Holy vise grip Batman!

[markbugno]

Petersen mfg model 318R. 17" throat! ::

Never seen one of these before, thought it was pretty cool.

Mark


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[WWShop]

I want one now!!

 

[Farmer J.]

Wow, I have collected a few of those original Petersen vise grips, but never seen one of those before.. Thanks for posting it.

 

[2oolhound]

I'd want some of those spare bars so I could cut some down to 8" or 10" for the majority of uses I'd have for it. Between that and your work you're working on it could get pretty unwieldy on a narrow bench or work area. Now if someone could just figure out how to extend the length of the jaws we'd have it made.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

I thought this '***********' model Petersen Vise-Grip thread would be a good place to put these (EDIT: Model "No. 9", see Thumbnail 2) that I found at a flea market this morning. No patent. Marked PATENT PENDING. They patented the vise-grips with the C-type clamp jaws on June 9, 1953 (2,641,149), their first foray into other jaws, where all previous patents were improvements on the adjusting and locking mechanisms. I can't find a patent on these on DATAMP. I'll have to search later. Looks like they would be useful for sheet metal work or any fabrication with wide flat pieces of material.

Anybody seen them before? Anybody know anything about them?

 

[nutjob]

That style is used to align round stock for welding. Exhaust pipe usually. Or at least thats what we used them for.

Kevin

 

[Private Lugnutz]

I can see that.

 

[rsanter]

That style is used to align round stock for welding. Exhaust pipe usually. Or at least thats what we used them for.

Kevin

Also used for clamping flat material or body panels that will get plug welded.
The clamp goes to either side of the spot to be welded

 

[frakas]

they are used in auto body panel replacement fairly often for inner and outer quarter panels , around the wheelwell. and they are great when plugwelding sheetmetal ,a as the clamp holds pressure at both edges of the plug hole.

 

[frakas]

man i type slow

 

[Private Lugnutz]

man i type slow

Slow or fast, I'm just glad you chimed in backing up rsanter and my initial observation.

 

[Richard Cranium]

I like, I want.

 

[Ole Slewfoot]

They are great for putting in self drill screws as well.

 

[B.Boru]

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[B.Boru]

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[B.Boru]

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[B.Boru]

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[Private Lugnutz]

As anyone involved in welding/body repair will know...

I guess I need to get out of the front office and out back to the welding shop more often!

Seriously, I'm not sure our fab shop uses Petersen's, or if they did, that they would look like the 1950's model I just found, but I just may stop by today.

I remember there used to be a leaflet included in the Vise Grips carton that gave a brief history as to how the Vise Grip was invented and listed all the variations available. Do they still do this?

I don't know, B., but I can tell you that the Directory of American Tool and Machinery Patents (DATAMP) doesn't list any jaw variations after the one (1953) I listed above.

I have a small collection of locking plier wrenches (i.e., "vise-grips"), made by multiple Mfgrs other than Petersen (see Lang 'Sure-Grip', Basford 'GRIPSO', Samson 'Lever-Jaw', Seymour Smith 'Snap-Lock', and Botnick Motor Corporation or B.M.C. 'Precision Locking Pliers'), an interesting subject in its own right, and DATAMP does a great job, through links, of capturing the history and sequence (which can essentially be summed up as others copying the basic Petersen principle, changing or improving one small aspect, and giving it a similarly memorable functionally descriptive brand name). But again, they seem to leave off in the 1950's.

Here is a link to the Petersen page on DATAMP. And here is a link to all the locking type plier-wrenches patents. Fair warning: this is easily a day-long time sink!

 

[B.Boru]

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[Private Lugnutz]

Any info on finishes/plating used on Vise Grips?
Have you encountered the British "Mole-Grips" similar to the 'Genuine One'?

Bhriain,
That's a no and a no, sorry. But I have the feeling I'm going to have to look those up!

 

[Alchymist]

As anyone involved in welding/body repair will know, Petersen also produced two other types of welding pliers - one had very wide plain flat jaws (looked like 2 pieces of 1/8" flat stock), other type was like a 'C' clamp, came in different sizes, from 6" to approx 18" (with corresponding throat depths).
They also produced one with a length of chain fixed to one jaw and the other end could be hooked onto the other jaw after wrapping it around the item/s to be clamped, before squeezing the handles to tighten. This type could be used for clamping large/odd sized items for welding as well as a conventional chain wrench.

B.

You mean like these?

 

[Rileysan]

I dug out my NOS pair of Vise Grip model 9R welding clamps for a photo opp.

Here's how Peterson MFG imagined them being used ...

Brian

 

[B.Boru]

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[B.Boru]

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[D350RDV]

These were my Grandfather's mole grips:



The plating (what's left of it) is I think nickel rather than chrome. They've looked like that for the last forty or so years I can remember them for, so my guess is that they are 1940s/50s. The stamping says "Mole Birmingham England".

