Hello all-
I've come to GJ occasionally for some info on old vises and I've got a brand new (to me) vise that my son gave me. He said it came from the garage of a friend of his whose father passed away. He knew I had an interest in vintage vises, so he gave it to me in exchange for a Morgan Chicago 4" swivel vise I restored for him.
It looks pretty original (??) but I don't know if it is or not. The locking nuts look non-factory to me, since I'm used to locking swivel nuts, but what do I know? I'm not very knowledgeable on these and I've heard there's a pretty big fan base for these. My research tells me the date code on these is on the key (?)...is that correct?
This one is very smooth operating with a bit of surface rust, but I'm curious if it would be better to leave it original or take it all apart and restore it. I don't plan on using it much, since my farm work is pretty heavy duty stuff, nothing light or precise that I could use it. In fact, I may just sell it, but that again brings me back to my question: should I leave it as is or restore it? If restored, what color is this supposed to be...it appears to be some type of mossy or olive green, and I can't even make out the number on it (820? 920?).
Thanks in advance for any background.
I've come to GJ occasionally for some info on old vises and I've got a brand new (to me) vise that my son gave me. He said it came from the garage of a friend of his whose father passed away. He knew I had an interest in vintage vises, so he gave it to me in exchange for a Morgan Chicago 4" swivel vise I restored for him.
It looks pretty original (??) but I don't know if it is or not. The locking nuts look non-factory to me, since I'm used to locking swivel nuts, but what do I know? I'm not very knowledgeable on these and I've heard there's a pretty big fan base for these. My research tells me the date code on these is on the key (?)...is that correct?
This one is very smooth operating with a bit of surface rust, but I'm curious if it would be better to leave it original or take it all apart and restore it. I don't plan on using it much, since my farm work is pretty heavy duty stuff, nothing light or precise that I could use it. In fact, I may just sell it, but that again brings me back to my question: should I leave it as is or restore it? If restored, what color is this supposed to be...it appears to be some type of mossy or olive green, and I can't even make out the number on it (820? 920?).
Thanks in advance for any background.
