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What Is It? |
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Using
a parallel jaw system, the jaws can be opened to 7" for
one, 9" for the other. The intent was that once the workpiece
was held firmly in the vise, the assembly was then further clamped
into the bench vise or positioned with a holdfast or clamp.
The older and larger vise has a purpose built slot in the bottom
rail allowing for a bolt to be used to mount the vise through
a dog hole on the workbench. Both clamping methods allowed movement of the workpiece through 360
degrees without removing it from the vise, and raising it to a
convenient working height for carvers. This
is an ideal feature for carvers who work in the round and must
often reposition the work while keeping it at the same elevation.
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| Steel
side plate and steel screw mechanism. |
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Brass
side plate and wooden screw mechanism. |
Both
vises are made of beech and are similar in appearance and construction.
Both have leather jaw pieces to protect the workpiece. Both
have a plate with a bend attached to the sliding jaw on either
side to ride in a metal-reinforced guide track cut into in the
main body. There is no provision for re-adjustment in this track,
by way of a gib or tightening device. The most notable differences
are the choice of materials in the screw mechanism (wood vs.
steel) and the side plates and guides on the moveable jaw (brass
vs. steel). Both units use a rather large hand-cut dovetail
joint to anchor the fixed jaw. The newer unit (wood screw) is
much smaller.
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| Dovetail
joint. |
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Dovetail
joint. |
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Maker's
stamp. |
Stamped
on one vise is QUINCAILLERIE DURAND LIMITEE, a name that has
long been associated with hardware sales in the province of
Quebec. However, at this time, we have not been able to find
the registration for this company.
D. S. Orr |
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Other Articles from this Issue |
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