Todays Vice Score... Dunlap

Hiball · Sep 3, 2012

I was with the In-laws today, Scouring some Antique malls/Flea Markets and the only thing i accomplished in 4 hours was this Dunlap Vice. I seen it stuffed in a cubby hole in one of those segregated "Rent a space" flea markets. I pulled it out and was pleasantly surprised at the overall heft it had, Flipped the price tag over and seen $16... Older USA Vice.. $16 bucks.. I didnt figure i could go wrong so i snatched it up. I probably wont be breaking down too many Hydraulic units with this thing but ill find a spot for it. I have very little knowledge on Dunlap vices, I do recall that they where affiliated with Sears or Monkey wards in some shape or form. I thought it was a 3244, But the Camera indicates that its actually a 5244.

WWIIjeep · Sep 3, 2012

Hiball said:
I have very little knowledge on Dunlap vices, I do recall that they where affiliated with Sears or Monkey wards in some shape or form.

Dunlap was a Sears brand, secondary to Craftsman.

Here's plenty of Dunlap vise information:

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=105491

Hiball · Sep 3, 2012

WWIIjeep said:
Dunlap was a Sears brand, secondary to Craftsman.

Here's plenty of Dunlap vise information:

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=105491

Thanks... My 5244 looks Alot different than some of the other 5244 pics. On a Side Note.. Based off some of those Catalog prices, I might have overpaid. LOL..

WWIIjeep · Sep 3, 2012

Hiball said:
On a Side Note.. Based off some of those Catalog prices, I might have overpaid. LOL..

Proof that Dunlap tools hold their value. :thumbup:

rusty65 · Sep 3, 2012

Cool score. I found a old Dunlap machinist box today and seems to be a pretty sturdy box as good if not better then Kennedy

Outlawmws · Sep 3, 2012

rusty65 said:
Cool score. I found a old Dunlap machinist box today and seems to be a pretty sturdy box as good if not better then Kennedy

It was probably made by Kennedy...

Nice score on the vise Hiball! :thumbup:

Hiball · Sep 3, 2012

Outlawmws said:
Nice score on the vise Hiball!

Any idea on what era it's from outlaw? It seems a lot different than most 5244's I've seen, I expect it's older than the ones I've seen in some threads here.

Outlawmws · Sep 3, 2012

Hiball, it's not in the catalog listing I have and posted here:

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=149519

But the U shaped slide is pretty unique, so identifying the actual maker for Sears/Dunlap should be doable and likely to get a better date than my guess, which is late 30's to early 40's.

I think someone recently posted a vise with the U shaped slide, possibly in the vise thread? Sorry I can't remember.

DandDMachine · Sep 4, 2012

I have that same vise. It was pretty ugly when I bought it. I dont remember what I paid probably $5 or $10. The previous owner must have used it as a welding vise, because there was welding splatter all over it(see before pic)Ground that off, polished it up a bit, bead blasted and repainted it. Its not a huge heavy duty monster but it works nice for smaller jobs.

tribbles · Sep 4, 2012

Nice score. I have a 5239 that's similar but the slide is more of a C-channel shape than a U. It's my secondary vise and it's mounted on an old brake rotor. Just like DandDMachine said, it works great for smaller jobs.

WWIIjeep · Sep 4, 2012

Outlawmws said:
But the U shaped slide is pretty unique, so identifying the actual maker for Sears/Dunlap should be doable and likely to get a better date than my guess, which is late 30's to early 40's.

Just thinking aloud....

An owner's manual I have for a 50s-vintage Craftsman vise with a U-shaped slide lists the manufacturer's code as 506, which is Sears' code for Columbian Vise Co.

Columbian did make some vises with U-shaped slides--their model D43-1/2, D44, and D45 vises of the 1950s--although for the most part, they have more squared-off tops than the Dunlap branded vises. I think it's entirely possible that Sears might have wanted a design that was different from what Columbian or any other vise manufacturer was making for themselves, and Columbian may have been willing to do that.

