Machine vise help

Jnmario · Sep 24, 2018

Hi there. I have what I believe to be a machine c
Vise that I picked up today as a throw in item on a tool lot I bought. I don't have a machine to use it on so I will be selling it. Can anyone identify the manufacturer at all? There isn't a single branding of any kind anywhere on it. I am aware that the handle is missing. Thanks

jumbojak · Sep 24, 2018

That looks suspiciously like a grinding vise to me. I can't help with a manufacturer though.

MichaelP · Sep 24, 2018

Looks like a drill press vise or a poor quality grinding vise used for drilling (I wouldn't use it for grinding either). Probably of Asian origin.

Oldtuleguy · Sep 24, 2018

Based on the holes drilled all over the top of the jaws, I would say someone was using it in a drill press. Looks a bit chineesy...

Toolmaker65 · Sep 25, 2018

What you have there is a horizontal drill press vise - they are usually cast iron, although some older ones were actually all steel. The better ones are always identified - names such as Wilton, Palmgren, Stanley, Yankee/North Bros. That one looks more along the line of an import from India, China, or Pakistan. Good for holding stuff to drill holes and that's about it.

Grinding/toolmakers vises are made out of hardened tool steel, so it is pretty hard to drill holes in them unless you are using carbide drills. There are toolmakers vises with similar construction using a screwed movable jaw, but they do not have the camel hump - they are flat on all sides due to how they are used. They also have some fairly close tolerances on squareness and parallelism. The cost of these would prevent one from being abused by having holes drilled in it.

You can go to mscdirect.com (or any other industrial supplier, such as Grainger) and search on the keywords drill press vise or grinding vise to see the differences.

454ragtop · Sep 25, 2018

When you open it, are there more holes drilled in the vise we can't see? You'll be lucky to get $5. for that vise in that condition, missing the handle and all.

Jnmario · Sep 25, 2018

454ragtop said:
When you open it, are there more holes drilled in the vise we can't see? You'll be lucky to get $5. for that vise in that condition, missing the handle and all.

No additional holes. And no biggie about the value. I won't even waste my time listing it. It was a throw in anyway so it isn't like I have anything into it. Thank you.

Jnmario · Sep 25, 2018

jumbojak said:
That looks suspiciously like a grinding vise to me. I can't help with a manufacturer though.

MichaelP said:
Looks like a drill press vise or a poor quality grinding vise used for drilling (I wouldn't use it for grinding either). Probably of Asian origin.

thank you all for the help. Guess it is a lemon and not worth selling. I will just keep it as a paperweight. I have nothing invested in it so it isn't a biggie.

Oldtuleguy said:
Based on the holes drilled all over the top of the jaws, I would say someone was using it in a drill press. Looks a bit chineesy...

Toolmaker65 said:
What you have there is a horizontal drill press vise - they are usually cast iron, although some older ones were actually all steel. The better ones are always identified - names such as Wilton, Palmgren, Stanley, Yankee/North Bros. That one looks more along the line of an import from India, China, or Pakistan. Good for holding stuff to drill holes and that's about it.

Grinding/toolmakers vises are made out of hardened tool steel, so it is pretty hard to drill holes in them unless you are using carbide drills. There are toolmakers vises with similar construction using a screwed movable jaw, but they do not have the camel hump - they are flat on all sides due to how they are used. They also have some fairly close tolerances on squareness and parallelism. The cost of these would prevent one from being abused by having holes drilled in it.

You can go to mscdirect.com (or any other industrial supplier, such as Grainger) and search on the keywords drill press vise or grinding vise to see the differences.

Stuart in MN · Sep 25, 2018

It may not be pretty but it still looks perfectly usable - if you have a drill press, they're handy to have for holding small parts while drilling them.

Machine vise help

Jnmario

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