Help ID Vise Please

[scooternut]

I came in to this vise as a package craigslist deal with another vise that I bought as a gift. Im quite happy with my Craftsman 506 (though I could use a new jaw face), but thinking I might make a portable for outdoor use out of this one.

So i've read up alot on the site about vises and learned that this one clearly has a Prentiss look, jaw faces and all, but no markings that I can find. All Prentiss vises i've seen on line seem to have very prominent markings. It seems quite long and heavy for a 4 inch.

It has one jaw face broken on the lower end but seems like it would work just fine as is.

Can anyone help? Thanks in advance.

 

[KMScott]

My guess is an American Scale, maybe a number 54.

 

[drivesitfar]

not a Prentiss. could be an American like Kevin said. odd that there isn't any markings. maybe it was a prototype. would do good on anybody's bench and if you do put it outside maybe wax or paint it real good and give it a hood cover like an old oil pan or Rubbermaid.

 

[oldldh]

Brother Scott, of the Church of the Flying Metal Chips, is very rarely wrong...

All those raised letters just clutter up the basic design, and are the birthplace of many cracks...

You don't need them, too much wind resistance, anyway...

Fix it up, and use the el crapola out of it!!!

 

[KMScott]

Larry, you crack me up. Thanks for the chuckle. scooternut, here is a picture of one of my American Scales and see if you agree.

Kevin

 

[scooternut]

Wow, thanks for taking the time to reply guys. You guys know your vises.

I see tons of similarities to the pic you've posted but also see a few differences. Knowing they are not the EXACT same model vise regardless of maker, what I see are different mounting tangs (mine are much wider encompassing more of the vise body. And, some minor shape differences, like where the handle meets the body, and just to the rear of the rear jaw. One body is rounded over and the other is at sharp angles. The pic really helped as I was able to side by side them.

Your posts give me new leads to investigate so I very much appreciate it. Though I've no intention of selling it, its always better to know more about what you have so you can better appreciate the history of it.

Thanks again.

 

[drivesitfar]

check out the vise thread with a few million posts on it and you'll get your fill of vises and maybe start a new vice. like I say it might have been a prototype or one that didn't hit the market.

FYI. when that vise was made it might have been $3 to $5 brand new, but a loaf of bread was a nickel.

let us know if you figure out anything or find some other markings you haven't seen yet. if you pull it apart, clean it and regrease it i'm guessing another 25 years before you'll need to do that again unless you put it outside.

 

[oldldh]

Old Iron is the Best Iron!!!

 

[scooternut]

UPDATE, looks like Prentiss it is. Just pulled it out of a vinegar bath and it is marked PVCo on the side of the main nut, the other side is marked 20 . That makes 2 unmarked Prentiss vises that I own. Odd. I'll hit it with the cupped wire brush and likely paint it.

Like I mentioned earlier, one of the jaw faces is missing a chunk from the bottom but the face is intact and should work just fine. It has one broken screw on each jaw face. and my drill bits hardly dent the screws. The main nut is very sloppy in the cavity but the threads appear OK.

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[SweetD]

I've never seen a Prentiss that large with that sort of collar piece. I wonder if the vise is a sort of hybrid made up at least a couple different brands? I have an Athol vise that is cobbled together. It functions fine but you can easily tell the parts are not all original to it.

 

[scooternut]

Decided to hit it with the cupped brush, bathe it in boiled linseed oil, and give it to a friend. It is very sloppy in the main nut and I've this awesome friend who frequently has me over to help with his motorcycles, but has no vise! Seriously, no vise!!! Hopefully this one will outlast us both despite it's shortcomings.
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