RAE Vise

[JeremyManning]

I just picked up this vise but can't find any information on RAE, I do know it was a mfg company in Ontario, Canada. It looks like a sturdy vise, I took it apart for cleaning and paint. Does anyone have any info on RAE.
Thanks,
Jeremy

 

[JeremyManning]

Finished product

 

[Mario]

How big is it?

My father received one from is brother. It's a 6" vise marked Hamilton, Canada on one side. Until recently I didn't know it was made by RAE...

...but I found a 3" vise (for 2$, hehe) 1 month ago marked Hamilton, Canada on one side and RAE on the other side.

My father 6" and my 3" RAE look the same (design and construction).

 

[JeremyManning]

its a 4", I am assuming you mean jaw width

 

[Catalyze]

There was an RAE vise that just sold on Fleabay tonight. It was an aluminium vise with steel jaws. Rather an interesting vise. All the listing said that it was a Canadian made vise.

 

[JeremyManning]

Just wondering if anyone else has seen one with jaws like that they seem misaligned or is this vise supposed to be like that?

 

[Catalyze]

Not sure on the jaw faces. Sometimes folks will mate two different vise jaws from the same company to make one complete vise. There was a Monarch vise (Prentiss rebrand) that had a sheet metal dynamic jaw and a normal static jaw. It was funny looking from the side to see a 1" normal jaw face against a 3" sheet metal smooth face.
Craig

 

[Mario]

Just wondering if anyone else has seen one with jaws like that they seem misaligned or is this vise supposed to be like that?

Oh, didn't saw that the first time a looked at your pictures. No, mine is not like that.

 

[rocklobster]

Hi Jeremy,

I just picked up this RAE vise this morning at a garage sale and found this post/restoration of your RAE vise. The jaws on this No. 45 vise line up so maybe yours is a mismatch. The front jaw on your vise looks very similar to mine even though it is taller than the back jaw. Interesting none the less, I would like to find out more about this vise manufacturer. I live in Ontario as well so it may be a more local manufacturer...

I gotta say maybe I should really fix this baby up. This vise main screw bolt has been cracked and was welded very well. Also one of the jaw hold down bolts is broken off.

 

[Nightshift]

I've got a couple Rae's Jeremy ... a 6" and a 4". Both of them are in pristine condition for their age and their jaws line up perfectly. Something has happened to yours if the jaws don't line up. Bill

 

[gasgas17]

I'm cleaning up a vise that a customer of mine gave to me. I was seized when I got it and figured it was a lost cause by how rusty it appeared. But the screw is in pretty good shape and after soaking it with oil and beating the handle around with a mallet for while it runs in and out very well now. I just wire brushed all the painted surfaces and there was still paint under the rust in most places. It was well used, but is still pretty tight So I will use this one in the wood shop. It's a Rea, No. 104 with Orillia, Canada on the other side. It only has 4" jaws but opens up to a full 8 inches with the screw still fully engaged in its thread. I will post a picture or 2 when I get a chance.

 

[gasgas17]

Here is some info about the Rae name on the vice.

http://progress-is-fine.blogspot.ca/2013/06/one-of-my-vices-is-vices-rae-revisited.html

 

[gasgas17]

Finished cleaning up the new to me vise. painted it with Krylon Rust paint. Hammered finish. Greased the treads on reassembly. Still need to make some new jaws. I may just use some brass 1/2 by 3/4 stock. These ones are not original to the vise and are quite misshaped from use and off center. Not too bad for the cost of a can of paint.

 

[drivesitfar]

nice score on that vise. it looks like a lot of the older US vise maker's vises prior to 1950's. only question I have is the screw maybe from a bigger vise because I can't recall ever seeing the threads of the screw sticking out beyond those nice cover plates?

I suppose you could cut it off if it works great or somewhere down the line find a parts vise to replace the entire screw. or leave it as is and just make sure to keep something covering the end of the screw so you don't get a lot of excess inside your vise.

 

[sasquatch12]

Gas Gas17 thanks much for the interesting history of Otaco and Rae vises.
They were a very good vise, i had one for some time but ended up trading it to a friend who had found another big vise made at a foundry i worked at 50 years ago.
That foundry was "Crawford Machine" in Woodstock , Ont.
Crawford Machine was in business for a lot of years, and at one time cast parts for the "Gould-Shapely-Muir engine company from Brantford Ont. They also made cast Dumbells and Big cast counter weights for forklifts. They presumably built or cast other items, but i have never found any info on them. Gorden Crawford was the owner.

 

[gasgas17]

nice score on that vise. it looks like a lot of the older US vise maker's vises prior to 1950's. only question I have is the screw maybe from a bigger vise because I can't recall ever seeing the threads of the screw sticking out beyond those nice cover plates?

I suppose you could cut it off if it works great or somewhere down the line find a parts vise to replace the entire screw. or leave it as is and just make sure to keep something covering the end of the screw so you don't get a lot of excess inside your vise.

Not sure on the screw. I really have no way of knowing the history of the vise. But I can tell you the guys father still has his first nickle, so If he had the parts to make one vise out of 6 he would have done so. Not that there is anything wrong with that.

