Vise Info Thread

[KMScott]

Outlaw, the flat anvil reminded me of this Miller Falls vise I had at one time. The Toolsteel inserted anvil pad was almost 60 hrc. So I always ask owners with a flat anvil like yours if it has a hard pad.

 

[SkyPuncher]

L.M. & V. Co. Lowville Machine & Vise company - NY

This is a model 20 machinists vise -
4” jaws
Opens 6”
Weighed in at 49lbs
!

KMScott, that is a great vise and some good timing. I just picked up a similar vise I didn't see on the list.
Do you know which one came first? Very similar, but meatball vs. puck style and the direction of the names. Very interesting!

F.M. & V. Co. Lowville NY U.S.A
NO. 20
4" jaws 48lbs

 

[Outlawmws]

Outlaw, the flat anvil reminded me of this Miller Falls vise I had at one time. The Toolsteel inserted anvil pad was almost 60 hrc. So I always ask owners with a flat anvil like yours if it has a hard pad.

When I clean it up I'll try draw filing the top of the anvil and see if its hard like that. as I mentioned I was surprised at the rebound. I was even holding it in my hand, so not a solid mount at all...

 

[CRSINMICH]

LITTLESTOWN History excerpts
From their website​

It mentions that in the 1920's they supplied vises to Sears Roebuck and Montgomery Wards. It explains why some Littlestown items have New York, NY on them and it ties Littlestown to Velox vises.

The full history said that during WWII they made hand grenades and rifle grenades but that's quite another story.

 

[CRSINMICH]

Lowville Machine & Vise Co. was the successor to Fulton Machine & Vise Co. until they sold their stock to American Chain Co. ACCO, (See 1929 items).

 

[CRSINMICH]

SkyPuncher: A catalog cut from 1918 for Fulton STAR vises.

 

[twagler]

National Machinery & Supply Co., Ltd., Hamilton, Ontario, Canada

This is a Model 205 machinists' vise:

5” jaws​

Opens 7 - 1/2”​

Weighed in at 74.8 lbs, but is missing its swivel base. It would likely weigh 90 lbs if it had the proper base installed.​

I acquired this vise from a gentleman who was in the process of moving from his family home to a retirement home. He was still as sharp as a tack, so I got the entire back-story for this vise. It had been mounted in same location in his basement workshop since 1973 (shown in first picture above). He had inherited it from his father, who had procured it from his workplace in the 1940s or 1950s which was the Brading Breweries located in LeBreton Flats, Ottawa, Canada; established 1865 and ceased operation at that location in 1956. The manufacturer (National Machinery & Supply Co.) was a rather short-lived company that was first established in 1911 and ceasing operation about 1922 (additional historical research which was completed by GJ forum member skmbabon and can be found earlier in this Vise Info thread). The company was actually more well-known for their line of woodworking planes. The historical record indicates that in 1922 "...Rae Machine & Tool Works, Hamilton, who have taken over the manufacture of the National Machinery & Supply Co's planes and vises...". So there is a linkage between National and Rae, and in fact there is some possibility that Rae was the actual manufacturer and rebranded as National.

Below is a picture after cleaning. I used a rust electrolysis tank which worked well to remove grease and the old paint in addtion to the rust. The original paint colour was a flat black.



I used a mix of boiled linseed oil, turpentine, and paraffin wax as a finish to protect the cast iron. I also added finely ground up graphite powder for a darker appearance.



The model 205 designation in the phot below indicates that it is actually a swivel mount vise, but the base is missing. The casting number on the dynamic (70) is the same as that for a Rae 105 that I also own, so that confirms the Rae/National linkage.



Here is a photo of the National 205 and Rae 105 twins. I'm still working on the Rae, but will post more photos of it when I'm done.


Thanks for looking,
Tom

 

[CRSINMICH]

SUPER-VICE
from Super-Vice Engineering Co, Ltd. London​

A December, 1920 ad in ENGINEERING PRODUCTION mentions 80% steel construction, "quick action device", and the ability to grip work "one third width of jaws".

A September, 1921 ad in MACHINERY gives more details about the quick release "whole nut divided vertically".

A July 1922 item in THE MINING JOURNAL mentions the high sloping jaws which "allow filing to be done" without "awkward corners to damage the knuckles". It also says the vice is made in 3", 4", 5" and 6" sizes.

An item in the July, 1922 issue of THE MINING MAGAZINE gives more details about the construction of the vice body and the
"solid, rolled, unbreakable, high-tensile-strength, steel slides."

