Yost 34 vise

[paris by night]

Hi guys. Come back from La Rochelle with this very massive yost. Just find details on the new version but seem to be same.
Anyway i prefer the look of this one with the big lettering.
Buy to an old lady, the disappeared husband was working on the docks of La rochelle pier and big fan trading with sailors from all around the world. Beautiful opportunities ! The WE his hobby was wood working so, even the vise was probably not new, the condition is very close to new. Just some very very light scratch here and there.
Not my favorite design, i prefer the low profile but it is really impressive by size.
Details on the period product is welcome !

 

[JD.]

That is enormous!

 

[paris by night]

Yes and very heavy : 76kg (167 pounds) on the scale ! Impossible for me to load alone.

 

[thehorse13]

That's a fantastic vise. It will live well beyond your lifetime. Did the lady happen to have the missing pipe jaws? That would be a nice extra but even without them, you have a top of the line vise.

 

[tool_scrounge]

Very nice vise! I have used the 32C and 33C in the past. But the 34C is definitely a bigger vise. Replacement pipe jaws are available from Yost (link below) but I do not know if they ship to the EU.

https://www.yostvises.com/serrated-pipe-jaws-1-set-3-pieces-for-vise-model-34c-134c.html

 

[drivesitfar]

Paris: you seem to have a magnet to find that BIG OLD IRON don't you? I have the newer Yost 34c made in USA vise WITH THE PIPE JAWS and even though I moved it around a bit because i'm not sure i'm going to keep it I know it weighs about 165 pounds.

Mine is maybe 20 or 30 or so years old, but yours looks like it left YOST factory prior to WWII. I seem to recall Yost being in business maybe around WWI (early 1900's), but i'm not certain so I'll let others comment on that. what I can say is I wouldn't be selling my Yost if I had your version with the big old look that is very similar to my old Reeds, Rock Islands and a few others.

i'm not sure if my pipe jaws would be the same, but Yost is still in business so maybe they know. I can't imagine it being cheaper to ship them to you than you making them or having a machinist make some, but using the vise without the pipe jaws is almost preferred. with the *********** with the pipe jaws out is maybe why so many users took them out and then when they passed or sold the vise the pipe jaws never followed. hence so many old pipe jaws being MIA.

here's a few pictures of mine and I took it almost all the way apart and did some cleaning and re greased mine. it had about the same amount of surface rust as yours or maybe mine had more cause as you say your vise is in pretty nice condition.

nice find (AGAIN)!!!!

 

[paris by night]

Tool scrounge thanks for the link, glad to see parts of this beauty are still made : sound like a successful vise ! however i don't really need the pipe jaws and at 141usd for so simple parts made in taiwan i prefer machine them !
Drivesit yes i am very lucky from some months with old vises. i noticed some differences with your yost so i wonder if now they are still made in USA ?
you converted me to the BLO, i use this oil on old tools to keep from rust and on wood handles for a beautiful honey finish. do you know if it is possible to paint over BLO ?

 

[drivesitfar]

Paris: yes many members have painted over BLO after it dries if they wanted to. before applying BLO make sure to SHAKE THE CAN especially if it's been sitting a long time cause it can separate a bit and take forever to dry.

speeding up the drying process since you probably have about same temps as i do are to maybe build a crate and put a heat lamp in it for big stuff, heat gun or for smaller stuff some of the guys buy $100 smokers and use them just for cooking their vises and tools they put BLO on or paint.

again nice find and like I say you seem to have a pretty good magnet for good old USA steel and cast iron so keep up the good work.

cheers (as I tip my cold mug of ice tea your direction)

 

[paris by night]

Drivesit : do you have some infos on the "black japan" paint finish ? seem to be use on old vises. only info in english and not sure but look different that conventional paint. impossible to find any part of original color on the 34 so want to switch on black.
merci Monsieur !

 

[drivesitfar]

Paris: about 5 years ago a member McBrownie tried the Japanning method on his 100 year old Prentiss vise and it turned out JUST OK in his mind and a lot more work than just baking on BLO which sort of gives you a sort of similar look.

