Reed 214A Vise

[Jeff357]

I picked up a Reed No. 214A vise today to make my entry into the vise restoration / collection game. Any info on the history / age of this model would be appreciated. Paid $60 for it.

 

[ganymede]

Oooh, I think that's the toolmakers model!
Nice pre ww2 vise.

 

[ALLFAST]

Yes. 60 bones is good.....as is your new prize.

 

[Shiftless]

Nice score and welcome to GJ

Post it over on the main vise pages and get to know the rest of us crazies.

Can I assume that the extra little holes on the side are a previous owner's modification for a specific fixture that he was using?

 

[notlob]

Nice find. it's a "filers' vise" model:

https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showpost.php?p=1362298&postcount=131

 

[drivesitfar]

Jeff: I love Reed vises and i've yet to find one like that in my area. not sure of the age exactly, but most likely 1930's and pre WWII.

if you'd like to go in your GJ profile and put in your area it might help you if you have questions and maybe a local guy might have a part or something to give, loan, trade or sell you if you need something. also while you are in your GJ profile click on AVATAR and put in a picture you like and it will pop up like my Bison made of old tools and scraps and you can change it later if you find you like something else better.

WELCOME to our forum.

 

[Jeff357]

Nice score and welcome to GJ

Post it over on the main vise pages and get to know the rest of us crazies.

Can I assume that the extra little holes on the side are a previous owner's modification for a specific fixture that he was using?

Yeah, I’m guessing the previous owner customized it. I bought it from a young guy who needed money to fix his car - he didn’t know anything about its history. The holes are threaded, one has a broken tap in it. I plan to fill them with JB Weld and smooth over, unless there is a better alternative.

 

[Jeff357]

Thanks for the info, that is really cool! I was hoping it would have been made in the 40’s at least.

 

[Jeff357]

Any advise on removing the main nut from the static jaw? Set screw has been removed.

 

[drivesitfar]

JEFF: nice looking AVATAR!!

can you take a few pictures and post them up here so maybe we can help you cause if the set screw is missing how did the last owner keep the sleeve in place? or does your vise have a split nut that you loosen from the front (take pictures of the front of the main screw on the vise too)? your old reed was made before the split nut so it shouldn't have one and let's hope that the sleeve just has another set screw or maybe a pin holding it that you didn't notice.

REEDS are usually some of the easiest vises to work on so hopefully you don't have a weld or some other prior owner fix to deal with.

good luck

 

[Jeff357]

Thanks - big fan of the Dark Tower series by Steven king (that is where the Avatar came from)
I removed the set screw, all hardware was in tact on the vise with no signs of welds or other repairs. I’m thinking this pin can be punched out from the bottom? That is the advice from some fellas in another group on Facebook. I thought it may have been threaded into the base due to the offset slot in the pin, but that doesn’t seem to be the case.

 

[Mark in Indiana]

Jeff:
I'm currently restoring a Reed 204A. If your 214A is like mine, the pin gets punched out from the bottom. I'm not sure of the reason for this split pin nut retainer. Most "pin" retainers that I've seen are just taper pins.

BTW: Sorry about the first picture.

 

[Jeff357]

Perfect! Thanks Mark!

 

[drivesitfar]

Jeff: Sorry it was early here when I posted and without a couple pics I was thinking you were trying to remove the main screw and not the pin holding the vise nut. Mark's advice sounds good so best of luck. A few firm taps with a good punch the size of the pin should work and remember it might nit have been removed for 50 years so even a shot of Kroil and having it sit for a bit might help too.

 

[Jeff357]

Jeff: Sorry it was early here when I posted and without a couple pics I was thinking you were trying to remove the main screw and not the pin holding the vise nut. Mark's advice sounds good so best of luck. A few firm taps with a good punch the size of the pin should work and remember it might nit have been removed for 50 years so even a shot of Kroil and having it sit for a bit might help too.

No worries! Soaking in Kroil now. Pretty cool to think about all the work that went into the 50 years or so of grime on this vise!


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[Shiftless]

No worries! Soaking in Kroil now. Pretty cool to think about all the work that went into the 50 years or so of grime on this vise!


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Welcome to the group Jeff...

The history and the untold stories of these relics from America's industrial past are what keeps us in the game.

 

[bluebolt]

Jeff:
I'm currently restoring a Reed 204A. If your 214A is like mine, the pin gets punched out from the bottom. I'm not sure of the reason for this split pin nut retainer. Most "pin" retainers that I've seen are just taper pins.