However, in a Readers' Questions and Answers feature of a March, 1927 issue of THE MACHINERY MARKET there was a reader's question about how to get spare parts for Super-Vices. The answer came from Fortis Engineering co. Ltd. "We have a fair stock of these and took
over quite a quantity of the manufactured parts when the works were dismantled."

​

 

[KMScott]

Babco 160. Jaws are 6-3/8 that opens 5 1/2”

 

[KMScott]

Charles Parker 57C. No spec:s on this Filer’s vise.

 

[KMScott]

Wilton 300. 3" jaws that opens to 4-3/4" and weights 29 lbs

 

[KMScott]

Vietnam vise that is interesting to look at, no model # or spec:s.

 

[KMScott]

Charles Parker 46-1/2. 4-1/2" jaws that opens to 9-1/2" and weights over 63 lbs.

 

[KMScott]

Here is an interesting vise. Maker and model # unknown. Any idea who made this?

2-1/4 jaws that opens to 3".

 

[RichRiddle]

If anyone could help identify this Prentiss, it will be appreciated. A neighbor is thinking of bidding on this old Prentiss Bulldog. I can tell it's a swivel model but don't know what the vertical piece with three screws is directly to the left of the word bulldog. Having one Prentiss vise with a crack in the dynamic jaw, they aren't a favorite, but he likes the look of this one... Any help is appreciated.

 

[RTM]

but don't know what the vertical piece with three screws is directly to the left of the word bulldog.

Looks like a repair from this distance. Might have been there for a long time, so might be ok if cheap, for a typical homeowner. Looks like an inverted U from that pic.

 

[RichRiddle]

Looks like a repair from this distance. Might have been there for a long time, so might be ok if cheap, for a typical homeowner. Looks like an inverted U from that pic.

Thanks. That is what it looked like to me as well, not factory at all. I am going to tell him to pass on that vise. Too many decent old vises for sale to deal with some ancient repair of unknown origin.

 

[Outlawmws]

Vietnam vise that is interesting to look at, no model # or spec:s.

That is an interesting vise Dr. Scott! at first, I was thinking Jewlers vise, but that last pic throws me.

Here is an interesting vise. Maker and model # unknown. Any idea who made this?

2-1/4 jaws that opens to 3".

And again, very cool vise configuration! Certainly Jewler's

 

[four.cycle]

@RichRiddle -

I posted everything I have on Prentiss HERE

Prentiss at International Tool Catalog Library

 

[CRSINMICH]

COLUMBIAN Light Alloy Machinists' Vise
​

In 1933 when the Navy launched its newest airship, the U.S.S. Macon, it carried a lightweight aluminum version of a COLUMBIAN vise. The weight was reduced from 30 pounds to about 12 pounds.

 

[Outlawmws]

Nice historical find! that explains the aluminum vise found sone years back!

 

[KMScott]

Columbian 108-1/2. 8-1/2” jaws that opens to 13” and weights 268 lbs.

 

[KMScott]

Parker #45 Swivel JawJewelers vise. 1-3/4 jaw width. Wow.

 

[AntiqueVises]

Parker #45 Swivel JawJewelers vise. 1-3/4 jaw width. Wow.

Wow, that is very cool! Haven't seen one of those before.

 

[Outlawmws]

Incredible find! looks like most of the paint survived too!

 

[Firstram]

Parker #45 Swivel JawJewelers vise. 1-3/4 jaw width. Wow.

Way too cool!

 

[Mechanyclydisinclined]

Chas Parker #59. 4-3/4" jaws that opens to 8" and weights 80lbs. This is the Semi Steel model with a steel bar cast in the Dynamic slide.

I just acquired one of these today (drove 3.5 hours). Do you have any information on it? I assume most were made in the 20s. Did you ever refurbish it? I will post pics of mine soon.

 

[KMScott]

I just acquired one of these today (drove 3.5 hours). Do you have any information on it? I assume most were made in the 20s. Did you ever refurbish it? I will post pics of mine soon.

No I did not own that #59 but I did restore a #79. They are heavy vises.

 

[akasrick]

No I did not own that #59 but I did restore a #79. They are heavy vises.

I just acquired one of these today (drove 3.5 hours). Do you have any information on it? I assume most were made in the 20s. Did you ever refurbish it? I will post pics of mine soon.

From Parker's #6 catalog. Superiors have a 1906 patent for something or other.



akasrick

 

[CRSINMICH]

akasrick: The 1906 patent was granted to Eli M. Walker and was assigned to Parker. It's for "the slide strengthened with our patented solid Steel Bar".

