Big old vise: Prentiss?

[jsokoly]

Seeing ozyborn's thread on his Dad's vise, I think I also have a Prentiss 22. It's a monster and has seen a hard life. There are no markings on it. I checked carefully behind the swivelling jaw but it looks like someone used that as an anvil and obliterated anything that might have been there.

Here are a few pics:


I've had it completely apart and in the electrobath. I'm stumped on how the swivel lock for the base attaches. The pin sticking out the top won't move and the pin underneath that engages the base won't move. How does that mechanism come apart? The jaws are pretty beat up so I'll probably be looking to replace them. It will never be pretty but it operates smoothly and it's a monster!

A fun project but not easy to move around.

Jeff

 

[Catalyze]

Hi Jeff! Glad to see your old Prentiss. I did a refresh on a Prentiss 19 1/2 last month:
http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=101547&highlight=Prentiss

Basically you have an "older" swivel jaw Prentiss. The oldest of the older ones had the model markings up on that rear area behind the swivel jaw. They used a swivel lock mechanism like mine in the thread above. The next in line were models like mine that had the graffiti like lettering on the side of the vise body. Those used the "button" that lifts. Lastly came the ones like Hofferwood's Prentiss (also in the above thread). They used a lever that attached in place of the lift up button (that only a body builder can pull up enough). That rod sticking up goes down into the vise body and has a Very Strong spring that you have to compress to move the swivel pin up and out of the base holes. You pull the rod up, the spring compresses (or not) and the rod pulls the pin out of the holes. When you take your vise apart, the body won't ever sit level as that lock pin will stick down below the vise. I never took my lock assembly apart as it would require grinding off the "mushroomed" part of the rod holding my lift button on. Look at Post number 2356 in The Vises of Garage Journal thread. Steven shows what he had to do to get his to function. Good Luck and post photos as things happen!
Craig

 

[Steven67fr]

Hey Jeff,

Nice piece of history.

I think Craig pretty much hit everything generally. Let us know if you have any more specific disassembly questions. Is there much play as you switch from opening to closing? Prentiss made a great vise and despite the slide damage it should clean up great and be very serviceable! I love seeing this around!

Good luck, StevenFl.