The forever growing collection

[Teddybo]

MD

Just showing collection.  As of right I have 14 post vises and a few anvils.

Today I am going to go pick up what I believe to be around 5 3:4” Peter Wright in Santa Cruz  I have a lead on a 6 inch one in writing a 5 1/2 inch one in Turlock 34 inch ones for 65 bucks apiece in Nevada city actually Carson City and then a few more over in Sacramento if anyone was looking . Lately that’s been a hot spot thus will be the second blacksmith shop in the area in the last 30 days that I am lucky enough to get first dibs . Last one I spent every nickel I had and still only scratched the surface of what they had . I really enjoy digging though old shops not touched in 50-80 years .

 

anyways back on topic I currently have 

7” iron city 150 lb screw pretty worn and leg chopped short not by me though 

7” Indian 150 lb amazing condition 

6 1/2” Columbian 130 lb needs new rivets as it’s come loose 

6” Peter Wright 100 lb screw box has all writing legible and the crest jn the center - in amazing shape 

6”iron city 100 lb - got at last shop in Lodi and is the first one I’ve ever seen without chamfers on the legs and the dual arm bench mount . Is this a newer version ? Doesn’t lok forge welded 

6 “ unknown manufacturer 110 lb some wear in sweet spot of threads but I’m good shape still

6” Indian 100 lb in great condition and crest somewhat legible but suffered at had pitting on brace supporting arm 

5 3/4”  Peter Wright 90 lb In even better condition than the 6”

5 3/8 iron city 80 lb with chamfered legs in great condition but I need to reassemble it just got done going through electrolysis bath

5 1/4” iron city 70 lb with chamfered legs pretty Much unused in amazing condition 

5” unknown manufacturer has 62 1/2 stamped on jaw and some lettering but no one has been able to identify it yet  

5” newer drop forged columbian 35 lb only keeping cause it’s xxxx near perfect condition

4 1/2” iron city 45 lb just got this one man was the screw stuck on this one so bad I had the whole thing cherry red and the force needed to break lose cracked the screw so I had to weld it back - currently is electrolysis bath 

 

4 1/2” frankin vise . Don’t know weather I should order some acme thread and a nut  and make a screw and screw box or fabricate the oversized one it come with that’s obviously not not meant for it 

4”  Trenton 35 lb I traded a banch vise Thad was in mint condition for among trent

ones i've sold in last 6 months 

5 3/4” columbian 

P5 3/4” Trenton 

4 1/2 “ columbian 

41/2” iron city 

5” columbian 

4 1/2” arthor O’Leary 

 

also so I have a 6” columbian bench vise I’m restoring model 506-2 and had new jaw inserts  made for it - picked up for 50$

model 4041/2 swivel jaw and base reed vise only negative is  the swivel base was cracked in half but I welded it back together 

Actually just picked up another one of them the base is tore up actually it welded the top to the base but the rest of it seems pretty good and intact

I have a prentiss  bench vice but I don’t know the model number and have had a hell of a time trying to clean up the cast-iron is so full of purities so I have to use an order nasty cast from Vulcan . But it has a pretty cool swivel locking mechanism Unlike anything I’ve seen  does anybody have any insight  

I also have a couple anvils

172 hay budden i fallowed anvil mag way of fixing the edges and am  waiting for my buddy to have room in the shop to put it on the surface grinder and get everything nice and clean and done as far as the edges and table or let me know if I need to fill more 

120 lb columbian 

110 lb columbian 

 It’s amazing how 10 pounds softener and they ring it completely differently I must admit 110 pound one is annoying  high pitch ring 

 

I have all parts to post vises some are not done being cleaned up /restored 

[BIGGUNDOCTOR]

I hope you are not paying collector prices.

[Frosty]

You're either really well connected or crazy lucky. 

Frosty The Lucky.

[ThomasPowers]

Back in the 90's the going rate in Central Ohio was around US$20 for a standard 4" post vise.  I finally put a cap on the number I would own and kept up-grading them.  Came in real handy when I moved to tool poor desert areas.

[Glenn]

How do you clean up the vises you purchase? 

What do you then use to keep then in good condition?

[ThomasPowers]

Use them?   I wire brush off loose rust and wipe down with BLO as I soak the heads of my hammers/handles in it and so have oily rags to use up before burning them.

