Old Prentiss Vise

[gutpiler]

New to this forum, and just started getting into vintage vises. This is a vise I just picked up and was wondering if anyone could tell me anything about it.
As you can see, the number is not entirely legible I believe it is 941 (under Lewis Paent). I plan on restoring this would love to hear what anybody has to say and informative or just comments and if anyone may know what it might be worth if anything I don’t plan on selling it at this point I believe it’s gonna look very nice on my workbench.
Would like to say thank you in advance for any information you can provide on this particular vise.

 

[thehorse13]

Your vise is a turn of the 20th century Lewis Patent Prentiss dating from around 1910 if I had to guess. Here is a picture of a Lewis Pat. Prentiss from the 1910 catalog. It's not the same model as yours but you get the idea.

The open screw models generally don't bring big money but are plenty stout enough for a homeowner. If I saw this vise at a flea market, I'd pay a max of 30 bucks for it just for the novelty of it being a Lewis patent. Value greatly depends on where you live. Around here, vises are plentiful and hence the market prices are low. I can drag home all the old Prentiss machinist vises that I want for under 100 dollars.

Welcome and post pictures of your restoration. We love that sort of thing around here.

 

[gutpiler]

Thank you for your response…I really like the look and will definitely post pics when the restoration is complete.

 

[RoninB4]

Nice old vise. Two schools of thought to "restoration". Some will take a flap grinder/sanding drum to smooth all the imperfections and make it more appealing to the eye with a coat of paint added. I took the approach with my 100 year old Prentiss that I was merely the current caretaker and had no right to change surface imperfections beyond removing red rust (not the black rust) to ensure it worked properly. Besides, all the nicks/gouges were part of the history. I did a rattle can of enamel, imitating the Japanning of the original (difficult to do properly) and will return it to service. I hope it lasts another 100 years in the original condition for future generations.

 

[gutpiler]

So, here are some pictures of my vise currently. I only get to work on the restoration when time allows if somebody could give me any advice as to how to remove the rust on the interior of the vise where the screw and slides go through. I would greatly appreciate it. Most of this has been done by wire wheels and a drill after soaking in vinegar bath. And I am of the same school of thought. I am not going to try to make it smooth and beautiful. I think that all the nicks and gouges are apart of this device now, and make it look to its age.
Again, any suggestions or tips on anything would be greatly appreciated as this is my first restoration. Will post pictures of the next step after it is totally clean and painted.

 

[Shiftless]

Welcome to the group of vise a holics
Since you’ve already soaked it in vinegar, most of the rust inside the main casting should be gone. I assume you have rinsed it well and dried it. If it was mine, I would just take a small wire brush and clean the inside surfaces of any loose material and then coat lightly with boiled linseed oil. That will retard rusting. You could also paint with a rust inhibiting primer. I use Rustoleum.

 

[gutpiler]

Great thanks

 

[RoninB4]

If it's black rust (waxy feel on surface) it's stable and shouldn't be removed IMO because it helps date the piece and is now a stable part of the patina. If it's red rust it's still active and should be removed/neutralize (IMO). I use small brass brushes by hand and a rotary brass brush in a Dremel type tool to get all I can with a frequent rinse of brush and vise. If I can't reach some spots then I turn to chemicals starting with the least harmful like vinegar. There are lots of rust neutralizers out there and like Shiftless I've used Rustoleum when I can do no more.

Great looking vise, nice piece of history you still get to use. Your restoration work will (hopefully) be appreciated by the new caretaker long after you're gone. Looking forward to photos when you're done.

 

[gutpiler]

OK so I have completed 1/2 of the restoration and just wanted to post pics hopefully you don’t hate it.
The guide bars and the handle and screw I used gun bluing on all of that and then painted the body green still working on the other half will post pics when it’s totally done of it all back together.

 

[gutpiler]

Ok so here is the finished product…just need to paint the lettering with white paint.

 

[Rusted Nut]

Very nice!

 

[larry_g]

Ok so here is the finished product…just need to paint the lettering with white paint.

Have you considered other than white for the letters? Whited letters do not please MY eye. I've seen some that do the letters, in your case, in a lighter green that that are subtle and effective. I've always been attracted to subtle elegance more than in your face colors.

lg
no neat sig line

 

[gutpiler]

It took me a while, but here is the vice mounted on my bench. I am really pleased with how it came out and ready to use it.

 

[Harry Oh]

Thank you for your response…I really like theI⁸ look and will definitely post pics when the restoration is complete.

Mo

 

[thehorse13]

It took me a while, but here is the vice mounted on my bench. I am really pleased with how it came out and ready to use it.

That vise will outlive you and can handle any homeowner job you throw at it; nice job.

The only thing I would address is the run out gap you have between the handle and the dynamic jaw (picture 2). That slack would annoy the hell out of me but can easily be solved with a washer on the inside of the jaw ahead of the collar.

 

[RoninB4]

It took me a while, but here is the vice mounted on my bench. I am really pleased with how it came out and ready to use it.

-Looks good, nice job. You are now another installment in the history of this vise because you did a resto job and returned it to service as it was designed to. Enjoy it, I would.