Show us your bench vice(s)

[Dieselman 63]

Now thats a good idea i need an outside vice.

Always on the lookout for something local but they want silly money.

Acesa €95

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Arno (steel) 160€

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The design of both of those looks a little weak to me... that branch up to jaws is quite thin. Prices are worse than over here in the land that time forgot! I'm surprised there's so little choice out there though, my dad was working up the Basque country in the mid-80s and said there were loads of people from Sheffield out there for the steel industry.

 

[SwanseaRoadBikesInstagram]

Now thats a good idea i need an outside vice.

Always on the lookout for something local but they want silly money.

Acesa €95

View attachment 131117

Arno (steel) 160€

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I like that it's got a second set of bearing surfaces at the bottom, the British stuff doesn't. The American vices just have flat machined surfaces all around the slide, no?

 

[CwazyWabbit]

I like that it's got a second set of bearing surfaces at the bottom, the British stuff doesn't. The American vices just have flat machined surfaces all around the slide, no?

English vices used to have the double bearing surface in the early days and the moved away from it. Take a look at some of the very early Parkinson vises as an example.
The very bottom one in this photo.


PS This photo shows the 4 different design styles of Parkinson. Oldest at the bottom, then the one at the top, then 2nd from the top and the most recent style is 2nd from the floor.

Oldest - Double bearing surface and bolt on static jaw
2nd Oldest - Single bering surface and bolt on static jaw
2nd Newest - one piece static and jaw insert mounted with screws.
Newest one piece static and jaw inserts bolted from behind.

 

[SwanseaRoadBikesInstagram]

English vices used to have the double bearing surface in the early days and the moved away from it. Take a look at some of the very early Parkinson vises as an example.
The very bottom one in this photo.
View attachment 131172

PS This photo shows the 4 different design styles of Parkinson. Oldest at the bottom, then the one at the top, then 2nd from the top and the most recent style is 2nd from the floor.

Oldest - Double bearing surface and bolt on static jaw
2nd Oldest - Single bering surface and bolt on static jaw
2nd Newest - one piece static and jaw insert mounted with screws.
Newest one piece static and jaw inserts bolted from behind.

I was aware of the older design, was more referring to the later ones. Do you know why they ditched it? That's an interesting storage strategy, I guess that's what you have to do when you have 80+ vises! Do you have all the vises in one place or scattered about? Do you have a pictures showing a bunch of them? I would love to see!

 

[winchman]

English vices used to have the double bearing surface in the early days and the moved away from it. Take a look at some of the very early Parkinson vises as an example.
The very bottom one in this photo.
View attachment 131172

PS This photo shows the 4 different design styles of Parkinson. Oldest at the bottom, then the one at the top, then 2nd from the top and the most recent style is 2nd from the floor.

Oldest - Double bearing surface and bolt on static jaw
2nd Oldest - Single bering surface and bolt on static jaw
2nd Newest - one piece static and jaw insert mounted with screws.
Newest one piece static and jaw inserts bolted from behind.

I have one of the older ones the same as the bottom , what do you think I should ask for it?

 

[winchman]

Dazza I might be able to post one two you?

 

[CwazyWabbit]

I was aware of the older design, was more referring to the later ones. Do you know why they ditched it? That's an interesting storage strategy, I guess that's what you have to do when you have 80+ vises! Do you have all the vises in one place or scattered about? Do you have a pictures showing a bunch of them? I would love to see!

I don't know why they ditched it, the only thing I can think of is they thought it was not needed. For more modern vices Record did produce the 63x series which are machined on the sides like the American vises, but they made those vices to appeal to the American market so I don't think it was for engineering reasons.

I got slated on another forum for making vice towers
There's a few in the workshop and the rest in a few storage buildings around the garden (apart from a Record 634 that's at a mates), I will at some point build a new workshop and then I'll have a display wall for them to sit on and get dusty .... will also allow me to give them the clean up they deserve. Here's a few group shots that I have lying around .... one day when I'm feeling strong I should get them all out for a group photo.

I've two more of these hiding away somewhere as well, the blue one has been badly refurbed by a previous owner

The 112 and the two 36's I refurbed, the 75 is as bought.

 

[winchman]

What a fantastic collection

 

[CwazyWabbit]

I have one of the older ones the same as the bottom , what do you think I should ask for it?

