Restoration of a Columbian Hardware Company Patternmakers Vise 1A
Date(s): Nov 2011. Album by chris case. Photos by chris case. 1 - 16 of 18 Total. 5831 Visits.
1 "Columbian Hardware Company Patternmaker's Vise 1A", as found.
Jaws measure 18x7, and it will open to 14". Weighs 83 pounds.
The butt-hinge looking piece mounts to the bench top, and allows the whole machine to tilt up, so jaws are horizontal. For use as a fruit press? ;^)
I'll need to make the sliding, locking system for that feature.
2 The whole vise will spin about the center beam. This pic shows the metal working-type 3" jaws on the one side.
Water pipe handle will be replaced with hickory.
Silver item is a rod screwed into the bolt hole for the sliding tilt lock. It's a convenient handle.
3 Front view shows the 'turtleback' design. The cast iron cover hides a mechanism that enables the front jaw to pivot sideways about 10°, for clamping wedge shaped pieces.
4 "After" pic, close up of brand marking.
5 All the parts laid out, after sand blasting, epoxy primer, and black satin urethane paint.
Except for the big beam and the dogs. They were cleaned up and blued, then oiled.
6 Small parts. 'S' handle is the pivot lock, knob adjust the angle of the front jaw, can opener shaped piece is one I made, it locks the swivel in one of four positions. Upper slide is to lock the vise in the horizontal position, or vertical, or any where between. It too is blued.
7 Parts laid out, with framing square to show size. Huge.
8 Temporarily mounted to a 2x6, to check geometry of sliding pivot lock.
Inner faces of jaws are blued, but not oiled. Haze will wear away rapidly once \vise is put to use.
9 Good view of the slide linkage.
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11 Note the knob for adjusting the front jaw to handle wedge shaped pieces.
12 Showing the scale. Big enough to clamp Homer endwise.
13 The vise required me to build a dedicated bench. Hard maple butcher block, 8 drawers. And I made it taller to suit me, 37".
This end is open to provide access for the bar of the vise to swing. The handle similar to a c-clamp handle is what locks the vise at an upward angle. Shown clamping a gun stock in the optional wooden tilting jaw insert.
14 Gun stock held with the front jaw angled.
15 You can see the angle jaw insert. Made from two blocks of rose wood and a section of 5/8" round stock as the pivot. There is an internal spring retainer that provides friction to keep the jaw in position if the stock is removed, then easily re-inserted. Some different models of vise had an iron one that only fit in the back jaw, this one can go either place, and also at a 90° angle compared to this pic.
A very versatile tool.
16 OOPs. busted my beam. It was a little crooked form a previous owner's repair. Perhpas I shouldn't have used it as a sheet metal break.
