Show us your bench vice(s)

[slim_boy_fat]

Bolt on top for me, that way if the nut unscrews at least the vice is still held on the bench. But who wouldn't notice the vice rattling around in use before things got to that stage in the first place?

 

[The_Yellow_Ardvark]

But who wouldn't notice the vice rattling around in use before things got to that stage in the first place?

Norbert 2.

 

[MattF]

Norbert 2.

The best planning going can't account for muppets.

 

[Arc Tourist]

………… to bring up a rather touchy subject. Which way round should the holding bolts go? Nuts top or bottom? …….

I would say nuts on bottom, as there's less chance to snag flesh or something compared to a threaded bolt sticking up.

 

[Asphalt70]

Nuts up for the combo I have now. Bolts are long and not easy to remove if I need to remove vice.
Bolts are cut to lenght not to have sharp edges.

 

[Dieselman 63]

I drilled my holes slightly smaller than the bolts and then hammered them through to securely wedge them into the wooden bench before fastening from underneath.

 

[MattF]

I would say nuts on bottom, as there's less chance to snag flesh or something compared to a threaded bolt sticking up.

Same as Asphalt, mine are cut to length and no burrs or such left.

 

[Turbo]

I have the nuts underneath with the bolt left long to give me somewhere to clamp my welder earth lead.

 

[The_Yellow_Ardvark]

Boom Vice.
This is how I got it, rusty, seized and covered in some black greasy anti rust coating.



Why it was seized. That took some coffee and a hammer.
Yes, that's the washer you can see.



Striped of the anti rust coating, dismantled. The screws holding the jaws came out easy. Only one needed the impact wrench to loosen it.




De rusting in strong citric acid.



No rust, dry and painting has started, I did give it a tickle with a wire brush.



Done.
The clear lacquer on the bare metal parts look rubbish. I will re do it and get a fresh can. But now it will have a few days to let the paint fully cure.
Then I will start the Record Vice stand.

 

[Asphalt70]

"Poor mans surface grinder".
Straight Jaws is for me very important. Got them almost straight some time ago when I got the vice.
Now I got the idea to use my drill press stand to straighten jaws even more. I know its not as stiff as any profesional machine, but its all I have for now. I hope pic explains ok how I did.
Well it didnt work as intended.
Even when very! carefully removing almost no! material pr. 180° rotation, it got banana shaped.
Some more thinking and experimenting needed...

 

[Dieselman 63]

"Poor mans surface grinder".
Straight Jaws is for me very important. Got them almost straight some time ago when I got the vice.
Now I got the idea to use my drill press stand to straighten jaws even more. I know its not as stiff as any profesional machine, but its all I have for now. I hope pic explains ok how I did.
Well it didnt work as intended.
Even when very! carefully removing almost no! material pr. 180° rotation, it got banana shaped.
Some more thinking and experimenting needed...

This happens when the wheel comes into full contact with the item being ground, it can happen with plane blades which renders them useless. Absolute rigidity is key in precision grinding though. I believe these are the stones you need to surface grind

 

[SteveB58]

I never considered putting nuts on the bottom, its easier to pull up with the nut on top. When I was a fitter on my tools I always put the engine mount bolts nut up with 2 threads over the top as per the BS. When I left the MOD to further my education I took a tempory summer job putting diesel generators together. The mounts I assembled in the same way as always, only to have quality control send them back. The company insisted that bolts went downwards with at least a nuts width of thread showing!.

Back to vices. This is an old leg vice, 5 inch jaws and a little gem. Found it in an antique shop where it was up for sale at £45 as a garden ornament. I walked away. Came back about 6 months later it was still there, bid the bloke £20 and it came home with me. It was seized good an proper, no movement at all. It absorbed litres of penetrating oil, heated with the blow torch and hit with the No 1 hammer all to no avail. In the end I put it on the bonfire and left it over night. Next day it moved the spindle turned and the hinge moved.

All I did was to wire brush the worst of the rust off, make a new spring, make a tapered bolt for the hinge, paint with a rust inhibiting undercoat and spray it black. Job done. Since then it has been in constant use and is a joy to use. The mess is due to to having too little space and too much to do.

 

[Asphalt70]

This happens when the wheel comes into full contact with the item being ground, it can happen with plane blades which renders them useless. Absolute rigidity is key in precision grinding though. I believe these are the stones you need to surface grind

Yes, you are probably right.
I think that next step is to attach an angle grinder directly on the drill press, in order to make a stiffer aplication. And a cup wheel would be possible in the angle grinder.

 

[MattF]

The mess is due to to having too little space and too much to do.

You're in good, plentiful company here.

 

[Dieselman 63]

Yes, you are probably right.
I think that next step is to attach an angle grinder directly on the drill press, in order to make a stiffer aplication. And a cup wheel would be possible in the angle grinder.

There is a reason why surface grinders are extremely heavy lumps of iron you don’t really want any flex. If you had a lathe perhaps you could face them with a four jaw.

 

[Rig Pig]

This happens when the wheel comes into full contact with the item being ground, it can happen with plane blades which renders them useless. Absolute rigidity is key in precision grinding though. I believe these are the stones you need to surface grind

That type of wheel is normally mounted on a tool and cutter grinder.

 

[Asphalt70]

Thank you, Guys.
My stubbornness bids me to continue in order to get my jaws perfect
Another way to go would be to make an aplication where you slide the subject/work piece/jaw like you do on a proffesional surface grinder - instead of the actual grinder (cup or whatever).
Now that I think back to my time in the grinding room at the Toolmaker shop, it was actually possible to make something not completely straight, even with the right machines
Yes, the Norton wheel is to be mounted on a hub, but you can get something like that for an angle grinder.
PS. I might be missing the correct words and expressions etc. in english, but I really appreciate all I can learn from you guys.

Edit:
Not mine!
This is actually what I'm trying to build :-)
Blankchard grinder

 

[Turbo]

Just finished doing a quick refurb on this Irwin Record No 53 carpenters vice.

This thing is deceptively big & quite heavy - I have the cuts & bruises to prove it!

The spring on the quick release lever had snapped. I tried to repair it but it snapped again.

I had to 'borrow' a spring off another vice to get this one fixed. If anyone has a spare one for sale let me know!

This vice is going back on to the carpenters bench that I have loaned to my local mens shed. It was fitted with oak faces which are split & I've nothing suitable to replace them. There should be something suitable at the mens shed.

 

[Arc Tourist]

Just finished doing a quick refurb on this Irwin Record No 53 carpenters vice.
View attachment 157061 This thing is deceptively big & quite heavy - I have the cuts & bruises to prove it! .

I've got one of these, and yes its big and very heavy. Found it at an estate sale years ago in California and was very impressed with the quality. Never seen one before so I didn't hesitate and bought it; glad I did, now its back here in the UK so has traveled at least 10,000 miles in its life.

 

[SteveB58]

Just finished doing a quick refurb on this Irwin Record No 53 carpenters vice.

View attachment 157062 View attachment 157061 View attachment 157060


This thing is deceptively big & quite heavy - I have the cuts & bruises to prove it!

The spring on the quick release lever had snapped. I tried to repair it but it snapped again.

View attachment 157064

I had to 'borrow' a spring off another vice to get this one fixed. If anyone has a spare one for sale let me know!

This vice is going back on to the carpenters bench that I have loaned to my local mens shed. It was fitted with oak faces which are split & I've nothing suitable to replace them. There should be something suitable at the mens shed.

I've one of these in the shed, cost me £2 at a car boot. Re the jaw faces, I had always believed that soft wood was better? Is there a preferred type of wood or is it down to the individual and nature of the work?

Steve