r/Vise

Grabbed this for $5 at a garage sale and am cleaning it up. Appears to be in great shape aside from the surface rust. Any good?

This Reed Mfg. Co. No. 109 bench vise has been an 18-month restoration project driven by patience, craftsmanship, and respect for American industrial history. What began as a worn and neglected vise was carefully disassembled, cleaned, repaired, and brought back to life piece by piece.

One of the most significant repairs involved rebuilding the jaw shelves. The dynamic jaw shelf had sheared off long ago, and the static jaw shelf had multiple broken corners. Both areas were painstakingly rebuilt using ER-NiCr-3 TIG filler wire, restoring the structural integrity of the vise while preserving its original form.

To improve both durability and appearance, I replaced the original handle with a much heavier custom setup using a 1-1/4” diameter shaft fitted with 2-3/8” steel balls, giving the vise a stronger and more substantial feel while maintaining its rugged character.

The jaws were also upgraded with new replacements made by Logan Kendrick from heat-treated A2 tool steel, providing exceptional strength and long-term durability while honoring the vise’s working heritage. 5 out of 6 screws were broken off. I had managed to drill all of them out and re-tapped the holes.

For the finish, I blackened the vise using Sculpt Nouveau’s Black Magic patina process, followed by black wax and black oil to deepen the color and protect the surface. The result is a rich, dark finish that highlights the vise’s age, texture, and presence without hiding its history.

This restoration was never about making it look brand new. It was about preserving the integrity of an industrial Reed vise while giving it a second life as both a functional tool and a piece of industrial art to be admired for generations to come.

Grabbed this for $5 at a garage sale and am cleaning it up. Appears to be in great shape aside from the surface rust. Any good?

It is an American Chain Company vise. 5" jaws , maybe 80 pounds. I can find acco. vises ,but I can't find the #12 . I was just wondering if anyone had any more information about it.

My 3 inch vice found locally on FB marketplace and after some work on the wire wheel and paint. Now I get to grin each time I pull it out and when it’s the perfect tool for the job.

I got this vise from my grandpa who passed away late last year. He was a welder and fabricator, but hadn’t used this vise for a couple decades - I’m having trouble locating an equivalent online, none of them on eBay look similar and the main difference is mine has pipe jaws on the underside.

Does anyone know the approximate year/value? And how would you go about cleaning it up (wire wheel/paint?) thanks in advance!

Nice right

Appears to be a Columbian in disguise.

Got most of the rust and a majority of the paint off. I didn't want to brush it too hard and wear off the stamp.

I plan to do another round of paint removal and some scrubbing with a scotch bright pad.

Still not sure what's going on with these jaws though. Maybe one was welded on?

Everything about this vise is hard to work on because of its sheer size and weight.

I’ve got a backup.

I am a manufacturing engineer at a metal fab facility and was using our drill press today for the first time in a long time. When drilling something longer than the vice alone and less than 4 feet, the team has been shimming up and stacking various parts or materials to create a slightly longer equal surface parallel to the vice.

Is there a vice that has a wider table, preferably a full T shape? Or do I need to build something?

If I build it I will likely see about putting a metal ruler up to 1" embedded on the surface as that will help set parts up.

TYIA