I looked up his post and it's on this Vise Repair 101 thread and it's post # 653

https://www.garagejournal.com/forum...4162&highlight=mcbrownie+prentiss#post4454162

and if you'd like to read our conversation about it before, during and after just read the posts around that post.

one warning I think I already mentioned to you is to dispose of BLO stained rags (and any stained rags) into a metal covered can cause they can self combust into flames and start a fire. or you can rinse or just hang outside to dry.

another thing to note is if you bake or heat up BLO on your old steel or cast iron I heard it has quite an odor and maybe not a good one.

cheers!!

 

[tool_scrounge]

Tool scrounge thanks for the link, glad to see parts of this beauty are still made : sound like a successful vise ! however i don't really need the pipe jaws and at 141usd for so simple parts made in taiwan i prefer machine them !
Drivesit yes i am very lucky from some months with old vises. i noticed some differences with your yost so i wonder if now they are still made in USA ?
you converted me to the BLO, i use this oil on old tools to keep from rust and on wood handles for a beautiful honey finish. do you know if it is possible to paint over BLO ?

Yost stopped making vises in the US in early 2016.

 

[paris by night]

tool scrounge : disappointed that they are no longer manufactured in their homeland, originals must be proudly keep.
drivesit : thanks for the link. i found here a "japan black varnish" sound like something very glossy, very thin tick and very deep black with strong pigment but it's 50 euros for 500ML ! (something like 110 USD for 1 liter) so i am going to touch the provider for details.

 

[drivesitfar]

Paris: i'm sure you'll figure out what you like the best. from what i've heard the baked on BLO is a pretty decent option to Japanning so your call on what you like better.

as I might have mentioned some of the guys have dedicated shop oven or smoker that they only cook their BLO or freshly painted items in. i've also heard the smell of cooking BLO isn't something we/you might enjoy so get some fans or venting in place to move the air outside if that is an option.

TS: so is Yost still in business and just moved their factory to China or maybe another country where they can make them cheaper? sorry I don't keep up with NEW PRODUCTS especially vises since my love is for the older ones and the ones produced prior to WWII are my favorites.

 

[paris by night]

Drivesit : no question, the older look better and have an aura. After touch the provider by phone the « japan black varnish » is for wood, to restore antique furniture with the japan lacq so clearly not for my use. After some research the best result seem to be with enamel motor paint.
What was the original color of this yost ? I saw light mark of something between black and navy blue. Is it coherent ?

 

[tool_scrounge]

TS: so is Yost still in business and just moved their factory to China or maybe another country where they can make them cheaper? sorry I don't keep up with NEW PRODUCTS especially vises since my love is for the older ones and the ones produced prior to WWII are my favorites.

Yost is made in Taiwan now. I hear the quality is good, but I am not thrilled they moved all production to a lower cost country but the sales price stayed the same.

 

[drivesitfar]

Paris: i'm not positive what color the old Yost vises were when they left the factory, but my 30 ish year old one is blue. from what I recall when I was posting on the big vise thread daily for years the old Yost vises might have been black.

i'd still prefer NAKED and BLO and we had a saying on the vise thread and other threads where members were painting their stuff that it's yours so paint it whatever color you wish. now if you are painting it for resale maybe offer a color choice to the new owner might be nice?

TS: thanks for the heads up!!!

 

[ViseMan86]

Hi guys. Come back from La Rochelle with this very massive yost. Just find details on the new version but seem to be same.
Anyway i prefer the look of this one with the big lettering.
Buy to an old lady, the disappeared husband was working on the docks of La rochelle pier and big fan trading with sailors from all around the world. Beautiful opportunities ! The WE his hobby was wood working so, even the vise was probably not new, the condition is very close to new. Just some very very light scratch here and there.
Not my favorite design, i prefer the low profile but it is really impressive by size.
Details on the period product is welcome !

I know this is an old post, but by chance woukd you have a pic of the swivel base? Deminsions, diameter anything I could use to map it out?
I would like to make one for mine if I can find the information.