Is it a Saw Vise? Or . . . ?

   / Is it a Saw Vise? Or . . . ? #1  

keg99

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[Hopefully this is the best place to post this question.]

I was given a vice from a friend. At first I thought it was a saw vise. But then I looked closer and – having no experience with saw vises – I began to reconsider.

It has tall vise jaws that can hold a saw blade for sharpening. But is also has the capacity to hold a very large item since the jaws can open quite wide.

It spins on a post – to flip a saw blade around for sharpening? But it has an odd feature. There is an arm (A) that can push on the post (B). This seems to control how the vise spins on the post. But it cannot be adjusted on the fly. You have to pull the vise off the post to make an adjustment.

When pulled from the post, you can see the loose arm with an adjustment nut (C). It has a cam-style end (D) that pushes on the post.

Is this just a normal saw vise and my lack of experience is showing. Or is there some other particular use for this style of vise?
 

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   / Is it a Saw Vise? Or . . . ? #2  
At I guess I would say the loose arm is a method for pretensioning the movable jaw to ensure that you have a parallel clamping surface, especially as the vice wears. A normal vice of this type will tilt as you clamp and with such tall jaws you would only be clamping at the top or bottom and not utilizing the full clamping surface. The looser the fit between your movable and fixed jaw mechanism the worse this problem will be. I think that loose arm is a way to take the backlash out and make the jaws parallel.

Kurt, who makes precision vices for machining, came up with an ingenious way of tilting the jaw to reduce this problem in high precision applications called the anglock system some years back.
 
   / Is it a Saw Vise? Or . . . ? #3  
That is a Versa-Vise. I had one years ago my FIL gave to me.
Google should get you going.
Patrick
 
   / Is it a Saw Vise? Or . . . ?
  • Thread Starter
#4  
Patrick, thanks for the lead. I did a search and found out this vise has a long history. There is a really explanatory video on YT called "VERSA VISE or VICE VERSA" where he explains how the vise works and the accessories that make it even more versatile. I noticed in that video there was logo originally located in the casting depression. Since the logo was just a decal, my vise has long since lost it. That explains why there was no "Versa Vice" identification. I appreciate the help. I know know I have something even more special than I thought.
 
   / Is it a Saw Vise? Or . . . ? #5  
Patrick, thanks for the lead. I did a search and found out this vise has a long history. There is a really explanatory video on YT called "VERSA VISE or VICE VERSA" where he explains how the vise works and the accessories that make it even more versatile. I noticed in that video there was logo originally located in the casting depression. Since the logo was just a decal, my vise has long since lost it. That explains why there was no "Versa Vice" identification. I appreciate the help. I know know I have something even more special than I thought.
i have one also and with that adjustment screw you can adjust the jaws to hold a tapered item. Also you can use the hole in the side the same way as the bottom hole. I have mine mounted on the corner of my bench for when I want to hold something vertically when it's long and I don't want it 2-3 feet in the air.
 
   / Is it a Saw Vise? Or . . . ? #7  
Yep, they were great vices. I think Rockler or one of the woodworking sites had brought it back, imported of course. It was green and may have been called the Parrott Vice.
Anyhow, lost mine and most everything else in a forest fire in 2018.
Will look into getting another one when we finally get into a home with shop.
Glad for you!
Patrick
 
 
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