The VISES of Garage Journal

[va.grouseman]

Thanks Drive. ---I'm leaning that way too. ---The base has 2 holes so I'm thinking it is supposed to have a couple of lock downs, but the used base that I bought only came with 1. ---Here's the vise I'm going to put the base on. ---The one on the bottom. ---Had a real good pic of it in Photobucket but it's being held hostage.

Hope you and all of yours have a wonderful and blessed Christmas holiday Drive. ---Like you say, here's hopping 2022 is a better year than this one was.

 

[Adderall]

I saw this at a Habitat ReStore for $30. Did not buy. It was bound up a bit. I found a KT online, but not a K-T. Is this anything special? Thanks!

A good friend of mine has one that is similar to that, but has a 5 on it. There's a sticker on the bottom still that says it was made in Taiwan.

 

[Fierljeppen]

Asian import. The big #for size is usually the giveaway.

No doubt the "big No." on the dynamic jaw clearly indicates a vise of Asian descent, but did they get that idea from a 1890's Merrill Bros. vise?



Not that Asian countries like to copy things, but it makes me wonder if E. W. Fulton ever thought his patent rotating vise legacy would live on to an undetermined date as an incredibly popular Asian produced vise, sold world-wide?

 

[drivesitfar]

VA: I thought you said Yost? That’s a Morgan or did you post wrong pics?

 

[va.grouseman]

Drive, it's the orange vise that the Morgan is setting on. ---And it's a #6 YOST. ---I had some real good pics of that YOST on file in Photobucket, but they are holding them hostage. ---So these 2 with the Morgan on top is as close as I could get. ---I can only see about half of the vise in the pic on my end and I don't know how much you can see on your end.

 

[Vono]

Hello all, Merry Christmas
I picked this up recently, looks to me to be an American Stephen's lever vise. How it got to the U.K. I don't know, but it's quite a cool old thing.

 

[drivesitfar]

Bono: I’m still hoping to find one of those around here in the wild. The hunt continues and happy to see you found one.

VA: once I clicked and expanded your Morgan vise pic I did see about 1/4 of the top of your old Yost. Since it has a 6 on the side I’m guessing it’s older so maybe someone else has one to post a pic of or let you know which swivel base to use.

All: one our kids and his family have had colds all week but still wanted to come to Christmas Eve dinner and since our daughter is about 5 months pregnant we told them we’d see them when they are well do they won’t be here. In the past sick kids would show up for the festivities and infect everyone so Covid BS does has some positives.

hope you all enjoy the holidays!!

 

[Catcher1984]

Hi can anyone help me ID this vise? I initially thought it was an Italian Wilton but the markings are off. Looks like 4-1/2 on the moving jaw, Industries on the body and front on the swivel base, also looks like a triangle under the jaw.

Besides the markings it looks very much like a 69’+ machinist Wilton with the covered collar.

 

[Fierljeppen]

Hi can anyone help me ID this vise? I initially thought it was an Italian Wilton but the markings are off. Looks like 4-1/2 on the moving jaw, Industries on the body and front on the swivel base, also looks like a triangle under the jaw.

Besides the markings it looks very much like a 69’+ machinist Wilton with the covered collar.

It's a "knockoff" of a Wilton bullet vise, probably of Asian descent.

 

[Catcher1984]

It's a "knockoff" of a Wilton bullet vise, probably of Asian descent.

Thank you so much haha it was bugging me!

 

[va.grouseman]

Here's a little Craftsman ornament vise that The Demoman gave me 6 or 7 years ago and I hang it every year. ---It's kind of ironic that he had a few of these tiny vises when his collection consists of nothing less than 250lbs. to my knowledge.

 

[KMScott]

He gave me one too va. One of my favorite decorations.

Fred Knox and his family is coming over tomorrow. Picking them up in my boat in Savannah. Wish my shop was finished wired up he wanted to see it. Everything takes so much time to get done on the island. Got a few vises to show Fred. Merry Christmas everyone.

 

[Catcher1984]

I tried looking but found only a few examples. Does anyone use the Wilton power arm junior with a vise other than the baby bullets? I’ve seen a record No. 00 and wondering how it would look with other small vises. Would a record no. 0 work okay?

