One of my plans for this fall or winter was to build myself a proper woodworking bench. Using things like hand planes just doesn't work when you have an old door on sawhorses like I usually use for a bench. So when I found this on CL I jumped on it. I definitely have a major soft spot for heavy duty antique woodworking tools.
I was surprised when I got there to buy it because it was about twice the size I was expecting from the pictures on his ad. You can use the soda can in the first pic for reference, this thing is a monster. Its also much more heavily built than the foreign ones on the market today (which cost four times what I paid for this). I thought about disassembling, cleaning, sandblasting, and painting it, but I think I'm going to leave it alone. It has a nice well worn "lived in" look that I'm really digging.
Very cool. I too have a fondness for old tools. If you do decide to clean it, please don't sandblast it. I personally wouldn't do much more than apply a nice coat of oil to it, and of course, use it as it was intended! 
I have a similar one. It comes in handy. There is no name on mine and I don’t remember where I bought it
I built the workbench from some Popular Mechanics plan from the 1950’s my dad and grandfather used.
I’ll have to get some pics from work on Monday. We have a few big old vices of the type.
Nice find!
I would clean it up and repaint it - yes, it is old and cool but it will be a nice tool to use once "restored".
In reply to Datsun310Guy :
I think I'm just gonna shine up and lube the two smooth rails. It says on there to not lube the acme thread piece. I assume it is because the quick release mechanism needs a certain amount of friction to function.
