Huge old vise value?

[sched01]

Hi, I dug out a very old and very heavy vise, I'm guessing couple hundred pounds anyway. Wondering if anyone knows what it would have been used for or called. I see no markings anywhere on it, the wheel is 14"dia, and as shown it's 24" long, jaws are about 4". Looks like to me it was cut off a serious machine, it came to us with an old anvil and bunch of tools but maybe they are not related. Any guess as to value? never uploaded photos before, hope they show up Thanks

 

[Maui]

Did it come out of a blacksmith shop?

 

[sched01]

Came out of very old barn, we mainly wanted the anvil but this was part of the deal.

 

[timgunn1962]

is it self-centring?

As in: when you rotate the handle, do both jaws move in opposite directions?

 

[sched01]

Yes, both jaws move opposite.

 

[NC Rick]

It looks like it’s made to hold round objects on some machine tool in a manufacturing factory. It’s cool. Likely old too.

 

[sched01]

I was guessing old machining vise off some type mill maybe but never seen anything of this size or like it. Appears to have been cut off the bed of something and the torch marks even look old, like real old. Came from a gentleman, in his 70's from a family farm and said it and the very old anvil belonged to his Grandfather, don't know when he acquired them. I got some old hammers wedges and chisels, and shoe lasts that came with the anvil. I'm in southern Michigan so something from the Henry Ford era maybe something auto related is my official guess for the vise,,,,,,,,,,,,,but my guesses aren't typically worth much haha.

 

[NC Rick]

The story would be worth a lot to me, even if not measured in dollars.

 

[zkling]

Was it welded to that base plate? The lack of universal mounting features indicates it may have been chopped.

Likely came off a saw or pipe threading machine where keeping center line was important, hence the self centering feature. .

While that is neat, pipe vises have very little value, especially ones that cannot be universally mounted / used.