The VISES of Garage Journal

[Mr. Wonderful]

A friend spotted a large unmarked vise at a flea market. He said it was heavy and looked well made.

Jaws are approximately 5" wide. The only markings are stamped into the dynamic jaw, perhaps the owner's name? B. J. FRYE

Anyone seen one like this before? Is it just an unbranded import? Unfortunately, I have just one photo.

I don't think that's an import. It looks like a very well-made plate steel vise. Similar to a Columbian 804. Very nice!!!

 

[Shiftless]

I don't think that's an import. It looks like a very well-made plate steel vise. Similar to a Columbian 804. Very nice!!!

I agree with Mr. W.
The name on the front might very well be the name of the guy who fabbed it up. It might even be from a shop class or some kind of qualification project for a welder or machinist.

 

[brumo]

Can anyone shed any light on my Tugo? Looks to have been made by the Backhouse Brothers Ltd of Cheadle, UK - I can't find any history about the Backhouse Brothers, or even Vice manufacturing in Cheadle.

Vice measures 15.5" long, 6.0" wide and 6.25" top to bench, with a jaw width as stamped, 4.5" wide.
Weight 37.4lbs
Opening Width 4 & 7/8"

Interesting speed opening mechanism by lifting the vice handle and sliding the body in and out - on release the teeth on the shaft lock into a retainer on the upper inside after which you can tighten in the normal fashion.

Any knowledge welcome - I believe there is also someone here who holds a monumentous spreadsheet, so if they want it to be added I'm more than happy to pass on the appropriate measurements / info:




Bonus points if anyone can point me in the direction of a spare screw in pipe bender for my Record Imp No.80:

 

[PierceA]

Hi Mr. Lahey, welcome to the vise thread.
The vise you posted a photo of appears to be 'possibly' American made. It has Parker-like jaw inserts, and a hefty appearance, unlike so many imported vises.
The 4-screw 'collar' holding the mainscrew into the dynamic jaw hints at a Parker as well. But also a bit like a Wilton.

If I HAD to guess, I'd say it is a product of 'Union-Parker', they made the last of the Parker vise line, and often used a thinner steel collar like on 'your' vise to retain the main screw. And the Jaw insert design also looks a lot like a 'Union-Parker'.

Pierce

Edit: Now that I have read the two other comments by Shiftless and Mr. Wonderful, I see that the vise may be made from flat plate steel.. The only way to know is to have more photos or have it in hand.

Pierce.

 

[motorcitykid]

Do I need a vise this big? Hell no. Do I like having it...yeah. Call me a nut, but sometimes walking by it, I just have to reach out and give it a little pat.

I get it. Today I took the dog out and went to the garage just to open and close the jaws a couple times.

 

[dannyr]

Can anyone shed any light on my Tugo? Looks to have been made by the Backhouse Brothers Ltd of Cheadle, UK - I can't find any history about the Backhouse Brothers, or even Vice manufacturing in Cheadle.

Vice measures 15.5" long, 6.0" wide and 6.25" top to bench, with a jaw width as stamped, 4.5" wide.

Interesting speed opening mechanism by lifting the vice handle and sliding the body in and out - on release the teeth on the shaft lock into a retainer on the upper inside after which you can tighten in the normal fashion.

Any knowledge welcome - I believe there is also someone here who holds a monumentous spreadsheet, so if they want it to be added I'm more than happy to pass on the appropriate measurements / info:




Bonus points if anyone can point me in the direction of a spare screw in pipe bender for my Record Imp No.80:

As you may know, Cheadle is a suburb of Manchester (currently home to many of the super-rich Manchester City n Man U soccer players) - Manchester was not home to vise-makers, but is under 50 miles from the Bradford area, home to much of the inventive vise making of England from about 1860 - eg Parkinson.

Your vise is a real unicorn - only seen that type of Quick Release on some machine vises, but there was a French-advertised (where made?) bench vise about 1930s with some similarities.

 

[ViceAdmiral]

As you may know, Cheadle is a suburb of Manchester (currently home to many of the super-rich Manchester City n Man U soccer players) - Manchester was not home to vise-makers, but is under 50 miles from the Bradford area, home to much of the inventive vise making of England from about 1860 - eg Parkinson.

