- Joined
- Dec 24, 2020
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Wayne State University recently had an auction to get rid of excess machinery and tools from their engineering and machinery school (not sure what they call it). Mostly it was getting rid of old manual stuff since CNC, lasers, etc is what's being taught these days. I bought a lot that had four workbenches, one of which was pretty old with a cast iron base and a tag that suggest it was from the 1950s at the latest. On that table was a Desmond Stephan Manufacturing Co Simplex 41P vise (4.25" wide jaws). Desmond Stephan vises have largely been under-rated, or at least under-appreciated. The vise line was eventually sold to the Ridge Tool company and ultimately most folks know them as the Ridgid line of vises, which were known to be pretty solidly built.
Anyway, back to this vise...it was filthy! I saw it had a couple of property tags, but couldn't read them so I gave it just a quick touch with a toothbrush and some solvent. The one tag is smaller and shows it as property of Wayne University, which was the name used from 1933 to 1956. The larger tag is from the Defense Plant Corporation which was a U.S. government entity that essentially funded companies between 1940 and 1945 as part of the war effort. DPC ceased operation in July of 1945. Also, the tag shows it was part of the Flying Boat Division, of Nash-Kelvinator (Nash car company). Nash-Kelvinator made aircraft engines, propellors, binoculars and other items for the war-effort and were awarded a contract to build Vought-Sikorsky VS-44 flying boats, but it was cancelled when other flying boats became available in sufficient numbers. My guess is they started to tool up a plant, this vise was part of that, the program got cancelled and then the stuff was surplussed after the war and purchased by the university. Anyway, here's a few pictures of a neat piece of U.S. history...roughly 80 year old vise that still works perfectly. I've got more vises than I know what to do with, so if you're local and interested in it, shoot me a PM.
Anyway, back to this vise...it was filthy! I saw it had a couple of property tags, but couldn't read them so I gave it just a quick touch with a toothbrush and some solvent. The one tag is smaller and shows it as property of Wayne University, which was the name used from 1933 to 1956. The larger tag is from the Defense Plant Corporation which was a U.S. government entity that essentially funded companies between 1940 and 1945 as part of the war effort. DPC ceased operation in July of 1945. Also, the tag shows it was part of the Flying Boat Division, of Nash-Kelvinator (Nash car company). Nash-Kelvinator made aircraft engines, propellors, binoculars and other items for the war-effort and were awarded a contract to build Vought-Sikorsky VS-44 flying boats, but it was cancelled when other flying boats became available in sufficient numbers. My guess is they started to tool up a plant, this vise was part of that, the program got cancelled and then the stuff was surplussed after the war and purchased by the university. Anyway, here's a few pictures of a neat piece of U.S. history...roughly 80 year old vise that still works perfectly. I've got more vises than I know what to do with, so if you're local and interested in it, shoot me a PM.
