Here is another simple restoration which boiled down to some elbow grease and a new coat of paint.  I had been looking for a quality vintage Bench Vise for some time before I pulled the trigger on this one for $90.  The main attraction to this vise was the Oswego Tool brand as my parents met at SUNY Oswego and I've spent some time there.  Not to mention I've not seen this brand too often.  The price may seem high for a used Bench Vise but let me assure you that the quality is top notch and even at this age the condition of this vise will match most units you could purchase new.  One of the things I learned when investigating Bench Vise is that there is two distinct categories you'll see.  The first made of cheap cast (gray) iron which is brittle while the second is made from ductile iron and has quality vise jaws.  This vise falls into the later category and the jaws and movement were in exceptional condition for a vise of this age.

The Oswego Tool Co. was established in Oswego, NY in the early 1890s and I've found some patents from the owners for Stillson Pipe wrenches.  The 24B model is a Machinist swivel vise with 4" forged jaws, 5" opening, and a 3.5" throat.  This vise most closely matches a Chase Parker models and from what I've read may simply be a rebranded version of this vise. 

Simple tear down, paint, and mount.  As will all my cleanups I use general engine degreaser with a stiff brush and then soak the parts in a hot water bath with Tide clothes detergent.  Jaws were in excellent shape and clamp well on even thin sections on extreme edge of jaws.  Below is a slideshow of the process and results.

Why did I buy this item?  Simply looked too cool to not bid for $45 bucks and then to my surprise I was the winning bid.  The tapping machine was a bit neglected but was completely functional when plugged in.  A good cleaning, paint and replacement of wear parts brought this guy back to 'out of box' condition.  When they are made well it's not too difficult to restore.

The tear down went relatively smooth with only the spindle bearings showing enough wear to need replacement.

Next up is a round of degreasing and paint stripping with oven cleaner followed by a new coat of paint.  Used Rust-Oleum flat black paint.

The label was done by painting black and then using an flat stone to wash away the raised part of the imprint - took some time and a soft touch but came out looking fine.

Short video below of the reverse function being engaged on the cone drive.

The Dake 1-1/2 Arbor press was acquired by accident during one of my first auction pickups.  I was helping a friend pick up a Lincoln Mig 255 welder and I asked the attendant if anything didn't sell.  She directed us to a small lot of broken down equipment and a I quickly spotted the press as I was looking for one of this type.  I offered $10, she countered with $20, and the deal was struck.  I had no idea what value the press had but for $20 bucks it looked like a good project part to start my restoration education with.  I quickly found out with some searching that this press is $1000 new and about $500 used on ebay.... that certainly helped motivate the restore.

The press appearance was rough and was missing the lever weight, handle, pawl pin, and arbor plate.  One of the first steps was to contact Dake Corp. and find out if they still supplied parts for this old press.  To my surprise, not only do they still sell the parts for vintage items, the current product lineup at Dake IS the vintage items.  Talk about not changing a good thing.  So the price list for replacement parts came to about $214 (not cheap but a pleasure to deal with Dake).  Along with the lever weight, handle, and pawl pin I also purchased rebuild items including a new set of shims, retaining rings, set screws, and spring.  The arbor plate I bought separately on ebay for $10.


Next up was the stripping process.  I ended up using oven cleaner.  Spray and let sit overnight 12-24 hours and simply wash off the paint with a stiff brush.  A bit of a dirty job but after 2 coatings the press was bare to the casting and parts were ready for paint.  I used rust-oleum primer and Satin Sapphire blue paint (Z76270).  I was hesitant about painting the lettering white but this proved to be the detail that really lets the unit pop and draws the eye to a normally dull item in the shop.

All in all a nice little project.  Highly suggested as a beginner restoration project which will bring a solid and often used tool into your shop.

If you're interested in Dake Machine Tools click this LINK.
Parts list for Dake model 1-1/2 can be found at this link.
Specifications for the Dake 1-1/2 (101-1/2) Ratchet Leverage Arbor Press are below.