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The VISES of Garage Journal

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Catalyze

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Feb 7, 2011
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Location
New Mexico
Very nice work Ex! It is great to see what an original Prentiss pin should look like. Lots of us have had to make them.

Chris - love the vises....and of course that IR compressor too. Emmert makes one of the most collectable (read $$$) patternmaker vises around.....the Turtleback. They know how to build quality vises.

James - you did the Craftsman up right....very nice looking and good lettering too.
Craig
 
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autopts

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Jul 4, 2009
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exmaxima1 said:
Hey, I'm new to this forum, but I've been refurbishing vises for several years. I recently got a Prentiss 19 1/2, circa (I'm guessing) 1900-1911. It was in great shape and I decided only to strip it and give it a finish. After reviewing the pics on this thread, I decided to go with a "blacksmith" finish---basically equal parts turpentine, linseed oil, and wax (I used "Blue Coral Pure Carnauba" as that was lying around). Heated the parts on the grill until all the sweat was gone and the gauge was reading 450 degrees. The mixture smoked and fumed for quite a while but when everything was cool a few hours later, the finish looks pretty decent.
Hope you like it!
Click to expand...

Somewhere out there on a UPS dock in Tim Buck To is 1/2 of that identical Prentiss. UPS fudged up the shipment the poor guy..Maybe thats God's way of saying he's already got too many!
 
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chris fresh

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Jan 10, 2011
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Location
savannah ga
autopts said:
$25 smackers? I'm drooling!
Click to expand...

yep!,i asked the guy what he wanted for it,with a straight face he said,is 25 to much? there was no way i would even think of offering a dime less.but i did tell him that i needed more than one,told him to keep an eye out. he said shall do :bounce:
 
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chris fresh

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exmaxima1 said:
Hey, I'm new to this forum, but I've been refurbishing vises for several years. I recently got a Prentiss 19 1/2, circa (I'm guessing) 1900-1911. It was in great shape and I decided only to strip it and give it a finish. After reviewing the pics on this thread, I decided to go with a "blacksmith" finish---basically equal parts turpentine, linseed oil, and wax (I used "Blue Coral Pure Carnauba" as that was lying around). Heated the parts on the grill until all the sweat was gone and the gauge was reading 450 degrees. The mixture smoked and fumed for quite a while but when everything was cool a few hours later, the finish looks pretty decent.
Hope you like it!
Click to expand...

very nice!

i thought about a bare finish,then out came the red :)
 
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exmaxima1

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Jun 25, 2011
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Midwest
chris fresh said:
very nice!

i thought about a bare finish,then out came the red :)
Click to expand...

I usually paint my vises, but then I never have the heart to use them. I end up selling them off (one guy bought my rebuilt Morgan Chicago for his family room!!), or they go up on a shelf. Paint looks great for awhile but quickly chips off when you clamp a strut or something big in there. I'm thinking this oil finish will actually see some work, and the swivel jaw will come in handy.
 
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chris fresh

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exmaxima1 said:
I usually paint my vises, but then I never have the heart to use them. I end up selling them off (one guy bought my rebuilt Morgan Chicago for his family room!!), or they go up on a shelf. Paint looks great for awhile but quickly chips off when you clamp a strut or something big in there. I'm thinking this oil finish will actually see some work, and the swivel jaw will come in handy.
Click to expand...

the deciding factor for me was,humidity,here in savannah the humidity will flash rust things over night.i figured after taking it apart and blasting it,i should put something on it,but i really like that oil finish,looks great.
 
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GreenGooey

Active member
Joined
May 25, 2010
Messages
36
I just finished "restoring" the vise from my grandad's shop. It's pretty beat up but it's cool to see how much he used it. Luckily years worth of grime kept it rust free.

vise2.jpg
 
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chris fresh

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savannah ga
spongerich said:
I haven't done a vise, but I have a piece of RR rail that I use as an anvil that I oiled and baked. The finish has held up really well without a spec of rust... it's like seasoning a cast iron frying pan.
Click to expand...

funny you mention that,i just told a friend the other day i was looking for an anvil,today he brought me a piece of RR track about 12'' long.maybe mine will get the same treatment.how is it done exactly?



TIA for the info
 
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GreenGooey

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May 25, 2010
Messages
36
airbuff101 said:
Hell Green!
That isn't beat up! It's beautiful. Nice job.

airbuff
Click to expand...