Your vise is a real unicorn - only seen that type of Quick Release on some machine vises, but there was a French-advertised (where made?) bench vise about 1930s with some similarities.

But is it definitely that Cheadle, or perhaps Cheadle, Staffordshire? Equidistant between Brum and Yorskshire. There were apparently ironworks in Staffordshire and a Copper and Brass works in Cheadle.

 

[dannyr]

As you may know, Cheadle is a suburb of Manchester (currently home to many of the super-rich Manchester City n Man U soccer players) - Manchester was not home to vise-makers, but is under 50 miles from the Bradford area, home to much of the inventive vise making of England from about 1860 - eg Parkinson.

Your vise is a real unicorn - only seen that type of Quick Release on some machine vises, but there was a French-advertised (where made?) bench vise about 1930s with some similarities.

Found a 1918 directory listing for Backhouse Bros Cheadle - 14 Wilmslow Rd (ie Stockport, Manc, not the other) - doing war work on tanks (pre-war motor repairs) - 6 male, 18 female employees - nowt else. Maybe your vice was a post-WWI project to replace the war-work. You can find a wee bit more searching Walter Backhouse, the boss.

PS, remembered, there was a Manchester vise-maker - ie Oliver Machinery - they were a branch of the US company but did develop their own patented UK woodworking vise - scarce.

 

[CRSINMICH]

brumo: Cheadle (in Staffordshire) had ironmongers as far back as 1864 and by 1918 Backhouse Bros. manufacturing was there. "Eccentric pins for tanks" was in the War Production column and "Motor Repairs" was listed under Pre-War products.

HISTORICAL NOTE: Notice that there are three times as many female employees as male. It's not well known that Rosie the Riveter's mother did the same service in WWI. The males were likely in a trench in France.

 

[Willy Wilson]

Found a Cheney 35H.

 

[Mr. Lahey]

Thanks for the info, everyone!

I'm hoping to report back this weekend with some more photos of the mystery vise if it hasn't sold yet.

 

[CRSINMICH]

Willy: Here's some information about Cheney Hammer Corp.'s 35H vise. It was not the same company that made Cheney anvil vises.

 

[Willy Wilson]

Willy: Here's some information about Cheney Hammer's 35H vise. It was not the same company that made Cheney anvil vises.

once i took the factory paint off i saw the markings. I searched this group and saw the post for the link to VM. I would have bet money it was European.

 

[Willy Wilson]

AW & V Co. Pinchbug.

 

[CRSINMICH]

Willy: Nice find! The Pinch Bug has similarities to Versa Vise and others.

John Long's 1921 patent was assigned to Akron Wrench & Vise

 

[Willy Wilson]

Willy: Nice find! The Pinch Bug has similarities to Versa Vise and others.

John Long's 1921 patent was assigned to Akron Wrench & Vise

Cool, i did some research on it but didn’t find much. I thought I read they were related but I could be forgetful. I need to find some catalog with it in there. I’ve found nothing.

 

[RTM]

Try here

Akron Wrench & Vise Co. "Pinch Bug" tilting/swiveling vise

www.garagejournal.com

The VISES of Garage Journal

'Back in the day' (going, that is, by what one finds, all these years later) it was customary to mount vises to wooden bench tops with 'common', i. e., not grade-marked, bolts, often the old-style square head bolts, or 'carriage bolts', with square nuts. Even with the far lesser strength of...

www.garagejournal.com

The VISES of Garage Journal

jrobb316 nice 1C. Where did you find the date code stamp?

www.garagejournal.com

Vise Info Thread

H.S.B. & co. 163-1/2. 3-1/2" jaws that opens to 7-1/4 and weights 34-1/4 lb. Here is what the owner mentions. "Picked up an unusual Parker made vise (to me at least). H.S.B. & Co Rev-O-Noc 163 1/2. Was in good shape at an awesome price . . So Revonoc is conover spelled backwards and these...

www.garagejournal.com

Plus others found here.

site:garagejournal.com "pinch bug" "versa vise" - Google Search

 

[dannyr]

Regarding vise stands etc. -- I believe you can buy Heuer German made vises in the USA as here in UK - fine drop forged tools, but not my type.

