The VISES of Garage Journal

[Mr. Wonderful]

PierceA...Personally, I think that you dodged a bullet. While the Charles Parker no. 19 vise is very rare, that particular one is in extremely rough condition. Not only is it pitted, missing the anvil horn and swivel hardware/handle, but the static support shelf for the dynamic jaw is broken off as well, which is super common on the older, smaller Parker vises.



I understand what you mean about owning a condition challenged vise just because of the rarity, but in my opinion, the seller made out quite well. I bought a troubled Parker no. 19, which is in the vise spreadsheet, but my winning bid was around $85 and there were quite a few bidders besides myself. I ended up gifting it to one of my cousins who collects Parker shotguns.

Anyway, tomorrow is another day and who knows what vise opportunities will show up for the ever growing vise collector market.

Wow, I saw that one and considered bidding on it. I missed a lot on that one. I'd feel pretty bad right now if I had won it. Maybe the buyer was aware of all that. I just assumed it would be priced out of my range. You guys have some sharp eyes!

 

[autopts]

fwark thats not a collection! you just dont want anyone else to have one! haha

10/32 sir, get low head cap screws so they will clear the knob. I have a bag full

 

[Smitty]

Your collection is absolutely priceless

Thank you Nick, I appreciate that.

 

[autopts]

It has been quite a while since I posted here!

Last week I spoke to my sister in law about buying a Wilton C0 that came with a house she bought.

I have a good bit of work to get it back to the condition it deserves to be in.

As of right now it rotates 360° and the dynamic jaw moves freely.

I need to get new screws for the cap which holds the lead screw, new jaws, mill off all the weld holding the old ones on, and find pipe jaws for it.

Does anyone know what thread pitch the 3 screws are for the retaining cap? I may elect to get another cap as well for it.

10/32 is the thread. My reply got hijacked Get the low head cap screws. That way the head will clear the knob

 

[BeardedOne]

10/32 is the thread. My reply got hijacked Get the low head cap screws. That way the head will clear the knob

Thank you autopts!

 

[shortykorte]

It appears y’all don’t know how to restore a vise to get top dollar

 

[Jayman17]

It appears y’all don’t know how to restore a vise to get top dollar

I heard that Mary Kay bought it for her garage shop.

Jay

 

[Outlawmws]

Even my pink loving daughter said "Oh No! its a doughnut with sprinkles!"

 

[General Geoff]

It appears y’all don’t know how to restore a vise to get top dollar

For anyone who would actually like to have a donut/cupcake sprinkle themed wilton, it is still up on portland craigslist:

WILTON 9300 BULLET MACHINIST VISE 3 inch jaws - tools - by owner -...

WILTON 9300 BULLET MACHINIST VISE 3 inch jaws - 1978

portland.craigslist.org

 

[antman213]

Any idea what year this vise is made?
It doesn't have any date code on the slide and no notch at the swivel nut.

 

[Outlawmws]

Wartime Wilton Chicago Several body marking styles then - Not sure if anyone has sorted the chronological order

 

[Patrickm82]

Some pics as I got it now

Finally got this all back together and mounted. She’s a beast!

 

[wrenchguy]

Engine show swap meet find with small amount original paint and slight pitting. 1 1/32" jaw width Colton. Research shows not very common as the larger Colton patented vises. Thoughts please.

 

[Outlawmws]

Wrench Guy, Pretty rare from what I've seen. I have one that measures 1.019" - but without the clamp, and no sign it ever had one.

 

[dannyr]

Engine show swap meet find with small amount original paint and slight pitting. 1 1/32" jaw width Colton. Research shows not very common as the larger Colton patented vises. Thoughts please.

seen a few similar here in UK -- musta exported back when

 

[90roadster]

Finally after years of searching i was able to get RR stand! I been doing some achieve deep diving but haven't found anything more on these (aside from the well know 1910 Railway Age Gazette image). I know of 5 designs of these so far, the weight is typically between 500 and 700lb. Would be great to give some timeline to each generation. If any of you have anymore information please share!

Link to Gazette

 

[va.grouseman]

90, those represent the most efficient use of pig iron that I can think of.---All they lack is a Reed 208, 209, or a Hollands 408 setting on them.

 

[90roadster]

90, those represent the most efficient use of pig iron that I can think of.---All they lack is a Reed 208, 209, or a Hollands 408 setting on them.

Mine is getting Hollands 18 - 4 bolt

 

[Atvman88]

Hello all I am brand new to this thread I have a question about a vice that I have picked up any info would be awesome it is marked Benchmark 1197 an the jaws are
2 1/2 includes..... thanks in advance

 

[454ragtop]

Atvman, looks like an Asian knockoff of a Wilton bullet vise, it most likely started life with a swivel base.

 

[ricleh]

Hello all I am brand new to this thread I have a question about a vice that I have picked up any info would be awesome it is marked Benchmark 1197 an the jaws are
2 1/2 includes..... thanks in advance

Looks a lot like a Wilton 825.

 

[Atvman88]

I was told that wilton made a run of these for specific trade schools....

 

[va.grouseman]

Mine is getting Hollands 18 - 4 bolt

Yea, I forgot to mention a Hollands 18 or 19.---18, good enough and definitely tough enough.

 

[454ragtop]

I was told that wilton made a run of these for specific trade schools....

Doubt it very much. Wishful thinking. If they had, I'm sure they would have put their name on them so as to expose the students to the Wilton name.

