Reed 2C

[supratreo]

hi guys, hoping a tool expert here can help me out.
i found a Reed 2C at a yard sale for $25 which i thought was a great deal so i got it. bad thing is that it doesnt have the swivel base. anyone know where i can find one or maybe get a universal one that might fit? doesnt have to be Reed.
thank you

 

[macgee]

Supra,

Nice score on the 2C, that's a You ****! kind of a deal.

Swivel bases are a tough one especially for Reeds, a lot of people seem to be looking for one. I think its the same bases as the Reed 204-1/2 ? but not completely sure?

Don't be afraid to bolt it down on a good corner spot on you workbench, many vises don't have swivels and a lot of people who have swivels don't use them. Be sure to heavily lube the vise with Tri-flow or similar to loosen the grime up and enjoy it.

Don't be a newbie, Post some pics!

 

[G1GRANDEUR]

great score!

contact mfg? https://www.reedmfgco.com/

 

[ddawg16]

I had to look that one up....I had no idea what it was.

Learn something new here every day

 

[supratreo]

thanks for the reply guys, dont know whey i didnt think of calling Reed.
i thought about mounting it directly but there is a stud that sticks out of the bottom about 1". havent taken a good look at it but i might be able to cut it off but then the problem is that i will only be able to mount it on the 2 holes which doesnt seem too stable. i do use the swivel on my current vice often but that might be because its mounted in an akward area haha.

 

[Maui]

If you have access to the necessary machines you could build a swivel base for it. I built one for my Reed 33.

 

[exmaxima1]

Swivel bases are a tough one especially for Reeds, a lot of people seem to be looking for one. I think its the same bases as the Reed 204-1/2 ? but not completely sure?

Yes, the 2C uses the same base as the 204 1/2. I've owned both and they have the same part numbers.

 

[KMScott]

If you have access to the necessary machines you could build a swivel base for it. I built one for my Reed 33.

I would love to see it Maui.

 

[supratreo]

If you have access to the necessary machines you could build a swivel base for it. I built one for my Reed 33.

i would love to have that option one day when i have a shop big enough for a lathe and mill.

 

[Maui]

I would love to see it Maui.

Hi Kevin,

Ask and ye shall receive! Here's a couple of photos to show you what I built. For those of you who are not aware, this vise is the predecessor to the Reed 3C. It has a long threaded rod in the middle of the base that goes through the bench and is secured on the underside with a large cast wing nut and washer. It's a big vise, and unfortunately this one came without the swivel base. I knew that it would be next to impossible to find one, so I designed and machined one from scratch. There are four holes that can be used to mount it directly to the wood bench. And there are four other holes that align with the threaded holes I machined in the big washer that sits underneath the bench to more securely fasten the vise in place. I heat treated the swivel base to a surface hardness of about 60 HRC. The biggest challenge in making it was to account for all of the imperfections in the original casting. The threaded rod is not exactly on center, the casting is also a little bit (or a lot) off, etc. It was a fun project though.

Maui

 

[KMScott]

Nice job Maui, it was great for you to point out how the vise makers were not as accurate as now a days and you not only caught it but adjusted your base to accept the offset. Having made it with toolsteel should last forever. Thanks for sharing.

 

[supratreo]

now thats cool.

 

[tool_scrounge]

Very nice work on the base

 

[Maui]

You're welcome Kevin. Thank you and everyone else for the compliments! I completely restored a Reed 2C, and it is my daily user. Here are a few pics of it. I hand polished the jaws, which is why you can see a reflection in them in one of the pics. This is one of the finest vintage vises that was built for general use in my opinion. OP, if you restore that Reed 2C you will love using it!

Maui

 

[kenc184]

You're welcome Kevin. Thank you and everyone else for the compliments! I completely restored a Reed 2C, and it is my daily user. Here are a few pics of it. I hand polished the jaws, which is why you can see a reflection in them in one of the pics. This is one of the finest vintage vises that was built for general use in my opinion. OP, if you restore that Reed 2C you will love using it!

Maui

I keep thinking about replacing my left end of the bench Columbian 204-1/2 with my 2C or my 3C but I don't want to get a hacksaw or torch near either!

 

[macgee]

This is one of the finest vintage vises that was built for general use in my opinion. OP, if you restore that Reed 2C you will love using it!

Maui

I'll have to second that, I've had way too many vises in my shop (I guess that's subjective) and have to say Reed's 1c, 2c & 3c are near the very, very top. I love my Athol Starrett's, Steel Record/modified Paramo but I would be very happy to have a Reed C back on my bench and it would stay there forever.

I'm finding I've been gravitating to smaller vises as my daily users and would love a 1C, These vises are so solid, they're bombproof that they feel much bigger. A 2C would be ready to handle almost anything thrown it.

supratreo: Enjoy the vise and hope you find a base for it, that vise is worth investing in. Cheers

 

[supratreo]

thank you guys for the replies.
i would LOVE to replace my current vice with this one. not that there is anything wrong with my current vice, i havent had any issues with the type of work ive done with it but this reed is BEEFY to say the least. unfortunitally, i just dont think it would be very handy without the base. hopefully i can find one.
i checked reeds site but cant seem to find the actual part even with the part number. i'll have to give them a call.