Attn Machinists: What is this vise??? (little O/T)

This vise came with a Bridgeport mill that found its way into the shop over the weekend. I've not seen another one like it and it appears to be ancient! The mill itself is a 1958 J-head, but the vise is a mystery to me. Strange jaw size as well. 6" x 1-5/8" and the mounting holes appear to be 4" on center, but it could be 3-7/8" like a Kurt.






There is an import company making a cheap-o knock-off of this vise that looks to be almost exactly the same, but without the swivel base. This looks super old and has quite a bit of pitting and the likes. I don't think it's actually one of these import vises. If it is, it has taken some hard usage!

Here's the import version:

http://www.wttool.com/product-exec/...a_Heavy_Duty_Swivel_Base_Mill_Vises_WT_Import_

Anyone have any input??

 

The part of the casting behind the moveable jaw resembles the old Bridgeport vises but I think they were a little bigger.

 

I was thinking that it might just be a really old Bridgeport vise, but I can't seem to find anymore pictures or info on the web.

 

Doesn't look like yours has a swivel base either, just the slots for the T-bolt hold downs. If it works good and your gonna use it does it matter who made it? But, you might take scotch bright and clean some of the smooth surfaces, especially that chevron area in front of the crank end bearing, I think I can almost see a word there.
Good Luck

 

Naw, doesn't matter, except that I can't find jaws for it. Might have to make some, which is fine, but would rather not if I don't have to. More than anything, I just thought it was a pretty nifty vise.

And YES! If I use it I will completely clean it up. Needs a LOT of that!

 

looks like the jaws missing ,correct? if you could come up with some i think there is still a lot of life left in it

 

Yep...

 

Hey, if you find a guy with a milling machine, he can make you jaws.

 

Making jaws for that vice shouldn't be too big a deal. Some cold rolled ,parallel ground tool steel and a couple of hours on the mill and your good to go.

Frank

 

Exactly! HAHA!

YEP!

 

It is a really early bridgeport, good metal, TRUE IT IN!!!! Something most people don't do. It is worth an afternoons effort ( use a simple indicator). Jaws will come easy after that.

 

You could check the bolt centers and what not to see if Bridgeport jaws would fit. If it was me I think I would just make new.

 

Looks like an old Sterrett mill vice. I went to Bucks County Tech School in Pa, it was one of the oldest tech schools in the nation. They had the same vise sitting on one of the mills in the shop. Can't be 100% sure but it is the right color and it had the same groves in it for coolant return. I remember the one in the shop has a metal tag on it that read Sterrett. Cool piece, would look great in my 1952 Round Ram!

 

Could be a shaper vise. machine vise jaws are usually heat treated tool steel, hard. The old jaws could be surface ground to true them up if you have them.




Ago
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Cool vice for sure. If I had to make a guess it would either be the already mentioned Starrett, as I've seen a bigger one that was very much like yours or I'd think maybe a Cincinnati. I've got a Cincinnati from 1956 that looks similar only the back doesn't form a square to allow coolant to gather and return towards the jaws. Mine the coolant can flow down in the front or the back. Whatever it is, I dig it. Something is soo cool about old machining equipment and accessories.

 

If it is a real deal Bridgeport vise, it'll have "Bridgeport" in raised cast lettering on it somewhere, but it may have been ground off. If you can tighten it up without the back jaw lifting up, it should be good. But they can be adjusted and it won't hurt you to take it apart at least once.

You can make a set of hard jaws from tool steel, all you have to do is reverse engineer the dimensions off the vise. Something like 1" x 2" stock should be fine. If you have to, pay someone to make up a set or make a friend in a machine shop.

I'd go with A2 air hardening tool steel, available from MSC and other supply houses. You'll have to have them heat treated and ground. All a piece of cake if you're in the business.

You can get by with cold rolled steel jaws for a while, but they get beat up fast. I use Kurt vises only myself and have made up aluminum soft jaws which can be milled into and pinned for locating parts, you may want to try those down the road.

PM me if you want me to see if I still have a Bridgeport vise around the shop, I'll measure up the jaws for you.

Bob

 

WOW! Much better response than I figured I would get! Thanks a ton guys!

I'm going to check and see if it's a Starrett and I'll poke around and see if I can find pictures of early Bridgeports.

It was definitely painted red at some point, so I guess that could be a clue to being Starrett, and to the best of my knowledge, I will be only the second user of this Vise (and Mill). The mill started life in a coin mint.

Wow... Now I really want to restore this thing and get it all true. Wouldn't mind getting a swivel base for it also.

Thanks again guys! Keep the replies coming if you have anything to add on what this might be.

 

Looks like a old Starrett , dont know how far back Kurt vices went ? Its worth making new jaws for , fairly easy to do .

 

I've never seen a Starrett vise myself, and the color may not play into it, some shops painted things weird colors. B'port vises were a hammertone blue-green. I've seen vises on evilBay so you might get lucky. Many shops tossed them out over the years.

Bob

 

I got my Kurts around 1988 or so, I figure they've been around since 1979 or so, just a WAG.

If the vise is usable with a set of jaws and you're not doing work that has to be checked, it is worth fixing up for your own use.

Bob

 

Ill send a picture over to my old man.If it is a Kurt he would know as he has sold and worked for them a long time.I think they have making vices here in Minnesota since the 40's.

 

Just got a reply from Starrett and the guy said he wasn't sure if it was a Starrett or not, but that they sold that end of the company about 15 years ago to Yost Vises and said they might be able to help me better. This is probably going nowhere, but for the hell of it I sent them a request to see if they could help identify it.

None of this really matters I guess. Thought it was a cool vise and worth cleaning up, so I figured it would be cool to at least figure out what the heck it is and maybe even get lucky and find jaws so I don't have to make them.

 

I'm sure you can fix it up. Check evilBay, I'm on there a lot and cruise the metal working items, I see those old vises all the time. I'll try to dredge up my old Bridgeport vise to see if it matches up to the pictures you posted.

Bob

 

Cool! Thanks Bob! Let me know what you see.

 

Wow I havn't heard that in a LONG time

 

Can't identify the manufacturer, bur the same vice sat on the Bridgeport Mill, in the workshop of my teacher training college, very heavy and a quality piece of tackle, it had been there since the shop opened in the 60's.

 

With some quick measurements im sure Mcmaster-carr will have what you want

 

I think it's a Kurt, we have one just like it at work, the handle caught my attention right away, the one we have I believe BD maule bought back in the 40's when the company was just starting out in Michigan. Thats to the best of anyones knowledge.

 

They don't carry vise jaws on their online catalog, maybe they have them in the printed version.

However, they are pretty easy to make and once you have a sketch, they can be made easily enough. The issue with vise jaws that the steel jaws are generally hardened tool steel and precision ground on 4 sides and supplied as matched sets. A really good set is a one-time outlay and worth it. I still have the factory sets that came with my Kurt vises and they're perfect with 20 plus years of use.

Cold rolled steel sets can be made and will be good for general home use. I make up aluminum sets for my Kurt vise for holding long parts or to cut a specific shape into them to locate parts.

Bob

 

Looks like any old 6" standard machinist vise. You could buy new jaws for it at J&L industries. Look them up! Once you get it all cleaned up and new hardened jaws installed, tram it in with an indicator and your ready to go to work.