The Morgan #87 Vise Resto Thread

[ZRX61]

It arrived home tonight.... 3 1/2in jaws. Chicago factory so pre '47. It's going to be the same bright blue as my Morgan 40 & Morgan 140.

......And it's already in pieces...

I'll need to come up with pipe jaws. If anyone has a photo and dimensions I can make them... or one I can copy?

 

[autopts]

It arrived home tonight.... 3 1/2in jaws. Chicago factory so pre '47. It's going to be the same bright blue as my Morgan 40 & Morgan 140.
I'll need to come up with pipe jaws. If anyone has a photo and dimensions I can make them... or one I can copy?

I've got a pair from an 87 Parker but I lent them out to a machinist to copy. I should be getting them back this week I hope. Great find!!

 

[whelenfan]

awesome haul!

 

[ZRX61]

ok, first goof up: 3in jaws, not 3 1/2. It's currently in the blasting cabinet. I came in for a break..

 

[autopts]

ok, first goof up: 3in jaws, not 3 1/2. It's currently in the blasting cabinet. I came in for a break..

I still think my Parker jaws will fit. I might get them back tomorrow. Keep you posted.

 

[ZRX61]

 

[ZRX61]

 

[ZRX61]

Triplets...

 

[MrMark]

Great looking vises. I'm curious why you do two steps with the blasting operation. Why do you plastic bead and then glass bead? Is the plastic for paint removal and then the glass to clean the iron? Why not just use the glass bead for the whole operation?

 

[ZRX61]

Plastic removes all the other **** like hardened grease etc as well as the paint.

 

[SweetD]

Very nice. Nice collection, Morgans are cool.

Dave

 

[MrMark]

Plastic removes all the other **** like hardened grease etc as well as the paint.

And the glass won't? Are you tring to avoid contaminating your glass bead is that what it is? Or the glass bead just won't work on all the other **** like grease?

 

[Catalyze]

Very nice ZRX! I take one night off for World of Warcraft and missed this thread. My favorite part of the Morgan that you have is the lettering. Completely different than the normal 40/140 lettering type. Nicely done Sir! 2 slices of Chicago Vise pie for you.
Craig

 

[ZRX61]

And the glass won't? Are you tring to avoid contaminating your glass bead is that what it is? Or the glass bead just won't work on all the other **** like grease?

The glass will, but I don't want to contaminate it. Takes but a moment to swap the media over.

Very nice ZRX! I take one night off for World of Warcraft and missed this thread. My favorite part of the Morgan that you have is the lettering. Completely different than the normal 40/140 lettering type. Nicely done Sir! 2 slices of Chicago Vise pie for you.
Craig

Really.. W.O.W.? Oh dear...

Neighbors brother dropped by today & he mentioned some "old vises bolted to workbenches out back in the scrap pile" where he works... He also stated "they are really tall". He's going to investigate this coming week & find out what they are. I suspect sheetmetal vises...

 

[whelenfan]

great work! I would love to come upon a morgan one day. Keep us posted on the other from you neighbor's brother's work!!!!

 

[autopts]

Very nice restore. That Morgan looks to be in excellent condition. It looks so close to its counterpart Parker 87. ......
Catalyst! Who had the time for little kids games!! Shoot. Dogs on..

 

[ajchien]

OMG, thats just beautiful ZRX.

Are you trying to get as many vises as HiBall has jacks?

 

[48James]

Very nice ZRX!

 

[bedt14]

Hey ZRX!

"I'll need to come up with pipe jaws. If anyone has a photo and dimensions I can make them... or one I can copy?"

I found this forum & thread because I'm looking to replace a missing pipe jaw for my Morgan 87.

I'll make you an offer: I have one original center (dynamic) pipe jaw, and one original fixed pipe jaw. Oddly, they are different sizes with the fixed jaws being smaller, and the dynamic jaw will not fit into the slot for the fixed.

Dimensions on the one I need are:
overall length: 2.625" (2 5/8")
height: 2.125" (2 1/8") and
thickness .500" (1/2") thick.