However I just realised they also make a 'vise lift' (about $300 here) - with built in gas 'shox' - choice of force - to counter-balance vise weight - I lucked on one at half price, but don't know strength of balance yet. Lift and swivel.

- not for the really big boys, but could be a useful add-in to your stand or bench build.


Maybe this is well-known, but in case not -----

ps there's also a tilt version but many more bucks.

 

[Willy Wilson]

Regarding vise stands etc. -- I believe you can buy Heuer German made vises in the USA as here in UK - fine drop forged tools, but not my type.

However I just realised they also make a 'vise lift' (about $300 here) - with built in gas 'shox' - choice of force - to counter-balance vise weight - I lucked on one at half price, but don't know strength of balance yet. Lift and swivel.

- not for the really big boys, but could be a useful add-in to your stand or bench build.


Maybe this is well-known, but in case not -----

ps there's also a tilt version but many more bucks.

I found a Rigid E1 about a year ago.

 

[autopts]

Noobie here. Here's my Morgan Aurora 88 Before and After the cleaning:




missing parts on order

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/317105377576527/ Pipe jaw source.

 

[shibertus]

Recently picked up this Brockhaus Heuer. These are forged and supposedly quite strong despite having less mass than a cast vise. The 140mm model opens to around 8”. Made in Germany and pretty reasonably priced on Amazon.de

 

[RBarnes]

Delete

 

[CRSINMICH]

RAE No.35​

My wife insisted that I look through all the tools in a Canadian resale/antique shop. I found a vise that I have been wanting for a few years. The numbering is different than the vises in RAE catalogs but the specs are the same. This catalogue cut is from 1979. RAE only made vises for a year or so longer.

 

[Unruh]

So it has been a very long time for me to post on here. I just got back from a sale and had to share with some people who would appreciate what I found. So the listing was for “Tools of all Kind“. I clicked on it and scrolled through the pics. Most was garbage, but the last pic had a vise in the back on a workbench.

I messaged and asked about the vise. I live about 30 minutes away and wanted to see if it was there. I got nothing back for 3 days and then I got a message back…

Here is a run down of the messages…
Me. “Is that a vise still available? I live pretty close and can pick it up.”

3 days later
Them. “What is a vise?”
Me. (I sent a pic of a similar vise)
Them. “This is my Dad’s stuff. Yeah it is still here.
Me. “Great! I can be there soon. Where am I going?”
Them. “ I’m not ready to give you the address yet. I’ll get back to you.”

2 days later the listing was marked sold

2 days later.
Them. “Here is my Dad’s number message him.”

I messaged the Dad and set up a time. Just left with this guy. I paid $50!11

Looks like I need to find some lock nut’s and bolt assemblies for the swivel base. Anything else catching anyone’s eye.
I think it is a model 1010165.

 

[Patrickm82]

YOU ****!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[jjenri]

Wife found a Fulton Lowville Peerless 25 today for $35.

This thing is mint- I don’t think it was ever even used. It is a pre- 1924:

 

[Patrickm82]

So it has been a very long time for me to post on here. I just got back from a sale and had to share with some people who would appreciate what I found. So the listing was for “Tools of all Kind“. I clicked on it and scrolled through the pics. Most was garbage, but the last pic had a vise in the back on a workbench.

I messaged and asked about the vise. I live about 30 minutes away and wanted to see if it was there. I got nothing back for 3 days and then I got a message back…

Here is a run down of the messages…
Me. “Is that a vise still available? I live pretty close and can pick it up.”

3 days later
Them. “What is a vise?”
Me. (I sent a pic of a similar vise)
Them. “This is my Dad’s stuff. Yeah it is still here.
Me. “Great! I can be there soon. Where am I going?”
Them. “ I’m not ready to give you the address yet. I’ll get back to you.”

2 days later the listing was marked sold

2 days later.
Them. “Here is my Dad’s number message him.”

I messaged the Dad and set up a time. Just left with this guy. I paid $50!11

Looks like I need to find some lock nut’s and bolt assemblies for the swivel base. Anything else catching anyone’s eye.
I think it is a model 1010165.

It should have pipe jaws for it too. They go in the holes under the reg. jaws.

