Mystery Vice

[Dieselman 63]

I have bought a vice which is a complete mystery to me. There are no markings on the cast, and only a B pressed into the steel sheet cover.

The vice was hard to take apart - it’s pretty rusty and reeks of WD-40. That’s not to say it’s not well made, it’s just pretty seized up. I got it going with a wooden mallet in a few places. The bolts say F&H - sometimes you can glean the country of origin this way but I don’t know this maker.


Anyone know anything? I’ll try and restore it as best I can. It’s a fair lump of metal but feels good quality, all the machining seems in order.

 

[pressbrake1]

Bolts look metric?

 

[Dieselman 63]

Bolts look metric?

I think they are. Some bolts have Woden or GKN on to give a little clue to origin... I tried a 1/2” spanner and it just didn’t fit so I went for a Crescent

 

[slim_boy_fat]

Given the condition of the rest of it, I'd hazard a guess that those bolts aren't original?

 

[Guzrik]

Maybe a little late, Brockhaus.
I have a small one but would love to have a slightly bigger as well
Best drillvice I ever used.

 

[Matchless]

I have bought a vice which is a complete mystery to me. There are no markings on the cast, and only a B pressed into the steel sheet cover.

The vice was hard to take apart - it’s pretty rusty and reeks of WD-40. That’s not to say it’s not well made, it’s just pretty seized up. I got it going with a wooden mallet in a few places. The bolts say F&H - sometimes you can glean the country of origin this way but I don’t know this maker.


Anyone know anything? I’ll try and restore it as best I can. It’s a fair lump of metal but feels good quality, all the machining seems in order.

looks a bit similar, not sure it is marked, may be surplus to requirements due to the fact I can hardly lift it, Colchester Student for scale!

 

[Dieselman 63]

Maybe a little late, Brockhaus.
I have a small one but would love to have a slightly bigger as well
Best drillvice I ever used.

Excellent, thank you! I found it the other day looking very sorry for itself. I think a restoration is in order.

 

[Guzrik]

I honestly cannot begin tot onderstand why they stopped making these.
Yours even has a swivelbase, and only lttle hooligan damage.

 

[mike1945]

Hi, I have recently bought a Colchester Bantam mk1 lathe which I am renovating. I want the renovate the "machine tags" I have removed both of them from the headstock, and now looking for a way to do this. They look like they are brass plates, some of the colour and lettering is missing. See pics. The numbers don't seem to be raised so painting everything and then removing paint from the raised parts is not an option. I recently came across your posts about your mk1 and saw some pictures of these plates that you had worked on. I would appreciate any help you could give me on how to do this. Regards, mike

 

[slim_boy_fat]

Welcome to the forum, Mike. Might be better [and elicit more responses] if you were to start your own thread, instead of tagging on to one about vices.

To address a member directly, prefix their user-name with an '@' and they'll be alerted to your having mentioned them.