The VISES of Garage Journal

PCO6 · Mar 21, 2012

^^^ I don't but I think it was about $75 in the mid 70's. I remember that I bought it at an automotive jobber - Clarkson Automotive. In the past 2 years I have bought 5 Record vices of about the same vintage. A No. 8 and a No. 6 for $80 each, a No. 3 for $40, a No. 1 for $10 and a No. 52 wood vice for $50. All of them are in good working condition. I replaced the jaws on 3 of the bench vices with new ones from Record. The wood vice was actually new but never used.

dlleno · Mar 21, 2012

Davefr -- your Wiltson looks outstanding. Im interested to know how far down did you tear her down? what did the internals look like?

I'm collecting information that differntiates the real ones from the vise-shaped object sold by Craftsman (which I own. paid $94).
I won't put any pictures along side the U.S iron in this thread, for that just wouldn't be right, but out of the box I did a full dis-assembly, clean, and re-lube on mine, revealing some interesting build quality details.

Here's what I discovered about the Craftsman:

1. generally insufficient lube inside

2. the holes for the two roller pins holding the lead screw assembly were drilled one at a time with everything in place, whereupon the pins were immediately installed without cleaning anything up. Basically, this means the pins don't line up, and there are a lot of chips deposited onto the lead screw nut, which migrate into the bullet.

3. Since the pins do not line up with each other, one cannot drive one into the other to remove them. They must individually be pushed out from the inside.

Anyway, can anyone with a new, recent, Wilton comment on the internal build quality and the above details?

Recoil Rob · Mar 21, 2012

Canadian Cowboy said:
Here are 2 Yost 34C for sale the seller is asking for 600.00 each,Is that a good price?

List on a new one is $1675, best I found was $1185, so if you were going to get one anyway and they are in good condition you are saving about 50%.

blunn · Mar 21, 2012

Long time lurker , first time poster . Nothing special, just a old Allied 6" vise . I recently blasted 45+ years of paint and funk off the vice , then powercoated using a HF powdercoat gun .

dlleno · Mar 21, 2012

nice work blunn!

Recoil Rob · Mar 21, 2012

Look Sharp!

98TJ · Mar 21, 2012

My 5" USA made Craftsman. Refinishing it with Rustoleum Dark Bronze hammered paint.

Anyone know who made these for Craftsman?
http://sphotos.**.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/558326_1999739690428_1751610005_961597_746471015_n.jpg

balane · Mar 21, 2012

I'm fairly certain that's a Columbian made vise.

98TJ · Mar 21, 2012

Trying to find out. Years ago when I bought this I didn't know that there were no replacement parts available from Sears for it.

jusridin · Mar 21, 2012

that craftsman vise looks just like the columbian d431/2-m4 I just bought today (I have to stop with the vises) great vises on this page (all pages) I just finished my athol restore and decided I liked how she looks beaten (used) so I left all her scars, the wilton just got ripped apart and replaced all the sheared/stipped bolts. maybe tomorrow I will give the big columbian some love.

jusridin · Mar 21, 2012

pretty confident she is a columbian, what replace ment parts you looking for ? I thought I seen a broken vise thread around here somewhere for used parts.

98TJ · Mar 21, 2012

Was wondering about replacement jaws.

jusridin · Mar 22, 2012

I would start with searching this site, google and then ebay under Columbian, keep us posted

autopts · Mar 22, 2012

98TJ said:
Was wondering about replacement jaws.

Check my posts over the last month. I put new 6 1/2" jaws on a 5" craftsman and had the Columbian part #. I then trimmed them down.

98TJ · Mar 22, 2012

autopts said:
Check my posts over the last month. I put new 6 1/2" jaws on a 5" craftsman and had the Columbian part #. I then trimmed them down.

Cool, I'll have to look it up.

Davefr · Mar 22, 2012

dlleno said:
Davefr -- your Wiltson looks outstanding. Im interested to know how far down did you tear her down? what did the internals look like?

I didn't have to fully disassemble this vise. (just the jaws pieces, dynamic jaw, screw and misc. hardware). All the internals were like new. This thing had a very easy life except for the moisture. Fortunately the rust was only on the surface.

I used paint remover, a pneumatic wire brush and a can of carb cleaner for the screw parts and slide. The rest was just priming and painting.

Davefr · Mar 22, 2012

Vvmvbb said:
New vises too?
...and my 5" Ridgid:

Those Ridgids are excellent vises. (forged steel vs. cast iron) There's less mass which also makes them very versatile.

