Prentiss No. 54 Vice

[Downeaster]

I have a cheap Chinese 6" vise on my bench. Same deal, 360 degree swivel in two axis. Surprisingly, I've beat the whey out of that thing over the years and it's held up. Only complaint is that the screw-down horizontal swivel locks are too small. Hard to tighten it down securely and under serious torque it will slip. Can't remember where I got it, but for what I paid for it I've been happy.

 

[gggGary]

Cool stuff. those old 'merican vices are getting to be quite the collector's items.
My daddy always had a 6" and a 4" on two separate Heavy duty work benches. I he bought me a 6" vice as about my 18th birthday present, it was a new import, and has been bolted to a corner of my steel welding table on wheels for the last 20 years or so. It has survived a lot of heavy use. Yes swivel left right is nice, I envy the vices that tilt also. The vice anvil has been cracked for years but it hasn't bothered anything. I've been watching for an anvil but they tend to sell at collector prices. I have a 4" vice on a bench in the heated garage also. And a Palmgren vice on the drill press.
Too many tools is no vice.

 

[Bob Kelly III]

I agree ! totally the man who dies with the most tools wins ! LOL
I have 4 vices on my work bench/shelf 2 of which I use the other 2 are small and behind a post so I hardly use that end of the shelf ! (it's about 20ft long so I only use about half of it)
..... I want a big drill press again... mine died in the fire years ago and I havn't found one to replace it yet !
I am making due by leaving a old MK2 shop smith in the drill press mode but the darn thing turns way too fast and I havn't got around to gearing it down yet .... one of these days I will....... LOL
......
Bob.............