Help ID Vintage Vise

[Foreman05]

Hello, always looking for vises to restore and came across this one online but can’t seem to identify it. Looks like a Gressel style vise though I am sure there are many other makers. Any chance you can help ID it, it has 6” jaws.
Thanks!

 

[Private Lugnutz]

FPU "Bison-Bisal" HI-TEST. Made in Poland. I picked one up several years ago and immediately made it my main bench vise. If by "Gressel style vise" you mean reverse action, yes, the rear jaw is dynamic. It's unmistakable in profile and features, but if you zoom in on the fixed jaw, you can see the "FPU" monogram. A very stout well-made vise. They look good in original electric blue! Mine has an original decal if you really want to get fancy. Pics here up on the Mega Vise thread, and on post after that one. And if you search that thread on FPU or Bison-Bisal, you will see several others.

 

[Foreman05]

I appreciate you chiming in and thank you for the ID. Looks awesome, I can see the FPU now, I noticed it initially but couldn't tell what it was. I knew this had to be a quality vise, it didn't look like it was made in china. It is kind of a bummer there is a chunk broke off. Do you think it would be a good restore still? Hard to tell in the pic but I think the jaws line up, mostly anyway.

 

[Foreman05]

FPU "Bison-Bisal" HI-TEST. Made in Poland. I picked one up several years ago and immediately made it my main bench vise. If by "Gressel style vise" you mean reverse action, yes, the rear jaw is dynamic. It's unmistakable in profile and features, but if you zoom in on the fixed jaw, you can see the "FPU" monogram. A very stout well-made vise. They look good in original electric blue! Mine has an original decal if you really want to get fancy. Pics here up on the Mega Vise thread, and on post after that one. And if you search that thread on FPU or Bison-Bisal, you will see several others.

your vise looks fantastic! I had only seen one other vise that looked like this and that was on a youtube restoration. Pretty cool style.

 

[RTM]

Do you think it would be a good restore still? Hard to tell in the pic but I think the jaws line up, mostly anyway.

My 4.5” is out there somewhere too, will add a pic in a minute. My fear with the chunk missing is how steady it is at full open, as you lost the front ¿gib? Screw.

The VISES of Garage Journal

Anyone seen one of these before? The only thing I find online about Premier is some little clamp on vises. It sold recently at an auction and unfortunately I was not the buyer.

www.garagejournal.com

 

[slowtwitch73]

That breakage is not uncommon on the FPU/Bison vises. If the gibs are correctly adjusted and you're not an idiot, they last forever with no problems.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

your vise looks fantastic! I had only seen one other vise that looked like this and that was on a youtube restoration.

You're being kind, because those photos were taken before I de-rusted and cleaned it up a little. There is a really nice near mint-y one on the big vise thread if you search. Same blue.

Pretty cool style.

They are very cool looking and I like the reverse jaw action.

Do you think it would be a good restore still?

I'm not a restoration kind of guy. Will it be a user? Or a looker? Some guys are really into the whole process of stripping and repainting and polishing the jaws etc. Nothing wrong with that. It might seem odd if it's truly incapacitated by that break, though. I would defer to Twitch and RTM on that.

 

[Shiftless]

That breakage is not uncommon on the FPU/Bison vises. If the gibs are correctly adjusted and you're not an idiot, they last forever with no problems.

This is good information. The only FPU I have seen in person was broken like that. Users who are “idiots” don’t adjust them properly and don’t treat them with respect. A precision machinist vise is not a forged blacksmith vise and should NOT be beaten on or used as a press.

 

[SkyPuncher]

Have you bought it yet? Old pics, but the 3 I have. Very nice vise's 2 six inch

 

[SkyPuncher]

And one 4 inch before and after

 

[Private Lugnutz]

And one 4 inch before and after

Very nice! I like the dark natural look with the brighter accents (spindle, jaw inserts, etc) and FPU monogram.

 

[gmoss]

How do you accomplish that finish? Or better put, what did you use to get that finish. I have my grandfathers vise and plan on using it in my somewhat new shop. Has a little play too with the screw, but works. Like the old used but clean look.

 

[Foreman05]

And one 4 inch before and after

Where did you find new pads? Are they universal with a common vise?

 

[SkyPuncher]

Thanks, Private

gmoss, that is Black metal oil from Sculpt Nouveau

Metal Oil

The Metal Oil should be applied with a soft cloth, brush, or spray. It will dry hard in 3-12 hours. Clear Guard or Metal Wax may be applied over the oil. Metal Oil is available in clear, black, blue, brown, green, red, and yellow colors and 8oz., 32oz., 1 gallon, and 5 gallon sizes. One gallon...

sculptnouveau.com

Foreman05, The original jaws were broke so I just made new jaws out of a piece of aluminum.

 

[SkyPuncher]

Not to derail this thread, but gmoss, here is a wilton I used a light coat of the black oil on.

 

[Foreman05]

I think it looks awesome!

 

[gmoss]

Yes it does! Got another project once I get settled in!

 

[PostwarO27]

I have one of these. Its a 6" jaw version that used to be my fathers. I remember from being a kid he had it mounted on his work bench in the garage. After he passed I found it lying in the corner of his basement on the floor. I thru it in my truck and brought it home and found out why it was in the corner. Its missing the gib.

Now I;m trying to track down an OEM piece. I can always make one as I have access to a tools shop but I want an OEM part. Anybody got one? It should be about 9 1/2" long with three recesses spaced 3 3/8" apart on the one side. It will be about 5/16 thick and have a short side profile like a parallelogram.

 

[Provincial]

That part is called a "gib."