Sledgehammer Posted December 24, 2022 Share Posted December 24, 2022 I traded around for this Prentiss Bulldog not to long ago. It’s a tin smiths pattern best I can tell. Similar to a coachmakers vise. I pulled it apart to clean it up. It has a repair on the slide but works fine. Should be really nice for clamping things. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rawleigh99 Posted December 26, 2022 Share Posted December 26, 2022 Interesting! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sledgehammer Posted January 1 Share Posted January 1 So I cleaned up the new to me “Bull Dog” vise. It took a while to remove a 100+ year old set screw but I eventually got it drilled out. Once that was done I made a new set screw and used a thicker washer to remove any slop from the jaws. (Store was closed so I couldn’t buy a set screw). I thought about stripping the previous owners black pain off but decided to paint it what I thought would be an older looking color for something different. So I grabbed a can of hammered finish “antique pewter” and it isn’t very antique looking to me but I’m going with it. It’s just going to get used anyhow and not going under glass or anything. Test opening scuffed some paint but I expected that honestly. Didn’t turn out too bad really. It’s perfectly functional and a little different looking. 10 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rawleigh99 Posted January 2 Share Posted January 2 Nice! I put black "hammered" Rustoleum on mine and it looks nice. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tjoker Posted January 16 Share Posted January 16 here's my beast 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sledgehammer Posted February 8 Share Posted February 8 Picked up a couple prospects yesterday. A pretty decent Parker and another post vise that needs some loving. The handle will get replaced on the post vise. Not sure you could try to bend it any worse…. 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bitty Posted February 8 Share Posted February 8 11 minutes ago, Sledgehammer said: Picked up a couple prospects yesterday. A pretty decent Parker and another post vise that needs some loving. The handle will get replaced on the post vise. Not sure you could try to bend it any worse…. Wow that's a good bit of architecture someone added to the original design of the handle 👀 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian Beale Posted February 8 Share Posted February 8 13 minutes ago, bitty said: Wow that's a good bit of architecture someone added to the original design of the handle 👀 It looks like the tilt adjuster screw handle on our dozer! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DT Fan Posted February 8 Share Posted February 8 Well, the vise looks to be in great shape other than the handle, kind of an unusual combination! You shouldn't have much fashioning a new handle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Kirsch Posted February 8 Share Posted February 8 Anybody ever seen a post/leg vise that has two screws connected by a piece of detachable chain to keep the jaws parallel? It's been on Dad's rollaround bench for probably 40 years. Never realized it was a blacksmith's tool until youtube came around. I'll have to get a pic later today. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sledgehammer Posted February 8 Share Posted February 8 16 minutes ago, DT Fan said: Well, the vise looks to be in great shape other than the handle, kind of an unusual combination! You shouldn't have much fashioning a new handle. I’ve made handles for a bunch of them in the past. This one is 5/8” and I picked up some 5/8” round to replace it with. I have straightened them also. Cut a new piece to length and went similar sized ball bearings on the ends. Works pretty slick. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sledgehammer Posted February 8 Share Posted February 8 32 minutes ago, Matt Kirsch said: Anybody ever seen a post/leg vise that has two screws connected by a piece of detachable chain to keep the jaws parallel? It's been on Dad's rollaround bench for probably 40 years. Never realized it was a blacksmith's tool until youtube came around. I'll have to get a pic later today. The Fisher company made a chain drive version I believe. The chain was used as an opening mechanism to run both acme screws vs keeping the jaws parallel if it looks like this? Most hinge at a box joint because it is a much simpler design. 2 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Kirsch Posted February 8 Share Posted February 8 That looks like it, other than Dad's is red. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DT Fan Posted February 8 Share Posted February 8 49 minutes ago, Sledgehammer said: I’ve made handles for a bunch of them in the past. This one is 5/8” and I picked up some 5/8” round to replace it with. I have straightened them also. Cut a new piece to length and went similar sized ball bearings on the ends. Works pretty slick. Todd, what NO. steel do you use to make them? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sledgehammer Posted February 8 Share Posted February 8 2 hours ago, DT Fan said: Todd, what NO. steel do you use to make them? Honestly, I’ve always used mild steel and never had an issue. A guy could buy some hard steel or tool steel but it would get really expensive. From my observation, it seems that many companies made the handles far too long. I have always measured the old and made the new the same length. This one I pictured above might get chopped a few inches. I don’t care about historical accuracy as this isn’t a museum piece anyway. