spiffing it up cause I've got more than a few things on my To do list(s).

 

[va.grouseman]

I'd never be wondering if it was my pin or not.

Yep, you could pick it out of a 55 gallon barrel full of them.

 

[Fretters]

Fretters: I guess your EX has your head in the wrong space cause I saw plenty of cute brass naked women figurines you could buy.

Where's your sense of fun? Jumbo, (in more ways than one ), would honestly make it a unique pin.

As you can likely tell, I'm never planning on growing up.

 

[Fretters]

yep, you could pick it out of a 55 gallon barrel full of them.

Nobody would try "appropriating" it either.

 

[dkroth]

From eBay. I wonder if this made a glorious bang when it let go or if it was a slow, gradual death:

.

 

[drivesitfar]

Fretters: even though you do have a strange sense of humor at times we understand cause you are an ENGLISMAN!!

DK: so that might be the worst break i've ever seen. that said I still see some good parts left on it.

i'd love to hear the story behind that break?

 

[Fretters]

Fretters: even though you do have a strange sense of humor at times we understand cause you are an ENGLISMAN!!

Cheers. The worst part is, Jumbo is winging his way here from China as we speak.

 

[MattGavriloff]

Safe travels to your phallic elephant!

 

[Fretters]

Safe travels to your phallic elephant!

Cheers. I was only searching for brass pendants, when I found that. Was thinking more of dragons or suchlike.

Edit: Btw, I'm not saying it's definitely going to be topping the pin. It just makes me chuckle. Had to order one.

 

[Fretters]

From eBay. I wonder if this made a glorious bang when it let go or if it was a slow, gradual death:

.

That takes a special kind of animal to achieve. That must've been dropped, I'm guessing.

 

[PierceA]

That takes a special kind of animal to achieve. That must've been dropped, I'm guessing.

IN the description: 'Works like it should, needs cleaning.'


PierceA

 

[Fretters]

IN the description: 'Works like it should, needs cleaning.'


PierceA

Can't decide whether the seller is optimistic else deluded.

 

[MattGavriloff]

Or something like: "Handle straight, good jaw!"

Disclaimer: (maybe, can't tell for sure on the handle)

 

[MattGavriloff]

Or, better yet.

"Vintage Wilton Vise, comes with Movable jaw and Body. Needs new Body."

 

[drivesitfar]

Dang it I moved a few busted vises yesterday (If they are cheap enough i'll always pick them up for parts) and none were as bad as that Wilton.

that said i still recall buying an old Prentiss #92 (i'll try to get pics, but it's buried now) where the seller said it still worked great. the back 6 inches of the slide is completely gone with the main screw sticking out, BUT it does work if you only need a couple inches.

I also moved a 4 inch rock island that had the back of the static top portion busted off and the front of the static's support busted off too. that seller also told me it still worked as I handed him $20 for it.

Fretters: well you did say you grew up on the other side of the tracks.