Restoration of bench vise from the 16th [more likely 17th/18th] century!

Artificer · Sep 17, 2024

Though this bench vise could have been used in a gunsmith shop, I think by it's size, it more likely for a more delicate trade. I have a similar bench vise that is a bit larger than this one.

If you like this video and want to see more on restoration of period leg/post vises, let me know and I'll add more.

Gus

Crawfish · Sep 17, 2024

Very cool! Nicely done!

TFoley · Sep 17, 2024

Really?

16th Century - Henry VIII and his six wives, Elizabeth 1st and William Shakespeare....Galileo, Sir Walter Raleigh, Mary Queen of Scots......

17th Century - Jamestown colony, Pilgrim Fathers, Salem witch trials...

18th Century - French/Indian Wars, American Revolution....

I often wonder what is being taught to people these days.......

Rifleman1776 · Sep 17, 2024

Neat.

1950DAVE · Sep 17, 2024

Amazing to think that those beautiful threads were cut by hand, especially he internal threads.
Looks like 19th or late 18th century to me.

Artificer · Sep 17, 2024

1950DAVE said:
Amazing to think that those beautiful threads were cut by hand, especially he internal threads.
Looks like 19th or late 18th century to me.

The internal threads in the "screw box" were made as a coil and then brazed into the tube of the forged screw box. At 5:03 in the video, you can see the yellow braze on both the screw box and the bottom of the mounting bracket, the latter to hold the pyramid shaped stop.

The composite/brazed together screw box was how all leg/post/bench vises of this type were made from the 17th century onward until Peter Wright of England patented the solid one piece screw box in 1863. So it may have been made as late as the mid 19th century, but the rest of the parts seem to have an early to much earlier style or "feel" to me. However, this is my speculation, so I can be wrong about this.

Gus

Colonial Boy · Sep 17, 2024

Could have been used by a gunsmith for small parts; I know that I have a couple of small vyces that arei very handy, especially as clamps.

Artificer · Sep 17, 2024

Joseph Moxon wrote one of the earliest books on trades and tools in the mid to third quarter of the 17th century. He passed in 1691 but the first volume of his Mechanick exercises, or, The doctrine of handy-works, (etc) was published in 14 parts in 1677.

The leg/post vise (and two hand vises) are shown on the illustrated plate on page 13 in the link below. Though the drawing is not top quality, the screw box is similar to the one in the video.

https://archive.org/details/mechanickexercis00moxo_1/page/n13/mode/2up

Gus

SDSmlf · Sep 17, 2024

Lost me with the rattle-can varnish. Personally, I would have done something else, maybe rust bluing (I have found it to be tough durable finish on tools), though it takes much more time to process. Other than that, nice job.

Artificer · Sep 17, 2024

Colonial Boy said:
Could have been used by a gunsmith for small parts; I know that I have a couple of small vyces that arei very handy, especially as clamps.

A CATALOGUE OF TOOLS FOR WATCH AND CLOCK MAKERS BY John Wyke of Liverpool

https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/catalogue-tools-watch-clock-makers-1975485734

shows many illustrations of bench and hand vices and "cramps" of the period. Though this book was republished in 1978 and for the first time had pages of explanations of the illustrated plates, the engraved plates were originally published over 200 years before. I HIGHLY recommend it as a documentation on a plethora of hand tools of the period.

"In 1758 Wyke set up a business in Liverpool, moving there the following year after selling his shop in Market Place, described as ‘a very commodious, pleasant and well situated Dwelling House and Shop.’ Sometime before he moved to Liverpool, the talented clock, watch and tool maker began to produce the first mail order catalogue with illustrations and descriptions of his stock."

Gus

Colonial Boy · Sep 18, 2024

Artificer said:
Joseph Moxon wrote one of the earliest books on trades and tools in the mid to third quarter of the 17th century. He passed in 1691 but the first volume of his Mechanick exercises, or, The doctrine of handy-works, (etc) was published in 14 parts in 1677.

The leg/post vise (and two hand vises) are shown on the illustrated plate on page 13 in the link below. Though the drawing is not top quality, the screw box is similar to the one in the video.

https://archive.org/details/mechanickexercis00moxo_1/page/n13/mode/2up
Gus

Gus,
Thanks for that, most interesting reading, the tools illustrated are all familiar, even to the hand drill, examples of which are probably still made.
I made a copy of Moxon’s wood vyce and it is an excellent addition to the shop.
[utl] https://www.toolcraft.co.za/blogs/t...es we could call it,of making joints by hand.[/URL]

Click to expand...

Artificer · Sep 18, 2024

Took a while a few years ago to find Moxon's book online with the ability to turn the pages and view read it. You are most welcome.

If you like Moxon, you would LOVE John Wyke's catalog. So many hand tools in that one that are still being used.

Gus

olskool · Sep 18, 2024

thanks for not playing obnoxious music, nice vice!

Artificer · Sep 23, 2024

The following illustration comes from Diderot's Encyclopedia circa mid 18th century.

Illustrations C2 and C3 below show how a coil of square or rectangular flat stock metal was used for the threads both on the screw and the screw box, though it doesn't show inside a screw box. These coils were brazed in place on both pieces, as mentioned earlier in the thread.

Hope this illustration better explains this feature.

Gus

Harry Marinakis · Sep 23, 2024

He ruined the character of that vise. I would have just used it "as is."

Artificer · Sep 23, 2024

Personally, I would have used brass wire hand brushes and wheels to clean the active red rust off. Then used copper bore solvent to remove any brass that got rubbed onto the vise.

I may have even used a rust converter, to convert the active red rust to inactive black rust, then cleaned it off and applied an anti-rusting layer over top.

However, back in the 18th century, a bench vise used in other indoor trades may well have been filed and left in the white. Then a coat or coats of varnish to keep it from rusting.

Gus

Artificer · Sep 23, 2024

Here is the illustration from Moxon circa mid to the third quarter of the 17th century. Looks like the artist left out some features of the vise, though.

Oh, notice the box joint pliers to the left of the two hammers? Yep, box joint pliers go that far back a well.

Gus

Artificer · Sep 24, 2024

Sorry, almost missed what I consider to be a HUGE detail on dating these kinds of vises from Diderot's Illustration above.

The earliest ones from the 17th to the mid 18th century have the mounting plate held to the vise by a U shaped collar and a single or double wedges as shown in G5 and G6.

What I did not know was how early the mounting plate later had two threaded screws as part of the plate and two screws and a screw plate to hold the mounting plate. I had gotten the impression this was a 19th century detail, yet Diderot's illustration (again mid to 3rd quarter of the 18th century) also shows this "later" improvement! Shown as fig. 19 in the illustration.

I decided to post the pic of Diderot's illustration again so you can scroll down to see these features.

Gus

Restoration of bench vise from the 16th [more likely 17th/18th] century!

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A CATALOGUE OF TOOLS FOR WATCH AND CLOCK MAKERS BY John Wyke of Liverpool