Picked up a hunk-o-junk vise on EBay more as a curiosity than
anything. Shipping was about the same as my winning bid ($41.50 vs
$35). A picture is at

http://web2.airmail.net/xleanone/ind.../Vise/vise.jpg

It's a fairly massive hunk of cast iron, about 35#. Faces are about
9"X3" and max opening about 13". After cleaning it up (surface rust -
150 grit AO cloth and oil got it off), it seems to work fine. Taking
it apart and cleaning was an adventure in torn up fingernails and rust
stained hands, but WTH.

BTW, the carrier that engages and disengages from the screw thread
DOES have a "fore and aft". One way the quick disconnect works, the
other way doesn't . DAMHIK!

Interesting thing is that the manufacturer's name and the model number
have been struck off, obviously with a cold chisel. I suspect the
reason is that this was a factory second. There are obvious
imperfections in the front face casting (deep pits, probably from too
much moisture is the casting sand).

Questions:

1. Is my theory of a factory second reasonable? Was it common to
deface such products after production?

2. The part of the name that can be discerned is

"???? (Rock?) Island ILL"

The manufacturer and model number are totally illegible.

Anyone have an idea of who manufactured it and the model? DAGS was no
help here.

3. The throw on the handle is limited to about 350 degrees by stops
cast in the front face and the handle boss. It's obviously designed so
that one disconnects the screw thread by loosening, moves the vice
jaws into contact by sliding the front jaw in or out as needed, then
tightens with a 350 degree throw max. This limits the pressure you can
put on the object in the vise, but 350 degress moves the jaw almost
3/4 inch, so that shouldn't be an issue. Is this a common way of
tightening a quick release vise?

Any ideas appeciated. I'm going to mount this monster in the little
Sjoberg bench I picked up (EBay again), as a replacement for the
current front vise. Next is a Veritas twin screw shoulder vise!

Regards.

Tom

Tom Banes wrote:
Picked up a hunk-o-junk vise on EBay more as a curiosity than
anything. Shipping was about the same as my winning bid ($41.50 vs
$35). A picture is at

http://web2.airmail.net/xleanone/ind.../Vise/vise.jpg

It's a fairly massive hunk of cast iron, about 35#. Faces are about
9"X3" and max opening about 13". After cleaning it up (surface rust -
150 grit AO cloth and oil got it off), it seems to work fine. Taking
it apart and cleaning was an adventure in torn up fingernails and rust
stained hands, but WTH.

BTW, the carrier that engages and disengages from the screw thread
DOES have a "fore and aft". One way the quick disconnect works, the
other way doesn't . DAMHIK!

Interesting thing is that the manufacturer's name and the model number
have been struck off, obviously with a cold chisel. I suspect the
reason is that this was a factory second. There are obvious
imperfections in the front face casting (deep pits, probably from too
much moisture is the casting sand).

Questions:

1. Is my theory of a factory second reasonable? Was it common to
deface such products after production?

2. The part of the name that can be discerned is

"???? (Rock?) Island ILL"

The manufacturer and model number are totally illegible.

Anyone have an idea of who manufactured it and the model? DAGS was no
help here.

3. The throw on the handle is limited to about 350 degrees by stops
cast in the front face and the handle boss. It's obviously designed so
that one disconnects the screw thread by loosening, moves the vice
jaws into contact by sliding the front jaw in or out as needed, then
tightens with a 350 degree throw max. This limits the pressure you can
put on the object in the vise, but 350 degress moves the jaw almost
3/4 inch, so that shouldn't be an issue. Is this a common way of
tightening a quick release vise?

Any ideas appeciated. I'm going to mount this monster in the little
Sjoberg bench I picked up (EBay again), as a replacement for the
current front vise. Next is a Veritas twin screw shoulder vise!

Regards.

Tom

I've got an old W. C. Toles No. 20 that is somewhat similar. Faces are
10" wide and it opens to a bit over 12", but lacks the dog on the front
face. Chicago, not Rock Island.

Lots of lettering on the front face - lots of cold chisel work to
remove it. Makes sense that it might have been sold as a second, or to
an employee.

I don't recall seeing anyone other than Toles use that type of quick
release, but who knows?

John Martin

On 16 Jan 2006 14:08:29 -0800, "John Martin"
wrote:

John:

Thanks.