A set of Arpes chain grips:



I don't know anything about Arpes other than that I have these and another pair of grips by them, and they look remarkably similar to the ones supplied by Britool in the 1990s.

 

[Mintgrun]

admittedly not vintage, but I sure appreciate these vise grips

 

[Private Lugnutz]

I dug out my NOS pair of Vise Grip model 9R welding clamps for a photo opp.

Would you please post some photos of the tool itself, Brian?

As I noted above, mine is marked "No. 9" and "PAT PEND". I don't know if that refers to the jaws or something else. As you may have noticed, mine does not have the locking release mechanism. That patent - 2,514,130 (not owned by Petersen, incidentally, and licensed to several mfgrs, link to USPTO record here), was granted July 4, 1950, helping to date mine to the 1940's.

As No. 9R, I'm speculating yours are later. And I'm curious to see how yours are marked, whether they have the lock-release, and if there is a patent on them.

 

[IMCA38]

While on the topic of unusual Vise Grips, I thought I'd post up a couple of photos of mine.
As I live about an hour away from DeWitt where they were made, you see a lot of them around at auctions and stuff. Problem is, now they bring stupid high prices. Slagged-up welding clamps often go for $25 each!

First picture is a couple of the "horseshoe" welding clamps, the previously mentioned 9-R and a pair of 11-P that I found a few years ago. I have never seen another pair of the 11-P and from what I can tell, they were discontinued some time back. The 11-P is a larger plier, and the jaws have a distinct "overbite" as opposed to the 9-R where the tips of the jaws come together.

Second picture are some specialty models. The 20-R chain wrench, the 12-LC large jaw (Very handy for gripping larger items.) and the 7-LW "nut busters".

Third photo is several C Clamps. The deep throated pair to the bottom is a 9-SP. I don't recall seeing any of those besides the one pair I own.

Last photo is a couple of pairs of modified pliers. The "duck bills" were purchased at an auction several years ago. Guessing the local blacksmith needed a bit longer reach and made the modification. The other pair came from an auction of an electrical contracting place. They are used to punch holes in steel wall studs. Greenlee and others make a similar tool.

 

[B.Boru]

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[Rileysan]

Would you please post some photos of the tool itself, Brian?

As I noted above, mine is marked "No. 9" and "PAT PEND". I don't know if that refers to the jaws or something else. As you may have noticed, mine does not have the locking release mechanism. That patent - 2,514,130 (not owned by Petersen, incidentally, and licensed to several mfgrs, link to USPTO record here), was granted July 4, 1950, helping to date mine to the 1940's.

As No. 9R, I'm speculating yours are later. And I'm curious to see how yours are marked, whether they have the lock-release, and if there is a patent on them.

I can't get to it tonight, but will before the week is up. I've barely looked at them since I bought them, so will be happy to take pix.

Brian

 

[B.Boru]

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[Mick56]

Here is a little brochure I have that is dated 1979.

 

[Rileysan]

Is there a leaflet in the box giving the history of Petersen MFG and showing the range of pliers available?

B.

Would you please post some photos of the tool itself, Brian?

As I noted above, mine is marked "No. 9" and "PAT PEND". I don't know if that refers to the jaws or something else. As you may have noticed, mine does not have the locking release mechanism. That patent - 2,514,130 (not owned by Petersen, incidentally, and licensed to several mfgrs, link to USPTO record here), was granted July 4, 1950, helping to date mine to the 1940's.

As No. 9R, I'm speculating yours are later. And I'm curious to see how yours are marked, whether they have the lock-release, and if there is a patent on them.

As promised, here are photos of the contents of the box.

You were correct, lugz - these are definitely later. They have a patent number (not patent pending) and a lock release. Of special note is the special note "Give Vise-grip for Christmas" that was included.

Also, the brochure is related to the welding clamp only. Not other brochure included.

Brian

 

[Mintgrun]

Here's an odd pair of Vise-Grips. Does anyone know what they're meant to grab?

 

[Tostal]

Here's an odd pair of Vise-Grips. Does anyone know what they're meant to grab?

^^ this a a Vise-Grip Pinch-Off Tool No. RR.
Iirc it was designed to be used to pinch-off copper tubing as used in the refrigeration industry. But it could be used for other purposes e.g. to clamp-off coolant/fuel hoses if you didn't have regular hose clamps.


T~

 

[d42jeep]

Since this thrend has been bumped, here are some Vise-Grips from my user toolbox.
-Don

 

[d42jeep]

Is this too many?
-Don

 

[Provincial]

I got five of the seamers at a garage sale over 40 years ago, and they have come in handy many times! They have done many things beyond bending sheet metal.

 

[Mintgrun]

Here is another odd pair. I'm not sure what they are meant to crimp, but the openings are 9/16" and 7/16".




Tom

 

[Provincial]

Those are for crimping oxy-acetylene welding hose fittings.