Vise Gloat

[Mark Dorman]

I picked up a Morgan 200 A, Rapid Action Vise today. I can't really tell the age. Are these good vises or does anybody know some history? I found a couple threads and a link to the Milwaukee Tool & Equipment Co. http://www.milwmal.com/v_wood.htm (http://www.milwmal.com/v_wood.htm) the vise says Chicago on it though. May have changed hands sometime in the past. It does have a V5 10 stamped in the front. The wood has some of the original paint color. I got it for 10 bucks.

Mark

[Bill Houghton]

Good price. I vaguely recognize the name, but no matter: from the photos, it looks to be a pretty substantial vise. Gently close the jaws so they just make contact. The tops of the jaws should make contact first, so that, as you tighten it up, the inevitable play will cause the vise to "pull up straight." Also, the sides should clamp pretty evenly - not one side way out.

You can correct deficiencies in either of these conditions by how you plane the wooden jaw inserts.

[Mark Dorman]

Thanks for the what to look for Bill. I just tried it and the jaws touch about equal top to bottom not first at the top. The wood does show a lot of use though and a fresh one may tell a differant story. Side to side the right side touches just a touch ahead of the left but seems to hold a board I clamped equally. The jaws are true across the top when tight. It weighs about 30 pounds.

Mark

[Bill Houghton]

Thanks for the what to look for Bill. I just tried it and the jaws touch about equal top to bottom not first at the top. The wood does show a lot of use though and a fresh one may tell a differant story. Side to side the right side touches just a touch ahead of the left but seems to hold a board I clamped equally. The jaws are true across the top when tight. It weighs about 30 pounds.

Mark

That all sounds fine. Slight misalignment side to side is common, in my experience, and not a big thing if it self-aligns when you clamp it home. Find the thinnest piece of feeler-gauge type stock in your shop (all else failing, cut up a soda can), and clamp up a piece of wood that you are confident is consistent in its thickness across its width, with the feeler gauge at the top of the vise jaw. If you can't pull it out when the vise is clamped up tight, you're probably fine as frog hair.