Two old vise anvil combos

[john k]

I have a third variation of these, but buried in the barn currently.  Lot of similarity, and not.  The red one is darn heavy, hows that for precise?    Both are somewhat hollow underneath.  Dark one has no name, but a Pat. date.

[Lewill2]

Dark one in that picture looks like a 12 volt model too.

[john k]

it seems I can't upload any more photos, last night, or tonight.

[john k]

the black one, and the moving jaw of the red one.   It appears to have a (drill thru-centering) feature.   There was a shaft through the hole in the jaw, with a drill chuck, something clamped in the vise and centered, could be accurately drilled with a hand drill.  Made in Kansas City, Missouri, by The American Scale company.  They didn't skimp on the iron in the casting or that jaw.  The black one is lighter, and I think a bit older. 

[Lostmind]

A newly opened antique store in town has a vise very much like your red one.
Asking price is $75.00. It's still there.

[oldgoaly]

I think I has one of each of them too, and a couple of cheaper thin cast and broken ones.

[john k]

Sure look the same to me.  The red one is marked no. 20, so there is a no. 10 out there?   These are bigger than one imagines, the black one is 22 inches, and the red one is 19, together they take up half the work bench.    I really don't recall what I paid for the black one, but pretty sure gave 35 for the red.    Have heard of people being charged with stealing by removing goods from dumpsters here recently, like a lot of things it just doesn't make sense.    I like the one I heard of in Australia, where they have a curb day, set your free stuff at the curb, is free to anyone, still there in 4 days, remove it or the garbage man gets it. 

[leg17]

Kind of neat as collectibles but use extreme caution when considering using one as an anvil.
The relatively light weight casting will not be very satisfactory.

[oldgoaly]

John,
I thought I had found an ad for American, no idea where I saved it? just came to mind got another on in there barn bolted down. I'll post them if I can find the pics.

[oldgoaly]

this is one that has issues! these are cast iron in some places it's rather thin. so have 2 might be able to make one from them. I can weld cast iron with cast iron rod, but I'm better with smaller things like toys. it's all in the preheat and post heat.

[Chillylulu]

this is one that has issues! these are cast iron in some places it's rather thin. so have 2 might be able to make one from them. I can weld cast iron with cast iron rod, but I'm better with smaller things like toys. it's all in the preheat and post heat.

I haven't even tried to weld cast iron in ages.  If not pre-heated right the metal cracks out like a spiders web.  I have 5 kilns now, do I could probably do better than before. It still scares me and I wouls probably just braze the break.

Chillyñ

[rusty]

Or do like the piano fellow does, weld a tiny section, then let it sit for 3 hours, weld another tiny section....

Last time I played with case I tried to braze it, split like a 3 month old cookie...

[oldgoaly]

one has been.... OK... attempted repair..... a few times,  the other has a broken off and missing mounting ear. Cast Iron rod and Peterson's cast iron welding flux using oxy-acetylene torch.

[john k]

Is this the same as yours?  Took this photo at an auction last fall, think it brought 40-50 dollars.  Looks like those hold down holes were a bit weak, this is a twin to one of mine buried in the barn.  It has had the dickens used out of it.   I was prying it off the bench of a collapsed farm building, as they were unloading a bulldozer at the other end of the grove.   48 hours later they were planting corn where the shed was, so it was take it off, or forget it forever. 

[bear_man]

My oldest step-son rebuilt the teeth on a drive gear for a team mower.  Post-heat he put it in a 55 gal. bbl. full of ashes, pushed it down to about the middle with something and "forgot" it for 2 days. All his cast iron work he cooled that way with great results.