Another interesting bench vise

A

Andy FitzGibbon

Diamond

Joined

Sep 5, 2005

Location

Elkins WV

• Jan 17, 2009

• #1

Some may remember the thread I started about my Massey quick-action bench vise a while ago: http://www.practicalmachinist.com/vb/showthread.php?t=148399&highlight=vise
While cleaning the shop today, I found another neat vise I forgot I had.

It was patented June 16, 1885, by George Colton of Syracuse, NY. Here's the patent: http://www.google.com/patents?id=pmBdAAAAEBAJ&pg=PA2&dq=june+16+1885+vise&source=gbs_selected_pages&cad=0_1#PPA3,M1

An interesting feature (which is not shown in the patent) is the t-slot cast into the base for mounting. I'm not sure how this was originally intended to be used, but it fits a carriage bolt pretty well. A guess I had is that you were supposed to drill a hole wherever you wanted a vise, insert the carriage bolt, and quickly attach and remove the vise as needed.

Andy

 

W

Waumbek

Hot Rolled

Joined

Oct 30, 2005

Location

Charlottesville, Virginia

• Jan 17, 2009

• #2

That's pretty interesting. I've always found that when most vises swivel, they no longer overhang the work bench and whatever you're holding fouls the bench top most of the time. Maybe this was the manufacturer's idea of getting around that: you could swivel the vise and extend it out a bit so the work remained free. Perhaps it may also have come with a simple slotted mounting plate to facilitate vise extension. It sure would be tempting to make one in any event.

Cheers, Charles Morrill

 

W

Waumbek

Hot Rolled

Joined

Oct 30, 2005

Location

Charlottesville, Virginia

• Jan 17, 2009

• #3

Andy, I should have read the patent first! I guess you are indeed missing some kind of mounting plate.

Cheers, Charles

 

L

locoguy

Hot Rolled

Joined

Oct 17, 2004

Location

SE Ohio

• Jan 18, 2009

• #4

How did you fit the vehicle into your shop?

 

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W4BAR

Aluminum

Joined

Feb 3, 2004

Location

Harrisonburg, Va.

• Jan 18, 2009

• #5

What you are seeing is an optical illusion. I've been in his shop, there is no room for a car.

Bob

 

A

Andy FitzGibbon

Diamond

Joined

Sep 5, 2005

Location

Elkins WV

• Jan 18, 2009

• #6

Charles, you will see that my vise is different from the patent drawings. The drawings show a much smaller round base that swivels on a plate and (as far as I can tell) doesn't slide in and out. The plate does allow the vise to overhang the bench, though, so it more or less accomplishes the same idea.
Grady and Bob, I have been cleaning the shop. Got rid of some stuff, and also recently got access to the other half of the building (which increased my floor space by about 1/3). There is now just enough room for a vehicle, Subaru-sized or smaller. It's tight, but better than working outside, especially in this weather- last night was fifteen below.
Andy

 

Mike Powell

Stainless

Joined

Dec 21, 2005

Location

East Palestine, Ohio

• Jan 18, 2009

• #7

Andy,

Neat vise! Looks a bit like this small one i posted late last year

Mine has jaws that are 1 11/16" wide. Other than the base the body apears to be made on the same patent.

Mike

 

A

Andy FitzGibbon

Diamond

Joined

Sep 5, 2005

Location

Elkins WV

• Jan 18, 2009

• #8

Mike, if you removed the clamping screw from your vise, the base would look very similar to the drawing on the first page of the patent.
In reading the text of the patent, it is clear that Mr. Colton was trying to cover all of his bases, ie. trying to lock up as much of the patent territory as he could.
Andy

 

D

DaveKamp

Titanium

Joined

Oct 3, 2004

Location

LeClaire, Ia

• Jan 18, 2009

• #9

Lmao!

W4BAR said:

What you are seeing is an optical illusion. I've been in his shop, there is no room for a car.

Bob

Click to expand...

LMAO! (I resemble that remark)
--... ...-- de KWOD DK :-)

 

Mud

Diamond

Joined

May 20, 2002

Location

South Central PA

• Jan 19, 2009

• #10

I saw this at Cabin fever - was that you Andy?

 

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JCSparks

Aluminum

Joined

Jan 10, 2009

Location

Grafton

• Jan 19, 2009

• #11

Check these little ones out.

 

M

magneticanomaly

Titanium

Joined

Mar 22, 2007

Location

On Elk Mountain, West Virginia, USA

• Jan 21, 2009

• #12

Andy,

Would the bolt-head-capturing base be suited to movable mounting on a Acorn-type platen?

Is there room in the base for a large square head such as was used on the bolts that hold the accessories to Acorn platens, or is space only sufficient for the shallow domed head of a carriage bolt?

john

 

A

Andy FitzGibbon

Diamond

Joined

Sep 5, 2005

Location

Elkins WV

• Jan 21, 2009

• #13

magneticanomaly said:

Andy,

Would the bolt-head-capturing base be suited to movable mounting on a Acorn-type platen?

Is there room in the base for a large square head such as was used on the bolts that hold the accessories to Acorn platens, or is space only sufficient for the shallow domed head of a carriage bolt?

john

Click to expand...

Hey John, good to see you here. I think there would be room for a square head bolt in there.
Mud, that was not me, but thanks for the photo.
Andy