Low Friction · Mar 22, 2012

This FZA Eterna A/70-100, 4" wide, 23lbs, forged steel vise is the holding tool I use about 90% of the time. It's one tough customer...

write2dgray · Mar 23, 2012

Just finishing up a workbench here and was bitten by the vise bug.

I picked up a Rock Island 571 that cleaned up very nice (photo attached) and now a Wilton Cadet 8135 3 1/2".

The Wilton is missing both of the rods to tighten the base as seen in the second photo. Any advice on how to fashion a replacement (I'm no blacksmith

) or where to pick one up?

Cheers,
David

Nightshift · Mar 23, 2012

write2dgray said:
... (snip) ...The Wilton is missing both of the rods to tighten the base as seen in the second photo. Any advice on how to fashion a replacement (I'm no blacksmith ) or where to pick one up?

Cheers,
David

David, I don't know where you're located, but if you want to cover mailing cost to & from me, I'll make them for both nuts if you want to send them to me. Cheers, Bill

Outlawmws · Mar 23, 2012

write2dgray said:
Just finishing up a workbench here and was bitten by the vise bug.

I picked up a Rock Island 571 that cleaned up very nice (photo attached) and now a Wilton Cadet 8135 3 1/2".

The Wilton is missing both of the rods to tighten the base as seen in the second photo. Any advice on how to fashion a replacement (I'm no blacksmith ) or where to pick one up?

Cheers,
David

Take a long bolt the requisite size and grind the tips off the hex head so it is round, (the top may need the same for markings) then get a jam nut and after "stringing" it, tighten it onto the bottom of the threads. Cut the remaining threads off except for maybe a smidg. peen that into the nut for further locking, and file flat. Grind the points off the nut as above, and Bob's your Uncle!

bigcaddy · Mar 23, 2012

Here is something my girlfriend was able to snag from a body shop just a few days ago. It was sitting on a shelf and was covered in a layer of dust.

The whole thing has been covered with several layers of black paint and its almost impossible separate the 2 halves. It looks like the screw needs to be stripped in place before i can open it up without fighting it on every turn.

There is very little damage/use to the vise with only a few cuts on the jaws from a saw blade and a few grinder bites.

I think she did pretty good for her first purchase without me. Hopefully she can keep good ones like these coming :bounce:

Outlawmws · Mar 23, 2012

You are training her right bigcaddy!

write2dgray · Mar 23, 2012

Thanks for the offer Nightshift and the tips Outlaw!

Nightshift, I'll follow up with you in a PM. I'm south of the border (Seattle), but we may be able to easily work this out.

bigcaddy · Mar 23, 2012

Outlawmws said:
You are training her right bigcaddy!

I don't think the "training" would go over so well but she knows what brands to look out for. I think thats because i drag her all over the place when i hit the sales and she has seen the name before.

I was able to pull the thing apart once i had it clamped in my big Wilton and could really pull on it.

Paint should come in the next few days and ill post a finished picture when its done. Factory hammer tone blue should look great with all of the metal parts fully polished again.

seasnarf · Mar 24, 2012

This seems to be the place. I have a couple of vises I can't find any information on. The first is a Reed 134 1/2 R. It has a 4 bolt stationary mount, the flattened handle mount of the newer ones and 4 1/2" jaws. The beam on the dynamic jaw is the normal style with the keyhole hollow down the middle but the screw (1") doesn't go through there. It is above the beam and exposed. It has the oil hole for the screw on the dynamic jaw but obviously none on the beam. I'm guessing the "3" in the model number indicates this style. What would "2" indicate ie. 124 ?
The next is a Prentiss 940. This has a swivel base with a neat cam lever to lift the tapered locating pin. It has 4 1/2" jaws and a 1" screw that is sort of exposed. There is a solid beam ( 2x3/4" ) in a horizontal plane above the screw protecting it and another (2 1/4x7/8") in a vertical plane below the screw.
I also have a Reed 104, a Reed 204 ( in need of a screw and handle ), an Emmert pattern makers vise in need of a few parts and I'm sure I'm forgetting a few.
I know everyone likes pictures (me too) I'll try and get some posted.

Jim_No_Garage · Mar 24, 2012

You guys are killing me. This vice thing is a slippery slope. . .

Left to right . . .

I picked up a Palmgren Drill Press vice at an estate sale 2 weeks ago.

