I am surprised I just noticed this thread. It's about time I post. I'll just post my main vise, as I have about 6 or so that get used regularly.
Prentiss Vise Co.
New York, USA
No. 22
Swivel base. Uses a tapered pin dropped into holes machined into bottom plate to lock the swivel base, stronger than "clamp-down" style lock. 6" jaws. Opens to a full 12". Handle 17". The rear jaw also has a removable pin and swivels to clamp angled pieces. Weight about 165-170. Estimated DOM 1920's?
Price... Free.
About a year ago I was driving through my part of town early in the morning, 7 or so, and saw a very solid welding table out on the curb side. It's 3 feet tall, the legs made out of 5/16ths by 3" Angle iron with nicely welded joints and feet and a middle shelf (1/4" steel plate) enclosed by 3/16ths diamond plate and a top surface of 3'x2' of 5/8" steel plate, a total weight of at least 450lbs. (it was in great shape with only a nice layer or surface rust). I could only assume it was out there to give away so I immediately pulled my old truck over and jumped out and knocked on the door, but with no answer I wasn't about to leave it on the curbside for some "scrap guys", so I had my younger sister help me roll it up my ramp end-over-end into my truck. I left a note on the door saying I had taken his table assuming it was to get rid of and if he needed it back I lived just a few blocks away so give me a call. Before leaving I noticed an awesome vise (the holes on the base matched up to the holes blown into the welding table surface) on the driveway up by the house, but I would never be crude enough to take something not on the curb side so I looked it over and headed home.
I went back to this house about a week later to thank the gentleman for the table and "casually inquire" about the vise with a couple hundred dollars in pocket to deal with. For some reason I love chatting with older gentlemen, they just all possess a work ethic and wisdom so often lacking in younger generations, but anyway.... I sincerely thanked him and as we chatted I think he took a liking to me and before I even brought up the vise he says "well, I have a vise that used to fit on that table, if you want it. I was just going to drag it into the garage and hang onto it." So I said sure, let's take a look. He helped me load it up (with much struggle on his end) and I proudly headed home. Since then I've stopped by whenever I see him out and about to chat and found out a little more story behind the pair. The gentleman is about 70 and the vise was bought new by his grandfather for use in their farm implement shop in Wisconsin, as the years went on his father moved out to California and took a job with Douglas Aircraft, this is where the welding table came from. When the grandfather passed away this gentleman and his brother dragged the vise back from Wisconsin and their father mounted it onto this table. He has no sons or grandsons and neither does his brother so he was delighted to see it go to someone so excited about it.
The pin for the swivel base was seized up as well as the swiveling rear jaw. I got the swivel base pin unstuck after much careful heating, lubing, and hammering. I talked to a my grandfather and an old blacksmith in our town about the swivel jaw and neither had seen such a thing and said it wasn't worth the effort to free. But being an Eagle scout, I like to finish projects I start and do them to the best of my ability. So after boring out the lockdown pin for the top jaw (it was a soft metal and very seized on), there was much electrolysis, lubing, heating, and hammering. After probably 3 hours the jaw budged and after about 5 more hours of beating it back and forth came free. So after that it all got sand blasted and disassembled completely for priming and painting. Lubed everything up and reassembled and I couldn't be happier as it is such a useful, impressive, and historic tool. As a side note... the swiveling jaw is very handy. I turned a new pin out of some kovar and the rear jaw locks into place like new.
<a href="http://s155.photobucket.com/albums/s283/steven67fr/?action=view¤t=PA060020.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i155.photobucket.com/albums/s283/steven67fr/PA060020.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>
(4 1/2 inch Athol Pictured as well)
<a href="http://s155.photobucket.com/albums/s283/steven67fr/?action=view¤t=PA270221.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i155.photobucket.com/albums/s283/steven67fr/PA270221.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>
For those that have not seen the swiveling rear jaw:
<a href="http://s155.photobucket.com/albums/s283/steven67fr/?action=view¤t=PA060023.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i155.photobucket.com/albums/s283/steven67fr/PA060023.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>
Not to mention what ya paid...
