Vise Info Thread

[akasrick]

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

From Prentiss's 53rd. catalog.



akasrick

 

[CRSINMICH]

Soderfors "All Steel" Vise
Soderfors Bruks, Falun, Sweden​

There is an entry in the spreadsheet for Soderfors but only for one model. These 1920 journal items mention eight different jaw widths ranging from 3 1/4" to 8 7/8" with weights from 11 lbs. to 200 lbs. Available with either plain or swivel bases.

 

[CRSINMICH]

DROPFO WEDGELOK VISE
Fulton Drop Forge Company​

Fulton Drop Forge Company made Dropfo vises. It had a short history. They began advertising Dropfo vises in 1925.

A July 1925 ad used the term Wedgelok to describe the mechanism which will stop the revolving of the vise as soon as
the jaws are tightened. The swiveling could also be controlled separately. The sizes given were 3", 4", 5" and 5"HD.

An ad in an August 1925 journal said the vises came in "swivel and stationary types".
An October 1925 ad specifically said it was "A vise made entirely of drop-forgings with the exception of the handle."

By January 1926, an ad stated that the vises had, "heavy heat treated, chrome nickel steel screws".
A Fevrier (February) 1926 ad appeared in "Guide des Importateurs" extolling the virtues of Etaux Dropfo (Dropfo Vises).
By June 1926 a change in Dropfo sizes is noted. The 5" HD model disappeared and was replaced by a 4 1/2" model. Dropfo was still
new enough that they were offering "Introductory Prices"

A January 1927 ad had the same basic information but mentioned, "A large Automobile Manufacturer now using 250 4 inch Dropfo" vises.
A June 1927 ad extolled the efficiency of the Dropfo by saying the auto manufacturer saved 15 minutes per 8 hour day!

The June 30, 1927 ad was probably one of the last. On July 20, 1927 the Dropfo plant was destroyed by fire.

 

[ranger08]

millers falls 1700 with 2 1/2 inch jaws

 

[CRSINMICH]

ranger: I was given a 664 that had been converted from clamp on to bench vise. Likely the stem had been broken off. I was surprised at how stout it is. It would be a good user for someone.

 

[KMScott]

ranger: I was given a 664 that had been converted from clamp on to bench vise. Likely the stem had been broken off. I was surprised at how stout it is. It would be a good user for someone.

Hey. CRS, post some pics of your 664. Need some for the Spreadsheet. Thanks for the catalog page on the Miller Falls clamp-on’s.

 

[KMScott]

Erie Tool Works 205-1/2”. Swivel clamp releases from under the bench. 5-1/2” jaws that opens to 8” and weights 85 lbs.

 

[CRSINMICH]

ANTOL VICES
Antol Service Co.,Ltd
These vices had a four-sided turret arrangement on one jaw.​

On September 30, 1920 Antol Service Co. Ltd. ran an advertisement for jigs, gauges etc. with no mention of vises.

By July, 1921 an ad in MACHINERY journal showed a "New Type Universal Vice". The vices were "constructed of steel throughout" and had a "quick-acting rotatable turret" on one jaw. Antol offered machine vices as well as bench vices. The four faces of the turret had different configurations - "one plain" and three others "provided with a series of horizontal V slots". Turrets could also be "supplied machined to suit specified pieces of work".
Machine vices came in 4" and 6" sizes.
Bench vices were 4.5", 5.5" and 6.5" and all sizes came in "quick-release or screw-all-the-way patterns".

By November, 1921 Ernest Holder had obtained a patent for an "Improvement in Vices" for which he had applied July, 1920.

A 1922 Anthol ad in 'The Ship Compendium' mentioned vices.

However, in February, 1922 an item in 'The Solicitors' Journal & Weekly Reporter' mentioned Anthol was already "Winding-up Voluntarily".

By July, 1924 a notice in The London Gazette stated "...the winding up has been conducted, and the property of the Company disposed of..."

 

[KMScott]

Akron Vise and Tool CO. Pinchbug. 2-1/4 jaws.

