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Thread: Hawthorne Vise

  1. #1
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    Hawthorne Vise

    Sometime in the past I acquired this vise but never used it. The only identification is “Hawthorne Vise” cast into the smaller aluminum wedge. Googling that name produced no results.

    At first, using it seems obvious and I have seen other versions of this type vise before. In using it you would mount the larger aluminum piece to something stable using two screws, place the smaller wedge on it, and jam your work piece between the two pieces. It will hold the work piece tight as long as your work forces are directed toward its smaller end.

    Looking at the underside of the smaller wedge you can see another screw hole and also two half-circle cutouts cast in one of the rail channels. These are all cast into it and are there for some purpose unknown to me.

    The overall lengths are 5-7/8” for the larger piece and 3-3/8” for the smaller one.. It could hold wood 2” wide (maybe a little more) down to veneer thickness.

    Any knowledge or thoughts on this will be appreciated.

    DonR
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  2. #2

    ...about the Hawthorne Vise.......

    Quote Originally Posted by Don Rogers View Post
    Looking at the underside of the smaller wedge you can see another screw hole and also two half-circle cutouts cast in one of the rail channels. These are all cast into it and are there for some purpose unknown to me.


    DonR
    Don,

    My immediate guess is that the half round cutouts and the hole is for inserting a dowel
    (with a screw going into the hole to hold the dowel in place) to be used as a handle of sorts to ease its operation.

    .

  3. #3
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    Hawthorne Vise

    Roger,

    I’m not sure that I follow you. The hole is chamfered on the underside which would put the handle on the top side. This would be OK except that the handle would then get in the way, for example, if planning thinner wood.
    Also, I can’t see any relationship of the screw hole to the two half-circle holes.

    Perhaps I am not looking at this the same as you are.

    DonR

  4. #4
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    This idea is fairly well known although I usually see/use wood versions, very effective and fast. I'd guess that if the small piece (think wedge) is intended to have some sort of handle, it wouldn't get in the way of the piece to be processed (though it may irritate the user) and that one major use of said handle would be breaking the wedge loose when you're done.

    Pam

  5. #5
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    I will be surprised if Junior doesn't have a few of these with pictures of ways to use them on the bench top with another board to wedge a wider piece.

    It looks like many of the wedge type fastening systems in woodworking books and magazines. Most I have seen were shop made.

    jim
    "A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."
    - Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965)

  6. #6
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    Hawthorne Vise

    Roger and Pam may have hit upon the answer.

    Now I am beginning to see the possibility of a thin cast piece screwed on top of the small wedge and having two very short pins locking into the half-circle holes so that a handle would project from the side of the wedge. The handle could be made so that it would not project very high above the wedge so as not to interfere with the tool being used.

    One reason this did not occur to me earlier is that only a light rap on the work piece would release it from the vise making a handle unnecessary. Also, any added thickness increases the minimum wood thickness.

    It is quite possible that one piece of this vise is missing.

    Yes, Jim, Junior may be able to help with this one. I’m not leaving George or any of our other experts out either.

  7. #7
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    finger holes for picking up the sliding piece, its a crochet. kinda like the wedge cramping system I use for holding boards on top of a bench on edge.

    http://blog.woodworking-magazine.com...aspx?q=crochet
    Last edited by harry strasil; 11-01-2009 at 11:01 PM.
    Jr.
    Hand tools are very modern- they are all cordless
    NORMAL is just a setting on the washing machine.
    Be who you are and say what you feel... because those that matter... don't mind...and those that mind...don't matter!
    By Hammer and Hand All Arts Do Stand

  8. #8
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    Hawthorn Vise

    Junior,

    That might be what the half-circles are for but it seems just as easy to pick up without using them. Being aluminum, it’s very light.

    Does “crochet” mean “hook” or some means of grabbing?

    DonR

  9. #9
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    crotch - it, like the crotch of a tree , wedged in to hold something.









    Jr.
    Hand tools are very modern- they are all cordless
    NORMAL is just a setting on the washing machine.
    Be who you are and say what you feel... because those that matter... don't mind...and those that mind...don't matter!
    By Hammer and Hand All Arts Do Stand

  10. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by harry strasil View Post

    Many, many thanks for pointing to that Swedish bench, finally one I could love. Also thanks for all your crochet photos, great stuff.

    Pam

  11. #11
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    Hawthorne Vise

    Harry,

    Thanks for the crochet explanation and pictures. I can relate to the tree crotch analogy because I had my foot caught in one years ago.

    DonR

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