A very small tool gloat

[Zachary Hoyt]

I went to a local shop today, the only one in the little town where I live now. The proprietor sells a lot of rustic home decor and light antiques, and candles and greeting cards and such, but also (I found) has a few old tools at very good prices. I found this cute little hand vise (if that's the right tern for it) which was being sold for $1. I brought it home and wire brushed and oiled it a bit, and now it operates smoothly. It will be perfect for slotting nuts and bridges, and maybe some other jobs like that. It says HAPAGE on one arm, CAST STEEL on the other, and G. W. BURROUGHS on three sides in smaller type. The jaws are 1-3/4" wide and it opens to 1/2" or so. I just thought it was cute.

[Mel Fulks]

That’s a good piece at excellent price. They were used for lots of stuff ,but probably more for holding things that needed to be filed by hand
after some black smith work than anything else. I think it will open to at least 3/4 “

[Maurice Mcmurry]

That is super cute and fell into some very appropriate hands. Sometimes the universe takes care of inanimate objects and humans with one chance encounter.

[Jim Becker]

Clever little vice!!! I can see how that will be useful in your work for sure!

[John K Jordan]

...I found this cute little hand vise (if that's the right tern for it) which was being sold for $1. I brought it home and wire brushed and oiled it a bit, and now it operates smoothly. ...

These are sometimes called "jeweler's hand vise", "hand vise clamp". Extremely useful and you got an excellent price! I have the Lowell pattern hand vise, same idea but different design (single handle twists to tighten, https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0063K493K), and was close to $30 eight years ago.

If you want to clean it up more soak in Evapo-Rust overnight. That that stuff has worked like magic for me.

JKJ

[Bill Dufour]

I would unscrew it and throw the bits into EDTA overnight. This time of year bring the liquid inside so it works faster and does not freeze.
Bill D

[Zachary Hoyt]

Thank you all very much. I'll have to get a rust remover product. I don't have anything like that on hand. It does indeed open to 11/16", but it takes some force to get there. Maybe once I clean it up better that will help. The other thing is that the wider it opens the further out of parallel the jaws become. Luckily most of what I plan to use it for is 3/16" or less, but I'll have to try and see how it works to hold thicker things.

[John K Jordan]

… I'll have to get a rust remover product…

I ordered a gal of Evapo-Rust from Amazon.

I’ve used it several times on badly rusted mechanical things. For example the PTO coupler on a tractor brush cutter had somehow ended up in the dirt for maybe 8 years and looked hopeless. It was totally rusted internally, including a ball bearing and retaining ring and wouldn’t turn at all or even be taken apart. I soaked it overnight and was able to get it apart. Further treatment cleaned up all the the parts and the coupler was back in service.

JKJ