The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area The Tool Chest Antique Vise - Every shop needs a good one.

I'm grinning ear to ear. $30 was a good price for this older vise that I got off of Craigslist today.
Desmond Stephan Mfg. Co. Urbana, Ohio - Simplex 41S. I wish it had an anvil but I'm still very happy with it. I took it (mostly) apart, cleaned and added fresh grease. Had to show it off.

Desmond Stephan Simplex 41S vise

Vise Pic #2

Jay

Jay, that is a neat one. I am pushing 70 and I have my Grandpa's old vice mounted on my workbench. I don't have a photo, but it was the one he used in his Blacksmith's shop. He did all the horse shoe work in his day. It's a lot different from yours.
It has a long rod that reaches the floor and it mounts to a leg of the workbench. In addition to 3 mounting holes on top of the bench.
I also still have his old hand turned forge.

That was a great buy. Now days a set of jaws will cost you more than that.

That does look like a nice find.

I have one similar to that one. During its prior life it was broken in two at the base of the outer jaw and welded back together. I crank the crap out of it and it will not break. That welder was a apparently master.

Sure is a nice find. Brand new one like that would probably set you back 400/500 bucks

The guy I used to buy Jeep parts from had one of similar size and vintage, but at a better price. He found it buried in his back yard when he was pulling out some hedges. Sand blasted and painted and looks just as nice as yours.

I think I'll get the shovel and go dig!

Nothing like a good vise. The one I'm using is similar to yours. Came out of the typesetting shop I worked at back in 1967. It was ancient even then. I use that vise practically every day.

my question is why are they always blue?
around my place they're like old trucks, seem to multiply, I currently have 3, the top one [made in England] I mounted on a large heavy wood block so I can use it outside, the bottom one is handy cuz it rotates .... all were free

Bill

Blue....Cuz they were Craftsman vices?????
dg

Bill,

If you have any of those good old "free" vices you want to send down south, I will give you my address. I have been looking for a decent vice for a while and so far haven't found anything good; lots of broken ones, ones with badly warn jaws, and of course lousy Chinese ones.

Paul

That is a nice one..
Speaking of buried- a buddy gave me a busted/broken one he got from out behind his house. I scraped the dirt off... and took it to Sears for a brand new Craftsman, lol.
freezerburn

Y'all just had to bring up vices... er vises, eh? Alright, here's a few from my horde.

I'll start with a little Craftsman 5162 that I believe was actually made by Rock Island, and re-branded for Craftsman. This was my first vintage vise I ever bought, got it for $20 at a yard sale even though it had some issues.

[IMG]http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/picture.php?albumid=3040&pictureid=32296[/IMG]

Next up is a 5" Reed 933 that my wife picked up for me (heck yeah!) at a yard sale. It came out of an old ship yard that's been closed for a few decades in the north Puget Sound area. It's been well used, but she's still working.

[IMG]http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/picture.php?albumid=3040&pictureid=32290[/IMG]

Next, is a 6", 160lb Parker vise that I bought the same day my wife bought me the above vise. I think we paid around $40 each for these two. Anyway, this Parker was made after Parker was bought out by Union Manufacturing, and now has the "Parker Union Mfg Division" label, which they did from roughly the late '40s through the very early 60's. This is a before pic...

[IMG]http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/picture.php?albumid=3040&pictureid=32289[/IMG]

And after restoration...

[IMG]http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/picture.php?albumid=3040&pictureid=32581[/IMG]

This is probably the oldest vise I own, a Prentiss No. 3, which I believe was made anywhere from the 1890's to 1910's. I remember it sitting on my Dad's bench when I was a kid. I'm unfortunately missing the keeper pin for the rear jaw. You can see the hole on top between the jaws and the coke can, where the keeper pin goes. The rear jaw swivels on this model.

[IMG]http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/picture.php?albumid=3040&pictureid=32291[/IMG]

A 6" Hollands 26N I painted up and gave to my father-in-law.

[IMG]http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/picture.php?albumid=3128&pictureid=33215[/IMG]

A nearly new condition Yost 32C 4 1/2" modern vise I got off CL for $60 and recently resold for a good profit. Kinda wish I held on to it though.

[IMG]http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/picture.php?albumid=3102&pictureid=32844[/IMG]

My 6" Columbian Post vise and 1 1/2" thick steel plate table, which also has a small Ridged chain pipe vise fixed to it. Under the table, which you can't really see in this pic, is a swiveling bar-stool style seat (you can kinda see it on the left hand side of the picture) that extends to any side of the table. I bought the whole rig for $100 off CL. The yellow yoke vise was another $5 from the same guy.

[IMG]http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/picture.php?albumid=3187&pictureid=34160[/IMG]

A better look at the table design, chain pipe vise and seat, as well as a huge C clamp I bought from the same guy for another $5.

[IMG]http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/picture.php?albumid=3187&pictureid=34165[/IMG]

A couple more post vises...

[IMG]http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/picture.php?albumid=3187&pictureid=34185[/IMG]

I wont bother posting the other couple dozen smaller vises I have, but I'll end with my favorite. An ultra rare 8", 278lb Reed 208 bench vise that I brought home and restored.

[IMG]http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/picture.php?albumid=3116&pictureid=33050[/IMG]

[IMG]http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/picture.php?albumid=3116&pictureid=33051[/IMG]

[IMG]http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/picture.php?albumid=3116&pictureid=33053[/IMG]

[IMG]http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/picture.php?albumid=3116&pictureid=33213[/IMG]

Can't imagine who's idea it was to "Paint it John Deere!"