 

[Unruh]

Oh yeah. Good eye.

 

[ChefRex]

Suckness is in the air!

 

[Mr. Lahey]

I located the mystery vise from last weekend's flea market, and couldn't resist paying $75 for it.

It weighs just over 60.5 pounds. Jaws are 4-7/8" wide. Maximum opening is 6-5/8".

There's only about 1/16" of backlash, and the slide is a snug fit.

The swivel bolt has a bushing. The nut is held in place by two screws. There was a small metal shim under one side of the static jaw insert.

Does this seem like a one-off build, perhaps by a Mr. B. J. Frye? It seems well made, and over-built.

 

[Mr. Lahey]

A few more photos...

 

[PierceA]

Mr Lahey: Your vise is a mystery for sure. I see at least two cast pieces: the base and the slide. I can't tell about the static jaw tower. or the dynamic jaw tower.
There is no question that the slide is welded to the dynamic jaw tower, and the static is welded down each side to it's round base.

But looking at the end of the slide, it is obviously a casting, that 'key' shaped interior space for the mainscrew is the same as 99% of cast vises. The base that bolts to a bench top also does not appear to be a weldment. Or made from a single chunk of steel. It is a casting that has been very nicely machined. Most larger vises do not use the curved slot and a single lock bolt for a swivel lock.. This appears to be scaled up from a much smaller lighter duty vise.

With the degree of quality shown almost everywhere on the vise, I'm surprised to see the piece of shim behind a jaw insert. I'd have thought that the guy building the vise would simply have made a slight cut on the jaw tower to make it properly parallel to the other jaw face.

All in all a very interesting vise, and well worth $75.

PierceA

 

[PierceA]

I purchased a large Prentiss combination vise last week. I did not know there were ANY combination vises with jaws wider than 6".
This Prentiss 185 has 7" wide jaws. There is an example of this vise in the spreadsheet, but it shows the weight to be 240#. My vise is missing the swivel base and pipe jaws, but is 200# without them. I doubt that a swivel base and pipe jaws add up to 40#, but i guess they might.

So: ~200#, 7" wide jaws, 15.5" tall [no base], opens 12.5", overall length 32".
This vise has had a hard life, but is still surprisingly sound.
I have another of this type of Prentiss 'open side slide' vises, a #82, a much smaller combination vise with flat pipe jaws.

This Prentiss 185 has a maker's name on the inside of the 'wrought steel' c-channel slide. My Prentiss #82 does not.
I think the name is Dorman, Long & Co.Ld. Interesting find!
This #185 has an interesting mainscrew nut.. the dovetail is tapered in two dimensions, something I've not seen before on a mainscrew nut.

I wonder how many other types and sizes of this open-sided 'C' slide vise Prentiss offered? I have found only a single advertisement showing this type of Prentiss vise.

Does anyone have a link to a Prentice catalog or ad showing more about this style vise?

CRSinMich found a patent for a vise very close to this style.. And it appears that it was related to the Prentiss 'Lewis' style vises..

PierceA

 

[dannyr]

I purchased a large Prentiss combination vise last week. I did not know there were ANY combination vises with jaws wider than 6".
This Prentiss 185 has 7" wide jaws. There is an example of this vise in the spreadsheet, but it shows the weight to be 240#. My vise is missing the swivel base and pipe jaws, but is 200# without them. I doubt that a swivel base and pipe jaws add up to 40#, but i guess they might.

So: ~200#, 7" wide jaws, 15.5" tall [no base], opens 12.5", overall length 32".
This vise has had a hard life, but is still surprisingly sound.
I have another of this type of Prentiss 'open side slide' vises, a #82, a much smaller combination vise with flat pipe jaws.

This Prentiss 185 has a maker's name on the inside of the 'wrought steel' c-channel slide. My Prentiss #82 does not.
I think the name is Dorman, Long & Co.Ld. Interesting find!
This #185 has an interesting mainscrew nut.. the dovetail is tapered in two dimensions, something I've not seen before on a mainscrew nut.

I wonder how many other types and sizes of this open-sided 'C' slide vise Prentiss offered? I have found only a single advertisement showing this type of Prentiss vise.

Does anyone have a link to a Prentice catalog or ad showing more about this style vise?

