Impulse Buy, Now What (old vise)

[MrSurly]

Months ago at a garage sale I bought an old vise because even though I’m NOT a vice collector, I’ve seen so much on GJ about them, I know they have *some* value. I think I paid eighty or ninety bucks for this thinking oh it’s clearly worth that, I can’t get hurt on the money.
AFTER I got home I finally looked closer and then realized that it’s missing a chunk of the base front beam support... at least that’s what I’m calling it because I don’t know the vise vernacular.
Checked with the seller, he does not have the lost piece, came out of Grandpa’s old house, long sold.
I have no idea what to do with it now, what it’s worth, whether to clean it up and mount it on a steel table, weld up a table mounted support

and just use the old beast or pass it on to someone who has an interest in these things.
It’s larger than I can really use and I have other vises. Maybe just Craigslist it and move on(?)
What say ye?

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[MayerMR]

Months ago at a garage sale I bought an old vise because even though I’m NOT a vice collector, I’ve seen so much on GJ about them, I know they have *some* value. I think I paid eighty or ninety bucks for this thinking oh it’s clearly worth that, I can’t get hurt on the money.
AFTER I got home I finally looked closer and then realized that it’s missing a chunk of the base front beam support... at least that’s what I’m calling it because I don’t know the vise vernacular.
Checked with the seller, he does not have the lost piece, came out of Grandpa’s old house, long sold.
I have no idea what to do with it now, what it’s worth, whether to clean it up and mount it on a steel table, weld up a table mounted support

and just use the old beast or pass it on to someone who has an interest in these things.
It’s larger than I can really use and I have other vises. Maybe just Craigslist it and move on(?)
What say ye?


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Nice enough vise. I say clean it up, paint it, and use it. It's pretty common for those jaw shelves to have been broken off in the past. As long as you use it for what it's intended, it's unlikely to affect you ask that much. From a collector's perspective though, it does detract from the value.

 

[Dumber than lumber]

You could probably list it for$300 on craigslist and get $200 or more.
But if it works great i would suggest keeping it.
IDEA - if you list it say the reason for sale is “it’s too big for me”. Or similar thought. I think that would be attractive to prospective buyers.

 

[Retroman]

Vises are like S&W revolvers, People think just because there old they must be valuable. Comes down to condition in the end. I have a vise in about that condition it came in a three vise bundle purchase. It is yard art in my landscaping on the side of my house. Not sure if you could recoup your investment by selling it but don't hurt to try.

 

[zkling]

Me personally, I wouldn't pay scrap value for it. If you need a beater for a welding table so be it, otherwise chalk it up to a learning lesson. It's nice to have nice things.

 

[steaks&anvils]

I think for it will be fine for home owner use. As long as the static jaw side doesn't have any cracks from where the piece broke off, it should be good to use. Nice old big vise.

I think someone wanted to remove the part of the base that makes you need to cut an indent into you bench top to mount it. They took off the support for dynamic jaw while doing it.

Try posting your questions on the huge vise thread:

https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=44782

and the vise repair thread:

https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=252830

Clean up the rust and just coat it with BLO and you will be good to go.

 

[chrisnazzy]

The broken piece you refer to is commonly called the dynamic jaw support or support shelf. They were usually broken as a result of beating on something clamped in the vise, often with the jaws overextended past their safe opening limit. This can also be an indicator of other abuses the vise has endured.

You've got nothing to lose except a little of your time to take it apart and inspect for other damage. If you're able to unscrew it all the way and separate the two halves easily you're already ahead of the game. Then look for any additional cracks around and behind where the jaw support shelf was broke off. Inspect the dovetail that the nut slides into for damage. Check out the threads on the leadscrew and nut for wear. If all looks to be in order I would recommend spending the additional time necessary to put a wre wheel to it and get it stripped of rust, grime and remnants of previous finishes.

Once you're happy with the results, grease it back up, buy a can of boiled linseed oil, wipe it down and set it out in the sun to dry for a couple days.

You may just find yourself wanting to figure out a way to get it mounted and in use or you may decide to put it up for sale. Either way, the time you put in to get it cleaned up will pay off in the end.

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