A Couple Little Vises for Uncle Buck

[j.a.f.e.]

Found these old pix and since you asked about them thought I'd show them off.

I got them at the swaps and cleaned/painted them. I do use them a little once in a while just for the sake of using them.

This is a little bench type vise and the first one found. No makers mark, no COO mark or anything to ID it.

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A massive 2" jaw.

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Here it is all cleaned and painted. No idea what the original color was so it ended up my favorite green.

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[j.a.f.e.]

This one does have a 29 embossed on one side and a B on the fixed jaw and a C on the movable jaw.


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The jaws are 1" and have a surprising grip.

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[j.a.f.e.]

This one I had no after pic so I took a quick one. Again no markings and no idea on original color. So out came the green paint.

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This is really a nice vise for it's size. The clamp doesn't hold great because of the small clamp foot but it does have a couple screw holes on the front for a solid mount. It has a very solid grip.

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This is the last one. It is still in this condition but I'll clean and paint it one of these days. Am open to color ideas.

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[Uncle Buck]

You did a remarkable job with those. My deceased dad shared your affinity for green in his shop.Benches, vises and cabinets always got green. He seemed to favor forrest green as everything always got the same shade of green. Thanks for sharing those, they are all dandies!

[goodfellow]

Seems you have a "vice" for small vises. Those are excellent examples of workmanship, design, and function.

[j.a.f.e.]

I am guilty Goodfellow. They are quick fun projects and are something else to keep dusting.

[Hickory n Steel]

You've got some nice ones.

Here is my little vise, picked up off Ebay a few years back.


It's a Stanley Handyman H1210.



A pretty well made little 2.5" vise with fairly precise jaws.


The coolest part about this one is the quick locking swivel base

There's a spring loaded locking pin you pull to swivel it into 1 of 3 positions, with a quarter turn on the knurled knob to lock and unlock the pin.




It appeared to be in unused condition when I got it, but the handle is bent most likely from being dropped at some point.


I also have a cheap little modern Pony clamp on vise around somewhere, but it's not very good.
Once I got this one I stopped using and lost track of the Pony.

[AbiggerGarage]

Is that from one of those old Handy Andy toolkits?

[Hickory n Steel]

Is that from one of those old Handy Andy toolkits?

You've never heard of Stanley's Handyman line ?
I believe the Handyman line was mostly sold in the 60's.

The Handyman series was a line of economy Homeowner tools, in my experience though they may have been  basic simplified tools but weren't exactly chintzy junk.

This vise is pretty top quality for a portable mini vise, it wasn't in the Handyman line for lack of features and quality but simply because a portable mini vise tends to be a Hobby tool.
Before the red & blue Handyman line, this H1210 vise was sold under the Defience line and came painted grey & red.

[AbiggerGarage]

I never quite figured out,  if the Stanley handyman line, was supposed to be a continuation or not of the Handy Andy kits aimed at getting kids of my fathers generation going.
I seem to remember some handyman planes, that weren't quite to the standard of Bailey or Bedrock planes, but that was the extent of my knowledge that I can remember (chemo brain may be effecting what I can remember).

[Hickory n Steel]

I never quite figured out,  if the Stanley handyman line, was supposed to be a continuation or not of the Handy Andy kits aimed at getting kids of my fathers generation going.
I seem to remember some handyman planes, that weren't quite to the standard of Bailey or Bedrock planes, but that was the extent of my knowledge that I can remember (chemo brain may be effecting what I can remember).

Those Handy Andy tool sets were made by Skil-craft, Stanley had nothing to do with them.

The defiance line was targeted towards DIY use around the farm, then when suburbs and urban life really exploded they introduce Handyman line aimed at hobyists and suburban homeowners.

[Elroy]

Elroy has one of those little guys and it works well for small "in house" desk jobs.

[j.a.f.e.]

Nice vise. Yes, they can be handy.

[Uncle Buck]

Years ago I stupidly loaned a friend a beautiful little Stanley vise for what I thought was intended to be small work. As you might guess, first he broke it, then he tossed it not even returning the remains of the vise.

Misplaced trust. This is how most of my experiences lending tools has worked out. I 

[j.a.f.e.]

That's the problem many people treat stuff they borrow like it's theirs. Same type of thing has happened to me as well.