The VISES of Garage Journal

[RTM]

The way the lettering is cast in place makes me think that at one time there was a “National Defense School” probably during wartime WWII.

partial winner.

Investigation of the National Defense Program

Part 36, Continuation of hearings on military surplus property disposal abroad. Hearing of Dec. 27 was held in Jeffersonville, Ind.; hearing of Dec. 28 was held in Granite City, Ill.; hearing of Dec. 29 was held in Port Hueneme, Calif.; hearings of Dec. 30 were held in Lathrop, Calif. and...

books.google.com

Second Deficiency Appropriation Bill for 1941

books.google.com

Now we need to find a curriculum for the full win.


Heck, even earlier.

Annual School Report of the City of Barre, Vt

books.google.com

 

[Shiftless]

The vise itself did not interest me as much as the cast in writing. Just very curious about its origins. I didn’t understand the bv1 and bv2 unless they are just part numbers??

To continue my hypothesis… maybe the guy or the teacher of the guys casting vises in that class had initials BV or BV is short for some kind of inside joke. Or maybe I’m completely wrong about the whole idea…

 

[FullRaceMerc]

Big Vise 1 & Big Vise 2 for the cast parts?
Bill's vise 1 & 2?
Beginner Vise 1 & 2?

Pretty cool whatever the letters/numbers stand for.

 

[tool_scrounge]

There was also a “National defense school“ in Dallas, TX.

https://flashbackdallas.com/2015/03/25/2222-ross-avenue/

 

[Shiftless]

There was also a “National defense school“ in Dallas, TX.

https://flashbackdallas.com/2015/03/25/2222-ross-avenue/

You found it! Congrats.

 

[PierceA]

Had this broken odd-ball anvil fixture given to me. It brought to mind the many inexpensive 'anvil vises' that show up.
And like most of the inexpensive anvil vises, the mounting ears are broken off. Two of the three mounting ears are missing.

What I could not figure out was if this was some sort of 'vise' ? I kept looking at the hole on one side that had squared off notches on opposite sides of the hole.. It sure looked like a way to mount something to the 'anvil base'.

I asked CRSinMich if he had seen any such anvil vise info or patents, and sure enough, he found the patent for this vise.
It's not really restorable, but another bit of vise history.
I'd make new feet for it and restore the anvil base if I ran across the vise for it, or one that could be made to work. But that is highly unlikely.

PierceA

 

[GQSnake]

Not on the ones I have owned. I wonder if they replaced a broken sliding jaw with a different one?

I’d have to agree that is does look that way. The rest of the vise doesn’t look abused enough to have ever needed a replacement, but the moving jaw is different in width and height. Both have perfectly flat places too. It looks so lightly used. I wish I knew the history of the vise.

What is the width of the jaws?

akasrick

 

[RTM]

I'd make new feet for it and restore the anvil base if I ran across the vise for it, or one that could be made to work. But that is highly unlikely.

PierceA

That looks like a Cole vise, with a modified nut, hanging off the side. Here is my unlabeled Cole looking vise.





And the back view. Image a 90degree turn to lock to mate with the anvil body nut there instead of that simple thing.

 

[BlackVersa2]

Looks like a G. ******* Tool & Die kit vise to me.

 

[akasrick]

I’d have to agree that is does look that way. The rest of the vise doesn’t look abused enough to have ever needed a replacement, but the moving jaw is different in width and height. Both have perfectly flat places too. It looks so lightly used. I wish I knew the history of the vise.

Hmmm. A vise spreadsheet is maintained that has a 19 1/2 in it.
The man, looks that he was a machinist, who posted it has an album of pictures of that vise.
Just so happens he took the jaws off and pictured is the back of the jaws sized up. Not suggesting you do that.
The safe opening is almost as advertised.
Anyways, congrats on your vise. Are you keeping it or moving it along?

akasrick

 

[neophyte]

Had this broken odd-ball anvil fixture given to me. It brought to mind the many inexpensive 'anvil vises' that show up.
And like most of the inexpensive anvil vises, the mounting ears are broken off. Two of the three mounting ears are missing.

What I could not figure out was if this was some sort of 'vise' ? I kept looking at the hole on one side that had squared off notches on opposite sides of the hole.. It sure looked like a way to mount something to the 'anvil base'.

I asked CRSinMich if he had seen any such anvil vise info or patents, and sure enough, he found the patent for this vise.
It's not really restorable, but another bit of vise history.
I'd make new feet for it and restore the anvil base if I ran across the vise for it, or one that could be made to work. But that is highly unlikely.

PierceA

A quick google image search turned up this from Facebook Marketplace at some point in the past.