BTW: Sorry about the first picture.

The split pin is I believe so you can adjust the slack in the main nut. I don't know if it is threaded or just punch from the bottom. Any Reed experts that have dealt with this style of pin before?

 

[Mark in Indiana]

The split pin is I believe so you can adjust the slack in the main nut. I don't know if it is threaded or just punch from the bottom. Any Reed experts that have dealt with this style of pin before?

I believe you're right. I haven't looked closely at it for awhile.

 

[Jeff357]

Thanks for the tips fellas! Light Kroil bath and a little tapping and she is out!

 

[Jeff357]

When you say slack - does this refer to how far the handle turns before the dynamic jaw moves?

 

[Shiftless]

When you say slack - does this refer to how far the handle turns before the dynamic jaw moves?

Yep!
AKA...free play

 

[bluebolt]

When you say slack - does this refer to how far the handle turns before the dynamic jaw moves?

Yes it would help with that, sometimes the main nut slides back and forth a little adding to the overall slack.

Can you post a picture of that pin?

 

[Jeff357]

Yep, I’ll post a picture later this evening.

 

[Jeff357]

Here is the split pin that was blocking the main nut inside the stationary jaw. The split is a bit offset, and the hole is threaded all the way through. If the pin is tapered, it is slight.

 

[Jeff357]

So I finished my vise today. Decided to go with Boiled Linsed Oil finish rather than paint. Biggest reason was my worry of a crappy paint job. Because I didn’t paint it, I also elected to leave the holes on the side un-filled. Overall, I’m pretty happy with it, and already looking for the next one. Next project is building a bench in the garage to mount it to (we have only been in the house for a year, and my wife made me promise to fix up the living space first).

 

[drivesitfar]

Jeff: just to confirm for others watching and learning on this thread can you tell us that after you removed the set screw that holds the vise nut snug that you just used a punch to push the pin out from below?

your BLO REED 214 looks great and might i suggest a Reed 404.5 or Reed 2C for the other side of the nice bench you are planning on building?

cheers and WELL DONE!!

 

[Jeff357]

Jeff: just to confirm for others watching and learning on this thread can you tell us that after you removed the set screw that holds the vise nut snug that you just used a punch to push the pin out from below?



your BLO REED 214 looks great and might i suggest a Reed 404.5 or Reed 2C for the other side of the nice bench you are planning on building?



cheers and WELL DONE!!

Thanks!

Yes, after removing the set screw from the main nut retaining pin, I punched it out from the bottom fairly easily. For re-assembly, I drove it back in place with a scrap piece of oak, to avoid damage to the split end (top of pin). The pin is seated roughly 0.150” from being flush with the bottom of the hole.

As I have been looking around at other vises, I do think I am partial to the look of the Reeds.!


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[drivesitfar]

Jeff: i have this REED 106 130 pound vise on a stand at my storage unit just in case i need to use a vise there. it comes in handy, but it's not easy to move around. if you find one you'll probably need to make a new workbench for it or at the very least bolt your workbench to the framing of your garage.

good luck with your search and if you find a Rock Island vise i bet you'll like that as much as your REED so there are choices if you keep your eyes open.

cheers

 

[SteveD]

I recently restored a Reed 204 1/2 R.

I've owned it for 25 years and just recently moved into a new garage and felt it needed to be spruced up. It was attached to a vintage work bench that was located in an aircraft production facility on Long Island during the war.

The vise jaws are smooth.

I'm wondering if anyone can tell me the vintage of the vise? I'm also trying to find some info on the workbench, anyone recognize it? The work surface is half steel and half wood, the latter made of of several pieces of pinned hard wood, I've disassembled it and am having it sand blasted in perpetration for refinishing as well.

I went with brush on Rustoleum. I have not yet painted the raised letters on the vise, I'm wondering if there is a good way to do that other than free hand. I was thinking covering a small piece of plywood with some fabric, then painting the fabric and pressing it onto the letters. Or is free hand easier than it looks, using the right brush?

 

[Jeff357]

Hi Steve,

Great looking vise!

Take a look at the left side of the dynamic jaw. Most Reeds have a three digit date code stamped in them that represent the month and year of manufacture.


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[SteveD]

Jeff,
I just revisited this thread and just saw your response, 6 years later! I looked and don't see the date code. If it's a shallow stamp it might have been filled with paint.