Clamps Antique and Vintage

[AntiqueBen]

Often overlooked but an absolutely necessary tool to anyone doing anything is the Clamp. When you just need someone to hold the other end, the clamp always does the job. Honestly, I've never gave clamps much thought, until I started collecting old tools. In particular I like antique clamps the most. Over built, heavy iron/steel clamps with a lot of markings & built to survive the nuclear blast. Besides the heavy duty construction, some of these antique clamps have designs & scroll work on them that you wouldn't expect to be on a clamp.

I know some of you probably have some really cool looking clamps. From the really small to abnormally large & everything in between, including the weird & odd examples. Post up your clamps, especially the interesting antique versions. My apologies if there is another clamp thread. I didn't see anything on Lug's sticky or after searching through an 18 page clamp search.

I'll start off with a few small clamps. The little tiny guy is a Super Jr No. 50 by Cincinnati Tool Company. The other one is a Taylor Clamp made by the J. L. Taylor Mfg Co. It has a patent date stamping of January 2, 1900. I use the Taylor Clamp all the time. I have several old antique clamps around the shop I'll have to get together & post more pics later. Let's see what's out there...

 

[Beerhippie]

Kant Twist 1":



I understand they made a smaller 3/4".

 

[AntiqueBen]

Kant Twist 1":



I understand they made a smaller 3/4".

Right off the bat, something I've never seen before. Very cool & very small.
Wow...a 3/4" clamp

 

[Beerhippie]

Right off the bat, something I've never seen before. Very cool & very small.
Wow...a 3/4" clamp

I guess they were primarily aimed at welders. Hard to see in the photo, but the moving bits--screw, jaws, etc--are copper-plated to keep slag from sticking. There was also a 3" model where I bought this one and I'm hoping it's still there tomorrow.

Based on the Pat App, these were probably made between '52 (patent applied for) and '55 (patent granted).

 

[slowtwitch73]

I think there's a 'master' clamp thread somewhere...

 

[Private Lugnutz]

My apologies if there is another clamp thread. I didn't see anything on Lug's sticky or after searching through an 18 page clamp search.

I think that clamps are like jacks (believe it or not) and just a few other tools that were proliferated on so many multiple threads back in the GJ heyday, but aperiodically, not as consistently as vises, for example, such that a single dedicated catch-all thread just for clamps never stayed active long enough to catch hold. At least not that I remember or found when creating the A-Z Index in the Sticky. There are some brand threads with plenty of clamps. PEXTO (search that thread on "Steel Screw") and Cincinnati Tool Co, just to name a couple examples.

Over the course of several years of flea market scrounging, I have been blessed to find three (3) Alva Colt 1881 patent quick-set clamps, all made by E.C. Stearns, in three different sizes, posted on my Lugzsonian thread here. I will re-post them when I can.

 

[AntiqueBen]

I knew I had one of these P.S.&W. Co. Clamps around here. This one is patented in 1888. Heavily forged stampings & a pebble background behind the stampings. It actually has 3 patents. They don't mak'em like this anymore...

 

[grannyknot]

A couple of little finger clamps for the small stuff.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

It actually has 3 patents.

The dates on the frame and the wingnut refer to the three Whitney patents: design patent D18,376 (Jun 5, 1888) for the frame, utility patent 385,983 (Jul 10, 1888) for the frame, and utility patent 388,007 (Aug 14, 1888) for the screw. @leg17 has a complete or near complete collection and @LesserSon is not far behind. I have a few. See...

...PEXTO (search that thread on "Steel Screw")...

 

[lilredex]

A couple of "Southbend" clamps made in school, S.A.I.T. 1962.

 

[Mike'smeatshop]

I knew I had one of these P.S.&W. Co. Clamps around here. This one is patented in 1888. Heavily forged stampings & a pebble background behind the stampings. It actually has 3 patents. They don't mak'em like this anymore...

Love it. THE IRON AGE. 1890. Now we know when it started.

 

[d42jeep]

This seems like a fun thread idea. Here are some I’ve probably posted elsewhere.

-Don

 

[AntiqueBen]

This seems like a fun thread idea. Here are some I’ve probably posted elsewhere.

-Don

Nice examples Don! I've never heard of Brink & Cotton

 

[ararat]

Here's a few of my clamps. Mainly Cincinnati Tool Co.

 

[AntiqueBen]

Here's a few of my clamps. Mainly Cincinnati Tool Co.

Nice collection! I especially like the long red handle C.T. Co clamps

 

[ararat]

Nice collection! I especially like the long red handle C.T. Co clamps

The faucet handles are really cool. I got a bunch of these from an estate sale probably 5 years ago.

 

[AntiqueBen]

Here is another old pair of clamps I use on occasion. The stamping looks like Wetzer Clamp Co. It appears some of the letters are missing. Some kind of forging mistake I guess. I haven't looked up any history on these yet, but I am curious what era they are from? Any ideas?

 

[Beerhippie]

Has anyone else ever had a coworker grab one of your bar clamps and slam it closed... with the screw all the way out?

Grrrr....

 

[ararat]

Here is another old pair of clamps I use on occasion. The stamping looks like Wetzer Clamp Co. It appears some of the letters are missing. Some kind of forging mistake I guess. I haven't looked up any history on these yet, but I am curious what era they are from? Any ideas?

