Marked "PARAMO" and "No.6" on other side, 6" jaws. Good grief, will I ever stop thinking stupid comments when I read this side? No matter, it's excellent quality but I have no history. Can any of our friends across the pond identify the maker...

 

Looks like an excellent bench vise Bill. Does it work smoothly? The jaws look to be in pretty good shape, are they parallel, close completely?

 

It isn't a vise for hammering on except for light work. Think straightening nails or bending sheet steel strip. It's for benchwork, sawing, filing, drilling tapping, twisting, etc. Just not heavy hammering.

 

How's the mounted height? I mounted mine way too high, I'm going to have to unload my bench and cut 3-4" off the legs or my big Wilton isn't much use. <sigh> A bench vise needs the top of the jaws at working height, around belt level on whoever's using it. I built my bench just a tad high so the Wilton is a good 3-4" too high and it really limits it's uses.

 

Frosty The Lucky.

Do English factories employ vice squads?

Do English factories employ vice squads?

 

Why, you afraid they'll clamp down on ya? Put the squeeze to the blighter Dr. Watson, he'll squeal soon enough! Vise is an entire department you know.

 

Frosty The Lucky.

http://www.iforgeiron.com/gallery/image/38417-20140808-post-leg-02/

 

Mine bought at the 127 Yard Sale last week. Need to build a mount for it. Designing it now. 

my 6 inch

Here is my vice that I picked up for a fiver the other day. Screw threads are fine on it, small amount of damage on the part which the screw threads into. Just clamped it to the bench to take the screw out. I want to attach it to a post that's stuck in the ground outside, going to have to work that one out. Also got a tiny little hand vice, might come in useful some day :)

 

 

I rescued this 5" post vise from burial and just noticed the lettering today after some rubbing with an oily cloth. Very well made; faceted. 

So I got my Vice onto a post this afternoon, its mounted onto a bit of plate, so it can be un-bolted when not in use and taken back inside. Hopefully those 6mm bolts hold out, Ill just not have to be doing much hammering on the vice. 

 

 

 

 

 

Tom

Do you happen to know who the maker of that largest vice pictured is? I just got a 5" that looks almost like it. Same back nut, same square vice arms, same type of handle. No marks that I can see.

These were just hanging out at yestryearforge.

The vice I just built working good so far.

Edited February 28, 201511 yr by Damion78

Bravo Damien! I was thinking the same thing since forklift tines are already pretty close to vise shape if cut right. 

 

Here is my latest find. Found it locally, and paid a little more than I usually do because it was one I had not seen before, and it was in good shape. The woman selling it told me it came out of her grandfather's woodworking shop, and her grandfather on the other side of the family did blacksmithing. It was listed for $100, I got it for $40. I  probably could have got it for less as she mentioned that if it didn't sell she was just going to donate it to the local thrift store. She had researched prices on Ebay, but just wanted it out of the garage, and I was the only one who contacted her over the days the ad was up. I usually pay around $20, but this is a small town where everyone knows everyone, and I want to keep a good reputation. Didn't want to be thought of as taking advantage. The moving jaw is a little loose, nothing a couple of shims won't fix. Other than the missing pipe jaws it is complete. From what I have gathered this is a Columbian made vise. What era was this style made? From the drop forge parting line I was guessing 1940's - 1950's. The screw looks excellent, and works smooth. The spring is a little weak, but no big deal. The jaw width is 4.5".  What also caught my eye was the rough riveting job with lots of flash on the heads.

Edited June 28, 201510 yr by BIGGUNDOCTOR

Does it have any writing on the back of the stationary jaw?  I had a mint one once even down to  the Columbian Cleveland Ohio on the back of the back jaw.  Looked unused but was still a bit rough and un fettled looking.  Frank Turley told me he thought it might be from the WWII years where they slacked on prettying things up.

I didn't see any markings on the back of the jaws, unless they are very faint. I'll clean it up a bit to see if anything shows.

The stationary jaw also appears to be welded onto the lower, just below the clamp.

Edited June 28, 201510 yr by BIGGUNDOCTOR

Picked up this vice at an auction almost 2 years ago and still haven't gotten around to mounting it on anything.  I believe it opens 4 inches and I paid $65 for it.  When closed the jaws are about a quarter inch out of line with each other, but they appear to close evenly side to side.

 

Might as well throw these in as well.  I've used these, but not given them a permanent mount anywhere yet.  Got these at a different auction.  Don't remember what I paid, but I don't think it was over 20 bucks for either of em.

after a little TLC and a couple coats of paint. she's looking beautiful and ready to get to work.

Hmm.. this thread has been dormant. Wake Up!

Here is one of mine I dug out of a corner in my cleanup of my shop. Been meaning to rebuild it to its original purpose. (Still will be waiting yet.) Purchased it welded to the back of a 70's jeep cj5. 

Am I right in seeing that it is a Columbian?almost looks partially double stamped and also thought wagon tongue vises were a bit ( pre Columbian) stuff?.... I dunno. Any other insight, info? 

Postman thinks they started in the 1890's, (after the Columbia Exposition of 1892);  so quite early enough for horse drawn equipment. However cross country travel was perhaps more likely to be done by train than Conestoga;  so it a puzzlement!

Thanks for some insight Thomas. I thought the timing of company and style was off but it could have been a comission or an option even at that time?. 

Here is my big vise I just dug out of the corner. 6" jaws, 42" tall, and heavy duty. Purchased it without the handle, mount bracket, spring or keeper and wedge for us$40. At an auction in ohio a few years back. The missing parts were fun to make. Screw and box were good. I'll be mounting this one when I build my new work bench. 

Brought this Iron City 6" post vise back to life.  My grandpa got it off one of his worker's dad's back in the 60's. I cleaned it up with a wire wheel and put two coats of corroseal rust converter on it.  I also cleaned up and painted the other vise pictured.  I don't know what brand it is and the only markings on it is (20 7)

It took me about a month to get it done but finally got my Grandpa's post vise mounted. It's a Columbian with five and a half inch jaws. The mounting bracket has a 20 on the under side for whatever that is worth. I'm not an expert on threads but these look like they have a lot of life left.

Recently picked this one up. It needs some work, the which I've never really done before, but it would be a shame to let it go to waste.

It's about 41" overall, with 6" jaws, but no visible markings. I'm not as spry as I used to be, but I'm guessing it weighs about 100 lbs. The screw works nice and smooth, but the spring doesn't. Any suggestions for remedying that??

 

The spring will work just fine once that bracket is mounted to a bench, and it has something to push against.

Looks to be missing a wedge to go with the square C piece to pull the top of the mounting bracket against the spring and the spring against the non moving leg of the vise.  In mine the opening of the C goes toward the back leg of the vise and the wedge goes behind it towards the bench. so Leg ] |\  Bench

Yep, all it needs is a wedge. Easy to forge one or cut out of the right thickness stock.