Holy vise grip Batman!

[four.cycle]

also the clamp

Was the clamp supplied by Mole?

 

[Farmer J.]

Was the clamp supplied by Mole?

Yes, and supposedly made by them. They were sold off the same rack in the hardware store. It has MOLE stamped on it, very feint shallow stamping, and 'Patent applied for'. Too difficult for me to photograph easily, but if you like I could probably get Mrs Farmer J to take a detail picture.

 

[four.cycle]

^ Interesting... I have never seen that little widget before.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

I found this empty box a couple years ago and I've been hoping to run into something period correct and suitable at the flea to put inside it since then. Finally found a wartime 7-incher this morning. (It's a No. 7W, not a No. 7, but scroungers can't be choosers, and it'll do for now.)

 

[Smokeshow69]

I found this empty box a couple years ago and I've been hoping to run into something period correct and suitable at the flea to put inside it since then. Finally found a wartime 7-incher this morning. (It's a No. 7W, not a No. 7, but scroungers can't be choosers, and it'll do for now.)

Very cool! Love me some vintage (no release handle) vise grips and I really love that cool box!

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Love me some vintage (no release handle) vise grips and I really love that cool box!

Thanks, Smoke. When you're scrounging in the wild, patience and persistence sometimes pays off. (Of course, I still have all kinds of things like this empty box that are sitting there forlorn, but we don't like to talk about them too much...)

 

[Smokeshow69]

Thanks, Smoke. When you're scrounging in the wild, patience and persistence sometimes pays off. (Of course, I still have all kinds of things like this empty box that are sitting there forlorn, but we don't like to talk about them too much...)

I know nothing of what you are talking about. I don’t have any future projects or piles of incomplete things laying around…

 

[BlakeTheCarGuy]

Recently found this pair of vise grips in one of the toolboxes I got from a yard sale.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

The PAT PEND patent was applied for in early 1945 and granted in 1949, Blake. So, late war, or immediate postwar.

 

[BlakeTheCarGuy]

The PAT PEND patent was applied for in early 1945 and granted in 1949, Blake. So, late war, or immediate postwar.

Wow that’s awesome. Didn’t realize how old these were.

 

[d42jeep]

I’ve finally cleaned up the various Vise Grip we found on Saturday. Here are the more modern ones.
Here are two with the 1942 patent.
One belonged to the US government.
Here is a group shot of my 1942 patent Vise Grips.
-Don

I found this empty box a couple years ago and I've been hoping to run into something period correct and suitable at the flea to put inside it since then. Finally found a wartime 7-incher this morning. (It's a No. 7W, not a No. 7, but scroungers can't be choosers, and it'll do for now.)

Lugz,
Congrats on finding a 7 inch version for your box. All of the ‘42 patent I’ve run across are 10 inchers.

Here is a newer Petersen pair that came out of the evaporust yesterday, looking good except for some evidence of abuse along the bottom of the lower jaw.
-Don

 

[Beerhippie]

Lugz,
Congrats on finding a 7 inch version for your box. All of the ‘42 patent I’ve run across are 10 inchers.

Here is a newer Petersen pair that came out of the evaporust yesterday, looking good except for some evidence of abuse along the bottom of the lower jaw.
-Don

Jeez, don't people know that you're supposed to use the TOP of the pliers for hammering?

 

[Private Lugnutz]

All of the ‘42 patent I’ve run across are 10 inchers.

Thanks. Trust me when I say I lost count of the 10-inchers I have seen on flea market tables since I found that box back in 2022! To the extent that I was beginning to wish I had found a 10-inch NOS box and wonder if they had actually made any 7-inchers in that timeframe.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Speaking of timeframe, does anyone have or has anyone ever seen a Vise-Grip with just the 1942 patent number on line 1 and its corresponding date on line 2? Without the "OTHER PAT. PEND." line 3 marking?

I've scoured this thread, a few other scattered threads, and the Petersen thread that's up on the General Tools Discussion forum and don't see any.

Here's why I ask.