 

[Grant Gunderson]

Finally finished the custom interchangeable jaws for my Wilton 3C. I machined some custom dovetail holder jaws out of hardened steel. And then machined matching dovetails into all of my standard hard jaws, shaft clamps / home made copper soft jaws and made a few blanks too. I built two ball detents into each jaw using ¼” bearings to hold the jaws firmly in place. Here is my process for how I did it. Making the dove tail jaws

 

[master Zoda]

Finally finished the custom interchangeable jaws for my Wilton 3C. I machined some custom dovetail holder jaws out of hardened steel. And then machined matching dovetails into all of my standard hard jaws, shaft clamps / home made copper soft jaws and made a few blanks too. I built two ball detents into each jaw using ¼” bearings to hold the jaws firmly in place. Here is my process for how I did it. Making the dove tail jaws

That is an awsome idea and they look to have turned out great.

Where id that made in America sticker come from? I would love to get a few of them.

 

[Grant Gunderson]

That is an awsome idea and they look to have turned out great.

Where id that made in America sticker come from? I would love to get a few of them.

It came with an order from https://www.abbeybiketools.com/

 

[GQSnake]

Hmmm. A vise spreadsheet is maintained that has a 19 1/2 in it.
The man, looks that he was a machinist, who posted it has an album of pictures of that vise.
Just so happens he took the jaws off and pictured is the back of the jaws sized up. Not suggesting you do that.
The safe opening is almost as advertised.
Anyways, congrats on your vise. Are you keeping it or moving it along?

akasrick

I really like it in spite of the mismatched jaws. I like the smooth jaws too. I’ll probably clean it up a bit and use it for awhile. I may sell or trade it sometime in the future if it isn’t a good fit for what I need. I’m on the fence. It would be a certain keeper if it had the fancy letters.

 

[budget76]

very cool Grant, that is an awesome job. I could see that being SUPER handy for flaring and whatever type dies like that need to get held

 

[budget76]

It came with an order from https://www.abbeybiketools.com/

man, their stuff looks damn nice but I'd have to wrench on a LOT of bikes to justify that pricing. I'm sure there's a market out there, but that'd be tough to swallow for hobby rider me who maintains 1 or 2 bikes then tunes up the other 4 every other year or so since they don't see many miles

 

[930dreamer]

Any way to date this Columbian vise, spotted it on MP.

 

[Grant Gunderson]

man, their stuff looks damn nice but I'd have to wrench on a LOT of bikes to justify that pricing. I'm sure there's a market out there, but that'd be tough to swallow for hobby rider me who maintains 1 or 2 bikes then tunes up the other 4 every other year or so since they don't see many miles

They are the Snapon of bike tools. So yeah not cheap. Their Crombie and chain whip are the best

 

[Get A Grip]

That’s a beauty Shift, it looks like it’s been lightly used. Prentiss called this vise the Triple Ser-vise. It was billed as a machinist vise, a pipe vise and an anvil all rolled into one.

Smitty, I have been searching for information about the Prentiss 622 for a long time. I have yet to find a single catalog listing for this vise. You seem to be familiar enough with this to know its marketing slogan. Can you please point me in the right direction toward a particular catalog or retail outlet who would've sold this vise?

 

[Patrickm82]

Picked this little guy up at a yard sale today for $2. Stanley handy man H1209. 2-1/2” jaws

 

[CRSINMICH]

Get A Grip: Maybe Smitty will have more information. Meanwhile, here's a 1942 catalog cut of a Triple Ser-Vise. Yet another in a long list of anvil vise combinations.

 

[Shiftless]

Thanks for posting that CRS
I see the price then was $4.42. That sounds cheap now but gasoline in 1942 cost 20 cents per gallon. So you could spend your money on a not so great vise or 22 gallons of gasoline.
(Maybe with wartime rationing, the average guy couldn’t buy 22 gallons of gas all at once)

 

[Outlawmws]

Fords in 1940-41 or so only held 15 gallons..

 

[neophyte]

The Wards Master Deluxe vise from the same period was just under $5 for the 3” size, and it was a similar vise design.

Wards Master Quality vice

I am restoring a 3 1/2 " Wards Master Quality vice with pipe jaws. Anyone have any information about it ?

www.garagejournal.com

 

[dannyr]

Swivel-jaw vises from London, England:




This type was patented (588706 -1945) and made first by JEWilson, next by WH Colt, then DOHM-Colt, then DOHM, all with addresses in central London. The mid-sized one above (Wilson) is the oldest - a rough but solid casting, 4 3/8in jaw, 28lbs, with flip-out brass insert. There is another version with a side 'anvil' also quick release versions of some. The largest shown is weld-fabricated from plate - 6in jaw, 11in 'anvil', 44lbs, the smallest is a precision casting, 2in jaw, 3lbs. All have a brass nut and the triangular arrangement of screw and two bars, one being the brass jaw-cover pivot. Never seen these in a catalogue, but their offices were close to central government - maybe sold direct (one of those shown has a 'broad-arrow', meaning military, another a diff govt mark), they were reported in a couple of trade journals. I think they were not made past 1960.