For comparison, the center jaw is
overall: 3.750" (3 3/4")
height: 2.125" (2 1/8")
thickness: .625" thick (5/8")
Please note, I do not need this jaw.

Also, the teeth are not at a 90 degree angle, but are canted.

In the attached image, the jaw at bottom is the one needed.

Anyhow, I'd be happy to lend them both to you to copy, if you would be kind enough to make me one fixed jaw to replace the one I have missing? Naturally, I'd be willing to play for material & labor.

Looking forward to hearing from you,

Phil

 

[earlthegoat2]

My favorite vise color.

 

[ZRX61]

Hey ZRX!
Anyhow, I'd be happy to lend them both to you to copy, if you would be kind enough to make me one fixed jaw to replace the one I have missing? Naturally, I'd be willing to play for material & labor.

Looking forward to hearing from you,

Phil

Let me have a word with a friend who has a waterjet thingie & see what he says about making a couple of sets I probably won't see him for a week or 2

 

[bedt14]

Ok, so this thread and ZRX's resto of his Morgan 87 was my inspiration for re-doing mine.

Unfortunately, due to my haste in wanting to get started, I did not take before photos (as my sand blasting cabinet is on permanant loan at my friends house 13 miles away, and I forgot my camera!)

Starting out, I had little rust, but the vise had been painted red with a a beige primer. Some of the red chipped off, so their was some beige showing through. Oddly, there was no trace of blue or any other color under the red or primer, so I wonder if this vise had been stripped & painted before. The red w/ beige primer was a tough coating, and I had to needle scale most off the fixed and dynamic jaws before putting into blasting cabinet.

Anyhow, two and half hours later, I was done. (Credit also goes to my 13 y.o. son Joe, who took over sandblasting for about 15 minutes while I took a union break).

After looking at ZRX's vises, I chose not to go the original blue paint, as I wanted to exercise a little creativity and the blue would not go with my wood work bench and shed. So, I went with Rustoleum Hammered Brown for the jaws, with Hammered Satin Silver for the base and appointments for contrast.

The pipe jaws and regular jaws are natural unpainted steel but are coated with VHT High Temp Engine Clear Coat. The handle is natural, but I ran it through the blasting cabinet as that has some surface rust on it. Quite accidently the matte finish matches the base.

All done and mounted back on my work bench:

So, all said & done, thanks to ZRX and the rest of the forum / thread for the inspiration!

Phil

 

[autopts]

I'll need to come up with pipe jaws. If anyone has a photo and dimensions I can make them... or one I can copy?[/QUOTE]

Its really surprising how similiar your Morgan is to the old Parker 3" combo. I had one and removed the pipe jaws before I sold it. It was a wreck anyways. Don't go with the longer jaw on the Dynamic side. Keep all 3 jaws the same size so that they do not extend beyond the distance of your top jaws. Thats way they will stay in permenently. Here are the Parker pipe jaws, naturally the longer one was not there.

 

[autopts]

Ok, so this thread and ZRX's resto of his Morgan 87 was my inspiration for re-doing mine.

So, all said & done, thanks to ZRX and the rest of the forum / thread for the inspiration!

Phil

Oh! Thats nice Phil!

 

[bedt14]

@ZRX: No problem, my pipe vises aren't going anywhere in a hurry... Just let me know the outcome, and if and when you want them, and I'll Express Mail them out to you (I'll need your not so snail mail address)

On principal and FYI: I left an email for Morgan / Milwaukee Tool to see if they sell the pipe jaws. They do have a #87 still listed, but I don't know if the design has been modified.. Guess I'll find out within a day or two when I get them on the horn...

@Autopts: Thanks! It makes me feel good when someone else appreciates my efforts!

 

[ZRX61]

uh oh, now you've gone & done it.... two tone vises... Who'l be the 2nd to follow that path? LOL!

 

[v7guy]

Looks mighty fine, wish I could run across another vise in that sort of condition.

 

[bedt14]

Hello All Morgan Restorers!

It's a good Monday! Received this in my email in-box today.

