The VISES of Garage Journal

[cretedog]

Here is an opportunity to add a huge and rare vise to your collection if you live near New Haven CT. It’s a 6 inch ACCO. (no connection to seller)

I have a 3 inch ACCO and it’s far and away the biggest heaviest 3 inch vise I’ve ever seen. This 6 incher is HUGE. Look at that beer can!

Vise - tools - by owner - sale

Large vise,6” jaws, opens to 8”, with internal pipe jaws. Made in Bridgeport ct.

newhaven.craigslist.org

And perhaps another bigun hiding behind it...

 

[wrenchr]

I have been wanting a vise with a swivel base and pipe jaws as well to mount on my tool box. The wife had the day off and I found a Wilton C0 3 1/2 for sale in Ohio so I set it up and we took a ride. It is dated 7/ of 1989. not beat up at all. I just cleaned it up and will replace my simplex tomorrow after I get some sleep. About time to get ready for work now.

I removed the simplex today and mounted the Wilton vise. Nice addition to the garage. Next is making a stand for my 5" Wilton.

Update.
I had these 3" yost aluminum soft jaws laying around and with just a little adjustment they fit right on.

Update,
The Simplex lives on in my cousins garage.

 

[va.grouseman]

This vise is advertised on eBay as RARE Holland Star double swivel bicycle vise.---But I'm thinking that it's just a double-swivel bicycle vise.---I have posted a few pics to differentiate the two.---I didn't see either in the spreadsheet.---Someone correct me if I'm in error about the star.---I know that Zoomie has one of the double swivels and I think Joe Striper has one too.---The first pic is the one on eBay.

RARE Holland Star double swivel bicycle vise | eBay

Rare Holland Star bicycle vise with swivel base and jaws. The jaws are in nice condition and are not beat on or marred with saw marks. Because of this I have not tried to lock down with force the swivel jaws.

www.ebay.com

 

[Thru-hika]

VA, that’s is my vise listing on EBay and I thought it was a Prentiss but someone with the same vise and more Knowledge than me said it was a Holland’s bicycle vise and was sure of it so that is what I went with. I’d be happy to be convinced otherwise.

 

[Thru-hika]

Here is an ad but doesn’t show manufacturer and another pic of the vise on a stand.

 

[va.grouseman]

Oh, it's defiantly a Hollands Bicycle vise, of that I wasn't questioning.---And by the way, I'd love to have one of those over the Star 3 to 1.---I was just thinking the star is the weird shaped ones like I have, and yours is the Rotating Head Bicycle vise.---Yours is only the 3rd one I've seen.---I can't believe you are selling it.

 

[Fierljeppen]

Gentlemen, very nice bicycle vises! Besides being extremely rare, they seem to be very popular with the vise collectors.

I don't think it's a Hollands bicycle vise though. Here's a better quality catalog scan that "Thru-hika" showed above. This is from a catalog that mainly featured Prentiss vises. The bicycle vise in the lower ad is a Lewis Tool bicycle vise. Prentiss and Lewis Tool were related companies.



Here's another catalog scan of the Lewis Tool Co. bicycle vise, which looks very similar to "Thru-hika's" vise.



I'm going to say that the vise in question is a derivative of either Lewis Tool or Prentiss. What say you?

 

[va.grouseman]

I thought Hollands made one like that too, but I have Googled and Pinterested, and I can't find anything to support that.---I stand corrected.

 

[Oregon rock crusher]

I saw an old bench on CL a while back, free for the taking. What caught my eye, besides the little Canedy Otto drill, and a couple arbors, was the wooden post vise that showed in one of the pics. It is different enough from the normal Roubo style wood vises, generally flat boards often using the bench leg as the static jaw, that I'm wondering if it was commercially produced or just a really good shop made unit from a hardware kit? No google luck so far finding even a close match.

All the wood is oak. Steel jaw plates that fit very well, and obviously the vise used for wood and metal. The bottom guide rail, pin holes, and mortise are all very well done. Nice decorative features on the screw and handle stops. Clearly not made by the same guy who made the bench it was on. PO just knew the bench was from an old farm barn and none of the family wanted it. I gave him a $20 for his help. Hoping someone recognizes this "wood vise". Ed.

 

[RTM]

I’ve seen a few like that, so suspect commercial product. But who, that’s another story. The adjuster to keep it parallel on the bottom, and the steel jaws are unique. Will poke about some, see if I can dig up a maker.

 

[LesserSon]

I picked up a Parker No31 today. 13-1/4lbs. Looks like one layer of black paint. Am I a bad person for wanting to file smooth the few jagged/sharp casting edges?

 

[PierceA]

Hello LS. My thoughts are that removing sharp and jagged bits of casting flash is not an issue. Especially if those bits of sharp and jagged flash might snag a bit of skin, or to make a mark on an item clamped in the jaws..
I tend to limiting my 'clean up' at the point that it becomes a cosmetic improvement, rather than a functional or safe-use improvement.