 

[CRSINMICH]

HEINRICH Model 14 PRODUCTION BENCH VISE
Heinrich Company​

Heinrich is known for their machine vises but they did , and still do, make a bench vise.

 

[master Zoda]

Stanley 1210 2-1/2" jaws opens 2" weight 4-1/2 lbs. Nice condition decal is mostly intact.

 

[master Zoda]

Rugol No. 12 3-1/4" jaws opens 3" weight just under 12 lbs. I've never seen a Rugol before anybody know who made it? Rock island maybe?

 

[Outlawmws]

Stanley 1210 2-1/2"

My son and I both have the Miller's Falls Verizon of this clamp on swivel base - his is 2" and mine is 2-1/2" jaws.

 

[CRSINMICH]

Lash Vices
Robert H. Lash Ltd.
​

There is not a lot of information about Lash vices. I could only find these two ads. They seemed to have produced a number of machining items and had a 1918 patent for a hacksaw frame.

 

[Beerhippie]

Joseph H. Lewis 3" vise, Pat. 65,097, May 28 1867:

https://www.datamp.org/patents/displayPatent.php?pn=65097&id=12903



Notice the unique arrangement of the screw and nut: The nut is mounted in a tube attached to the lever and front jaw and rotates; the screw is fixed in the static body of the vise.

The mount is a T-slot in the fixed body:



The nut:



The screw:



Note how clean and sharp the screw is. It's completely protected inside the fixed body and drive tube. The slide of the dynamic jaw rides in the key-hole opening below the screw.

After cleaning:

The drive tube runs on a bronze thrust bearing in the dynamic jaw:



Drive is retained by a simple plate and screw:



Opening is 4 1/2":



3" jaws:



About 13" OAL:



Weight is right around 26 lb.

Welded-in jaw pads are pretty good for how old this is:





In all its one-hundred-fifty-odd-year-old glory:







The cross-pin that retains the screw in the static body is just visible. I did not attempt to remove it.

Many thanks to @deezil for identifying this totally unmarked vise! I'd never have got it on my own.

This is the only example I've been able to find of this vise. If anyone else can locate one (Joseph H. Lewis Pat '67), post it!

 

[Outlawmws]

Great find Timm! I really like the solution to protect what otherwise would have been an exposed screw vise!

 

[KMScott]

Thanks guys for more additions to the spreadsheet.

 

[Beerhippie]

Great find Timm! I really like the solution to protect what otherwise would have been an exposed screw vise!

It makes one wonder why it was used only in this first-patent vise--as far as I can see. Joseph H. Lewis' second (1869) patent used a screw like any other vise, just with a short threaded section so the threads were mostly protected inside the static body.

 

[Pressbrake1]

Hello . I’m the idiot that makes the big lambco vises.
A pattern maker I know wants /needs to do one last job before he retires.
Because uk now has neo communist government I want to make a signature piece before I call time as even poor sole trader business are considered evil bourgeois…..

Anyway I’m thinking of recreating the iconic 695lb Pittsburg railroad vice . I’d need to make at least ten to cover pattern costs.
Below is a sketch though I think dimensions will need to be slightly bigger to hit target weight, probably scaled to 10” jaws

 

[Firstram]

Hello . I’m the idiot that makes the big lambco vises.
A pattern maker I know wants /needs to do one last job before he retires.
Because uk now has neo communist government I want to make a signature piece before I call time as even poor sole trader business are considered evil bourgeois…..

Anyway I’m thinking of recreating the iconic 695lb Pittsburg railroad vice . I’d need to make at least ten to cover pattern costs.
Below is a sketch though I think dimensions will need to be slightly bigger to hit target weight, probably scaled to 10” jaws

It’s criminal!

 

[Pressbrake1]

It’s criminal!

Making a vise that was only proposed?!

 

[Firstram]

Making a vise that was only proposed?!

The motivation for one last hooray!

 

[KMScott]

Hello . I’m the idiot that makes the big lambco vises.
A pattern maker I know wants /needs to do one last job before he retires.
Because uk now has neo communist government I want to make a signature piece before I call time as even poor sole trader business are considered evil bourgeois…..

