Help identifying old vise please.
- Thread starter Cole1113
- Start date
kwoswalt99
Well-known member
I would say so. All MVC vises are pre 1909 at least. I don't know the founding date exactly, but would say 1880's.
drivesitfar
Well-known member
Cole: we have a classifieds section, but to avoid spamming we have a rule you have to have 100 posts before you can post in the classifieds.
take a few more pictures and post them over on the big vise thread and here's the link: http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=44782
your vise isn't worth a lot just because it's old because I think it's missing a piece or two of it's swivel mechanism and it's missing it's pipe jaws but you did good to grab it. somewhere probably in the $50 range more or less if that helps you, but i'd keep it if it was your family's cause when you get older you'll appreciate some of that kind of stuff you might not cherish now.
welcome to the group and it's easy to get a 100 posts and just look how many i have and i think i only average about 10 a day.
take a few more pictures and post them over on the big vise thread and here's the link: http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=44782
your vise isn't worth a lot just because it's old because I think it's missing a piece or two of it's swivel mechanism and it's missing it's pipe jaws but you did good to grab it. somewhere probably in the $50 range more or less if that helps you, but i'd keep it if it was your family's cause when you get older you'll appreciate some of that kind of stuff you might not cherish now.
welcome to the group and it's easy to get a 100 posts and just look how many i have and i think i only average about 10 a day.
thehorse13
Well-known member
I've seen one of those vises before. My friend has one in pretty much the same condition with a patent date of June 9, 1891.
DrivesItFar is spot on with his estimated value in the current shape. My friend bought his for 50 bucks last year. His is also missing the pipe jaws.
I would keep that vise.
DrivesItFar is spot on with his estimated value in the current shape. My friend bought his for 50 bucks last year. His is also missing the pipe jaws.
I would keep that vise.
Zeke
Well-known member
Why? It's not functional the way it is. What's up with keeping every single "old" tool you come across? Some should hit the scrap pile, or at best, be offered for parts on the flea.
kwoswalt99
Well-known member
What's not functional about it?
drivesitfar
Well-known member
Zeke: it's not BROKEN. with a couple easy pieces to make to make it swivel or just bolt it down it's actually in pretty good shape to use as a VISE. pipe jaws missing is fairly common and most any machinist can make a pair or what i like about the vises that are missing pipe jaws is the throats are deeper so you can put in thicker objects. it's not broken so no need to scrap. whether he wants to sell it to a user or a collector since it's over 100 years old is his choice and we are just mentioning it's value or usability.
sure some tools have worn out their usability, but things in the past were built a lot better than stuff today as you well know and those are maybe worth saving and fixing as opposed to today's stuff that even new ones are junk.
not trying to argue that some things shouldn't be saved, but this vise shouldn't be scrapped unless you like your scrap guy cause he probably will keep it or sell it.
sure some tools have worn out their usability, but things in the past were built a lot better than stuff today as you well know and those are maybe worth saving and fixing as opposed to today's stuff that even new ones are junk.
not trying to argue that some things shouldn't be saved, but this vise shouldn't be scrapped unless you like your scrap guy cause he probably will keep it or sell it.
crguy
Well-known member
I'm not at all sure that originally had a swivel base. Lots of vises didn't.
drivesitfar
Well-known member
CR: i know all vises weren't made with a swivel, but those bolt through vises were basicly the first swivel vises made. sure you could maybe screw it tight to NOT SWIVEL and it's usable as it is, but that wasn't the way it was designed. here's a catalog picture of my Reed 31 (basicly the older version of Reed 1c) so you and others might see what i meant when i said a plate is probably missing.
JUST AN FYI. some old bolt thru vises like my Vanderman #1 vise has a bolt thru and also two screw downs so it wasn't meant to swivel, but Cole's vise doesn't have the holes in the base of his cast to keep it from turning like my Vanderman does.
JUST AN FYI. some old bolt thru vises like my Vanderman #1 vise has a bolt thru and also two screw downs so it wasn't meant to swivel, but Cole's vise doesn't have the holes in the base of his cast to keep it from turning like my Vanderman does.
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bczygan
Well-known member
I like it.
Mount and use it.
Mount and use it.
FJ 432
Well-known member
Drives,
I had a Vanderman like yours and I was told by someone who had researched the company claims their vises were made for steam ships and their respective piping. Made sense to me, what say you?
drivesitfar
Well-known member
FJ: pretty sure the Vanderman vises are and were called STEAMFITTER'S vises and they were the Rolls Royces of vises in their day back in the late 1800's and early 1900's. my #1 is their smallest of that style and i think it weighs 100 pounds. it sat in a 40,000 square foot warehouse of a huge steel fab company an it was the ONLY vise on the workbench and other than a broken pipe jaw it's still working fine after over 100 years of being used. mine is currently taking a rest in my big cabinet, but i'll find a home for it one of these days either at my house or another member's bench.
kwoswalt99
Well-known member
That's definitely the original swivel base.
GETRIDAONE
Well-known member
Here's mine with pipe jaws and the same original thru the bench mounting. It is definitely a Meadville vise but cast with J S & Co. and check out the reversed New York abbreviation. It has the same Pat. date as mentioned by thehorse 13
Keep it / sell it that's up to you.
Keep it / sell it that's up to you.
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Zeke
Well-known member
More trouble than it's worth.
Look, I have an Athol, a Columbian and a Wilton all come by very reasonably or I wouldn't have them. I also have one of those chicom rotating jobs that sell for around $65.00 and I use it a lot. Not one of them are any better than the other. In fact, the import job has more versatility.
ganymede
Well-known member
You should just keep the import vise and scrap the other 3.
drivesitfar
Well-known member
ZEKE: are you telling me you USE EVERY TOOL IN YOUR GARAGE?? WELL DONE SIR!!!
now i know another person that really LOVES their CHINESE WONDER VISE cause it is sort of like the energizer bunny. whether you break it or damage it you just keep fixing it and keep using it cause it has OPTIONS. i had one and i know i should have kept it cause the kid i sold it to LOVES IT.
cheers
now i know another person that really LOVES their CHINESE WONDER VISE cause it is sort of like the energizer bunny. whether you break it or damage it you just keep fixing it and keep using it cause it has OPTIONS. i had one and i know i should have kept it cause the kid i sold it to LOVES IT.
cheers
Zeke
Well-known member
Had the Athol up on CL for 100 bucks for 2 weeks and not one call. And it's a swivel model! I've totally given up on selling tools. Now I either give them away or throw them away. But they have to be pretty useless (to me) to throw away.
Drives; I eventually do use every tool. Eventually.
kwoswalt99
Well-known member
1909, to be exact.
Also in 1905 the Meadville Vise company changed the company name to Barrett Machine Tool Co. The vises were changed at some point to say Barrett Machine Tool Co so the OP's vise is likely earlier than that.
Also when Yost purchased the company in 1909 he only bought the vise portion, Barrett made horizontal cylinder boring machines which they continued to make for several years.