Lol, thanks.....it's got some pretty deep marks on it. I got so excited when starting the process that I forgot to get a good first image.....so here it is exploded.
unvise.jpg




Then this is it after grime removal and some wire wheeling.
vise.JPG
 
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Steevo

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Aug 18, 2009
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Location
43.49600, -112.04300
Craigslist find 06/28/11

I picked up this bench vise today for $20 from a Craigslist ad:

i-QXVCQst-M.jpg


Looks like an Athol . . .

i-fDrKhN5-M.jpg


I know it is standard practice to show size compared to a beer can, but I really don't have canned beer on hand, so here is how a highball glass full of a fine tequila margarita looks in the jaws:
i-skFVNWn-M.jpg


I dis-assembled the vise, cleaned and scrubbed everything, and it looks to be in excellent condition, just dirty and greasy.

i-KvkkGnR-M.jpg


After complete disassembly, and cleaning with wire brushes and degreaser, I lubed the threads, slides, and moving parts with red grease, and re-assembled the vise:
i-MQ3BbR3-M.jpg


Definately an Athol 614-1/2


I am quite happy for $20 . . .
i-P8M2HjW-M.jpg
 
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sanya

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Jul 14, 2010
Messages
24
Location
Sacramento, CA
Steevo, you stole that one from me! I was all over it 3 hours after it was posted but didn't get an email from the seller till today that said "sold". Nice vise. Nice buy! How much does it weight?
 
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Steevo

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sanya said:
Steevo, you stole that one from me! I was all over it 3 hours after it was posted but didn't get an email from the seller till today that said "sold". Nice vise. Nice buy! How much does it weight?
Click to expand...

I responded "sold" ten minutes after he posted it last night.
It weighs a good 50#, I'd guess.
 
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Harvey Melvin Richards

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Mar 17, 2011
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406
This is my small metal bending vise that I've had for a while. I haven't really used it much yet. It's made in the USA, but that's about all I know about it. Approximately 3.5" jaws.

P6291702Large.jpg


P6291703Large.jpg


P6274473Large.jpg
 
P

porphyre

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Re: Craigslist find 06/28/11

Steevo said:
I picked up this bench vise today for $20 from a Craigslist ad:

Looks like an Athol . . .

i-KvkkGnR-M.jpg
Click to expand...

Are my eyes playing tricks on me or is that not Acme thread? The thread tops look pointed instead of flat...
 
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Catalyze

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Feb 7, 2011
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Location
New Mexico
Steevo - very nice old Athol, they are so overbuilt that they look like steroids were involved

Harvey - now you have my interest peaked, you have to show me how it works by bending something
Craig
 
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BlindViper

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Dec 1, 2009
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Location
York, PA
So I bought a prentiss 515 today, they guy wanted 100$ I offered 60$ and he said 85$ firm. So 85$ it was I do not have my camera so camera phone pics and his pictures will have to work till I get home next week. This vise is in such good condition I don't think I will have to use anything more then paint stripper on it.
 

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SweetD

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Rhode Island
BlindViper said:
So I bought a prentiss 515 today, they guy wanted 100$ I offered 60$ and he said 85$ firm. So 85$ it was I do not have my camera so camera phone pics and his pictures will have to work till I get home next week. This vise is in such good condition I don't think I will have to use anything more then paint stripper on it.
Click to expand...

Nice vise. I have the same 515, but in a bit rougher condition...mine came with home-made crappy jaw inserts...I am having nice new jaws made. Mine also has a short crack in the slide at the tail end, which seems fairly common and does not affect usage, but does detract from the value a bit I guess.

I gave $35 for it, but the jaw inserts will be another $20. I say you did well with that vise!

Prentiss is my favorite vise brand...I own several...

Dave
 
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cort

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May 6, 2011
Messages
71
Here is my Wilton 1765 vise mounted to Lista industrial workbench with a butcherblock top. I grin ear to ear everytime I use it.
 

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spongerich

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Monroe, NY
chris fresh said:
funny you mention that,i just told a friend the other day i was looking for an anvil,today he brought me a piece of RR track about 12'' long.maybe mine will get the same treatment.how is it done exactly?
Click to expand...

I heated up the rail in my shop oven at about 300 degrees for an hour, then brushed on some motor oil. I gave it a couple of coats over the course of 45 minutes or so, then returned it to the oven to bake for 3-4 hours. I repeated this 3 times.

DO NOT DO THIS IN YOUR KITCHEN OVEN. It produced a ton of acrid smoke.
You could probably get the same results at lower temps and make a lot less smoke. If you google "seasoning cast iron pans" you'll find lots of techniques.
 
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chris fresh

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savannah ga
spongerich said:
I heated up the rail in my shop oven at about 300 degrees for an hour, then brushed on some motor oil. I gave it a couple of coats over the course of 45 minutes or so, then returned it to the oven to bake for 3-4 hours. I repeated this 3 times.

DO NOT DO THIS IN YOUR KITCHEN OVEN. It produced a ton of acrid smoke.
You could probably get the same results at lower temps and make a lot less smoke. If you google "seasoning cast iron pans" you'll find lots of techniques.
Click to expand...

thanks for the info,it will get done some time this summer,does it matter if the oil is used? or should i just buy a fresh bottle?
 
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spongerich

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chris fresh said:
thanks for the info,it will get done some time this summer,does it matter if the oil is used? or should i just buy a fresh bottle?
Click to expand...

I did mine with used oil. I also did some wrenches with transmission fluid because I had a bunch laying around and none of my cars are automatics.
 
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autopts

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