What's Going On In This Picture?

[JessEm]

I came across this picture of a vise (center). Can anyone tell me anything about it? What kind of vice is it?

[leg17]

Test fixture for Starter motor?

[JessEm]

The motor in the lower right isn't part of it...

[Bill Houghton]

Looks to me more like a magnetic base for a drill motor.  These are used for drilling holes in structural steel, mainly.  You use the (very strong) magnet to "clamp" the base to your steel, and the drill motor then runs on a drill press attached to the base, to drill rivet or other holes in the steel.  The lever to the right of the block below/behind the drill motor would probably be the on/off switch for the magnet.

They're still made, although the modern ones I know about are elecromagnets, requiring electricity to activate the magnet.  Milwaukee's example is pictured here: http://www.milwaukeetool.com/power-tools/corded/4203.

Not much use unless you build a lot of skyscrapers.  I suppose you could scavenge the drill press part and mount it on something else.

[superzstuff]

We used to use those on our punch presses when they stripped out a clamp bolt hole. We would drill out hole in press and install a thread insert. Only problem was if you got in a hurry and pulled to hard on drill, magnet would pull loose and either break drill or spin whole thing around before you got switch turned off. Ours had a on-off handle on magnet like a surface grinder chuck. we had an electro magnet one too, but it would also pull loose if you pulled too hard on drill.

[oldgoaly]

I agree with Bill and Super mag-drill

[oldtools]

Yupp mag-drill

[Billman49]

looks like a big version of the magnetic dial gauge holder:

see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magnetic_base

[scottg]

The reason you don't see too many magnetic drills of any age, is that they were always
"other peoples money" in price.
Scandalously expensive, only industry could afford them.

They had one at the mine they bought when erecting the place. Gold had shot from 300 to $700 an ounce for the first time in history. They didn't know how long it would last.
The place was built on the Nasa philosophy
  Waste anything but time!

It was more modern than this one for sure
   yours Scott