Anyway I’m thinking of recreating the iconic 695lb Pittsburg railroad vice . I’d need to make at least ten to cover pattern costs.
Below is a sketch though I think dimensions will need to be slightly bigger to hit target weight, probably scaled to 10” jaws

I would love to follow a thread that you make following all the steps in building the patterns and then the casting process in getting this monster of a vise built. I‘m sure ten can be sold.

 

[Pressbrake1]

I would love to follow a thread that you make following all the steps in building the patterns and then the casting process in getting this monster of a vise built. I‘m sure ten can be sold.

It’s all silly really
There’s no way I could afford £7000 on a pattern in the hopes of selling ten and making less than minimum wage if I do sell ten

 

[bl00]

Making a vise that was only proposed?!

I'm pretty sure they made at least two. One that they took to a trade expo, although that could've been a non working prototype. Another was purchased by the US govt and delivered to a naval yard in the northeast. Can't remember exactly where. It's been awhile since I looked them up.

 

[PghJKB]

I'm pretty sure they made at least two. One that they took to a trade expo, although that could've been a non working prototype. Another was purchased by the US govt and delivered to a naval yard in the northeast. Can't remember exactly where. It's been awhile since I looked them up.

Tennessee, Tennessee, ain't no place I'd rather be...



Read the WHOLE article...

Hope this helps
JKB

 

[Pressbrake1]

Wow , see how accurate my dimension estimation is !

 

[KMScott]

Erie 123 combination vise. 4” jaws that weights 55 lbs without the pipe jaws.

 

[Outlawmws]

and without the pipe jaws!

 

[KMScott]

Erie 204-1/2. 4-1/2” jaws that opens to 6” and weights 50 lbs.

 

[CRSINMICH]

Hollands 123 Extra Heavy Combination vise
Erie Tool Works 204 1/2

 

[Rence]

Hello everyone, my wife has one of my vises listed on FB and a guy reached out to her to ask if I wanted to buy his Wilton hydraulic vise, he only sent one picture for now but I can’t find any info on it, does anyone have any info on this vise? Thank you

 

[RTM]

Hello everyone, my wife has one of my vises listed on FB and a guy reached out to her to ask if I wanted to buy his Wilton hydraulic vise, he only sent one picture for now but I can’t find and info on it, does anyone have any info on this vise? Thank you

I think the name is here, Power screw

The VISES of Garage Journal

va: Holy ****!! I should dig mine out and dust it off. It only fetched a $5 premium from me.

www.garagejournal.com

Searching this site, top right magnifying glass, for that name, should find many listings.


Alternate choice, this search

site:garagejournal.com "power screw" - Google Search

 

[Rence]

Thank you sir! I knew about the Wilt-O-matic vise but honestly didn't know about this internal hydraulic vise, He told my wife its rare and gave her an unbelievable price. I will go look at it tmrw. I noticed after you told me and I read about the vise it does say Power screw on the handle, Thanks again

 

[CRSINMICH]

Diamond-Edge Bench Vise
Norvell-Shapleigh Hardware Company​

Diamond-Edge was the house brand of Norvell-Shapleigh. The name was applied to many products. The 1913 article says their vises came in 1 3/4", 2", 2 1/4", and 2 1/2" sizes with either clamp base or standard base.

 

[Outlawmws]

Diamond-Edge Bench Vise
Norvell-Shapleigh Hardware Company​

Diamond-Edge was the house brand of Norvell-Shapleigh. The name was applied to many products. The 1913 article says their vises came in 1 3/4", 2", 2 1/4", and 2 1/2" sizes with either clamp base or standard base.

Looks a lot like the Stanley line, other than the nickel plating.

 

[RTM]

Looks a lot like the Stanley line, other than the nickel plating.

Shapleigh was not a manufacturer, just like Craftsman, Wards etc, so someone else must have made them for them.

 

[KMScott]

Crown Foot Vise model 41L. 4-1/2” jaws.

 

[Outlawmws]

Now that is quite the contraption!

 

[KMScott]

Now that is quite the contraption!

I agree. There is a 7” model that I wish I could see and post.