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Help identifying a toolmakers vice

MPOxford27

Plastic
Joined
Aug 28, 2022
Hi all,

Really hope someone can help identify this Toolmakers vice left to me by my Grandad.

As you can see it is missing the movable jaw and so I'd love to source or make a replacement that matches the original.

I can't find any markings so I suppose there is a chance it was homemade, if so has anybody ever seen plans for a vice matching this? It would be great to restore this but also make a matching vice from the original plans!

It's 3"5/8 long and 1"3/4 wide.

Thanks.

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Hello, MPOxdord27 !

Your vise looks like several "shop made" vises which I've seen over the years. The term "shop made" is preferred over "home made" for precision items like this.

It may be an advanced apprentice piece.

Plans? You might find matching plans by doing a survey of training and/or reference books such as those published by Audel, South Bend Lathe Works, the Henry Ford Institute, and others too numerous to count.

But, you don't need a plan ! Having the device before you, you can measure up and make your own drawing.

That includes the missing jaw! You can make measurements with micrometers to get the height and length. The width should be "like a similar vise" - be a copycat!

One bit of advice: Do Not Use Abrasives!!! Remove the rust with 0000 steel wool lubricated with oil or WD-40. No sandpaper or Scotchbrite!

You grandfather may have used a surface grinder to get this vise "true" to within one-thousandth of an inch. It'd be a shame to ruin it with abrasives!

It's nice to have heirlooms which embody the craftsmanship of one's forebears.

John Ruth
 
Like John Ruth ,I have seen several articles about making a small toolmaker's vise in magazines and elsewhere.
I have attached some pictures from articles for one a little larger and another a little smaller than yours.
The first one is from a well worn 2950 Science and Mechanics publication that my father had in his collection and another from the book " The Shop Wisdom of Frank McLean " that probably appeared in the Home Shop Machinist or Live Steam that Frank was a contributor to going back to the 1980s and his book was published by them under the Village Press name.
I may have a small drawing of the on from Frank's book somewhere that I could scan but so far it hasn't turned up.
I noticed that a large collection of past issues of Popular Mechanics is now available on line and there are probably one or more articles on making a small vise in there too if you were able to find it .
I would guess that if there is one or more it would be in a volume from the late 1940s or early 1950s .
Jim
 

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Hi John/Jim,

Thank you both for great replies.

I think why i was hesitant about making a replacement jaw is there doesn't appear to be enough of a slot for a set screw to hold the jaw like in the first picture you attached Jim.

If i'm reading the second article correctly that design appears to have a thrust bearing with a press fit, so maybe that is how mine was originally designed, I did come across a Starrett I think that had a couple of different jaws that could be interchanged using this method so providing I can find some bearings of the correct size I may try that.

John, i've ordered some 0000 steel wool to remove the rust, thanks for the advice.

Thanks again

Martin
 
looks like one of the shop made . when i spent my 32 years at city collage as a student taking machine shop that was one of the projects . i never made one as i was always making parts to fix something for someone
 








 
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