 

[RTM]

I tried looking but found only a few examples. Does anyone use the Wilton power arm junior with a vise other than the baby bullets? I’ve seen a record No. 00 and wondering how it would look with other small vises. Would a record no. 0 work okay?

I’ve got a drill press vise mounted on one. It has been cleaned up a bit since this pic

 

[Outlawmws]

I tried looking but found only a few examples. Does anyone use the Wilton power arm junior with a vise other than the baby bullets? I’ve seen a record No. 00 and wondering how it would look with other small vises. Would a record no. 0 work okay?

As long as the vise attached does not cause the Power Arm to be too top heavy, is should be fine.

 

[Fred Knox]

Fred Knox and his family is coming over tomorrow. Picking them up in my boat in Savannah. Wish my shop was finished wired up he wanted to see it. Everything takes so much time to get done on the island. Got a few vises to show Fred. Merry Christmas everyone.

Really looking forward to it. Thanks for the hospitality Dr. Scott. Merry Christmas all.

 

[Catcher1984]

I’ve got a drill press vise mounted on one. It has been cleaned up a bit since this pic

Ohhh that’s a good idea, I might put a nice 2-1/2” palmgren on it. How do you like it? What do you mainly use it for? I need something to hold onto small items when using my foredom and it can double for use in the drill press

 

[RTM]

Ohhh that’s a good idea, I might put a nice 2-1/2” palmgren on it. How do you like it? What do you mainly use it for? I need something to hold onto small items when using my foredom and it can double for use in the drill press

I've used it for light hand work with the Dremel, and some assembly stuff. Not tried the drill press yet. I got it that way from a home shop machinist, so I can't take credit.

 

[douglee25]

I understand this is somewhat subjective, but as I mentioned earlier I am missing one vice jaw from a Chas Parker 59x vise. It has about 4.75" jaws. I have a line on a Wilton 9400 - 4" with swivel base.

Is one of these better than the other? I liked my Parker but currently it's useless to me without the jaw. Is the wilton better? Should I look at another Parker? It's just for shop use.

 

[Outlawmws]

Doug, you will get opinions for both, and one is valid as the other. Some love the Wilton vice's; personally other than my 3" and the 2" baby, I sell them when I get them for costs that support flipping. Its not that they are bad vises, I just prefer the traditional style vises.

 

[Smitty]

Who doesn’t like seeing a vintage vise put to work.

 

[Outlawmws]

 

[va.grouseman]

When the elf lets go of the handle, it's going to be, (A million to one shot Doc, million to one).

 

[Boatman53]

Here is one of mine. I have a bigger one on my hydraulic Power Arm.

 

[gsebast1]

What paint do you guys use when refinishing your vises?
The hammerite paint I used to use is not being sold anymore.

Does Tractor Supply Co have a good paint?

 

[txlonghorn1989]

Picked up a Wilton bullet vise with 4.5" jaws today. No swivel locks, no inner ring, pitted handle but otherwise in good condition. Needs a shite, shower and a shave. The seller threw in an extra base for some vise he found this morning when he was trying to locate the inner ring. The trailer mount was also free. Even though it won't swivel it was still a good deal at his asking price.

 

[Smitty]

Picked up a Wilton bullet vise with 4.5" jaws today. No swivel locks, no inner ring, pitted handle but otherwise in good condition. Needs a shite, shower and a shave. The seller threw in an extra base for some vise he found this morning when he was trying to locate the inner ring. The trailer mount was also free. Even though it won't swivel it was still a good deal at his asking price.

The swivel base on the right will fit a Wilton 600, C2 and an older C3. These go for around $125

 

[txlonghorn1989]

The swivel base on the right will fit a Wilton 600, C2 and an older C3. These go for around $125

I'd assume those vises also require the inner ring and centering pin like the bullets?

 

[Smitty]

I'd assume those vises also require the inner ring and centering pin like the bullets?

Generally speaking yes however earlier model C2’s and C3’s had a groove around the outside edge of the bottom that the base tracked on. These utilized the cleats instead of the inner ring.

 

[Catcher1984]

Here is one of mine. I have a bigger one on my hydraulic Power Arm.

Okay cool I’m seeing quite a few different options and I guess that makes sense. How do you like the hydraulic power arm? It seems a little too large for the kind of work I’ll be using it for, which is mainly with my foredom. But it’s probably perfect for heavier regular vises in the 2.5”-3” jaw range.

