Just Finished Restoring A Prentiss 92 Vise

[A**holes Garage]

I should have taken "before" pictures, but once I got started, i couldn't stop.

Also a pic of a Prentiss 512 I bought already restored.

 

[blstickley]

good looking vises!

 

[Mmfh]

I can't say I've ever seen a Prentiss vise before, but they look like a very well built vise.

I can see why you like to mess around with them. Nice job on the 92!

Mm

 

[kngkong]

that silver one is pretty cool. never seen a font on a vise like that before. Nice job

 

[Motown 454]

Nice job.

 

[A**holes Garage]

good looking vises!

I can't say I've ever seen a Prentiss vise before, but they look like a very well built vise.

I can see why you like to mess around with them. Nice job on the 92!

Mm

I started looking for them based on a few posts on this forum, interesting history, quality for the period, heavy and solid.

that silver one is pretty cool. never seen a font on a vise like that before. Nice job

Probably early 1930's or so?

Nice job.

Thanks, it was in decent shape to begin with.

 

[John in OH]

Now that's a fine looking vise refurb!!

What's the capacity (jaw width and max opening)? Any idea of the weight?

You are probably about right on the vintage. My grandfather set up an auto repair shop to supplement his farm income in the 1920s and there is a Prentiss vice on what was his workbench (now mine!). I don't think his vise is as big as yours and looks to be a little older style so your guess of early 1930s seems reasonable.

 

[A**holes Garage]

Now that's a fine looking vise refurb!!

What's the capacity (jaw width and max opening)? Any idea of the weight?

You are probably about right on the vintage. My grandfather set up an auto repair shop to supplement his farm income in the 1920s and there is a Prentiss vice on what was his workbench (now mine!). I don't think his vise is as big as yours and looks to be a little older style so your guess of early 1930s seems reasonable.

It weighs 46 lbs. and the jaw width is 4 1/4" wide.

Unfortunately, this vise was missing the handle for the rotation clamp. I had to fabricate one;

 

[Provincial]

Nice job on the handle. Nice job on the whole job!

 

[AussieDan]

Looks great, I'm itching to get started restoring mine but a bad back and working with large lumps of cast iron don't really get along...

 

[John in OH]

So, after reading about your super nice refurb on your Prentiss vise, I got curious and went out to Grandpa’s old shop to take a closer look at his Prentiss vise. I was shocked to see that it is also a Prentiss No. 92 … same as yours … well, not really the same, … your’s looks great compared to Grandpa’s. I think his old vise has led a hard life.



I sure appears that the two vises are very similar so the “early 1930s” estimate may be a little off. Perhaps these are from the 1920s since that is about when Grandpa built his garage/shop.

Now I’ve got another project to add to my list! I sure hope I don’t run out of years before I run out of projects!

 

[A**holes Garage]

So, after reading about your super nice refurb on your Prentiss vise, I got curious and went out to Grandpa’s old shop to take a closer look at his Prentiss vise. I was shocked to see that it is also a Prentiss No. 92 … same as yours … well, not really the same, … your’s looks great compared to Grandpa’s. I think his old vise has led a hard life.



I sure appears that the two vises are very similar so the “early 1930s” estimate may be a little off. Perhaps these are from the 1920s since that is about when Grandpa built his garage/shop.

Now I’ve got another project to add to my list! I sure hope I don’t run out of years before I run out of projects!

Nice!, looks like an easy clean up and restoration!

I've seen some 92's that have a lever type ant-rotation clamp instead of the handle type like ours. Maybe those are the later models?

 

[Crusty Nut]

looks great. What did you use to get the fresh cast iron look?

 

[A**holes Garage]

looks great. What did you use to get the fresh cast iron look?

It was a hammer tone silver /pewter Rustoleum rattle can from Home Depot