Old Wooden Post Vise

[Shreckmeister]

Newest piece for the recreation of the Shreckengost gunsmith shop.
Lucked into this at an antique shop near Franklin, PA.

[KennyC]

I WANT IT  way cool hope to get out your way tosee all the stuff.

[draken]

My grandad had a similar vise on his workbench.  I had forgotten about it until I saw yours.   

[Artificer]

In 1988, I could not afford a good/large machinist vise.  I made a vise very similar to this one for my workbench from pictures and drawings of 18th century originals from Diderot's Encyclopedia and other sources.  I did not have the Post Civil War/ late 19th century (or later) machine screw this vice has.  I made mine from a very large bolt I bought at a hardware store.  The wood I used for the jaws was nothing more than 2x6 pine boards I bought at Home Depot.  Believe it or not, with bronze vice pads, that vice had enough strength to pull and tighten M1 Garand and M14 standard G.I. barrels. 

To make this vice correct for the period of your ancestor's workshop, it would have to have a wooden screw instead of the screw that is on it now.  I know of two sources you can get reproductions of those screws:

http://www.bigwoodvise.com/index.html

and

http://lakeerietoolworks.com/shop/article_1003/Wood-Vise-Screw---Single-Kit-Premium.html?shop_param=cid%3D3%26aid%3D1003%26

If you don’t actually plan on using that vice and setting it up as display only, I may have another option for you.  About 10 years or so ago, I bought an original wooden vice screw.  I can’t remember if it still has the turning bar in it or not.  It does not have the wooden nut, either.  I am not sure exactly how old it is, but I guess it goes back to at least the 19th century.  After getting the screw and looking for something to make the wooden nut, etc., etc., I dropped the project completely.  You may be able to replace the too modern screw in this vise with it to make it look right for the time period of your ancestor’s gun shop, though it won’t actually work until/unless you have a wood nut block made.  Roy Underhill of “The Woodwright’s Shop” had a show on making a plug and tap for such a large screw if you would like to investigate making a wood nut for it.

Since I really appreciate what you are doing to honor your ancestor and if I can find it, I would offer it to you for just the cost of shipping it to you.  I’m guessing that would be about ten to fifteen bucks.  I am still recovering from eye surgery so it may take a week or two to find out whether I still have it or not, but if you are interested, you can PM me.   
Gus

[Jay Close]

Something in the dark reaches of my memory tells me these were called a "wheelwright's vise". Anyone able to confirm or refute this?

[Kermit]

Don't know if it's confirmation or not, but there was one of these in my grandfather's farm shop--he was born in 1880 and farmed with horses until the end of WWII. He sometimes had to repair a wagon wheel, and I remember watching once when I was very young, and that vise was used, along with a machinists vise at the other end of the bench. He farmed his whole life, but apprenticed as a cooper when young. He'd make a bucket or barrel when he needed one. He also worked off the farm as a joiner occasionally, so who knows if the vise is specific to wheelmaking or was a general and easily made tool.

Making wood threads isn't that tough. You can make your own tap and threadbox pretty easily. In our times it's thought that you have to buy tools. Silly people.

If you need it, I can dig back in my archives. A few decades ago there was a very good article in FineWoodworking on making a threadbox and tap. I could send you a photocopy.

[Artificer]

Something in the dark reaches of my memory tells me these were called a "wheelwright's vise". Anyone able to confirm or refute this?

Wheelwrights did use vises like this and since most every town and village needed at least one person doing wheelwright work, that is most likely a common name for them. 

However, almost all the woodworking trades used vices like these in the 17th through the early 19th century.
Gus

[Artificer]

Suzkat,

I have been collecting 18th century original and reproduction tools (including some early 19th century tools that are correct for the 18th century) for about 10 years now.  My purpose is to make up an 18th century period correct "Field Artificer's Kit" with which I may do what we today call "Military Armorer's" work on flintlocks at reenactments.  I have not got a complete set yet, though I have a pretty good selection.  All these tools are hand tools and specialty tools used by gunsmiths in the period.

Since you are collecting tools that are correct for your ancestor's gunshop, may I make a couple of recomendations on two GREAT books that will really help you find period correct tools? 

The first is Diderot's Encyclopedia.  The one you want is Volume I.  This is great to see benches, vises and other large shop equipment as well as some small hand tools.  You don’t have to spend as much money as Amazon wants in this link, but it shows you what the book looks like. 

http://www.amazon.com/Diderot-Pictorial-Encyclopedia-Industry-Archives/dp/0486274284

While visiting the gun shop at Colonial Williamsburg in the 1990’s, they showed me what they use to document all sorts of hand tools for their works.  Diderot’s Encyclopedia in the Iron Working section is great for the larger equipment, but the VERY best book on 18th century hand tools they suggested is A Catalogue of Tools For Watch And Clock Makers,  John Wyke of Liverpool  Almost any kind of hand tool a gunsmith or many folks working in the metal trades is listed.  I can’t say enough about this book.   

http://www.thebestthings.com/books/wyke.htm

If you get these two books, you can save yourself a lot of money on buying the wrong stuff AND you would be surprised the things you can get in antique stores, yard sales, flea markets, etc. that are correct for the period even if the tools were made later. 

Gus

[Jay Close]

I will second Artificer's recommendations. Also, if you do a little poking around on the internet you'll find the complete Diderot's Encyclopedia is on the web, cloud or whatever they call it now days. It's in French but all the plates are available and a picture is certainly worth more that a thousand words I can't read!

[Shreckmeister]

Gentemen,  Thank you very much for the advise, ideas and direction.  I will
pursue Diderot and the other recommendations.

[ottawa]

if you check out PBS watch episodes of the woodright shop they have that episode on making the wooden nut and thread cutter try to post the address no luck

[Sequatchie Rifle]

I've seen three "wheel vises" at local flea markets in the last six months each for less than $40.  These things are out there. Most folks don't know what they are or don't have a place or use for them!

[Shreckmeister]

I've seen three "wheel vises" at local flea markets in the last six months each for less than $40.  

Bill F,
You're not trying to rain on my parade are you?  You refer to them as
wheel vises.  When I google that for images, I don't get the same thing.
Where does that term come from?