Another Vise ID Help - "D" Vise

[wxm]

Picked up this vice yesterday. There is not much word on it other than a big "D" with circle on the side. It appears to be a very well made shop vise - 4" jaws, and 11" opening, 9" tall and weights a ton. The handle is bent and swivel level is gone, but it thing it is fixable.

Does anyone have any information about the vise?

Thanks in advance.

 

[Outlawmws]

Nope, no info, but that certainly looks like it should be American made iron! What did you have to give for it?

Get a 4-6" long std head bolt the right size, and a nylock nut in jam nut height and it will do nicely as the swivel lock bar. Or get the bolt somewhat longer, seat the nut all the way to the end of the threads, and cut off the excess threads. If you want it rounded, the hex is pretty easy to grind round...

 

[wxm]

Thanks for the idea of fixing the handle. It is not cheap, definitely not a steal. But the quality seems to be on par with the Parkers that I have. It even looks like Parker, had pin holes on the top (next to the Jaws). It is solid and heavy and I assume it was made from the good old days.

 

[Catalyze]

I can't even think up a good lie about its origins....and for me that is rare. That is a great looking vise that you have. Make sure to put a photo of it in the Vises of Garage Journal thread since lots of visitors get Googled into it. Maybe somebody may know about it a month from now. Toss in a photo of the jaw faces if you could sometime....I would like to see how they attach.....sometimes the smallest detail might tell who made it. The big vise companies contracted out to build small and large batches of vises for hardware stores......equipment companies.....so perhaps it was a batch run. The old hands around here can take a look at the vise profile and tell who made it sometimes. No matter who made it.....you have a stout friend for life in that vise.
Craig

 

[autopts]

That vise could have been made special for the Big "D" ranch out in Clovis N.M.

 

[wxm]

... Make sure to put a photo of it in the Vises of Garage Journal thread since lots of visitors get Googled into it. Maybe somebody may know about it a month from now. Toss in a photo of the jaw faces if you could sometime....I would like to see how they attach.....sometimes the smallest detail might tell who made it. The big vise companies contracted out to build small and large batches of vises for hardware stores......equipment companies.....so perhaps it was a batch run. The old hands around here can take a look at the vise profile and tell who made it sometimes. No matter who made it.....you have a stout friend for life in that vise.
Craig

Will do. I also have another Parker, a Sawyer and a Rock Island that I want to upload since my last post (of Parker 22x).

 

[bluebolt]

Wow cool vise. More pics please! Some pics of it disassembled might help.

 

[wxm]

Wow cool vise. More pics please! Some pics of it disassembled might help.

Thanks. I will be taking it apart for cleanup at one point, but first will have to fix the swivel handle etc... I have a list of restoring projects lined up, just could not find enough time for them. Will post more pictures when I get there...

Here are two more pictures:

- one with jaws as per Catalyze):

Another one from the bottom:

 

[bgott]

I can't even think up a good lie about its origins....and for me that is rare

It's one size bigger than a "C" and one size smaller than a "E".

 

[Even 11]

It certainly is a cool looking de-vice!! Ahhhahahahahahhahhahahahahahaha!

No really It looks Parker-ish in the jaws. Does it have a collar that holds the screw in? Looks like the lower jaw support is Athol style too, its Oversized for sure. Maybe some Rock Island cues in there too?!

Might be a good one to add to a collection of someone whose name starts with a "D" *Cough* me *Cough* *COUgh*

-Dane

 

[wxm]

Updates: I took the vise apart, straightened the handle on my shop press. Here are a couple of more pictures:

Straightened the handle

The next step will be making a new swivel handle as per autopts

 

[wxm]

Update about the swivel handle:

Inspired by autopts's posting, I made the swivel handle. Instead of going with 3/8 rod. I ended up using a 3/8" x 6" bolt. I got one has only about 1" thread at the end, which gives me about 5" for the handle - exactly what I wanted. Walmart has it for sell for a dollar or so here we go.

1) Tight a nut all the way in (to the end of the thread).
2) Cut off extra threaded area

3) Use a bench grinder, ground off about half of the nuts and smoothly rounded both ends.

4) 20 minutes later, the handle is done.

5) The handle is too flashy to a vintage vise which is probably why autopts suggested to use the rod instead. But it is cheaper and no threading needed...

 

[Even 11]

Looks good!! I really like that one!

-Dane