This is just me: I don't generally care for vises that are covered in filler, several layers of primer and then a glossy layer of paint. For me, such a vise is not usable, it becomes a 'Shelf-Queen'. I prefer a more functional look, finish and corrosion-protective layer on a vise..

Nothing like a beautiful tool, that becomes essentially unused because using it will mar it's beautiful finish. That to me is just not right.

PierceA

 

[ranger08]

I picked up a Parker No31 today. 13-1/4lbs. Looks like one layer of black paint. Am I a bad person for wanting to file smooth the few jagged/sharp casting edges?

That lovely old survivor with traces of original paint just needs an oily rag. Imo

 

[Patrickm82]

Rescued this from gramps garage this weekend. Athol 614

 

[Oregon rock crusher]

I’ve seen a few like that, so suspect commercial product. But who, that’s another story. The adjuster to keep it parallel on the bottom, and the steel jaws are unique. Will poke about some, see if I can dig up a maker.

Thanks RTM. That form looks familiar to me as well but so far I haven't found anything near a match. Going through some old hardware catalogs today hoping to get lucky.

 

[454ragtop]

Thoughts on this Reed 102R clone? Something Kevin made? https://www.ebay.com/itm/2557583576...g54qDnrGFzbDniD5iptvJuk70=|tkp:Bk9SR4SJrPmAYQ

 

[RTM]

Thoughts on this Reed 102R clone? Something Kevin made?

Poor seller is gonna go bat$hit with 7000 people looking, and no one bidding.

 

[va.grouseman]

It does look cast, but I think if it was a Reed it would defiantly say so, unless Reed cast it for some hardware co.

 

[Smitty]

Thoughts on this Reed 102R clone? Something Kevin made? https://www.ebay.com/itm/255758357660?hash=item3b8c62d49c:g:vo0AAOSwsVVjO2gG&amdata=enc:AQAHAAAAoLFJXtgkTrjyE/Dcn0mgGpHkoC6KD3uLrG/+Sc8zYSvoDUhjeM3hZ/8HsxlbE1NbYSIk2Ne9o+jRyARRuiGsIaJIyswo2cT67+gmEYZeQ8IVUGCKazXjlfFjLtMf6EJXQqGtBXodoKaNu8WbLuwW9pm5QkjePVNHcEuX4gGkArGO3Tk0Oq2ioA3IFaECS/g54qDnrGFzbDniD5iptvJuk70=|tkp:Bk9SR4SJrPmAY

…

 

[Shiftless]

Those aren’t the best pics but if you ask me, it looks like some of the surfaces might have been smoothed. Maybe it’s a Reed with the lettering ground off. Why do that?

(Often times, the simplest explanations are the correct ones)

 

[dannyr]

I saw an old bench on CL a while back, free for the taking. What caught my eye, besides the little Canedy Otto drill, and a couple arbors, was the wooden post vise that showed in one of the pics. It is different enough from the normal Roubo style wood vises, generally flat boards often using the bench leg as the static jaw, that I'm wondering if it was commercially produced or just a really good shop made unit from a hardware kit? No google luck so far finding even a close match.

All the wood is oak. Steel jaw plates that fit very well, and obviously the vise used for wood and metal. The bottom guide rail, pin holes, and mortise are all very well done. Nice decorative features on the screw and handle stops. Clearly not made by the same guy who made the bench it was on. PO just knew the bench was from an old farm barn and none of the family wanted it. I gave him a $20 for his help. Hoping someone recognizes this "wood vise". Ed.

A very similar vice, all oak, with inset steel jaws and and steel acme screw and nut, usually slightly shorter than yours, many slight variants, not common, but findable, was pretty definitely a commercial product in England, but never seen a maker's name.

The steel jaw plates often have slots - don't know function. Here are two I have

These both came from farming areas, but have to say they're in good shape for ex-farm.

 

[bl00]

Thoughts on this Reed 102R clone? Something Kevin made? https://www.ebay.com/itm/255758357660?hash=item3b8c62d49c:g:vo0AAOSwsVVjO2gG&amdata=enc:AQAHAAAAoLFJXtgkTrjyE/Dcn0mgGpHkoC6KD3uLrG/+Sc8zYSvoDUhjeM3hZ/8HsxlbE1NbYSIk2Ne9o+jRyARRuiGsIaJIyswo2cT67+gmEYZeQ8IVUGCKazXjlfFjLtMf6EJXQqGtBXodoKaNu8WbLuwW9pm5QkjePVNHcEuX4gGkArGO3Tk0Oq2ioA3IFaECS/g54qDnrGFzbDniD5iptvJuk70=|tkp:Bk9SR4SJrPmAYQ

A guy named Neal Emmons made it. It's a weldment. I'm not sure why he doesn't put that in the description unless he's hoping someone will think it's a genuine old vise. Here's a couple progress photos from another one he made.

 

[KMScott]

Thoughts on this Reed 102R clone? Something Kevin made?

Nope not me but I do know the maker. It’s a total weldment made from blocks of steel. Used a needle scaler for the finish.

