so waht ya doin today?

popper

Well-Known Member
So the 250s worked, then didn't after a follower fix? Only thing I've found with gas system is GB tilts if installed improperly and can leak. The key can also get plugged a bit after lead. use a drill bit and clean it. The hole looks large but is stepped down inside.
 

JonB

Halcyon member
2 months ago, I broke my large China bench vice...I mentioned it then, and mentioned looking for a replacement. I had a heavily worn 3.5" Milton that I found in my garage and mounted it to the bench until I found a better replacement. The Jaws of that Milton are worn smooth as well as rounded some. It is more of a pain to use that a pair of Vicegrips.

a few days ago, I went down a rabbit hole of looking at vintage Craftsman vices on ebay and then looking at the the Cyber deals on the new china Vices. I "almost" pulled the trigger on a 5" Harbor freight Vice...and glad I didn't, while doing the latter and researching customer reviews and specifications, I got quite the education of design. I seen lots of photos of broken china vices and where and why they broke. I decided if I were to go with a smaller vice (smaller than 6"), whereas a large vice relies on much of the strength from the heft of the casting, then the design for a smaller vice is more dependent on design...so design is more important than price, to a degree. I think it was a Yost website then mentions the use of a Steel U-channel as part of the adjusting half of the frame (I wish I knew the proper term), as a superior feature of strength for a smaller lightweight bench vice. There was a line of Sears Craftsman vices that were made in Japan (late 1960s thru 1980ish), and they had this steel U-channel design, so I turned away from looking at the modern China vices and went back to Ebay and searched the vintage craftsman vices. Most of the smaller ones available, have 3.5" jaws, but there are a few 4"...and I think I seen a 4.5" as well? Prices varied, as did condition. Most were over $100 TYD, some close to $200.

Well, I made an offer on a 4" Japan Craftsman and the seller accepted ($77). Many of the Higher priced ones listed were "restored" ...when it comes to old tool, I always prefer original condition, even if it shows wear and abuse scars. This one is original and is in pretty nice shape for a 50 yr old vice. It has most of it's paint and no obvious signs of abuse. Images copied from the ebay. I suspect I'll have it in my hands next week.

400px Craftsman red 4 inch vice side view Dec 2020.jpg

400px Craftsman red 4 inch vice jaws open top view Dec 2020.jpg

450px Craftsman red 4 inch vice jaw cropped Dec 2020.jpg
 
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Jäger

Active Member
Wonder of wonders, it's been confirmed that Americans started getting it back in December.

Lying Chinese, lying media, lying "scientists", lying and hypocritical government officials.
December?

Reading an article yesterday written by one of those boring old style long form journalists - not the Marxist Mainstream Media. Somebody suddenly (at least that's how it reads) had the bright idea to start testing donated blood for Wuhan Virus to look for the dates it showed up. For America, I think they first found it in early November. Another country they tested, Italy, it was September.

Aside from what you pointed out about the fear mongers and manipulators working the Wuhan Virus, the thing that comes to mind is this:

We've figured out blood testing for antibodies, etc for decades now i.e. AIDS.

So... Wuhan virus pops up on the world's horizon via the WHO and America's Disease Czar Dr. Fauci (of Swine Flue fame) late in January. It progresses to Pandemic Panic by March.

I had to write a Wuhan Plan as the ops manager for the company I was helping stand up from March through October this year - you need a good one to continue operating, and a really good one to not have somebody who contracts Wuhan not be designated as a workplace injury and the whole workplace quarantined, shut down, etc. The plan I ultimately wrote and was approved was over 73 pages, the last few pages being references to refereed journal studies on mask use, cleaning standards, etc. I read medical stuff and news until I was sick of reading about ILI and their transmission. Not a word about blood testing until the article yesterday.

I wonder why it took about eleven months for health authorities in every country including America to start looking at blood donations once they had the DNA, genome sequencing, etc figured out?

Or... did they all have it figured out long ago, and it was finally pried out of them by somebody asking pointed questions?
 

Jäger

Active Member
Declared yesterday to be the end of flyfishing season....

zz24.jpg

Weather is beautiful... but at 29 F. the last few days, I've had about enough of my line freezing in the guides of my flyrod for this year. Hopefully the real snow will hold off for about another two weeks then dump all the snow we're going to get all at once. Ski all through Christmas, January, and February... and then sit here twiddling my thumbs waiting for the ice to come off the lakes and go chronomid fishing for 'bows in the lakes while waiting for the roads to be good enough to get the dirt scooter out of the garage.

Even got home in time (after giving up on the fishing) to go for a walk with The Residential Sergeant Major and Laird, The Yoda Dog.

zz25.jpg
 

CWLONGSHOT

Well-Known Member
I loaded some 32/20's and swapped scopes in my stubbed barrel H&R 32/20.