Another possibility is Desmond-Stephan (Simplex brand), whose model 500 vise had a U-shaped slide, but Desmond-Stephan isn't listed as a manufacturer for Sears.

kc-steve · Sep 4, 2012

^^^ yeah, I agree, and that horned anvil is very old-school Columbian. Even though Dunlap was second-tier in their tiered marketing system, it is still far better quality than even first tier Craftsman today.

I wouldn't go so far as to say it goes back to the 1930s though. I'd say more like the 1940s to 1950s. Unfortunately, many of the old catalogs don't show Dunlap stuff.

Steve

kc-steve · Sep 4, 2012

Here's a page from the 1939 catalog showing Craftsman vises from around that period. The vise at the top-left looks like it says 5144, but slightly different than yours.

Steve

Outlawmws · Sep 4, 2012

Hiball's vise has a lot of swept curves and shaping that to me smacks of Art Deco, that the later vises lack. Even the U shaped slide is Art Deco. Without a catalog reference I don't think anyone can pin this one down too close.

Steve, the catalog listing you put up is for a 5240, and the rest of that vise is completely unlike Hiball's; which is not even exposed screw.

I've found there is no rhyme or reason for the Sears vise model numbers saving the mfg. prefix numbers when present. They are not sequential, so can't really be used to date them with. in fact one model number (5177) jumped from Dunlap (1960) to "low priced Utility Vise" to the Companion trade name by at least 73

AceofSpad3s · Dec 29, 2014

I went to a sale out of a storage unit and got the exact same one, not sure of the price since I got it in a lot but probably only $3, rusty, but nothing a bit of elbow grease and a wire brush can't fix.

bonneyman · Dec 29, 2014

I think yours is older than mine that I got from the FIL. Mine has the sticker, yours the name is forged in.

It' a great little vise for small projects. :thumbup:

sgs236 · Dec 29, 2014

Outlawmws said:
Hiball, it's not in the catalog listing I have and posted here:

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=149519

But the U shaped slide is pretty unique, so identifying the actual maker for Sears/Dunlap should be doable and likely to get a better date than my guess, which is late 30's to early 40's.

I think someone recently posted a vise with the U shaped slide, possibly in the vise thread? Sorry I can't remember.

To me it looks a lot like the 1945 and 1948 Dunlap vise in post #3. Might be easier to identify if we had a picture showing the front of the vise and spindle. Seems like the closer to the 1950's the spindles started have more of an airplane shape to them.

454ragtop · Dec 29, 2014

Wow, strange, I have 2 of these vises, both different, and both different than any shown here. Here's a couple pics of one, other is mid resto, apart for paint. My other one looks just like this one, but instead of the cast Dunlap logo, it is on a metal tag attached with drive screws.
Jim

ZRX61 · Dec 30, 2014

I have the exact same model...

Before & after...

img

drivesitfar · Dec 30, 2014

HiBall: i think you found a keeper if you can use a smallish vise in your shop. i like that it is the enclosed screw and a pretty decent looking vise. if i had to guess i'd say mid 50's and i agree that Dunlap was one of the brands that Sears (Craftsman) had make some of their tools.

Electrolysis should easily remove all that rust or wire wheel if you like that method better. or evaporust, vinegar, and molasses with water work too.

I hope you have a great 2015 and thanks for all the hydraulic jack help you give to the forum. i'm positive your information you share has saved hundreds and maybe thousands of old jacks from getting scrapped. :thumbup:

454ragtop · Dec 30, 2014

And the plot thickens, Dunlap 5244 EXPOSED SGREW vise http://boston.craigslist.org/nos/tls/4818753679.html
Very very strange!

On edit, just realized Bonneyman's is an exposed screw vise, so I guess not that strange.

jakemac · Dec 30, 2014

Saving the picture for posterity.

It almost seems like Sears re-used the same model number for Dunlap vises for an evolving design throughout the years. Rather than give each it's own model series. :dunno:

Todays Vice Score... Dunlap

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