The Vanderman MFG. Co - NO.3 Vise

[jcouch1]

Hi,
I recently purchased a welding table (beating table) w/ a vise on it... The vise was a plus, as I went to look at the table. I've searched the best I could here and elsewhere, but haven't found too much info, other than that this was the bee's knees in the late 1800's. I'll try to attach pictures of my Vanderman No. 3. Any info would be appreciated. Is there any way to date this vise? Also, If cleaning it up, what color did these originally sale as?

 

[FJ 432]

I used to own one so I can appreciate the effort on getting that on the table.

A steam pipe fitter's vise. Mine had the remains of red paint if I recall.

 

[drivesitfar]

JC: i own a Vanderman's #1 that is a beast and weighs 100 pounds and i think yours weighs 150 pounds if i recall correctly. either the #2 is 125 and the #3 150 or the #2 is 150 and the #3 is 200, but i'm thinking they went up in 25 pound increments.

it's called a STEAMFITTER'S vise like FJ mentioned and probably one of the best made and most expensive vises made in the late 1800's and early 1900's. i'm not exactly sure how to date them, but that should give you a range. mine was has more of a Jappaning or BLO naked type finish and it was the only vise in about a 30,000 square foot steel fab's building when i removed it when the owner retired.

nice vise and nice table. congrats!!

 

[jcouch1]

FJ, Luckily it was mounted on the table... Was quite the experience getting them both on and off the trailer though.

DIF, thanks for the info. not much out there on these.

 

[Hephaestus29]

Looks bad a$$

 

[drivesitfar]

JC: here's a catalog page i had saved along with a few pictures of my #1. i'll see if i can find more information on Vandermans that really were the Rolls Royce of vises back in the late 1800's and very early 1900's before WWI.

BTW i'd like to buy 10 of every item on that catalog page even at double the prices.

i can't recall who owns the green one, but pictures were handy so thought i'd post them too.

hope you love your vise that seems to look at home on that stout bench. i'll keep watching this thread to see if you might find more Vanderman vise information.

if you post on the big vise thread and maybe ask VA Grouseman nicely to do a search for Vanderman i bet he'll find some of the many posts we have on that thread and here's the link:

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

 

[twertsy]

I did a little bit of research: http://toolarchives.com/node/3363

 

[jcouch1]

DIF, I did search the vise threads on here... seems that it might be the best reference to these vises. Thanks for the patent info and catalog pages... I wouldn't have though to search the patents!

 

[Oregon rock crusher]

I've got a #3 also and they are interesting vises. I need to find a place to mount it where it will get some use but I seem to be vise rich and open bench space poor. Ed.

 

[threepiece]

Hi,
I recently purchased a welding table (beating table) w/ a vise on it... The vise was a plus, as I went to look at the table.

I too went to buy a table and a Vanderman no.3 happened to be on it.

My table was a fabricating table of sorts at a local auction several years ago. The back bidder was bidding on the vise and approached me later asking what I was bidding on. He offered close to the sale price for the vise alone, I declined.