Mystery Vise...NOT from China

[Glacial_Speed]

Hello all,

Well I was looking over craigslist and this vise appears.

For $75. I send an email to ask about the jaw size and when I could come by.

The next day I get an email back from the woman who placed the ad saying sorry but her brother wants the vise. I'm disappointed, but if it has some sentimental value I guess that makes it sting less....sort of...... GRRRRR. Craigslist, you are a cruel mistress. LOL

I'm guessing it was their father's (who probably has passed away) and she got stuck with her Old man's stuff, but that's a guess.

Now the question WHAT IS IT? The only clues? That picture above and not too far from a Connecticut shipyard.

I'm thinking a custom run for some company.........but why the design like that?

 

[bl00]

<a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=ZDnOAAAAMAAJ&lpg=PA330&ots=wWRL8bInCN&dq=barrett%20vise%20co&pg=PA330&ci=6%2C49%2C990%2C1487&source=bookclip"><img src="http://books.google.com/books?id=ZDnOAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA330&img=1&zoom=3&hl=en&sig=ACfU3U0XQvAcEA2p9yRHwhZJSyyg6xRxNw&ci=6%2C49%2C990%2C1487&edge=0"/></a>

 

[Bret888]

That looks like a good vise, and I have never seen one. I am not clear on the swivel jaw design, unless there is clearance for the bar to pivot some, inside the static frame? Didn't Yost buy out Meadville Vice over 100 yrs ago?

 

[gbh]

The brother said he wants it? Maybe that's because he was going to get $0 of that $75?
If it were me and I really wanted it I would consider offering $100...to grease the wheels.
Perhaps if they were getting $50 EACH then the sentimental attachment might magically disappear.

 

[pipsters]

For $100 I'd buy a nice Columbian off ebay and have it shipped to my door

 

[bl00]

I am not clear on the swivel jaw design, unless there is clearance for the bar to pivot some, inside the static frame? Didn't Yost buy out Meadville Vice over 100 yrs ago?

Here's some info on the internals of the vise. It's an interesting design. Too bad nobody got it. I'd love to pics of it taken apart to see how it works.

On the Barrett history: Yes, Yost bought Meadville in 1909. I'm not sure if Barrett was a stand alone company at one time or if was always part of Meadville. I'll update this if I figure it out.

<a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=b_5YAAAAYAAJ&lpg=PA196&ots=zG1yDlr0cX&dq=barrett%20vise&pg=PA196&ci=48%2C13%2C612%2C1368&source=bookclip"><img src="http://books.google.com/books?id=b_5YAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA196&img=1&zoom=3&hl=en&sig=ACfU3U3eGiMXYN2sEP5a53ddyhEcZeSIvw&ci=48%2C13%2C612%2C1368&edge=0"/></a>

 

[Major Ramifications]

$75 seems like a hell of a lot to me.

 

[gatewaysysop]

That looks like a good vise, and I have never seen one. I am not clear on the swivel jaw design, unless there is clearance for the bar to pivot some, inside the static frame?

Here's some info on the internals of the vise. It's an interesting design. Too bad nobody got it. I'd love to pics of it taken apart to see how it works.

I've looked at the pictures for half an hour now and read all the text in those excerpts, I still don't get it either. I think it's partly because the pictures, while nice to look at, are simply doing a horrific job of imparting upon the prospective buyer how the mechanism actually works.

Anyone have any better insight?

 

[Bret888]

It is not quite like I thought before seeing B100 pictures.
It looks to me, that the base has the post that is the anchor, with the nut inside the post. The rear jaw fits down over the post, then the bar is screwed through both. The rear jaw must have clearance on both sides of the bar, to allow it to swivel some, side to side. When you clamp parallel, you leave the tapered pin in the base holding the rear jaw square, and when you want to clamp tapered, you pull the pin, and the rear jaw can swivel some on the post.
I am not positive what I am seeing, and I am not positive anyone can understand what I wrote either...