I use the machine oil they sell out here for swamp coolers for the screw/screwbox and thrust washers.  Again as I always have it to hand.

[Teddybo]

 

I usually pay 100$ for 4-5” in great shape and tend  not to buy littler ones they always need repairing 

150$ 5 1/2”-5 3/4” lately 

200-250 for 6- 6.5” and I only own 2x7” and paid 280 and 350 but the   More expensive one the guy wouldn’t let me buy just a large one I had to buy a 4 inch and a large one 

I use electrolysis  and Johnson’s wax  I found that if you use a wire wheel  you risk erasing  fine details that will help you identify certain post vises  that Are not obviously one brand or another but I have two Indian vises that since I used  electrolysis was able to see very very fine Indian chief stamp on the jaws in each . I’m  kind a well-connected I responded to a lot adds even if they’re not showing blacksmith related items like  if I see old tools I ask everyone . I connect more people that are buying and selling together also like guy I know was looking for 300+ anvil for good price and I knew someone 159 miles away who had let me jbjs he was selling one. And also I’m really nice when I sell items  a lot of times if it’s father and son come over I end up giving them a ton of supplies for free  I lost my dad about a year ago so whenever a son and father come over to buy something OK I hooked him up as best as I can shoot myself in the foot  a lot of of the time doing it but im able to help them grow a bond and enjoy each others company .  lotta older gentleman have an easier time relating to and talking to me because I’m very respectful and have values that are not seen nowadays with people my age -32

 Are use Molly  grease or other similar gear summer grease  on screw and screw books and the bottom of the moving jaw.   I buy the industrial giant 5 gallon purple power degreaser from Home Depot it is the best stuff I found yet xxxx takes up paint even .it’s pretty cheap for how much you get and i will soak/ fill the screw box with it  and just soak it for a day and then when was washed out of water almost everything comes out 

[Teddybo]

Bench vises  I’m just lucky and got my most recent reed swivel jaw for free dude even delivered it from Sacramento to bay  area. Prentiss one I got is scrap yard and ya the first Reed swivel jaw one I got for 60 bucks they weren’t nice looking when  I got then I have to do akkotbid soaking ad heating to get the jaws loose and also both I had to repair the base on I’ve had to teach myself how to weld and repair cast iron and have gotten pretty good st it. I don’t use nickel rod you know I have a ton of it because it doesn’t color match and it’s riddle I tend to use a Vulcan nasty cast as a buttering layer and then afterwards use 7018 but first I heat the xxxx out of it to burn out any oil or anything else that might be in it and then I slow cool it   Clean up the area I’m going to weld and then Head back up to around 400-500 f and  weld it i’ve got to mention I also have a 6 inch Columbian bench Vise I got for I think 40 bucks Cause if didn’t have any of the jaw inserts I had a friend who has a YouTube channel “metal tips and tricks “and machine shop make me some jaw inserts and then I fix the screw nut and I filled in a couple pot Marks and am getting ready to sell it 

[Teddybo]

 Are used to use linseed oil but it tends to leave a sticky residue behind and after one of the rags spontaneously  combusted I have a stop using it I like the Johnsons wax because if you heat the metal  a little bit it’s soaks in and it doesn’t leave a sticky feeling and leaves a nice clean look that I like and I also upgrade a lot I’ll sell two of them to go fund  an anvil  or a larger post vise or welding equipment .  I’m gifted at buying welding tanks as well I like to buy them used full  for 150 bucks and then I’ll sell them empty for $150 because I use up a lot of Oxygen acetylene  each month and one month I actually had to pay for the gas was 600 bucks.I’m not in a for huge  profit I like to make 50$  For my time and for cleaning it up as well as driving out to get these that are hours away usually 

[99ls1ss]

Do you have any tips on removing the swivel jaw pin from a Reed 405 vise?  I got one at an auction and I can't get that pin out.  

[prytrch1]

I'm trying to find a replacement spindle nut for a Columbian diver vise or digit vise looks to be a model 406

Swivel jaw

It has a 3 thread per inch acme thread and a 1-1/4" spindle thread diameter.

Any ideas?

McMaster Carr can't get one and Ereplacements.com can't find one either.

Edited March 8, 2020 by Mod30
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