 

[454ragtop]

Thanks B100 and Kevin. I suspect he's not mentioning that he fabbed it because it might be harder to get that $750.........

Edit to add, he must have made a couple, one on the 'bay has a 4 bolt base, B100's pic show a 3 bolt.

 

[Oregon rock crusher]

A very similar vice, all oak, with inset steel jaws and and steel acme screw and nut, usually slightly shorter than yours, many slight variants, not common, but findable, was pretty definitely a commercial product in England, but never seen a maker's name.

The steel jaw plates often have slots - don't know function. Here are two I have

These both came from farming areas, but have to say they're in good shape for ex-farm.

Nice vises dannyr. Both with steel guide/pin rails. The side bolt for mounting is an interesting twist as well. I wouldn't doubt the one I found has English or French origins as well. Good to know they were commercially produced. Thanks for the pics. Ed.

 

[autopts]

Hello my fellow vise people, I am on the hunt for an older baby bullet swivel base 132..

Here is the style I am looking for, vise base in green…

The second set of photos is a base I can trade, vise base in gray…

Thanx in advance…

It's a baby 2"? Fellas, the Torco 3 1/2" sits and the Torco 4" on a 3 bolt 2 1/2" toddler taking 5/16" carriage bolts . . The only other base that will fit on a baby is their early Juno on the swivel. Usually the only ID is a front sticker that's usually gone and you can get them cheap. Gotta look for dual lockdown

 

[genog]

Bought this Big Prentiss 56 a couple of months ago right before I had surgery.
I can't lift it right now, so it's going to sit quietly in front of my shop until I get my great strength back
...then it get's cleaned up (no purple paint nor highlighted lettering) and goes back to work.

 

[Smitty]

Here’s something you don’t see everyday. These are NOS Reed 2” copper soft jaw covers. I knew they would be small but I was surprised at how tiny they are. They’ve never been shaped so I’ll just leave them that way.

 

[Andy FitzGibbon]

Here’s something you don’t see everyday. These are NOS Reed 2” copper soft jaw covers. I knew they would be small but I was surprised at how tiny they are. They’ve never been shaped so I’ll just leave them that way.

I saw those on eBay. Reed's soft jaw covers are nicer than many. I have a set on the 205 that's in my bench.

 

[ranger08]

Here is a very early quick release vice from the circa 1880s, around the time of the EK patent of their rack and cam qr design



The rear handle lowers and raises the rack

 

[va.grouseman]

UNICORN.

 

[va.grouseman]

Ok, which one of you fellows bought the big Craftsman?---I gotts to know.---I think that makes 9.

LARGE Craftsman Bench Vise 5" Jaw 107 Lbs 05198 Locking Swivel Base RARE | eBay

<p dir="ltr" style="margin-top:0; margin-bottom:0;">LARGE Craftsman Bench Vise 5" Jaw 107 Lbs 05198 Locking Swivel Base RARE. It is used and has nicks and scratches. Previous owner painted it grey. Hard vise to find. It is large and heavy. Please look at pictures in detail and ask questions...

www.ebay.com

 

[wrenchguy]

Anyone seen this swivel base for this unknown vise to me? I imagine its to protect the back in the day wood bench? Thx.

 

[joel_400]

Working in the garage a bit today cleaning up and located this little guy. No markings at all. Not sure what it was ever used for but it has been used well over the years. The lever on the side is for the quick lock of the jaws. It seems to be well built for a little guy. I would guess it's all cast iron for the most part. Just figured I'd post it to see what anybody may know about its possible origins!
Joel

 

[joel_400]

Working in the garage a bit today cleaning up and located this little guy. No markings at all. Not sure what it was ever used for but it has been used well over the years. The lever on the side is for the quick lock of the jaws. It seems to be well built for a little guy. I would guess it's all cast iron for the most part. Just figured I'd post it to see what anybody may know about its possible origins!
Joel

Just got some info from a local tool collector that I spoke to last week! This guy really knows his stuff! Check it out!
Joel

 

[454ragtop]

Been catching up on some vise restorations, think I'm going to thin the herd a little. Have this minty Parker 973 that came to me without a collar, so I fabled one today. The Simplex was also missing a collar, made one for that,a little simpler.

 

[wrenchr]

New brass jaws for my 2 1/2 wilton.

 

[wrenchr]

Been catching up on some vise restorations, think I'm going to thin the herd a little. Have this minty Parker 973 that came to me without a collar, so I fabled one today. The Simplex was also missing a collar, made one for that,a little simpler.

Ooh, I see an offset vise. Pics on that one? The parker and Simplex turned out great but those off set vises are to neat.

 

[454ragtop]

Ooh, I see an offset vise. Pics on that one? The parker and Simplex turned out great but those off set vises are to neat.

Not sure what you're seeing, have an offset vise, but not in these pics. Pics of my Hollands 78 here https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/threads/the-vises-of-garage-journal.44782/post-7950062

 

[Maxcustody]

I finished up my Wilton. It is nowhere near the work of all you restoration professionals. However, I am happy with the results for the first time doing anything like this and I will get great use out of it.