Monarch Vise Restoration

[Inkman]

Hello all I was referred here by someone from the practical machinists forum.

I recently bought an old Monarch 4" vise. Rusted to hell but no major damage, a lot of nicks as expected and someone brazed on a pipe to one of the jaws.

I have torn it down, de-rusted it and at the point where I would like to remove the jaws but they seem monolithic some how. They are either blind pinned with a press fit into the cast, or was cast in place. Has anyone come across this before and removed them somehow, or is it best to leave them in place and just go with smooth jaws?

I like this vise not only because it is old and not very common but because Prentiss made these and it is rumored tho not proven that they were made by Parker Co. that bought out Prentiss and I just so happen to live and have grown up in the same city as Parker. Parker, Bull Dog, and Prentiss vises are very common in this area I assume because of the proximity to the Parker plant, there is one person actually selling just over 300 parker vises currently.

My vise has a stamp on the moveable jaw of 22 2 41, it sure looks like a date format but not positive.

Look at the pictures posted and you can see where the cast changes to steel, the fit is just to damn precise which leads me to believe they were cast in place.

 

[dayid]

I do not have direct experience with this vise; however, all Prentiss vices that I have recorded do have replaceable faces. However, the only 4" that I've seen which is also stamped as Monarch indeed has much different faces than yours.

What is the model number?

 

[davethorik]

If that is the date code, it is before Parker bought out Prentiss (1948).

 

[rusty65]

The cast in jaw would pre date 1911 so perhaps a inventory number or something to that effect. Also that’s very interesting on the guy selling 300 vises I would not have guessed any one outside our forum would own that many.


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[Inkman]

Thats why it is confusing about the stamp. Information on this particular brand is very limited, some people state it was manufactured by Parker but Prentiss owned the rights, and some say Parker manufactured them after buying Prentiss.

It is a Monarch 215, with the Prentiss Watertown NY stamp as seen in the image.

Also need a recommendation, when I got the vice there was no hardware left holding the screw in place. I am thinking of using a thrust washer with a locking collar behind it, does that sound proper or should it be some other type of hardware? See pic for reference.

 

[Inkman]

The cast in jaw would pre date 1911 so perhaps a inventory number or something to that effect. Also that’s very interesting on the guy selling 300 vises I would not have guessed any one outside our forum would own that many.


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He is down to a 116 last I checked, they are all old and rusty. I beleive he has some wiltons as well. But he wants a premium for them even in the terrible shape they are in.

 

[ZRX61]

Also need a recommendation, when I got the vice there was no hardware left holding the screw in place. I am thinking of using a thrust washer with a locking collar behind it, does that sound proper or should it be some other type of hardware? See pic for reference.

Is there a hole through the part for a cotter pin, or maybe a dent from a set screw?

 

[Inkman]

No hole, but three half moon scallops, you can see one in the pic. I think maybe at one time it had a collar in there and the three scallops were peened it in place.

 

[SweetD]

Yes I would agree that there was a collar and those "scallop" shapes were swaged/deformed to hold the collar in place. You could certainly go with a locking collar/set screw combo as a replacement.

I believe those jaw faces are pinned and forged onto the jaws themselves.

 

[Inkman]

Yes I would agree that there was a collar and those "scallop" shapes were swaged/deformed to hold the collar in place. You could certainly go with a locking collar/set screw combo as a replacement.

I believe those jaw faces are pinned and forged onto the jaws themselves.

Thrust washer and locking collar is the way I will go. Just wish there was a way to put a little preload on it so its not sloppy.

 

[davethorik]

Thats why it is confusing about the stamp. Information on this particular brand is very limited, some people state it was manufactured by Parker but Prentiss owned the rights, and some say Parker manufactured them after buying Prentiss.

I believe your vise is older, by the time Parker bought Prentiss both vise co's had removable jaw inserts. Not only that but Prentiss vises made under Parker say Meriden CT on them.