That's a difficult one, they don't appeal to people that use them so most people only buy them for display which somewhat limits the market.
MattF do you have an idea?

 

[winchman]

That's a difficult one, they don't appeal to people that use them so most people only buy them for display which somewhat limits the market.
MattF do you have an idea?

Thanks
It 100 years old but still works fine!
I don't want to refurb it as some one may want it for display

 

[CwazyWabbit]

What a fantastic collection

There's quite a few more than that I've probably posted more early on in this thread.
Berjo, rear jaw full of steel shot
Chas Parker double swiveller.
Wilson Riley works using a toothed rack
Record 114
Record 633 fresh from the scrap yard with a woden 00 sitting on it.

 

[SwanseaRoadBikesInstagram]

WOW! Those Fortis vises are beautiful! I think you have the largest vise collection in the world? Do you actively peruse vises to complete sets, or just buy whatever you come across?
Do you have a hydraulic pedal-actuated vise or would like one?

 

[Richiew]

I think you have the largest vise collection in the world?

Have you met MattF?

 

[MattF]

CW has more vices than I.

 

[CwazyWabbit]

WOW! Those Fortis vises are beautiful! I think you have the largest vise collection in the world? Do you actively peruse vises to complete sets, or just buy whatever you come across?
Do you have a hydraulic pedal-actuated vise or would like one?

Lol, I am small fry, you should check out some of the American iron hoarders on the garagejournal vice thread. Some of those have literally hundreds of the buggers.

I used to look to complete sets but now I buy ones that interest me, space has me beat at the moment so I have to be a lot more selective.

I do like the idea of having a hydraulic foot operated one, or a pneumatic one, but I'm in no rush.

 

[SwanseaRoadBikesInstagram]

Lol, I am small fry, you should check out some of the American iron hoarders on the garagejournal vice thread. Some of those have literally hundreds of the buggers.

I used to look to complete sets but now I buy ones that interest me, space has me beat at the moment so I have to be a lot more selective.

I do like the idea of having a hydraulic foot operated one, or a pneumatic one, but I'm in no rush.

I thought the Americans might come out on top. I can just imagine some guy with a huge detached shop on his property, with a 12' high wall of shelves full to the brim with Reeds, Prentiss's, Parkers, wiltons... But they still like our dime a dozen quick slide vices! I've realized some of those American collectors really like the British stuff, and we like theirs I guess. There was a thread on GJ where a guy's shop had been raided, and his Record No.24 I think, had been HALF stolen! They'd taken the slide and the nut, and left the body attached to the bench...For the effort of unscrewing the front plate to take the slide out, it would have been easier to take the whole thing! More importantly, what the **Language** are you gonna do with half a vise? And that's half a Record vise in AMERICA, not like you're gonna find the other half someday

Here: https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=289147

EDIT: Oh god it was worst than I could remember, they took just the SCREW!! (not gonna rewrite all the above)

 

[arther dailey]

I would geuss thats the part they needed to repair theirs?

 

[SwanseaRoadBikesInstagram]

I would geuss thats the part they needed to repair theirs?

But this is the U.S., pretty unlikely they also have a Record No.24, possible I guess. May as well take the whole thing out of courtesy, put the poor guy out of his misery

 

[MattF]

I thought the Americans might come out on top. I can just imagine some guy with a huge detached shop on his property, with a 12' high wall of shelves full to the brim with Reeds, Prentiss's, Parkers, wiltons... But they still like our dime a dozen quick slide vices! I've realized some of those American collectors really like the British stuff, and we like theirs I guess.

At least one has a storage container for them. Some of them do take vice collection to new heights. Vices command more money over there too, for some reason. Whereas we class them as a ubiquitous item, they class them as highly desirable. They seem to have an unhealthy obsession with swivellers too. Proper QR vices like ours are, bar in Canada, a rare item over there.

 

[Rocketman]

The design of both of those looks a little weak to me... that branch up to jaws is quite thin. Prices are worse than over here in the land that time forgot! I'm surprised there's so little choice out there though, my dad was working up the Basque country in the mid-80s and said there were loads of people from Sheffield out there for the steel industry.

Is that comparing to a iron vice? Forged steel is a different animal so it can go slimmer and still be as strong or stronger than iron alternative.