 

[gasgas17]

Gas Gas17 thanks much for the interesting history of Otaco and Rae vises.
They were a very good vise, i had one for some time but ended up trading it to a friend who had found another big vise made at a foundry i worked at 50 years ago.
That foundry was "Crawford Machine" in Woodstock , Ont.
Crawford Machine was in business for a lot of years, and at one time cast parts for the "Gould-Shapely-Muir engine company from Brantford Ont. They also made cast Dumbells and Big cast counter weights for forklifts. They presumably built or cast other items, but i have never found any info on them. Gorden Crawford was the owner.

Don't thank me, thank Google.

 

[lbgradwell]

I'd read the blog about the Orillia connection before, but I've never actually seen a vise marked "Orillia"; they are more often marked "Hamilton" or "Canada"...

That looks like a very heavy-duty vise!

 

[lilredex]

I found this a while back...

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=185978

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=208888 (Post #16)

 

[lbgradwell]

I found this a while back...

Cool. I have one of those WW8 models:

 

[TJH in OKC]

Not sure on the screw. I really have no way of knowing the history of the vise. But I can tell you the guys father still has his first nickle, so If he had the parts to make one vise out of 6 he would have done so. Not that there is anything wrong with that.

nice score on that vise. it looks like a lot of the older US vise maker's vises prior to 1950's. only question I have is the screw maybe from a bigger vise because I can't recall ever seeing the threads of the screw sticking out beyond those nice cover plates?

I suppose you could cut it off if it works great or somewhere down the line find a parts vise to replace the entire screw. or leave it as is and just make sure to keep something covering the end of the screw so you don't get a lot of excess inside your vise.

Hey guys,

Do you think maybe the box section covering the screw might have been damaged, then shortened? I have seen quite a few vises with damage from being dropped right there in the rear.

HTH, Tom

 

[gasgas17]

It was defiantly not damaged. The casting looks perfect. According to the specs in post # 19, the vise opens 2 inches more than it should. So I would guess that some one replaced the screw with one from a larger model.

 

[gasgas17]

The RAE vise is now back in service out in the garage. Very pleased to have it mounted to the bench. Just in time to help me build some slick cord / hose hangers.

 

[ViseSquad]

Just got a Rae 103 vise for $25. Well pleased with that. Reportedly ex-RCN and looks very little used. No "Orillia, Canada" on this one though. Must be at least 18" opening capacity. Photos later.

Looks like these are basically a cast steel vise! "Guaranteed unbreakable under normal useage."

 

[justtools]

Just got a Rae 103 vise for $25. Well pleased with that. Reportedly ex-RCN and looks very little used. No "Orillia, Canada" on this one though. Must be at least 18" opening capacity. Photos later.

Looks like these are basically a cast steel vise! "Guaranteed unbreakable under normal useage."

nice find

 

[justtools]

When did they go out of business?

 

[Outlander]

I need to take a picture, my Dad left me his RAE vise and it is at home in my basement workshop.

 

[2oolhound]

Here's an old Rae pipe vice made in Hamilton ONT. It still has remnants of a decal on it. It is 10" from the top of the screw to the base and 3" between the "U" section where the jaws are.

 

[ViseSquad]

Correction: it's a 106, not 103.

It's not 18" opening as I said before, but it's definitely at least 14". Page above says 9" normal opening, so maybe the RCN ordered a special size.

When did they go out of business?

Good question, very little info on this company online, at least that I could find.

Maybe they moved from Orillia to Hamilton, or maybe they were bought out and just the name moved ;-)

 

[groovetunes]

Hello,

Can anyone tell me what this is worth? Was my fathers and I am letting things go. TIA.

 

[matthew]

3-1/2" wide jaws? Not all that big.

Most of the people on this forum are willing to pay a bit more for this sort of stuff, whether it's because it's the good stuff or just because it's old school, but the average buyer on Kijiji probably won't spend more than you can buy a new one for at CanTire on their best sale. I'd guess somewhere around $35. I'd probably list it for $30, and expect to get about $20-25 for it.

FWIW, I bought my Record for $20, and it's a bit bigger than yours. I considered it a good deal. It seems to me at least that most of the stuff posted at over $50 is wishful thinking unless it's a pretty decently large vise.

(I'd also include your location on your profile, in case any members here happen to be looking for such a vise)

 

[groovetunes]

Ok, thank you.

 

[Canuck Pittcrew]

Hi all, I just picked up a Bench Vise made in Canada by Crawford.

 

[Bessy]

Just came across this thread while looking for info on my RAE 35 currently under restoration.

Going to attempt to give it a quick paint job, but I have a feeling it should really be blasted first, we'll see how well duplicolor stands up on it, as I have a can on hand that is close to the original colour.

Sent from my Pixel 3a using Tapatalk

 

[Vise_Squad]

Gas Gas17 thanks much for the interesting history of Otaco and Rae vises.
They were a very good vise, i had one for some time but ended up trading it to a friend who had found another big vise made at a foundry i worked at 50 years ago.
That foundry was "Crawford Machine" in Woodstock , Ont.
Crawford Machine was in business for a lot of years, and at one time cast parts for the "Gould-Shapely-Muir engine company from Brantford Ont. They also made cast Dumbells and Big cast counter weights for forklifts. They presumably built or cast other items, but i have never found any info on them. Gorden Crawford was the owner.

That's neat. Gordon Crawford or Crawford Gordon?

Crawford Gordon Jr. - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org