Here's a piece of curious woodworking equipment spotted by Corey Wilcox of Richfield, Wisc.
Corey spotted this vise in an antique shop in Silverton, Colo., in June and took some photos and made a sketch. This week he sent me an e-mail to ask if I knew what the vise was used for. I'm a bit baffled.
The vise jaws are about 3" thick, 12" wide and 28" long. The whole thing stands about 24" high on its four turned legs. I think it's likely a piece of woodworking equipment because the top is scored by many fine kerfs, likely from a backsaw.
These kerfs suggest to me the user faced the front of the vise to use it. Yet, this looks a bit like the veneer-sawing bench shown in Andr� Roubo's 18th-century woodworking books. That bench was about the same height (just above the knee when measured from the floor), but it is more substantial than this Colorado vise, and Roubo's veneer vise was used differently. The two operators stood at either end of the twin-screw vise.
My best guess (and it's not a good one) is that this vise was used on top of a bench or other work surface and was designed to bring the work up close to the operator's face for some sort of fine operation.
Other than that, your guess is as good as mine.
? Christopher Schwarz
Workbench Geekery Below
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Source: http://blog.woodworking-magazine.com/blog/The+Mystery+Twinscrew+Device.aspx
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