antique cam-lock vice

[chigato]

Hi, I tried researching this but I have never seen another one like this. Does anyone have a clue as to what it was used for and how old it may be ? It opens up to 12 inches and the jaws are 9 1/4 x 3 1/2. The base plate is 16" long and I'd say it ways a good 50 lbs. I was at a house sale near the end before the house was going to be torn down and the owner said  to just take it. It was bolted to a wooden work bench in the basement. There are no manufacturer's name  or anything stamped on it anywhere.

[waywardangler]

Chigato, could you show a pic from the other side?  It looks like the mechanism for a woodworking vise from this angle.  You would make your own wood jaws to fit in the two metal plates that are on other side by the handle.  You are showing the bottom of the vise as is.  Wood vises have the ability to adjust and loosen by sliding the jaws out or in and then locking it with the handle.  A machinist vise has a screw that turns and moves the jaws with every turn of the handle.

[chigato]

Let me see if I can post another pic. My vso image resizer isn't working like it was before I got this new computer.

[chigato]

You can click on the image and it will magnify, at least at this end. Any idea who, or how old ? Thanks.

[waywardangler]

It is a woodworker's vise.  I am guessing 1920-1940s or so.  These usually have a name cast in them but yours appears unmarked.  I had a similar smaller one in green paint years ago that I obtained from a vocational school shop when they upgraded.  I did not like how it worked (did not slide easily) so I also upgraded.

[chigato]

thanks for your help,

[cogar]

Thanks Wayward, that 1st picture being upsidedown really confused me until I read your reply.

I have an old one that I bought at an auction also. It opens to 12" and has the "3/4 turn" threads which make it really easy to adjust for different size pieces of wood.

I was a Happy Camper when I lucked out and got mine for $12. 

I guess no one else at the auction knew what it was.

[waywardangler]

Good buy cogar!  I also bought a nice larger one at an Estate sale for $13 and that was 4 hours after it opened.  Must have been priced too high for the bargain pickers.  I was happy as a lark.  Good new ones cost much more.

A good wood vise is great to use.  Everyone that works with wood should have a nice vise (or two or three...).

[cogar]

Wayward, you got that right. I had been wanting a vice for a long time but wasn't willing to pay $150 for one.

And later on, after I bought the metal one I bought an old 6 1/2 ft. wooden Carpenters bench for $350, I think it was, with the "soaking" or "bending" water tray built into it and two (2) all wood "wood vices" built into it also. It's a really nice one, even has the "square" holes across the front for those metal "hold-down" thingys.

And every woodworker needs pipe clamps, also. I have 5 or 6 of them and that still wasn't enough sometimes, even with the 7 or 8 C-clamps I have. I need to get rid of all that stuff.

[KC]

NICE VISE!!!!!  I have a couple of modern ones.....but my old one (similar to yours) is the best!  There are some things they just can't improve on!