One beat Reed 406

[NotStock]

Finally got one. It’s beat, but it’s in my shop.

The rear swivel pin is mushroomed over and 100% stuck in the hole. One foot has been brazed back on. The rear vise jaw seems to have a crack or lamination issues.

Does the different writing on this one (vs most with the horizontal) indicate it’s a newer vise? I seem to remember another company casting later reeds at some point?

Anyway, I guess info would be good and suggestions on dismantling. Considering drilling the pin out and making a new one. I don’t want to damage anything trying to unstick the pin. It is hosed down with penetrating oil now.




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[Bigdogboogie]

I like it, That vice has character. Congrats on finding that one, They get scarcer every day.

 

[NotStock]

No kidding on the scarcity. Been looking for a long time and this is only the second Reed I have ever seen for sale within 4 or 5 hours of my location.

 

[NotStock]

Everything came apart easily with the press. Pushed the nut out and then pushed sideways on the back of the jaw to twist it out.



Neat old brazing repair. I like these when done well.


Lamination/crack issue at jaw


And this is what came out of the swivel pin hole.



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[Packard V8]

Congrats on the find. That will be a good user when tuned up.

jack vines

 

[thehorse13]

She's an early one and even though well used, there is plenty left in that old girl. I have a Prentiss of similar size and vintage. It makes you want to work on steam engines when fooling with these old tanks. lol

Great find!

 

[Provincial]

Look in my photo albums to see my Reed 305 1/2 project. They are survivors!

 

[Bigdogboogie]

These old vise threads always make me drool since they are so hard to find in my area. A few years ago there were several very energetic scrappers that went through here like a scourge of the damned and laid waste to vises,anvils, tools as well as anything else that they could load in the truck.

It's really driven the price up on any remaining specimens.

 

[thehorse13]

These old vise threads always make me drool since they are so hard to find in my area. A few years ago there were several very energetic scrappers that went through here like a scourge of the damned and laid waste to vises,anvils, tools as well as anything else that they could load in the truck.

It's really driven the price up on any remaining specimens.

Were their names Frank and Mike and did they drive a big white van? lol

 

[MileHighRover]

...And this is what came out of the swivel pin hole.

That's not original.

 

[Bigdogboogie]

Were their names Frank and Mike and did they drive a big white van? lol

I don't get the reference.

 

[thehorse13]

I don't get the reference.

I guess I took a swing and a miss on that joke. lol

 

[Jayman17]

I think he's referring to the show American Pickers.

Jay

Edit: damn, missed it by a minute!

 

[SweetD]

Certainly not a "newer" Reed. That's an oldie. Nice find and looking forward to seeing the clean-up process. Will you paint or leave bare?

 

[RTM]

I guess I took a swing and a miss on that joke. lol

Some of us got it on the first pass, but I wouldn’t blame them, they buy weird ****, not good tools.

 

[NotStock]

Certainly not a "newer" Reed. That's an oldie. Nice find and looking forward to seeing the clean-up process. Will you paint or leave bare?

Haven't really decided yet. I suspect I will end up painting it which means I will need to fill the worst of the holes and marks. It never ends...

That's not original.

I shook my head a little when I saw the threads...

 

[Bigdogboogie]

I guess I took a swing and a miss on that joke. lol

OK now I feel dumber than usual, The pickers never crossed my mind.

 

[American Iron]

Yea Reeds are hard to find around me. Colombian's are a lot more common along with Athol's near me. Crazy prices though.. Great score..

 

[NotStock]

Tossed everything in the parts washer, evaporust bath, then a quick media blast. Filled the idiot marks in with epoxy and rebuilt the broken out sections with metal putty. You can see the metal putty on the round edge at the back of the swivel jaw. Should hold up fine for me and any future owner that isn’t a caveman. I expect that the epoxy will fail around the old crack in the jaw. At some point I will need to mill the jaws off and make new jaws that bolt in place.


I also made a new tapered pin. The hole it fits in isn’t perfect, but after a few attempts, the taper locks the jaw with zero wiggle.



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[ScootinSam]

Nice piece!

 

[NotStock]

Freshened up and working right. Not in love with the black swivel jaw....





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[NotStock]

Been a good week on vises. Picked up this beauty early 4” Wilton. Think it’s a 744 maybe? Anyway, it is in ridiculously good condition and was a hell of a score for the price. Guy had upgraded to a Pittsburg with the pipe jaws. I was happy to buy his old vise.



And then I found a Prentiss 56. Looked good, bout an hour drive away, and price was very right.

Got there and it *was* a really good example until the PO “cleaned it up”. He took a stone to it. My heart sank. Poor thing. Nearly ground the text off it. People see these things and assume they are just meant to be treated as poorly as humanly possible. I could have maybe forgiven a flap disc...









Anyway, it’s safe now.

It’ll get cleaned up like the Reed and put into service.


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[Roberts210]

Great save. Should last another hundred years or so.

 

[NotStock]

Blasted it to smooth out the pecker tracks and remove the grunge. Fresh coat of paint to match the reed.




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[drivesitfar]

NS: it appears you have been bitten by the vise bug that is rare up in Canada. nice looking Reed 406 and did you keep the swivel jaw black or paint it white too?

nothing like owning and using a couple big old vises so keep up the great work.