I wanted a record No. 00 or 0 on top of the power arm jr but it seems like it’ll be too top heavy. For now a drill press vise around 2.5”-3” is my top choice.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

I spotted this at my flea last weekend. I think it's a Hollands Keystone, but that's just an uneducated hunch based on the keystone symbol. The pipe jaws were gone and the action was really loose and sloppy. I'm just posting for general interest because I found it unusual to have no other markings.

 

[454ragtop]

Lugz, looks like the screw retaining collar, missing the set screw, is outside the slide, not inside where it belongs. Probably explains the looseness.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Oh it was all kinds of messed up. I'm mainly wondering if anyone has seen an unbranded Hollands before. I did not buy it. Curiosity posting.

 

[Catcher1984]

And some cool pow-r-arm brochures I found while researching. A lot of them I didn’t even know they existed and only a handful are still made.

 

[txlonghorn1989]

Well, I finally got the Charles Parker No. 975 I picked in March cleaned up and put back together. This is a good example of when form and function come together to create a tool capable of doing the job at hand and being pleasing to the eye. It was missing the wrench and the only No. 3 wrench I've seen on ebay got snapped up before I woke that day. Thanks to GJ user elidas for the 15/16" Billings wrench!! Man, I LOVE THIS VISE! Does anyone have a pic of the clip that goes on the swivel lock nut to keep the wrench in place? I'd like to try to get as close to the original clip as I can. Thanks!

 

[Fierljeppen]

I spotted this at my flea last weekend. I think it's a Hollands Keystone, but that's just an uneducated hunch based on the keystone symbol. The pipe jaws were gone and the action was really loose and sloppy. I'm just posting for general interest because I found it unusual to have no other markings.

Oh it was all kinds of messed up. I'm mainly wondering if anyone has seen an unbranded Hollands before. I did not buy it. Curiosity posting.

Your vise instincts are correct, it is indeed a Hollands Keystone Combination vise, first offered in 1901. Those vises are not common, but they're out there.



The Keystone model no. 700 was advertised up to around 1920, when it was changed to model no. 70, making that particular vise over a century old.



The Hollands Keystone vises were an economy model vise produced and advertised for mechanics, so it's kind of amazing that it's still around after all of these years, rough shape or not.

I doubt any of the economy vises sold today will be around in 100+ years.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

The Keystone model no. 700 was advertised up to around 1920, when it was changed to model no. 70, making that particular vise over a century old...[ ]...The Hollands Keystone vises were an economy model vise produced and advertised for mechanics, so it's kind of amazing that it's still around after all of these years, rough shape or not.

Thank you, sir! Maybe I will grab it if I see it again.

 

[Shiftless]

Oh it was all kinds of messed up. I'm mainly wondering if anyone has seen an unbranded Hollands before. I did not buy it. Curiosity posting.

I have a small Hollands Keystone B
The B is inside the keystone emblem but the side bears the Hollands ID. So it is “branded”.

 

[SRU1436]

Hi can anyone help me ID this vise? I initially thought it was an Italian Wilton but the markings are off. Looks like 4-1/2 on the moving jaw, Industries on the body and front on the swivel base, also looks like a triangle under the jaw.

Besides the markings it looks very much like a 69’+ machinist Wilton with the covered collar.

0

Well, I finally got the Charles Parker No. 975 I picked in March cleaned up and put back together. This is a good example of when form and function come together to create a tool capable of doing the job at hand and being pleasing to the eye. It was missing the wrench and the only No. 3 wrench I've seen on ebay got snapped up before I woke that day. Thanks to GJ user elidas for the 15/16" Billings wrench!! Man, I LOVE THIS VISE! Does anyone have a pic of the clip that goes on the swivel lock nut to keep the wrench in place? I'd like to try to get as close to the original clip as I can. Thanks!

Beautiful. That model of Chas Parkers are my favorite.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

I have a small Hollands Keystone B. The B is inside the keystone emblem but the side bears the Hollands ID. So it is “branded”.

I saw it when I did some quick searches to confirm my hunch and to see if there were any others on the thread without the "HOLLANDS" branding. It's a beaut, Shifty.