1 goof in my OP, metal faces are 9 3/4", not 8 3/4 as stated. Measured
it, walked in to the puter and forgot it. Getting old is such fun!
Found my car keys the other day and had to ponder "what are these
for?".

Maybe it is a Toles. Rock Island, Chicago, not a bunch of difference.

Thanks.

Tom


I've got an old W. C. Toles No. 20 that is somewhat similar. Faces are
10" wide and it opens to a bit over 12", but lacks the dog on the front
face. Chicago, not Rock Island.

Lots of lettering on the front face - lots of cold chisel work to
remove it. Makes sense that it might have been sold as a second, or to
an employee.

I don't recall seeing anyone other than Toles use that type of quick
release, but who knows?

John Martin

John:

Thought you might find this of interest. Catalog listing for Toles
vises.

http://www.old-woodworking-tools.com.../pages/096.htm

Regards.

Tom


On 16 Jan 2006 14:08:29 -0800, "John Martin"
wrote:



I've got an old W. C. Toles No. 20 that is somewhat similar. Faces are
10" wide and it opens to a bit over 12", but lacks the dog on the front
face. Chicago, not Rock Island.

Lots of lettering on the front face - lots of cold chisel work to
remove it. Makes sense that it might have been sold as a second, or to
an employee.

I don't recall seeing anyone other than Toles use that type of quick
release, but who knows?

John Martin

I have an old Morgan vise that near as I can tell, looks exactly like
that, right down to the popup dog on the top. I took it apart to clean
it, found that the quick release was just like you say - put it in
wrong, and it won't release. :-) And the handle only goes around a
little less than one revolution; you're supposed to use the
self-releasing quick release to position the jaw.

It says Morgan, Chicago ILL on the front, and "rapid action". I've
hunted and can't find any real info on Morgan. They might have moved to
or from the town on your casting.

I've been using it in the bench I built for about a year. That thing is
so massive I don't think I could make it rack if I used a five foot
pipe. The guy who gave it to me said he remembers it as a kid, from his
grandfather's farm, and he's of the opinion it was old then.

Cleaned most of the rust off, got it operating nice and smooth, put a
nice big piece of oak in the jaw.

What's the problem? I don't know if this vise was originally intended
for woodworking but I have been unable to find anything that it can't
hold, and hold SOLID.

I can think of no reason to deface the name other than the one you
mention. Back in the day, name recognition meant something to people
and businesses.

Thanks for the info. I'm still working on deciphering the names on the
front. If I can get them in cleartext, I'll post.

As you say, it is a massive hunk. Haven't mounted it yet, but plan to
this weekend. Cleaned up it moves smoothly; just keep your pinkies out
of the way 'cause when that front jaw slides, it doesn't slow up for a
finger!

My jaw faces will be hard maple. I picked up a piece of 5/4 today and
that will get cut and trimmed for faces (not all of it, as it's about
8 BF of wood). I plan to extend the jaw faces out about 2" on each
side, giving me a 14" width and about 4" on either side of the guide
rods. Seems to me that more might cause excessive racking. I'll also
cut and rout a cover for the dog - slip it over the metal when
extended - - that should be a fun little blind mortise as the dog is
not square, but a truncated triangle at about 10 degrees off square on
the sides.

Regards.

Tom



On 18 Jan 2006 18:09:37 -0800, "
wrote:

I have an old Morgan vise that near as I can tell, looks exactly like
that, right down to the popup dog on the top. I took it apart to clean
it, found that the quick release was just like you say - put it in
wrong, and it won't release. :-) And the handle only goes around a
little less than one revolution; you're supposed to use the
self-releasing quick release to position the jaw.

It says Morgan, Chicago ILL on the front, and "rapid action". I've
hunted and can't find any real info on Morgan. They might have moved to
or from the town on your casting.

I've been using it in the bench I built for about a year. That thing is
so massive I don't think I could make it rack if I used a five foot
pipe. The guy who gave it to me said he remembers it as a kid, from his
grandfather's farm, and he's of the opinion it was old then.

Cleaned most of the rust off, got it operating nice and smooth, put a
nice big piece of oak in the jaw.

What's the problem? I don't know if this vise was originally intended
for woodworking but I have been unable to find anything that it can't
hold, and hold SOLID.

I can think of no reason to deface the name other than the one you
mention. Back in the day, name recognition meant something to people
and businesses.