CRSinMich found a patent for a vise very close to this style.. And it appears that it was related to the Prentiss 'Lewis' style vises..

PierceA

You may have found this already --- Dorman Long was a big heavy engineering outfit - HQ/main works in Middlesborough UK - made bridges, docks, etc - large structures of all kinds. May even have had their own steel works - this is just from memory - prob plenty of company history out there --- how does this tie in with vise-making?

 

[Andy FitzGibbon]

Mr Lahey: Your vise is a mystery for sure. I see at least two cast pieces: the base and the slide. I can't tell about the static jaw tower. or the dynamic jaw tower.
There is no question that the slide is welded to the dynamic jaw tower, and the static is welded down each side to it's round base.

But looking at the end of the slide, it is obviously a casting, that 'key' shaped interior space for the mainscrew is the same as 99% of cast vises. The base that bolts to a bench top also does not appear to be a weldment. Or made from a single chunk of steel. It is a casting that has been very nicely machined. Most larger vises do not use the curved slot and a single lock bolt for a swivel lock.. This appears to be scaled up from a much smaller lighter duty vise.

With the degree of quality shown almost everywhere on the vise, I'm surprised to see the piece of shim behind a jaw insert. I'd have thought that the guy building the vise would simply have made a slight cut on the jaw tower to make it properly parallel to the other jaw face.

All in all a very interesting vise, and well worth $75.

PierceA

I disagree. I don't see anything on this vise that couldn't be machined out of solid stock.

Casting only the slide portion of the dynamic jaw would make little sense. First, if one was going to all the trouble of making a foundry pattern, why not make the entire dynamic jaw and slide as one piece? And second, unless it is cast from steel (a rarer and more difficult process than iron casting) the iron around the arc weld holding the slide to the steel jaw would probably fail quickly.

The base looks like steel to me as well. I don't see enough draft in the design to be sand cast practically. I suspect the lugs are welded on, with the welds machined afterward... pretty sure I can see remnants of those welds in a couple photos.

 

[jonshonda]

Prepping the Athol 625 on the outdoor work bench for the winter season, cleaner her up with maroon scuff pad, and applied fluid film. Should be good for another 2 years.

 

[Mr. Wonderful]

So it has been a very long time for me to post on here. I just got back from a sale and had to share with some people who would appreciate what I found. So the listing was for “Tools of all Kind“. I clicked on it and scrolled through the pics. Most was garbage, but the last pic had a vise in the back on a workbench.

I messaged and asked about the vise. I live about 30 minutes away and wanted to see if it was there. I got nothing back for 3 days and then I got a message back…

Here is a run down of the messages…
Me. “Is that a vise still available? I live pretty close and can pick it up.”

3 days later
Them. “What is a vise?”
Me. (I sent a pic of a similar vise)
Them. “This is my Dad’s stuff. Yeah it is still here.
Me. “Great! I can be there soon. Where am I going?”
Them. “ I’m not ready to give you the address yet. I’ll get back to you.”

2 days later the listing was marked sold

2 days later.
Them. “Here is my Dad’s number message him.”

I messaged the Dad and set up a time. Just left with this guy. I paid $50!11

Looks like I need to find some lock nut’s and bolt assemblies for the swivel base. Anything else catching anyone’s eye.
I think it is a model 1010165.

Major suckage on that find! The model on that is C3. There's a member @autopts that sells both kinds of jaws for those. You can find him on ebay.

 

[Shiftless]

unruh:
You found a Wilton C3 for $50 ?
You sir **** big time!
Unbelievable!!!

New ones are nearly $3000 by the time you pay tax, etc.

 

[CRSINMICH]

PierceA: Here is the 1898 Mortimer Lewis patent. It clearly shows a channel running the length of the vise and forming a 'slide'. In the written description he says. "The sliding bar according to my improvements is preferably made of steel..." Your #185 does NOT have the extra flange, designated d in the patent drawing. Flange or no flange, Lewis is describing the construction of your Prentiss (who later acquired Lewis Tool Company).

 

[PierceA]

CRS: Thank you yet again!
Prentiss sure was experimenting with a lot of different designs.. Trying to find 'the better mousetrap' ?

Pierce.