That week I saw the Wilton on CL and picked it up.

That weekend I was the little Stanley Handyman and the Fuller 4 1/2 at another Estate sale.

The basic dimensions of the Wilton and the Fuller are close, but the Wilton seems a little beefier.

My son took the Palmgren and the Stanley for his modeling table. I need to put the Wilton on my basement work table from the picture. Not sure where the fuller will end up.

I already have 2 homeless woodworking vices - from before I came on here - some maybe it's just me . . .

Cheers

Jim

autopts · Mar 24, 2012

Canadian Cowboy said:
Here are 2 Yost 34C for sale the seller is asking for 600.00 each,Is that a good price?

CC

No! I wouldn't pay $600 for both. Bigcaddy might pay $60 each!

autopts · Mar 24, 2012

One more for the Journal. Going on the auction block tonight. A 403 1/2R swivel back with replacement Wilton jaws for a 350S.

Low Friction · Mar 24, 2012

Nice Reed!

TreePointer · Mar 24, 2012

autopts said:

autopts, what's the finish on that vise--naked? wax? other?

It's a nice look. :beer:

autopts · Mar 25, 2012

Thanks... Its just stripped to bare metal with Deep Creep rust preventive wiped over it.

geotek · Mar 26, 2012

I came across the (possibly) custom table vise this weekend. My fiance was showing a house (realtor) to a client and after they were done she asked if I wanted to see the house which was very 50's (even had a couch right out of a 50's furnature advertisement). Custom bar in the basement and this View media item 17981. Apparently the prevous owner was a machinest who worked from home out of the basement for years. The backyard BBQ is setup as a metal forge. So he can cook some burgers during his lunch break when he's heat tempring steel, :spit:

. Sorry about the quality of the picture, I didnt have my camera and had to use my cell. The vise is top notch, no manufactures logo on it, but it spins like its got bearings (non seen) and doesn't have any play it in that you'd expect from something used all those years. The work bench was obvously pulled together from old furnature, might have gaps at the joints, but doesn't wobble or feel the least bit flimsy. Obviously he knew what he was going. :thumbup:

Blacktop · Mar 27, 2012

Hello, I just purchased a C. Parker No. 25 tonight and I haven't been able to find a whole lot out about it. Does anyone have any info on this vise? I also have a 433 1/2 Parker that I use all the time but I was looking for something a little bigger.

gatewaysysop · Mar 27, 2012

Thought I should add this one for posterity before it gets sold and the pics in the classifieds thread get lost, especially since Rock Islands are among my favorite vises. That and I found some before shots that I thought might be worth sharing too.

This one's a 5" Rock Island #96 and weighs almost 80 pounds. I think it's older than my 595, which I posted about some time ago, based on the fact that this #96 has forged jaws and my 595 has removable ones. :headscrat

Anyways, here she is in all her glory. Enjoy! :rocker:

1FordTech1 · Mar 27, 2012

Wow, 20 pages since I visited last. Great projects!

jusridin · Mar 27, 2012

k.... I need help with this one. Its easy enough to clean up but its missing the mounting plate, I believe that plate also has the manufacture data also? so what is it and where can I find a mounting plate?
she has 5 inch jaws and she is a little over 41 inches tall, the only marking I have seen is a 6 on the moving jaw.
I traded a newer cheaply built wilton for her and another top box and a big *** 3/4 l handle plomb that has a 1 7/16 socket on it.
so any info would be greatly appreciated, thanks again all

jusridin · Mar 28, 2012

the only marking on her is right here, #65 I believe :Help:

Outlawmws · Mar 28, 2012

Mounting is often just an angle plate and a square U bolt, but yours looks like it may use that U plate to catch a bar bolted to the bench, or possibly something that was forged into what would look like a Leaf spring Eye... Is that U plate tight enough to squeeze the post upright if tightened some? (it would probably use a carriage bolt and square nut...)

jusridin · Mar 28, 2012

Thanks for the reply Outlaw, from what I have seen so far the u plate attaches to the mounting plate with wedges, no nuts or bolts on this one

The VISES of Garage Journal

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Attachments

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Attachments

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Attachments

Member

Attachments

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Attachments

Well-known member

Member

Well-known member

Member

Well-known member

Attachments

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Member

Well-known member

Attachments

Well-known member

Well-known member

Attachments

Well-known member

Attachments

Well-known member

Attachments

Well-known member