 

[-TH-]

...
I used a mix of boiled linseed oil, turpentine, and paraffin wax as a finish to protect the cast iron. I also added finely ground up graphite powder for a darker appearance.
...

Those vises look great!
I really like the look of that finish, could you give me more details of your "recipe"? Mainly - how much of each ingredient, did you warm it for the wax to melt or some other trick, and where did you get the graphite powder? Thank you!!!
TH

 

[four.cycle]

As things turned out, that folder full of "vise" files turned out to be all duplicates except for half a dozen:

1910 Virginia Carolina Hardware Co. catalog Diamond Parker Reed vise ad pp 397

1910 Virginia Carolina Hardware Co. catalog Keystone Parker Shepard Trojan vise ad pp 396

1922 Dakota Iron Store catalog Prentiss Peerless Wiley & Russell Green River vise ad pp 271

1922 Dakota Iron Store catalog Prentiss vise ad pp 272

1922 Dakota Iron Store catalog Prentiss vise ad pp 273

1925 Supplee-Biddle Hardware Co. catalog Bonney Mark North Bros Yankee Parker Williams Vulcan vise ad pp 270

 

[akasrick]

As things turned out, that folder full of "vise" files turned out to be all duplicates except for half a dozen:

1910 Virginia Carolina Hardware Co. catalog Diamond Parker Reed vise ad pp 397

1910 Virginia Carolina Hardware Co. catalog Keystone Parker Shepard Trojan vise ad pp 396

1922 Dakota Iron Store catalog Prentiss Peerless Wiley & Russell Green River vise ad pp 271

1922 Dakota Iron Store catalog Prentiss vise ad pp 272

1922 Dakota Iron Store catalog Prentiss vise ad pp 273

1925 Supplee-Biddle Hardware Co. catalog Bonney Mark North Bros Yankee Parker Williams Vulcan vise ad pp 270

Not to let a good advertisement go unnoticed...
An example of a Bonney 01, bought for its photogenetic crispness.
It must have been oiled or waxed, no enamel evident.
The bench screw is simplistic and the main screw feels to be forced in.
It's captured into the vise body and won't come out.
I don't have any other Standard vises with the "Made In" stamp to compare with.
I think not a candidate for the vise spread sheet.

akasrick

Edit oops forgot to attach the pics

 

[CRSINMICH]

akasrick: Here is an 1891 patent granted to Joseph G. Baker. "The object of my invention is to lesson the labor and expense in fitting up vises, especially those having parallel jaws."

It looks like Bonney used his invention.

 

[akasrick]

akasrick: Here is an 1891 patent granted to Joseph G. Baker. "The object of my invention is to lesson the labor and expense in fitting up vises, especially those having parallel jaws."

It looks like Bonney used his invention.

1891 JG Baker vise patent p2.jpg

Looks as if our Mr. Baker was covering the bases with the screw being able to be pointed down and removed. I have only seen a pin or a spring and screw (another of his patents) holding the main screw in place. I'll be looking at the photos a little more closely.

akasrick

 

[CRSINMICH]

SEROCO RAPID TRANSIT MACHINISTS' VISE
SEARS ROEBUCK COMPANY​

Sears Roebuck Company was a retailer not a manufacturer. They sold myriad items and often put their own brand on them. SEROCO was one such brand. This SEROCO vise appears to be a BONNEY RAPID TRANSIT. The image came from a 1902 catalog and is not very clear.

 

[KMScott]

Snediker Quick Adjusting Vise. 3-1/2” jaws that opens to 5” and weights 40 lbs.

 

[CRSINMICH]

William Snediker had three patents for vises; one in 1877, one in 1894, and one in 1901. The 1907 Snediker article states that, by that time, Snediker vises were being made by Yost.

LATE EDIT: It appears that Mr. Snediker had at least 9 patents for vises. Most of the earlier ones were for Blacksmith's Leg Vises and were assigned to Trenton Vise & Tool Works.

 

[KMScott]

William Snediker had three patents for vises; one in 1877, one in 1894, and one in 1901. The 1907 Snediker article states that, by that time, Snediker vises were being made by Yost.

LATE EDIT: It appears that Mr. Snediker had at least 9 patents for vises. Most of the earlier ones were for Blacksmith's Leg Vises and were assigned to Trenton Vise & Tool Works.

Some pretty smart engineers back in the day. Thanks for the catalog pages CRS.

 

[KMScott]

Prentiss #99 Coachmakers vise. 4-1/2” jaws that opens to 9” and weights 56 lbs.