 

[Patrickm82]

@dannyr nice collection. Pretty cool vises!

 

[Outlawmws]

The Wards Master Deluxe vise from the same period was just under $5 for the 3” size, and it was a similar vise design.

I was thinking the Same - I picked up a 3-1/2" jaw version earlier this year

Swivel-jaw vises from London, England:

I agree very cool vises I haven;t see before! - Possibly for the Vise spreadsheet?

 

[Jgaz]

I posted a bit about my homemade swivel jaw woodworking vise earlier this week in the Woodworking thread. It was suggested that I cross post it to this Vise thread.

I know nothing about my Wilton vise except that I bought it at a barn sale in the early 90’s for $12.
The vise was almost completely encased in fiberglass resin when I brought it home.

The thick cheek on the moveable jaw is necessary to mount the moveable jaw section.
A thinner cheek can be quickly swapped if needed.

Here is the moveable jaw in use.


A more detailed look at the moveable jaw construction.

The red arrow is pointing to the cutdown hinge leaf that was welded to a piece 3/4” round stock.
This is to highlight that if I made this assembly over again I would leave this leaf longer. A longer leaf would, I believe, increase the articulation of the moveable jaw in use.

 

[Outlawmws]

Clever way to do that!

 

[Jgaz]

Clever way to do that!

Thanks, but I can’t take credit for the idea.
I saw it years ago in an old black and white edition of Fine Woodworking.

 

[neophyte]

I posted a bit about my homemade swivel jaw woodworking vise earlier this week in the Woodworking thread. It was suggested that I cross post it to this Vise thread.

I know nothing about my Wilton vise except that I bought it at a barn sale in the early 90’s for $12.
The vise was almost completely encased in fiberglass resin when I brought it home.

The thick cheek on the moveable jaw is necessary to mount the moveable jaw section.
A thinner cheek can be quickly swapped if needed.

Here is the moveable jaw in use.


A more detailed look at the moveable jaw construction.

The red arrow is pointing to the cutdown hinge leaf that was welded to a piece 3/4” round stock.
This is to highlight that if I made this assembly over again I would leave this leaf longer. A longer leaf would, I believe, increase the articulation of the moveable jaw in use.

The current Wilton Woodworking vises have a swivel jaw that comes with the vise.
Wilton has switched to a slide made from heavy formed sheet steel though, which probably isn’t as good as on the older vises, other than maybe the advantage of the flat top.
The Wiltons are one of the standards when it comes to woodworking vises though, so a good choice.

 

[Smitty]

Smitty, I have been searching for information about the Prentiss 622 for a long time. I have yet to find a single catalog listing for this vise. You seem to be familiar enough with this to know its marketing slogan. Can you please point me in the right direction toward a particular catalog or retail outlet who would've sold this vise?

Here you go. This is from a 1941 catalog. These are really cool little vises, I finally found one a couple of months ago and it’s in great shape.

 

[Smitty]

The Parker vise gods have seen fit to send me a beautiful little example and I’m really happy right now. This is a rarely seen #19 with the swivel base, it has 2” jaws and weighs in at a mere 8-1/2 lbs. The vise is right around 100 years old and it’s in amazing condition, I’m proud to add it to my collection.

 

[master Zoda]

The Parker vise gods have seen fit to send me a beautiful little example and I’m really happy right now. This is a rarely seen #19 with the swivel base, it has 2” jaws and weighs in at a mere 8-1/2 lbs. The vise is right around 100 years old and it’s in amazing condition, I’m proud to add it to my collection.

I'm jealous very nice. Congratulations.

 

[neophyte]

Here you go. This is from a 1941 catalog. These are really cool little vises, I finally found one a couple of months ago and it’s in great shape.

Does the 622 actually have some type of “Rapid Acting” closing system ?

 

[RTM]

Hey gang, here are some vises I saw for sale at a garage sale a couple of weeks ago, and a few as yard art. Guy seemed to be serious metal worker, but was engaged in a deep conversation with a few buddies, so I didn't bother to ask a price. Suspected them to be high based on previous CL postings.

 

[Jgaz]

Hey gang, here are some vises I saw for sale at a garage sale a couple of weeks ago, and a few as yard art. Guy seemed to be serious metal worker, but was engaged in a deep conversation with a few buddies, so I didn't bother to ask a price. Suspected them to be high based on previous CL postings.

Never hurts to ask. I’d check on the pipe clamps as well

 

[Willy Wilson]

Hey,

Got a Massey Perfect #1.

Massey borrowed Parkinson’s quick release patent on this one.

Rare bird. Looking at the body i would date this one around 1910.

 

[Mark Stansbury]

I have scanned Illinois Iron & Bolt Co. Catalogue No. 51 circa 1924. Link will open to the vise section, with 7 models.