Post Vice History

[careful_eugene]

I have acquired a post vice that used to belong to my Grandfather, and great Grandfather before him. They were builders not blacksmiths and the vice was attached to a large wooden bench in an out building adjacent to the house my mother still lives in. I can remember the bench being cut up and burnt in the early 1980’s as it was rotting and no longer of any use, the vice was nearly thrown in the skip but ended up in the corner of the out building.

I was recently looking for something else and came across the old vice and dragged it outside for a better look, it was covered in cobwebs and seized up at the pivot bolt. I thought it was a shame that it had been left for so long so I decided to clean it up and make a stand for it so that I could use it again. I also wanted to try and find out how old it was so started looking up post vices on the internet where I quickly found this website.

To say how long it’s been left languishing, it’s in fairly good condition. It was easy to dismantle and most parts aren't too badly pitted. I've cleaned it up using a rotary wire brush and some gentle sanding (particularly around the pivot point). I’ve degreased and re-greased the screw and re-assembled everything, it all moves nice and freely. As for its age I was hoping someone here might be able to shed some light. The screw is machined not brazed, I can’t find any markings, the jaws are 140mm wide (5 ½”) and parts of it look handmade rather than factory made(see photos below). I’ve made the following assumptions:

1, It’s made of wrought Iron due to the light levels of rust.

2, It’s been made by a blacksmith copying existing designs (no chamfers on the leg). Could the screw parts have been bought in?

3, It’s more than 100 years old as my Great Grandfather probably acquired this prior to WW1 although I can’t prove this.

4, It’s of English origin.

The new stand has a 56Kg base plate made from 30mm thick weathering steel, the post is 150mm x 150mm x 5mm SHS and the top plate is 16mm thick weathering steel all are grade S355. The vice is fixed to the top plate using M12 bolts. I didn't realise that the wooden block I put under the foot had split until after everything had been assembled, I'll replace this with something larger. Does anyone think I should I treat the outside of the vice with anything to inhibit rust? Any information / speculation on the history would be gratefully received. Thanks for reading.

[Frank Turley]

The vise has an overall conformation of a Peter Wright, although the lack of any chamfering on the legs I would consider an oddity. The only pieces that might not be period  are the pivot bolt and hex nut.

[John McPherson]

Far from being an expert on the subject, to my jaundiced eye it looks like a Great Depression era product, or a lower tier offering from earlier times. In order to keep prices low, there was often a premier, tradesman and a homeowner line. Rougher finishes, less ornamentation, sloppier fit-up, etc. for a lower price. We still do it, Cadillac vs Chevy.

[ThomasPowers]

It looks in great shape!  Can you see the boss on the pivot bolt that engages the notch in the cheek hole to keep the bolt from turning?  If it or it's remains are not there then it's probably a replacement as the cheek hole shows wear in the notch area.

I've replaced several pivot bolts to make my vises less original but more usable.  My biggest repair was when I heat shrunk and riveted in a plug in the original moving arm pivot hole and then redrilled it to even up the jaws in the vertical plain. 5.5" jaw vise with some heavy work having been done on it!  (It's currently doing time at the Uni Fine Arts Metals shop where it sees more abuse---students!)

[Irondragon Forge ClayWorks]

It's great that you have the history on your vise. The only suggestion I have is when you replace the wooden block, use a short piece of pipe and weld it to the base plate bringing the leg closer to vertical.

[ThomasPowers]

I like a big old nut for that.

[careful_eugene]

Thanks for the replies chaps.

15 hours ago, ThomasPowers said:

It looks in great shape!  Can you see the boss on the pivot bolt that engages the notch in the cheek hole to keep the bolt from turning?  If it or it's remains are not there then it's probably a replacement as the cheek hole shows wear in the notch area.

I've replaced several pivot bolts to make my vises less original but more usable.  My biggest repair was when I heat shrunk and riveted in a plug in the original moving arm pivot hole and then redrilled it to even up the jaws in the vertical plain. 5.5" jaw vise with some heavy work having been done on it!  (It's currently doing time at the Uni Fine Arts Metals shop where it sees more abuse---students!)

There is the remains of a boss on the end of the bolt so it will only fit one way into the hole. The bolt is also slightly bent so it's probably a good idea to replace it with something more modern.

 

7 hours ago, Irondragon Forge & Clay said:

It's great that you have the history on your vise. The only suggestion I have is when you replace the wooden block, use a short piece of pipe and weld it to the base plate bringing the leg closer to vertical.

Yes it is leaning quite a lot, I'll do that.