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Finney Posted February 9 Author Share Posted February 9 10 hours ago, Sledgehammer said: The Fisher company made a chain drive version I believe. The chain was used as an opening mechanism to run both acme screws vs keeping the jaws parallel if it looks like this? Most hinge at a box joint because it is a much simpler design. I like that. Now I will have to be looking for one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sledgehammer Posted February 9 Share Posted February 9 7 hours ago, Finney said: I like that. Now I will have to be looking for one. That is an internet picture. I think they are interesting also. I’ve never seen one in person, only in pictures and what @Matt Kirsch talked about. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sledgehammer Posted February 10 Share Posted February 10 Finished after work. Before and after. 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sledgehammer Posted February 13 Share Posted February 13 Next on the block. I got it in with some other stuff. Good to clamp to a bench top and hold handles with stain drying. It will clean up easy and run fairly smooth. I had time sat evening to take the latest post vise apart that I picked up last week. It was all there but needs work in a few areas. It will get a new handle, cleaned up, spring rework, new box bolt, and a workout hopefully. Before currently I cut the ends off the original handle to reuse on a new piece of 5/8” round stock for the handle. Old was about 18-19”. New one will be 14”. Too much leverage gets you a bent handle. These clamp with tremendous force and you don’t need a long handle. I’m not looking for museum quality anyway. 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pt756 Posted February 13 Share Posted February 13 What does a decent post vice bring nowadays, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sledgehammer Posted February 13 Share Posted February 13 2 hours ago, pt756 said: What does a decent post vice bring nowadays, I see things all over. Asking prices online are around $150. Not sure selling prices are nearly that high. In the rough they are $30-$75 to me depending on how much is missing. I’d like to find a large one some day or possibly a chain drive like is shown above because they are interesting. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
int 504 Posted February 13 Share Posted February 13 The post vise Sledge is showing is an Indian Chief made by Colombus Forge and Iron as are Trenton anvils. They and Colombian used the cast steel anchor plates in later years. Sometimes the plates are marked as are the vises. I have one with a faint head and headdress on the top back of the movable jaw. None of that makes them work any better but it is interesting. I saw one of those Fisher vises at an auction but I stayed off it so a young man who had a Fisher anvil could get it. 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sledgehammer Posted February 13 Share Posted February 13 Many companies made post vises. I owned an actual Indian chief post vise. It had the imprint of the head with head dress on the front jaw as you say. These companies made vises for other makers and hardware companies also that were not marked the same. More of them are not marked than the ones that are. I don’t buy them to sell but once in a while someone I know asks about one and I will sell one to someone who will use it. Below are a few more adds for post vises. The name on them changed with company ownership at times. The “Indian Chief” was not always the name for the vises of the Columbus Forge & Iron Company. I had an Iron City named vise at one time with the star logo on it. Same basic vise but different maker. Neither of the bottom two are maker marked at all. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TN Hillbilly Posted February 14 Share Posted February 14 3 hours ago, Sledgehammer said: Many companies made post vises. I owned an actual Indian chief post vise. It had the imprint of the head with head dress on the front jaw as you say. These companies made vises for other makers and hardware companies also that were not marked the same. More of them are not marked than the ones that are. I don’t buy them to sell but once in a while someone I know asks about one and I will sell one to someone who will use it. Below are a few more adds for post vises. The name on them changed with company ownership at times. The “Indian Chief” was not always the name for the vises of the Columbus Forge & Iron Company. I had an Iron City named vise at one time with the star logo on it. Same basic vise but different maker. Neither of the bottom two are maker marked at all. Methinks you're going to have to partner with our buddy out in Montana to open Sledgehammer & Old Binder Guy's Blacksmith Supply and Hammer Emporium! 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sledgehammer Posted February 14 Share Posted February 14 1 hour ago, TN Hillbilly said: Methinks you're going to have to partner with our buddy out in Montana to open Sledgehammer & Old Binder Guy's Blacksmith Supply and Hammer Emporium! He has an impressive setup that belonged to his Father. Gary is a wealth of knowledge. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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