Even the slightly different variant, thought to be slightly earlier, with no Vise-Grip logos, just a letter branding underneath - have the same 3-line marking.

We refer to these 3-liners, loosely, as "wartime." But they could also be later.

A 2-liner - just the 1942 patent number and patent date - would mean no earlier than 1942, and no later than... something else. A new feature (such as a release lever, a new marking, etc).

The Petersen patent that the "OTHER PAT. PEND." refers to could be 2,481,866. It was their attempt to make a Vise-Grip work like an adjustable crescent-type wrench, with a dynamic parallel jaw, a rack of teeth, but lever actuated. That was granted in 1949. But it was submitted in May 1945, which is what we wartime collectors like to hang our hat on. Barely. Or it could be referring to 2,563,267. That - for "wrench jaws" (curved) was applied for Nov 12, 1947 (and granted Aug 1951), so naturally we prefer the earlier one in sequence (even though it was not known to have been produced).

At best, though, it means that the 3-liners could not have been made before May 1945.

That begs questions, though. Such as, where are all the Vise-Grips made between 1942 and May 1945? And how are they marked?

 

[Tostal]

Here's a small fold-out brochure showing the types of Vise-Grip that were available in 1983 and examples of where each type might be used.

There is a U.S. Patent D261,096 shown under the pictures of the Long Nose versions i.e. 9LN, 6LN and 4LN. (I've made these 2 pages full size)

< 1st side of brochure when folded out.

< 2nd side of brochure when folded out.

 

[d42jeep]

I had to grab these at today’s estate sale since I hadn’t seen any exactly like them before. Anyone recognize who the maker might have been? I couldn’t find any markings.
-Don

 

[d42jeep]

Well, it’s cleaner but I’m no closer to an ID.
-Don

 

[Tostal]

Was the clamp supplied by Mole?

Yes, and supposedly made by them. They were sold off the same rack in the hardware store. It has MOLE stamped on it, very feint shallow stamping, and 'Patent applied for'. Too difficult for me to photograph easily, but if you like I could probably get Mrs Farmer J to take a detail picture.

Here's a page from a 'Toolmail' (U.K.) tool catalogue from 1983 which shows the range of self grip wrenches they stocked,
including the Mole wrenches and the little 'Table Clamp' (TC201) mentioned above, there's also another vice clamp (V1 Clamp) listed in the Leverwrench section:-



Here's a pic of a modern type of vise grip table clamp:-



And there's also a type of fitting that is (permanently?) attached to a vise grip so that it can be used to check brake rotor run-out in conjunction with a DTI and lockable/flexible mounting arm :-

 

[Oldtuleguy]

That thing looks pretty toothy!

 

[Private Lugnutz]

I’m no closer to an ID.

Me, neither, but it bears an eerie resemblance to a Petersen "missing link", of sorts.

In November 1947, Christian Petersen submitted a patent application for a "Wrench Jaw" version of the family Vise-Grip. In August 1951 it was granted. The patent (2563267) diagram does not have the reinforced jaws that we are used to seeing on Petersen Wrench Jaw (often called "curved jaw") Vise-Grips, which had a "W" suffix after the OAL number in their part number, i.e., No. 7W, No. 10W, for Wrench. Neither do renderings of the wrench jaw Vise-Grip in trade mag ads from 1947. In fact, the ads tout the "thin tapered nose" along with the "involute jaw curve." See patent diagram and 1947 Popular Mechanics appropriated from DATAMP below.

I scoured this thread and the Petersen thread up on the General board, and I could find no examples that look like the patent or the 1947 trade mag ads. ALL the so-called "curved jaw" Vise-Grips on these threads have the reinforced jaw. I did not look through all the dozens of pages that come up on eBay, but I couldn't find any there, either.

Stan Schulz at DATAMP states, "The 'thin nose' was replaced by a wider jaw version beginning in 1948." I think by "wider jaw" version he means the version we are all used to seeing, which also have the reinforced jaws. But that would mean ONE YEAR of production with a thin nose.

