Saturday score! vice

[USMCdodge]

Finally found a vice! I think its a ww2 era. pretty sure it was patented around 1938? got some other new to me stuff too!

anyone know about the vice?

Edit- number on vice is PAT 2127008

 

[SweetD]

Great vise! Could be made for Craftsman by Reed. I have a similar one:

Dave

 

[USMCdodge]

I saw yours when i was looking on there have you repainted it?

 

[SweetD]

I saw yours when i was looking on there have you repainted it?

No I have not...I have it totally dis-assembled and I am going to have it powdercoated Craftsman Red. Just have not had the time to bring it to the powdercoating place and haggle with them yet...

Dave

 

[USMCdodge]

anyone know how much powder coating something like this would cost?

 

[blue dog]

Shouldn't be too bad, i get 17" truck wheels blasted and powder coated for $65.00 each. Just paint it, very cool hammertone colors these days.

 

[ndnchf]

That looks a lot like my Craftsman 5181. I'm going to restore mine soon. Been thinking about red also.

 

[bigcaddy]

You are correct and your vise is a Craftsman branded Reed Vise. That patent number was issued to Thorvald Peterson, assignor to Reed Mfg. Co.

If you pull the 2 halves apart and look inside of the stationary jaw side, you will find Reed mfg numbers cast inside of the walls of the vise. Yours looks like it has 3 or 4" jaws so it should say 103/104

They look good in bare metal with wax but they originally came in a very dark cobalt blue color, similar to 1940s Schwinn bicycles.

 

[imrdavis]

@ "bigcaddy", you mentioned "wax", how would one wax their vise and with what type of wax? Thanks in advance.
-Robert

 

[930dreamer]

Nice find. How would the vice texture do with powder coating?

 

[bigcaddy]

@ "bigcaddy", you mentioned "wax", how would one wax their vise and with what type of wax? Thanks in advance.
-Robert

There are a few different ways to put on a "clear" finish to a vise that leaves the bare metal showing but protected.

I clean the crud off with my electrolysis bucket or if its just light rust, a grinder with a wire wheel.

Once clean, apply a coat of floor or hard furniture wax. The liquid stuff used on cars wont work and is usually colored, like Turtle Wax.

Floor wax will harden to a haze. Once its hazy, buff it off with a clean rag and apply more coats if you feel like it.

Its not super durable against heat but can be easily touched up in just a few seconds. I have a number of vises that are bare metal or painted. Once i get it to bare metal, then i make the decision to paint or wax.

I hope this helps you out

 

[GirlnAgarage]

Good find

Rustoleums Hammered leaves a neat finish.

 

[Red Leader]

Dang, so cool.

 

[ndnchf]

I was wondering what the original color was on mine. Dark cobalt blue would look nice.

 

[gasjockey]

anyone know how much powder coating something like this would cost?

i know my buddy got his bmx bike frame powder coated for $50 so your vice shouldent be much

 

[browntown]

Re: Saturday score! viSe <-fixed for you

@ "bigcaddy", you mentioned "wax", how would one wax their vise and with what type of wax? Thanks in advance.
-Robert

I'm a fan of Johnson's paste wax. I use it on wood furniture and my guns. Plus it is cheap.

 

[Packard V8]

How much?

 

[uart]

Has anyone got a picture of a bare metal vise that they've waxed. I'd love to see how they come up.

 

[Tom_20m]

How about baked oil finish? Just like you would an old cast iron skillet via seasoning it in the oven?

 

[bigcaddy]

Has anyone got a picture of a bare metal vise that they've waxed. I'd love to see how they come up.

Check out the Vises of Garage Journal thread at page 174. Post # 3478 is my Reed/craftsman with a waxed finish. There is a link in the post above to ebay and you can see the rest of the pictures of the vise.

You can even see the remains of the original blue paint in some of them

 

[Bruce Lancaster]

Floor wax is great stuff for tool that are not plated and that will have actual use...paint on something like a vise is pretty much dysfunctional, IMHO, even though that's what they did originally. Once it is nicely painted, either you relegate it to your too-nice-to -use museum shelf or you put it to work and the paint starts flying right back off...
I use a lot of old tools, and try to wax everything that is bare metal or missing a lot of its plating.

 

[USMCdodge]

How much?

20 bucks!