JHCC Posted September 29, 2019 Share Posted September 29, 2019 Just picked up this 3-3/8” Iron City vise at Quad-State. While the paint job is horrible and it’s missing the bottom part of its (slightly bent) leg, everything is otherwise present and accounted-for. The screw and screw box are in great shape. The jaw faces are clean and practically unworn: The only thing that might be a problem is that the jaws shift slightly sideways just when you close them fully. However, that doesn’t appear to be an issue when you clamp a workpiece in the jaws: So I’ll simply clean up the vise and put it to work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris C Posted September 30, 2019 Share Posted September 30, 2019 Looks like a keeper to me. Congrats. Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Justin Topp Posted September 30, 2019 Share Posted September 30, 2019 Nice find! Speaking of iron city I bought an old splitting maul to be made into a straight peen hammer that was the same brand anyone got an info on iron city I can’t seem to find anything good about them Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irondragon Forge ClayWorks Posted September 30, 2019 Share Posted September 30, 2019 Good find JHCC. Iron City Tool Works were in Pittsburgh PA, Taken over by the Warren tool Co in 1958. http://trowelcollector.blogspot.com/2015/11/history-of-iron-city-tool-works.html https://americanhistory.si.edu/collections/search/object/SILNMAHTL_27478 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JHCC Posted September 30, 2019 Author Share Posted September 30, 2019 Thanks, IDF&C. That first link has another link to a listing of Iron City’s 1891 product line. My vise seems to be a #25 (their smallest). The price then was $12, which would be about $340 today. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Justin Topp Posted September 30, 2019 Share Posted September 30, 2019 Thanks IDF&C Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daswulf Posted September 30, 2019 Share Posted September 30, 2019 Thanks Irondragon. I'll have to get out there some time and check out what's still there. Really interesting info. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted September 30, 2019 Share Posted September 30, 2019 Sure that was originally a splitting maul? I'd think it would have been more likely to be a 10# straight peen sledge. I have an iron city pickaxe I picked up at the scrapyard out here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JHCC Posted September 30, 2019 Author Share Posted September 30, 2019 Neither; it's a post vise! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Justin Topp Posted September 30, 2019 Share Posted September 30, 2019 1 hour ago, ThomasPowers said: Sure that was originally a splitting maul? I'd think it would have been more likely to be a 10# straight peen sledge. I have an iron city pickaxe I picked up at the scrapyard out here. It’s a splitting maul. I finished the conversation I’m going to post over on hand hammers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JHCC Posted October 1, 2019 Author Share Posted October 1, 2019 Disassembled for cleaning. Came apart beautifully. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jimmyiorn Posted October 1, 2019 Share Posted October 1, 2019 I’m glad it’s going to be used instead of holding down my shop floor. Was good to meet you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JHCC Posted October 1, 2019 Author Share Posted October 1, 2019 Good to meet you too! Hope the hammer blanks come in handy! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JHCC Posted October 3, 2019 Author Share Posted October 3, 2019 Wire-brushing made a dramatic difference: Cleaned, reassembled, and mounted on one corner of The Pressciouss: The table top is drilled and tapped to accept the bolts that hold on the mounting bracket. (Only three, because the drill bit broke in the fourth hole, and I couldn’t get it out.) The end of the leg was missing, so I made a bracket with a bit of black pipe (squeezed down to the proper dimension) and a bit of very heavy angle iron I had kicking around, welded on the table leg at the proper height. Since I do my heavy pounding on the Frankenvise, this should be sufficiently strong. I can always add a gusset underneath if more strength is needed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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