 

[ZRX61]

Thrust washer and locking collar is the way I will go. Just wish there was a way to put a little preload on it so its not sloppy.

You can either shim the collar with washers to remove any slop,



or use a spring between the front of the vise & the collar.


It's a ****** installing this kind of set up with the spring unless you compress the spring in a vise & then put a couple of turns of safety wire around it so you can install it while compressed, then just cut the safety wire once you have the collar secured in place.

 

[ZRX61]

This is the set up in a Paramo vise: spring, washer, cotterpin:


https://scontent-lax3-1.**.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/557485_4620148514501_2050230210_n.jpg?_nc_cat=103&_nc_eui2=AeFCKQgn-yEMJL6Jq41PE4f0wIH5lEfK0qYhfN_WO38_cxW19YQBmozSTU4JcZ0_VeQuClfpsThUNcZrhy5JMyVhqIgUoSoMNJQueStaX13buQ&_nc_pt=1&_nc_ht=scontent-lax3-1.**&oh=216b9b0bad2ef078741c323b2b4480e4&oe=5D01D7F4


https://scontent-lax3-1.**.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/247279_4620151274570_1883554756_n.jpg?_nc_cat=105&_nc_eui2=AeHJN5Yrw15Ir04hSHOHKOFloj3dUDdiKnIHt_y2pLtMdhYBxOJUeynoYcIcuqnQjN5lq3RSUdjt4RZtu3s9gL6GTHRfNm8MXY-ZPb0HxbzFpw&_nc_pt=1&_nc_ht=scontent-lax3-1.**&oh=f42601a712c07c5332d37b5f3d927d61&oe=5D4C37BE


https://scontent-lax3-1.**.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/530526_4620156314696_1885157238_n.jpg?_nc_cat=103&_nc_eui2=AeFmujNkox04lc-1x07ybtaFh05d_bMkGLI-5kkXKMcGKdwE2xP0-El8m_v2swsfO-0ycONcM2xfEz6g8IZavzJLGd-XH8JmkjjHwOBTuCzDaQ&_nc_pt=1&_nc_ht=scontent-lax3-1.**&oh=610a85fca2a355cf83b90a9180e047e8&oe=5D113001


https://scontent-lax3-1.**.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/483372_4620156274695_1583950789_n.jpg?_nc_cat=105&_nc_eui2=AeGtw9xuYI4U1k8DiNpwB01PuUt3TLPcNqM_GeAHDVgyviFlqIcqut5AwSDf997IP3j2AEYwvfrmuyT0QFCNEGhey57Gcjfef7zZavNAPv2U0g&_nc_pt=1&_nc_ht=scontent-lax3-1.**&oh=51500e26f25f39c854f5a590f59a3840&oe=5D0B6FBB

 

[Inkman]

Nice idea, I will give that a try!

 

[ZRX61]

Be sure to trim the cotter pin to the ideal length while you still have it in pieces...

 

[thehorse13]

I have the same vise. When I get home from work I will post a pic of the collar setup. Mine is all original and carries the Prentiss stamp on the bottom of the dynamic jaw.

 

[drivesitfar]

ALL: another neat trick to compressing the spring is to cut a notch in a plastic PVC, stell, aluminum or copper pipe that fits over your screw that will push the spring back so you can remove or replace the cotter pin.

i'm posting a couple pics of one used on an Athol vise and hope it helps

 

[Fretters]

ALL: another neat trick to compressing the spring is to cut a notch in a plastic PVC, stell, aluminum or copper pipe that fits over your screw that will push the spring back so you can remove or replace the cotter pin.

i'm posting a couple pics of one used on an Athol vise and hope it helps

That's the method I use. Simple & effective, for both disassembly & reassembly. Only usable on the open ended slides though. If there's a leadscrew hanger or a closed end, a flat tip screwdriver can be used to compress the spring. Not easy, but it works.