If this vise could tell a story.

This thread is for anyone that likes tools or appreciates saving and restoring them. Add a story if you have one. I'd like to hear what you have.

This post leg vise was left at the dumpster at work a few months ago. I finally got around to cleaning it today. Tools like this are often overlooked and sent to the scrap pile. It is covered with surface rust and years of dust. It is complete with mounting bracket and flat spring to keep the jaws open. I needed a "softer" vise with worn jaw edges. My bench vise has hardened steel jaws with square edges that can mark up the work pieces.




I just ran the angle grinder with a wire wheel over as much as I could reach. The tight areas were left alone for now. This vise was most likely forged in a factory by smith's using a steam or water-powered trip hammer. It took skill to turn the bars into the final shape. The slight irregularities can be seen in the chamfers.






On this leg, heavy force was put on the vise causing it to crack almost all the way through. The handle also is bent from to much force.

The smith that repaired this used another piece of iron and forge welded a repair plate to give the leg strength. This was done in the days where tools were not just thrown away.



Here it looks like the hatch marks on the jaw were made with a file or chisel.

The screw box took a beating at some point, possibly when the leg cracked. For the type of work I do, it should not be an issue. The screw itself is really clean with no slag or filings in it. It may have been cleaned or replaced at some point. These types of vises were repaired and rebuilt frequently form spare parts from other vises.



This is a beauty that was hidden under the rust. It is now cleaned up and wiped with oil. It is ready to get mounted to my bench and go to work. I will appreciate this for years to come.




There are no manufacturers marks or stamped letters that I could find on it. This vise must have meant a lot to the smith who owned it. It may have been critical for his farm, home or business that it needed repair. The stories are forever lost in time.

 

It would be amazing to know the history of old tools. Its sad to think of the amount of tools that have been scrapped or just thrown in the trash bin. I pulled 2 old flexspout oil cans out of the dumpster today at work. Will have to get the real name of them when I get home.

 

I love old tools. I don't have many yet....but I'm looking. Next up is a drill press.

They sure don't make things like they used to.

 

I did a bit of research on this one this evening. It seems to have been made in England between 1800 and 1830. The tenon mounting through the back leg is a good indicator. The screw box is a brass color indicative of the brazing method used to make it. Lots of forging tools jumped the pond back then.

 

Fishingpol,
I love it. What a great find. Next to this forum I participate in the Lumberjocks forum and the Woodworking Talk forum. There are some great examples of great reconditioned hand tools on both of those forums.
I will try to take some photos of my dad's worm drive Skilsaw. It is historic.

 

Oh yah, I like wood working a lot too. I have two beech English hand planes that are lookers. I'll post those up. I never pass up an opportunity to collect old tools.

 

Ever been to this place? It's a trip.


http://www.popularwoodworking.com/woodworking-blogs/chris-schwarz-blog/visit-famous-maine-tool-barn

http://www.jonesport-wood.com/hullscove.html

 

Lived in the Bangor area for years and went to Bar Harbor a lot. Drove right by that and never stopped... Thx for the links. The photo tour was impressive.

 

1800?!!! That's really impressive! It looks pretty darn good too! Vises often get abused pretty badly, it's amazing that didn't get scrapped long before you found it.

I was looking for a good bench vise from 1920-50's for awhile, most that popped up on Craigslist people were asking collectors prices for, I just wanted a quality piece to use in my shop. I eventually found an 8" Wilton made in the 80's in the USA, but the tag had fallen off so the seller didn't know what he had and was only asking $60. Luckily I was the first one to respond, when I picked it up I was told he had gotten offers after me for $200 but since he had already agreed to a price with me he didn't take those other offers. That was very honest of him, I'm not sure if I would have done the same.

 

I have a couple of the old post vises but have yet to set them up.

 

Cool old vise , nice job cleanin er up

 

Welcome to da club @Super44

 

I have slowly been getting the tools to do some blacksmithing. I need to make a small shed to use my stuff in but the list has a few things in the way.

 

I live in an area that was settled in the mid 1600's. Essentially it was first period frontier land when the nation was young.

There are a couple of antique markets on the weekend that have ample supplies of tools and iron work from the early 1800's on. A lot of my forging tools were picked up at these markets. Vises, planes, hand tools, it just goes on and on. The dealers from Maine really bring down some barn finds. I passed on a rivet forge for $100 that I regret not buying.

 

I just had no idea that tools from that era were still being used, until I googled "post vise". I've seen that type of vise pop on on CL, but I had no idea what it was used for.

 

Nice find on the vice. Old tools are cool.
Here is a pic of a Buffalo drill press that I recently restored.
It was given to me by a friend who did not want it, it had been stored outside so it was in rough shape.
Also old alcohol torch, I have no idea where I got it from, but it is a nice item.

 

Ah, I remember that from another thread. That is a nice restoration you did. My dad has a Walker - Turner drill press from around that time. They have a certain industrial look about them. Great quality compared to what is out there now.
Buffalo forge was a huge maker of all sorts tools and machinery. I'd love a rivet forge and hand crank blower.

 

One of the best buys I ever made was this unmarked yet factory made late 19th century 70lb post vise at a local farm auction sometime in the mid 80's. $25 for that & unlike most that I've seen for sale online in the past 15 years was stored/used inside away from the rain/snow.

Went to literally several dozen local auctions (pretty much every weekend I wasn't working) for at least 4 years before finding this one vise. Back then they were never found in the 4-5 county radius where I went hunting for old tools,certainly compared to other regions of the country.I've seen totally beat to death post vises with broken or missing spring,handle twisted like a pretzel,stored outside/rust covered go for $150+ shipping on Feebay.Its insane....

 

I remember that vise too. Bolted block on the floor as I recall. The beauty of these vises is being forged, they could take a beating. Not like cast iron bench vises that could break under a hammer strike. Yours is in great shape complete with the spring, mounting plate and wedges. So many of these vises and early english anvils were not marked as there were a lot of manufacturers making them. It is great to see old tools still being used.

Here an interesting link on determining the age of vises.

http://www.anvilmag.com/smith/107f2.htm