[IMG]http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/picture.php?albumid=3116&pictureid=33214[/IMG]

http://forums.devestechnet.com/foru...s/480-welding-table-and-useful-shop-jigs

The one on my welding table is similar. It works really good. There is nothing like the vintage feel of a good strong vise. I got mine off Craigslist in the Tucson area.

Still using a 5" Wilton vice I pulled out of a trash dumpster in about 1979. The shop mechanics said it was cheaper to dump it than to buy new jaws. Well, I called Wilton and they sent me a diamond cut set of jaws FREE. Companies use to do things like that you know!
But I'd still like to find a good deal on one. I THINK I want one with the Round cylinder. Machinist vice I think they called.

Achipmunk,

Any Wilton "Bullet" style (the round cylinder ones you talk about) will have two different series. A rounded slide with a squared off/flat logo on the side is a cheaper version that they call their Tradesman. The Machinist series is their heavier duty line up, which sounds like the one you want.

If you come across a Wilton bullet at a yard sale or something, look around on it for a number designation, and the machinist series will be "400S" or 600 or whatever. If I remember right, a 400S would be a 4" wide jaws, with a S - Swivel base. 600S, 6" jaws and so on.

A Tradesman series will have a longer digit code, if I remember correct. "1760" and so on.

Also, if you decide to go with one of the more heavy duty brands like a vintage Reed, they utilize a 3 digit code as well (many other vintage brands used the same thing). Examples... 204... 103...206 and so on.

The first number will usually be a 1, 2, or 4. The 1s and 2s being most common, followed by the 4 and a few other more odd-balls that you'll rarely find.

The 1 means it's a stationary base (it'll be a 1xx)
2 means it has a swivel base. (2xx)
and 4 means it has a swivel base *and* the rear jaw swivels, like the Prentiss No 3. vise I linked in my above post.

The next number is virtually always a 0.

The last number is the width in jaws. 4 for 4", 7 for 7", and so on.

So if you see someone advertise a "Reed 204" vise... you'll know without seeing a picture, that the vise will have a swivel base (2) and will have 4" wide jaws.

A 105 will be a stationary (1) base, with 5" wide jaws, and so on.

Hope this helps.

Filson, it does help. Thank you. We take so much for granted sometime. Know I know more about vices than I ever did. Sometimes I wish I was collecting vices....or tin toys.....or....

i have my grandfathers 5in wilton vice that I use religeously for everything, I love it

Now I have to go look at all those old vice's (?) that I have hanging around the shop.

Here's a Reed 4C I picked up from a friend a year or so ago.
https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/ABYgIPKddYNh7pWV7ndmfdMTjNZETYmyPJy0liipFm0?feat=directlink
and the after picture
https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/shdDPppGvQqjiNp3clTAE9MTjNZETYmyPJy0liipFm0?feat=directlink

someone had cobbeled together a way to retain the screw, I ended up making a new split collar oddly enough from a discarded Detroit diesel 6-71 piston crown.
https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/Ky5C6nJIYosqcO3wIsczctMTjNZETYmyPJy0liipFm0?feat=directlink

Whole picture album
https://picasaweb.google.com/118082002072608219229/Reed4CVise?authuser=0&feat=directlink

I've been on a shopping spree this week.
Yesterday I went to buy a used tire and rim and ended up buying additional cool stuff.

Then today I went to look at a vise with an 8 inch jaw. I was disappointed that it didn't have any casting marks and it was much lighter than I expected it would be for the size, but I bought it anyway plus I got a used Texaco Oil Barrel for an extra $5. I'm pretty happy overall.

Why is it that I can't bring these things home and set them aside until I have more time? I just can't help but tear them apart and clean them up, and that just distracts me from working on my truck. Oh well, I had a fun day and worked on the C10 anyway.

Tripod Shop Light 1000 Watt Halogen that also has a floor stand after you disconnect it from the tripod.

Came in handy when I installed my exhaust tonight

[size:11pt]" Masculine"[/size] Texaco Oil Barrel replaces the "non-masculine" plastic kitchen style trash cans.

Barrel and Vise I bought today

Rusty Vise with 8" jaw, anvil and pipe jaw.

I had to take it apart and clean it. The screw apears to be stainless.

Rusty but functional

[size:14pt]How wide does it open you ask?[/size]

Don't let Ruth know your head will fit in there. She may just put it to use

I like that vice. Next one you find get it for me! Way to go Jay.

I have a vise mounted on the service tray on my truck even neighbours have asked to use it I use it to clamp an umbrella on hot days we had nearly 100 deg today 35 Celsius

The standard measurement for vise opening is cup size. Jewelers vices are A-cups.

Your new 4C is a Double D.

Nice score!

You can always buy a decent, large anvil from HF.

I was looking for a nice American vice for a long time. I about gave up. Then one day at a local watering hole, I asked an elderly gentleman that I had recently met if he knew where one was. Said he had one that he wanted out of his shop to make room. A nice American made Columbian. I came by later and got it. It came on a cast iron legs from an old press machine, with a thick steel mounting base. He wouldn't take any money for it, but I bought him a part from ebay for one of his projects. I painted it up and bolted it to the floor with some 5/8's Tapcon bolts. It is great for torqueing down V-Twin flywheels.

BEFORE

AFTER