what's this old woodworking? vice? tool thing??

[MattF]

I'd definitely go with my earlier surmision regarding the original setup, Two half round posts with some type of jaw/clamp on, dropping through a slot in the bench top, and seating in those cutouts as pressure was applied to the piece. They'd have probably needed a flange on the bottom of the half rounds, to go underneath those jaws below the bench, to stop them riding up out of position. That setup would allow some pivoting of the jaws, for irregular shaped pieces. That's only my personal guess as to what the original setup may have been like though. Be nice if some actual original info does appear on that unit you have there at some point. It's intriguing. Another possibility is that the bench may not have had a top on originally, or possibly one which was partially removable, to allow access to that clamping unit.

 

[Gareth J]

Check it out.

I think we were all led astray by what look like clamps on the underside. This is definitely how the vice was installed on my bench - note the square hole to the LHS of the screw, behind it are "runners" that would correspond exactly to a guide bar. The jaws underneath...? maybe it was deigned for a different application before this bench.

 

[octo0072000]

Check it out.

I think we were all led astray by what look like clamps on the underside. This is definitely how the vice was installed on my bench - note the square hole to the LHS of the screw, behind it are "runners" that would correspond exactly to a guide bar. The jaws underneath...? maybe it was deigned for a different application before this bench.

i spy a old two handed tree saw on the wall looks like one i used to have

 

[ford34/2]

I spy ASH --my Favorite. partial to maple and American cherry.

Stan