 

[va.grouseman]

Atv, I have to side with 454 on this one.---Benchmark is a brand, and I don't think Wilton would have allowed them to hook their wagon to them.---Probably Benchmark's jab at a Wilton copy.
Here are some Benchmark vises, current.---Click the link, then scroll down.

Google Search

www.google.com

 

[Blackwolfe]

Powr-Kraft 5 inch vise. Montgomery Wards brand. Anybody knows who may have manufactured these, and approximate time frame? Needs some work, but it is going to be awhile before I can get at it.

 

[Atvman88]

Atv, I have to side with 454 on this one.---Benchmark is a brand, and I don't think Wilton would have allowed them to hook their wagon to them.---Probably Benchmark's jab at a Wilton copy.
Here are some Benchmark vises, current.---Click the link, then scroll down.

Google Search

www.google.com

I paid $100 so in my opinion its all good haha

 

[autopts]

Hello all I am brand new to this thread I have a question about a vice that I have picked up any info would be awesome it is marked Benchmark 1197 an the jaws are
2 1/2 includes..... thanks in advance

Keep an eye out for a 3 1/2" Torco. It should have 5/16" carriage bolts and that's the same base. Just sayin

 

[ejot]

Did a little work on my Reed 2C this weekend. Bought this about a year ago and have been meaning to get it in shape to use as my primary user!

Got the swivel lock unfrozen and filed off the mushroomed material on the slide that was binding the last few inches.
Cleaned off decades of grime and crud. There were spots with a 1/4" crust so hardened that I thought it was part of the casting!

Saving full disassembly (main nut & split nut/screw removal) for another day but still got everything pretty clean, lighly greased, and working super smoothly.

The goal here was not yet aesthetic improvement, but after some scrubbing I was thrilled to find lots of original paint just starting to poke thru the crusted dirt (especially on logo side). There'd been three progressively poor repaints in white, then cyan, then grey. This should all be quite easy to remove in the future but for now I'm fine with the "ugly" look, it fits the character of the 2C and this one's user status.

Pipe jaw pins need a little straightening so those jaws are still out for now. And swivel lock handle needs straightening.

Very gratifying to see this one back to life.
(this is just a quick video of it swiveling, I thought it would embed on the page but it only seems to play in a separate window, oh well)

https://imgur.com/9QAiKp6

 

[genog]

I like your ole Reed.
IMO old vises should look like old vises.

Paint jobs with wild colors and gaudy high light lettering?
Nah!

Glad to hear you're putting the ole boy back to work.

 

[BeardedOne]

Thanks again autopts, for the thread spec info on my C0's lead screw cap.

I was able to secure some stainless steel 10-32x.750 screws for the vise. I did have to reduce the OD of the heads a little bit so that when the vise was closing, the interference was mitigated.
I finally had the time to get the weld ground off the top as well and discovered the jaws on this C0 did not have an index pin in the center as other Wiltons do.

It's still really ugly at this point but progress is always good. I also discovered the screw threads holding the jaws on were still in the fixed and dynamic assemblies, so I have to get those removed and/or drill and tap new places and make some custom jaws to match.

 

[Javier Garcia]

Gotta have some brass jaws to go with the jaws --- superb!

 

[Shiftless]

Here is my nomination for most abused machine vise. It’s a Cardinal.
Arc of shame applies to drill presses…what should this be called?

On C/L near me… no connection with seller

 

[RTM]

Here is my nomination for most abused machine vise. It’s a Cardinal.
Arc of shame applies to drill presses…what should this be called?

Geez, how the hack do you miss so badly that you drill the jaw, multiple times? I can see the base if you aren’t cautious enough to put a sacrificial piece down, but the jaws? Does someone really need new glasses, or have no depth perception?

 

[F-22]

Geez, how the hack do you miss so badly that you drill the jaw, multiple times? I can see the base if you aren’t cautious enough to put a sacrificial piece down, but the jaws? Does someone really need new glasses, or have no depth perception?

Probably used on a drill press, not on a mill. They didn't always clamp things in the vise, but they did use it as a support under whatever they were drilling...

 

[Andy FitzGibbon]

Geez, how the hack do you miss so badly that you drill the jaw, multiple times? I can see the base if you aren’t cautious enough to put a sacrificial piece down, but the jaws? Does someone really need new glasses, or have no depth perception?

The vise was the sacrificial piece. I've got a large mill vise (200 lbs) that was on a big radial drill, and has so many holes drilled into the base that work will no longer sit flat.

 

[Outlawmws]

I call those "Swiss Cheese" I have an old 6" Graham USMC Mill vise I got cheap because of damage like that. DP only for me.

 

[davethorik]

Here is my nomination for most abused machine vise. It’s a Cardinal.
Arc of shame applies to drill presses…what should this be called?

On C/L near me… no connection with seller

I found this Cardinal on fb marketplace for $15 today. it is the 4" model. it has the factory jaw plates on it which have a step to act as parallels and keep the work up off the bed of the vise. didn't grab a pic of it open but it has a few shallow drill marks on the bottom, otherwise pretty good condition.

cool thing about these speed vises, they are modular. the bed of the vise looks to be just a piece of plate steel and thus renewable. you can order new parts, i bet if you put a new steel plate in that one it would be useable if ugly.

 

[nickelTwin]

I got this vise the other day and did some searching on how old this might be. I figured someone here would be able to shed some light on how old it is.

The writing says Prentiss no 3

First pictures are how I found it

last photo is after all the ugly paint removed.

 

[nickelTwin]

after ugly paint removed