Please review the attachment. We accept Master Card and Visa. There is a city name on the vise, Milwaukee, Aurora, or Chicago, This gives us a rough idea of its age.

Ty

[email protected]

@ZRX: Note prices for the front and back pipe jaws for #87 (#15 & #16). Think I'll order me a pair of backs)..

Best to all,

Phil

 

[HoosierBuddy]

My favorite vise color.

I've got my 6" morgan all stripped down and ready for powder coat. My brother has ovens and spraying equipment at his house. We're going to shoot it a week from Saturday. I'm stoked!

Going with Safety Blue and then clear coat over that. I'll post some pictures if it turns out looking good.

Phil

 

[ZRX61]

Re: very nice hotels in israel you can read about

That's a (relative) bargain on the pipe jaws, guess I'll be ordering a set too

Edit: ordered, just spoke with Ty.

 

[bedt14]

Re: very nice hotels in israel you can read about

Edit: ordered, just spoke with Ty.

Sweet!

I'm going to order the side lock nut (#8) as well, as my vise only had a nut when found in my dads basement and I have use a 7/8" wrench to loosen & tighten the side lock stud (9B).

It's nice though, that parts are still available!

Phil

 

[ZRX61]

The jaws haven't shown up yet...

 

[ZRX61]

two weeks later.. no parts, they haven't even charged my CC..

 

[ZRX61]

Called yesterday, they called back today. They are out of stock so the guy had to get permission to take one apart for spares. They're shipping the jaws tomorrow

 

[ZRX61]

Well lookee here... brown truck showed up today.... & now we know what the Morgan blue looks like straight from the factory.... but these will be beadblasted & left unpainted.

 

[Catalyze]

What a great pair of Morgans! You two did very nice work and the results are wonderful. I had never seen a Morgan combo vise until these two example so thanks for the education! Vise pie all around.
Craig

 

[Outlawmws]

Ok, I'm shocked!

I know this Morgan No 87 is a old vise, and yet the company not only has ALL the parts for them, but still sell the Vise!

I know its been around a long time because I have one I bought over 30 years ago from the estate of one of my long time neighbors (I'd known him 10-15 years, and he was a retired machinist when I met him (in the 5th grade.) and I'm pretty certain he had this thing for decades himself.

I've never actually mounted and used it, it was too pristine for the abuse I knew I would heap on it.

The PO was at least late 70's when he passed, and I considered myself lucky to have been allowed to buy a couple of his old tools (I also have his 2 ft (cherry?) wood level (Henry Disston & Sons, Pat. 1912),

When I got it it came with a wood Kraft cheese box with the pipe jaws in it (The Box was painted the same gloss tool gray as the Vise, so I'm semi certain the vise had been painted) as well as some copper jaw covers for the jaws.

My guess was this vise was mid-late 30's to maybe 40's, now I'm not so sure. (Until I saw this thread, I'd never seen another Morgan vise)

So how long have they been making the No 87, and can you tell when it was made?

 

[Warrenator]

Since all the Morgan vise experts are looking at this thread, any info on this Morgan? It came with my lathe..... has 4" wide jaws, says "Morgan Chicago" on one side and has a star with the letters STAR around the star on the other side....

I actually sorta thought it had been blued..... now that I see it under the unflattering glare of the flash I see the paint has just worn off and it is just bare cast iron with some oil on it. Maybe I'll restore this... it seems to be a better vise than my Columbian D45.

 

[Catalyze]

Hey Warren - that is a very nice Morgan! I have a Morgan Chicago and it has its lettering flopped from yours. My logo is on the side where your STAR is at. I am thinking that perhaps yours is older than mine.....not sure. The Chicago ones were the oldest of the 3 places they were built.
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Mine also has only one swivel lockdown bolt. I think Chicago Morgans ended in 1947....then came Aurora.....then in 1970 was Milwaukee Morgans.
Craig

 

[Outlawmws]

SNIP I think Chicago Morgans ended in 1947....then came Aurora.....then in 1970 was Milwaukee Morgans.
Craig

OK that narrows it. Mine is a "Chicago" so at least 64 years old. Any date clues for the Chicago era?