Leg Vise ID?

[Tyler-James Lapointe]

Hey all. I stopped into an antique shop and found this leg vise. The hardware looks unique to me, as it sits at right angles, and the handle looks like more of a crank than anything. It actually makes me think of an old press. I haven't found any markings or name, but I'll probably try cleaning it up in the future and see if anything is revealed. I'm not sure if any parts are missing though. It is missing one plate on the jaws, but that is easily replaceable. Any thoughts?

[Jim Koepke]

Howdy Tyler and welcome to the Creek. Looks like you have been here awhile. I am always curious as to where folks call home, where's yours?

That doesn't look like a woodworking vise to me.

It also looks like something I might cobble together if the parts were laying around in my shop.

If it was used for woodworking, my guess would be it was a carver's vise. That would explain the right angle notch to fit into the top of a bench.

jtk

[Lonnie Gallaher]

It looks like an over sized machinists hand clamp. It was most likely a special purpose clamp. It is cool none the less.

[Tyler-James Lapointe]

Jim, I am from Saint Albans in the Green Mountain State of Vermont. I edited my profile, so that should show up. I've been a member since high school, but I admit I forgot I was a member on here.

Being a carver's vise might have been its utility. When I bought it, I asked the seller what its intended use was, and he had mentioned saw filing, but he also admitted knowing nothing about vises. Lonnie, it never occurred to me that this might be a been re-purposed machinist clamp. It is clear from the holes in the legs that this isn't the original hardware, so I'm just trying to figure how I will end up mounting this. I was actually more interested in the hardware, so I might store it until the right time.

[Malcolm Schweizer]

I have built similar clamps for clamping lap strakes on boats, but not nearly this heavy duty. This was made to carry to the site and if not for boatbuilding then perhaps timber framing. I am sticking with the theory that it is for clamping carvel or lapstrake planks.

[Malcolm Schweizer]

...like these. http://www.instructables.com/id/Quick-And-Easy-Lapstrake-Clamps-For-Boat-Builders/

[Tyler-James Lapointe]

So, if I wanted to just save the handle and the acme thread screw, what hardware would I need to get for for re-purposing the vise? I think all I would need would be a flange nut and a mounting bracket of some sort, but I just want a second opinion on that.

[Malcolm Schweizer]

Doesn't it already thread into the other piece? I'm confused now. Looks like you have all the parts.

[Tyler-James Lapointe]

Malcolm, I could make do by routing out a larger hole for the piece in the back, but at the piece near the handle, there's no way to bolt it or screw it down because the lead screw obscures the holes, so it just spins freely. I can try cutting some of the wood away to make it fit, but I have no way to keep it in place. I guess this is just an inconvenience at most, because it does work; I just have to pull open the jaw by hand every time I unscrew it, if that makes any sense. Hopefully the pics clarify what I mean.

Inspecting the handle, I found it has a small hole just below the center, so I thought that was interesting. I might just end up grinding off the rivet and removing the crank handle to get that right-angle shaped piece off, and then replacing it with a proper vise garter. I think a garter / plate is the only piece I'll need to add, assuming I still use that big block piece in the back.

[Jim Koepke]

The "right-angle shaped piece" may actually be the old garter. It looks like a dowel or two would hold it steady to bring back the movable jaw.

jtk

[Karl Andersson]

It's clear this screw was already repurposed from some mystery machine, so you should do what you need to in order to use it for your vise. If it were mine, I'd grind and remove the cross-pin rivet and hopefully that "right angle garter" will come off easily. I'm not sure what I'm seeing in the pictures, but it looks like there is a second rivet on the end of the screw that might be holding a washer(?) that you also have to remove, maybe. The only reason i can think for that rivet (if it is one) is that it holds a washer on the end of the screw shaft, maybe to tighten up the handle's action. If that's the case, you may want to "mangle up" the end of that rivet so the metal is still there and you might be able to re-pein it and use the washer again if needed. Of course, if the handle just comes off when the cross pin is removed, ignore all that.

Once you get the angle piece out, you can make the garter from bar stock or maybe a compliant pipe flange. I wouldn't try to use the angle piece as a garter in a leg vise because it will either have to be visible (and ugly) on the outward side of the clamping arm, or you'd make a big hole like the maker of your current clamp - this would probably weaken the clamping arm too much. Not much you can do about that nut piece, but at least it would be out of sight.

Great handle, though - it will look cool and give you way more torque than you need! I assume you've planned to mount it low enough in the legs that the crank doesn't come above the jaws...

Keep us posted
Karl

[Stew Denton]

Hi All,

The interesting thing about the vise, from my perspective, is the design. Because the bottom fixture of the vise is fixed, rather than having an adjustable width feature at the bottom, the useful opening and clamping range is much restricted. That makes me think it was used for some limited, perhaps very specialized, application. For example, in the first photo, the vise jaws are actually not parallel, but in fact seem to splay out somewhat.

In the last photo, it looks like the jaws are not parallel, but in fact pinch shut to a point, to some extent. Thus, the range of widths that allow the jaws to be parallel, which is good for gripping rectangular or square objects, is pretty limited.

If I was going to use it as a leg vise, I would make the set up at the bottom of the leg of adjustable width, to give it a wider useful clamping range. As you and others have discussed, I would also make a flat garter, and a new front leg piece so it could be used mounted to a bench.

Stew