9C65FF6F-32C3-4EEB-9B61-A0124CB8E26A.jpeg5E49BB04-04B0-44E6-B687-DB9064594897.jpeg
The HP is a MP 312-140 loaded with 2400 and the other is a 135 WFN made for my Ruger S7 327 on top if a compressed load of RX 7.

scope is a cheap Millett but better power. It was 5/8" longer then the Weaver 6x38 I had mounted.

CW
 

Winelover

North Central Arkansas
Have a 4 1/2" Craftsman on my basement reloading bench. It's not red, but gray. I would guess I purchased it new in the mid 70's, cause that's when I built the bench.

P1100274.JPG

P1100273.JPG

The roll around bench, in the garage has a a 5" Rigid (red) mounted to the top left and a Rigid #210 pipe vise (1/4" to 2 1/2" pipe) on the right. There is a spare 4" Rigid in one of the drawers.
 

Reloader762

Active Member
Headed over to my friends house in about 30 min. to cast some bullets for 45 ACP. One of our friend just purchased a Glock 30 in 45 ACP so might get to put a few rds. through that as well. Later on today I have to replace the idle pulley bearing on my truck that went south about a mile from home and threw my belt off, not really a hard job but it's cold and windy out today.
 

popper

Well-Known Member
JonB - mine is red and sits on the shelf till I need it. Early 70s version. Musta been a project I needed it for back then.
 

RBHarter

West Central AR
Headed over to my friends house in about 30 min. to cast some bullets for 45 ACP. One of our friend just purchased a Glock 30 in 45 ACP so might get to put a few rds. through that as well. Later on today I have to replace the idle pulley bearing on my truck that went south about a mile from home and threw my belt off, not really a hard job but it's cold and windy out today.

Just had to do that on the Explorer , in the cold .......I guess the arthritis is catching up with me . I think maybe it's been bad for a long time , I can't remember when it was this quiet . I suspect it was responsible for a large part of the belt squeal for the last 6 months ..... Fortunately it just spit the belt off when it locked up about 1 shift out of the driveway .
 

462

California's Central Coast Amid The Insanity
Jager,
You're killing me with those pictures.
My soul resides anywhere from Sula to Kalispell (didn't make as far North as Whitefish), and from Troy to Seeley Lake.
 

Mitty38

Well-Known Member
Got up early this morning. Or late last night.
Could not sleep, sinuses, muscle aches,from the China flu getting me down. Was ok standing so that left me standing with nothing to do.
Well dug out the Lee 20 lb pot set it up in the hallway on a crate, on my little reloading bench. With a crack in the door and a fan. Then started to make some 20 to one,
Then I stopped looked at my supply, started counting and weighing.Seting aside 50 lb of pure, I had enough left to just go ahead and give everything a 2 % bump of Tin.
.Then the brain started working. Boredom does that to me.
So fired up the Lee and put my cast iron pot on the wife's cook stove( shhhh).
Any how ended up putting all my lead, and so forth into 2 alloys. Except for the pure I set aside.
So now I have 400 lb of consistant pistol alloy, and 100 lb of consistant rifle alloy. All in nice neat labeled cardboard boxes of 25 lb.each.

Had 16 lbs of mystery blend and some dross pickings and a pound of pure. Shoved them in the pot with 4 oz of tin I had left. Already had the Lee 90303 out to make bullets for hardness testing and measuring growth in the alloys over time....So, Cranked up the heat and cast a bunch of Lee 358 158 rf.
Surprisingly they came in well at a consistant 358. But Sadly they read 14 bh right out of the pot, towel drop, a little hard for my taste.
Thinking of powder coating those later.
Been a pretty busy morning.
My arms are tired. But not too tired to lift a good cup of coffee.LOL
 
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waco

Springfield, Oregon
Walter once tried that. He tried to size a 35 down to 32. Oddly Jim tried to size a 32 to 35.
One had bullets all over the floor, the other damn near ripped the press off the bench.

Me? I just got the sizers switched up in mailing them?
Yeah. I remember that....lol
 

Gary

SE Kansas
My go to vise is an old Columbian 4" I bought at a garage sale 2 summers ago for $5. Not real pretty but the jaws close real tight.
 

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Mitty38

Well-Known Member
My go to vise is an old Columbian 4" I bought at a garage sale 2 summers ago for $5. Not real pretty but the jaws close real tight.
We had a Columbian D 44 growing up . That thing took so much abuse. Brother replaced the jaws on it Back in 90, when dad died. Brother is still using it, a lot. You got a steal there. It will probably last you the rest of your life with no fuss.
 
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Gary

SE Kansas
We had a Columbian D 44 growing up . That thing took so much abuse. Brother replaced the jaws on it Back in 90, when dad died. Brother is still using it, a lot. You got a steal there. It will probably last you the rest of your life with no fuss.

You're right about that Mitty since I turn 75 on the 24th of this month.
 

smokeywolf

Well-Known Member
Not sure they still make top quality bench vises. Best vises, IMHO are old Starrett, Colombian and Wilton. I have a 1950ish Wilton. Also had a 1930s or '40s Colombian, but I think I left it behind in the move.