Help identifying a ball vice.

[Lucierose]

Hi guy ! My names Lucie rose and I’m from salt spring island B.C. I Just picked up this ball vice and I’m hoping someone can help me Identify it. It just says U. Got it from an old watchmakers estate sale. Super rusty. Spend hours already trying to clean it up.

 

[monk]

it looks like one i have, a muehlmat. a foto of the top would be useful. welcome to the forum. are you inerested in learning to engrave? if so, you've come to the right place.

 

[Lucierose]

Trying to give it a good clean. I was really hoping there would be fun marks when I finally got into it. But alas only a B6-L B6 U.
I’m trying to get into engraving for sure! I’m in my third year of goldsmithing at the moment though. So learning new things everyday.

 

[Lucierose]

All cleaned up

 

[monk]

nice cleanup. it looks to be exactly like mine. strange that yours has no mfg. name. maybe it's a copy made by another company ? our resident historian, roger bleile, may be more able to nail it down for you
btw: i have an old leather donut you can have, no charge.
gimme a pm if u want it.

 

[John B.]

Very kind of you to offer the leather donut, Jay.
It will complete a nice vise set for Lucierose.
She worked hard and did a good job in restoring it, I think.

 

[Lucierose]

That’s really sweet thank you ! I’m having parts for it made up as well. Would love to know the history of it though.

 

[mitch]

Looks like you may have start a 'history' for it. Engrave your initials and a date somewhere on it so 50-100 yrs from now people will be asking who you were...

 

[monk]

That’s really sweet thank you ! I’m having parts for it made up as well. Would love to know the history of it though.

the "history" of the vise may begin where you bought it. give it a try. you never know.

 

[Chujybear]

the anchors holes on the jaws look familliar.. much like my grs vise.. but a few distinctions.. in particular the second split on the mouth of the jaws.. (is there, or is there room for a steel ball in the bottom of the bore?
i'm flying to haida gwaii tomorrow, ill check my Victor vise, but if it was either, you probably would have already heard it here by now...
that little bump (bearing?, or rotation break?) is something unusual.. maybe the clue to manufacture? or maybe a mod by the previous owner? my guess is its the break that corresponds to the nut on the top surface? if the previous owner added the stop, they may have machined in the slot as well..
one of the Burton brothers on Saltspring does a bit of engraving i think.. might be able to get him to look at it..

 

[Lucierose]

That’s hilarious. Seth’s got it right now. Making all new parts for it as we speak. Very excited indeed. I’ll post pictures when it’s all finished. Thankful to live on a island with so many talented artists.

 

[Dave Friedman]

Lucierose,

If you ever pass through Bellingham, Washington please visit.

Dave F. 877-255-0193

 

[Lucierose]

New plates being made !! And I’m over the moon excited.

 

[JJ Roberts]

Lucierrose,Your vise should have a name & a number,I two of these vises a 12 lb.& 16lb vise. J.J.

 

[Lucierose]

Hi JJ no name. Only a U on the inside where the top clicks into the bottom, and a couple random numbers here and there.

 

[Chujybear]

That’s hilarious. Seth’s got it right now. Making all new parts for it as we speak. Very excited indeed. I’ll post pictures when it’s all finished. Thankful to live on a island with so many talented artists.

THose are some pretty slick pin Jaws Seth is making you. Makes me want to invent something to get him to make me lol.

I just looked at my victor, it does have that hole through the surface.
Plus it has the double Chanel’s in the lower jaw. And I don’t know if its worth any salt but it also has the same hex key. So I’m going to say some good chance it’s a victor

 

[Chujybear]

THE other thing that is different in my victor is the heavy centre piece with the double claw at the centre of the screw.


But I’ve only got a few videos so I don’t know how unusual this mechanism is, or even if it’s common across all victors

 

[Doctorslava]

THE other thing that is different in my victor is the heavy centre piece with the double claw at the centre of the screw.


But I’ve only got a few videos so I don’t know how unusual this mechanism is, or even if it’s common across all victors

If you noticed Victor vise has an Acme thread while this one has a regular.

 

[Chujybear]

If you noticed Victor vise has an Acme thread while this one has a regular.

Ya... and a victor stamp that would be hard to grind away.. and a slotted screw in the pivot.