Who knows what this Vise (Vice on your side of the pond) is for?

[BentonTool]

I have already contacted Vintage Machinery... on one there knows what the story of this vise is...

 

[Blister]

It's for holding

 

[johnwalls26]

The Thompson name is associated with fishing, could it be an unusual bit to work with their more usual fly tying stuff? Whatever it is it would appear to be for delicate eye level operation.

 

[--Tom--]

Looks like one of the bits in the old catalogue posted here

http://classicflyrodforum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=132166

 

[Terry - Somerset]

It looks to be a substantial casting. How about gun stock manufacturing to allow both woodworking and work on decorative inlays without marring the other side?

 

[--Tom--]

It looks to be a substantial casting. How about gun stock manufacturing to allow both woodworking and work on decorative inlays without marring the other side?

Much more likely to be fishing - as already posted Thompson made a wide range of fly tying vises

 

[rob1693]

Only reference to a thompson V - 500 vise I could find was on the thompson sub machine gun forum, someone else had one and was looking for info, trail goes a bit cold after that but conclusion there was it was a vise for tyre fitting

 

[Cabinetman]

The felt protection on the jaws reminds me of Piano gubbins, just made me wonder if it was used in Piano manufacture?

 

[BentonTool]

It looks to be a substantial casting. How about gun stock manufacturing to allow both woodworking and work on decorative inlays without marring the other side?

My/our initial thought was that it came out of a WWI or WWII factory working on the Thompson sub-machine gun. Sadly, that lead was not fruitful. I consulted experienced persons on the "Vintage Machinery" website. They have seen one other example, but have no idea what it was used for. I wonder also about bicycle tires, as one end is rounded.
Addendum: now that you mention it, we did look into the fly-fishing aspect, but found no actual matches.
Thanks...

 

[joshvegas]

I don't think it's bike wheel related, you would expect the vice bit to accommodate an axle not be flat jawed. Also there are loads of bike wheel diameters so a fixed length is pretty unuseful in any kind of bike workshop. And there would also need to be a fair bit of height difference to each end.

However, it DOES look like some sort of seating tool on the handwheel end.

 

[BentonTool]

Only reference to a thompson V - 500 vise I could find was on the thompson sub machine gun forum, someone else had one and was looking for info, trail goes a bit cold after that but conclusion there was it was a vise for tyre fitting

That might have been me...

 

[BentonTool]

I don't think it's bike wheel related, you would expect the vice bit to accommodate an axle not be flat jawed. Also there are loads of bike wheel diameters so a fixed length is pretty unuseful in any kind of bike workshop. And there would also need to be a fair bit of height difference to each end.

However, it DOES look like some sort of seating tool on the handwheel end.

Good point! Any ideas?

 

[BentonTool]

The thought just came to me... how about a clamp for OARS? How about it, you boat-builders out there...

 

[Cobbs]

If not the flies, then how about the rods?

 

[dannyr]

does the fixed length match that of a violin?

 

[BentonTool]

does the fixed length match that of a violin?

Roughly, yes...
If I can find where I put it, I will measure it.