Except for the extra pins in yours and it not having a wire cutter, I could have my arm twisted that it's a Petersen. With no markings, highly unlikely. Probably just a knock-off, I guess. But mighty intriguing with no examples of the model Petersen apparently made for one year.

 

[alinc100]

Well, it’s cleaner but I’m no closer to an ID.
-Don

As I (sort of ) wrote in the Garage sale thread I think these Columbus T-2 shock absorber pliers may be a cousin/brother/sister/uncle to yours.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

I think these Columbus T-2 shock absorber pliers may be a cousin/brother/sister/uncle to yours.

Are they also marked Petersen somewhere?

 

[alinc100]

Are they also marked Petersen somewhere?

Nope, not that I can see.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

It's so funny. Looking at Don's and looking at yours and looking at a regular straight jaw Petersen, it's like someone did a little Frankenstein shop work.

 

[d42jeep]

That thing looks pretty toothy!

 

[d42jeep]

Here is the pair I found at yesterday’s estate sale. Came out of the evaporust looking pretty fresh.
Before
After
-Don

 

[Beerhippie]

Small sockeye or big kokane?

 

[d42jeep]

Big Kokanee found on the internet. The red indicates spawning time so it’s days are numbered.
-Don

 

[four.cycle]

^ they get real toothy when they hit freshwater and head upstream.

 

[Beerhippie]

^ they get real toothy when they hit freshwater and head upstream.

Kokanee are land-locked sockeye--they spend their entire lives in fresh water. One of our local lakes--Wallowa-- has produced several record-book kokanee.

 

[four.cycle]

^ Yes. I believe we have those here in a few lakes. I'm not really up to speed on current conditions. I don't read the almost daily emails from WDFW any more because they're so depressing. I had to abandon my campaign trying to save the fish when I got sick in 1997. WDFW claims the populations are recovering in the Lake Sammamish watershed, but between all the **** people dump on their lawns and the toxins running into storm drains from automobile tires, I don't see a bright future.

 

[d42jeep]

This is a picture of the Kokanee heading up Taylor Creek from Lake Tahoe to spawn that I found on the internet. It’s a big tourist attraction every fall. Last year my granddaughter caught a Kokanee while we were fishing and we had it for lunch. Quite tasty.

-Don

 

[d42jeep]

These that I picked up Thursday were a challenge. I think they spent time in a boat used in salt water. They’ll never look like new but they are usable.
-Don

 

[larry4406]

These that I picked up Thursday were a challenge. I think they spent time in a boat used in salt water. They’ll never look like new but they are usable.
-Don

Is that just an Evaporust soak!???

 

[d42jeep]

I also used my 3M rotary discs.
-Don

 

[larry4406]

I also used my 3M rotary discs.
-Don

What type of discs? Very impressive results!

 

[d42jeep]

They are covered in this thread.

rust removal

I have a Parker No.8 vise that was left outside for years and is now froze. I bought a bunch of vinegar on clearance at HD for $.90 a gallon. I'm thinking putting the vise in a pail covered in vinegar and setting aside for a month or two. Any chance of this damaging the vise, freeing up the...

www.garagejournal.com

Lots of good information.
-Don

 

[Dave G in Gansevoort]

These are just some I use for welding. Not sure how many more I have. Multiples in all of my toolboxes and even some holding a project car together currently in the shed. During the recent garage reorganization I found some more that were hidden under, behind, or otherwise obscured in there. I don’t think I need any more, but if I see them, I procure them if possible. It’s a sickness, I tell you! A sickness…

 

[d42jeep]

It is a sickness. It seems like I see a pair at almost every sale lately. I can’t seem to help picking them up, bringing them home and cleaning them up. Here are two more recent examples.
-Don

 

[larry4406]

It is a sickness. It seems like I see a pair at almost every sale lately. I can’t seem to help picking them up, bringing them home and cleaning them up. Here are two more recent examples.
-Don

Gotta say Don you have nailed that process!

I have some that deserve that treatment.