Really nice clamps. They started in 1928. The patent in 1928 picture is for a similar looking clamp. So, the patent could have run out in 1945, and they would have dropped the Pat'd mark. Unless one of the later patents covered it

From what I read, people really like this brand. It moved to PA in the 1980's and closed in the early 2000's.

 

[AntiqueBen]

Really nice clamps. They started in 1928. The patent in 1928 picture is for a similar looking clamp. So, the patent could have run out in 1945, and they would have dropped the Pat'd mark. Unless one of the later patents covered it

From what I read, people really like this brand. It moved to PA in the 1980's and closed in the early 2000's.

The company name is Wetzler Clamp Co. Your right, started in 1928. Interesting story on this company HERE

 

[four.cycle]

Wetzler history at theclampguy.info

 

[Debcrow]

Most clamps are very basic in design, which makes sense.
However, some of the older ones are somewhat fancy in design and tend to stand out.

On a different tangent, one of the most beautiful Clamps I remember from my younger days was
Ellie May Clampett...

 

[Beerhippie]

Some new acquisitions today:













The Cincinnati TC will come in handy--the only deep C-clamps I have are flimsy aluminum jobs. The Jorgensen is a Japanned beauty--and hell-for-stout. The Adjustable is... adjustable. Good, stout 6" clamps.

Not a bad $10 haul.

 

[ararat]

The Cincinnati TC will come in handy--the only deep C-clamps I have are flimsy aluminum jobs. The Jorgensen is a Japanned beauty--and hell-for-stout. The Adjustable is... adjustable. Good, stout 6" clamps.

Not a bad $10 haul.

That Jorgensen is really cool. Body clamp

Jorgensen and Pony Clamps Catalog No. 17 : Adjustable Clamp Co. : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

38 p., illus., 22.8 cm, trade catalog

archive.org

 

[Beerhippie]

That Jorgensen is really cool. Body clamp

Jorgensen and Pony Clamps Catalog No. 17 : Adjustable Clamp Co. : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

38 p., illus., 22.8 cm, trade catalog

archive.org

It's the first Jorgensen mechanic's clamp I've seen. I'm more familiar with Jorgensen as woodworking clamps.

 

[Sawmill7]

Picked up this clamp today
Missing swivel end. Haven't seen one of these
Any suggestions on fixing end that's missing.
Thanks for any ideas or help. Bill

 

[Mintgrun]

Hi Bill, I googled vintage hallwell tool clamp and several examples come up. None of them show the removable tip taken out of the clamp, but it appears to be held in place with a circlip.

 

[Sawmill7]

Thanks, will try to figure out a little more tomorrow. Will try to find a swivel end to repair or make one on my old 1927 south bend
I am not a machinest but should be able to do something

 

[Beerhippie]

Hi Bill, I googled vintage hallwell tool clamp and several examples come up. None of them show the removable tip taken out of the clamp, but it appears to be held in place with a circlip.

That looks like you could easily steal the end of the shaft and the swivel from a cheap/trashed C-clamp and cut it down.

 

[Sawmill7]

Another pic

 

[682bear]

J.H. Williams Agrippa #104...





Cincinnati Tool Co. No. 51 Super Jr and No. 52 Super Jr...



Adjustable 1410...



A 2", two 1", and a ¾" Kant Twist clamps...



Two Cincinnati Tool Hargrave No. 43... one 6" and one 8"...







-Bear

 

[Mintgrun]

Another pic

That helps. It looks like the missing circlip just keeps the rod from being able to slip out the top. A decent hardware store will have a circlip.

It looks like the inside of that rod is threaded to take the screw and all you need is a new press-on swivel fitting.

Google Search

 

[Sawmill7]

Where do you get press on swivel?
McMaster Carr?

 

[Mintgrun]

I bought one there once, but didn't see the style I used when I just did a quick search. Click on the red Google Search in my previous post and it will show you some options.

 

[RTM]

Where do you get press on swivel?
McMaster Carr?

I've got some in my cart from them, not quite the right diameter, so may buy one larger, and one smaller.

 

[Sawmill7]

Well here is what I ended up with. Made a piece on my old lathe. Works good

 

[d42jeep]

Here is a little clamp I found at an estate sale this morning. I couldn’t find any markings.
-Don

 

[Jay__Dub]

Figured I'd better start cleaning my collection up. Started with these 2.

 

[d42jeep]

I found this Judd clamp on Thursday at an estate sale. Not much information available on the brand.

Vanished Tool Makers: Judd clamps

progress-is-fine.blogspot.com

-Don
As found

 

[Mintgrun]

I found the tiny 1" Judd clamp around thirty years ago and it's always been a favorite, due to the smoothly tapered body design and that knurled knob. Finding a larger 3" example made me happy. The one I picked up last week is in the best shape of them all, still wearing most of the plating.

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I hadn't noticed the PAT APPL'D FOR stamp on the rod until I was snapping these photos. I suppose that refers to the pound ratings, since I've never seen another brand with that feature. I haven't done any research though, so that's only a guess. I like the font that they used. The back sides are left blank.

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