Show us your bench vice(s)

[Screwdriver]

Another one to add to the collection. A nice clean 4" Peter Wright. There's a small misalignment of the moving jaw, but I don't think it's something I'll worry about.

View attachment 159663

I saw it this morning on Gumtree. It was posted five days ago. Gave the chap a call and he still had it. "Right, I'll be there in 50 minutes," (it was 30 miles away).

Got there and he said "Here it is, we've got your Paypal payment, off you go." "What Paypal payment, I replied?" He handed me a printout of the Paypal transaction. The payee was called Graham Hood, I'm called Graham Spinks

Having been listed for five days he had two callers, both with the same first name, calling within ten minutes of each other

Anyway, fortunately I was the first to call so I emptied my wallet and went on my way with the vice. The other buyer was from Yorkshire, "I thought it a bit strange you got here so quickly," he said. Oh well, all's well that ends well

Looks like a bitsa. In practice that misalignment would make the vice pretty much unusable for serious work in the forge. I don't see how you could shim the lower jaw, probably best grind down the moving jaw to match.

 

[The_Yellow_Ardvark]

Before I post my collection of vices, I have a quick question regarding the jaw screw size on the Record 111 - 114 models. I managed to snap two of them trying to remove and clean the jaws so hoping to fin some replacements.

Cheers [/QUOTES


About 5/8 UNC countersunk.

 

[Seadog]

Looks like a bitsa. In practice that misalignment would make the vice pretty much unusable for serious work in the forge. I don't see how you could shim the lower jaw, probably best grind down the moving jaw to match.

Nope, if you look at the jaw you can see that the face is about 10 degrees off vertical where the fixed one is vertical.

 

[slim_boy_fat]

The way I interpret the pic is the moving jaw needs to be 'lowered' so the the tops of both jaws are exactly on the same height [can't picture exactly how you achieve that, without much buggeration ], this afaics will mean the the gap is even wider [at the bottom] so should ideally be milled appropriately?

Or, potentially easier, heat the fixed jaw enough to carefully restore it to the vertical so that they line up, then the gap should disappear?

 

[Screwdriver]

Nope, if you look at the jaw you can see that the face is about 10 degrees off vertical where the fixed one is vertical.

I see what you mean. So has the moving jaw been distorted? Have you pulled the bolts to look for wear? If the moving jaw is simply tilted back, probably quite an easy fix once you find the issue.

 

[pondy]

I painted this Thursday night with machine enamal, left in the garage which wouldnt have been the warmest, Friday night still slightly wet it places so stuck in airing cupboard over night then back into garsg and today in front of a heater for a few hours now back in the warm cupboard . Still slightly sticky to the touch and easily marks with my nail etc. How long usually before fully cures? Literally waiting for paint to dry before I can stick it for sale

 

[Seadog]

The way I interpret the pic is the moving jaw needs to be 'lowered' so the the tops of both jaws are exactly on the same height [can't picture exactly how you achieve that, without much buggeration ], this afaics will mean the the gap is even wider [at the bottom] so should ideally be milled appropriately?

Or, potentially easier, heat the fixed jaw enough to carefully restore it to the vertical so that they line up, then the gap should disappear?

That's what I was thinking too. Only problem is finding the heat source. I don't know anyone with OA, well I do know one person but he's got a dodgy cylinder valve on one of the bottles

 

[Seadog]

I see what you mean. So has the moving jaw been distorted? Have you pulled the bolts to look for wear? If the moving jaw is simply tilted back, probably quite an easy fix once you find the issue.

It looks like it. Curious because the tommy bar shows no signs of exuberant usage and the jaw cross section i quite substantial, as you'd expect..

 

[slim_boy_fat]

Stick it in the oven for an hour at c. 150o C

 

[Ton-up]

The way I interpret the pic is the moving jaw needs to be 'lowered' so the the tops of both jaws are exactly on the same height [can't picture exactly how you achieve that, without much buggeration ], this afaics will mean the the gap is even wider [at the bottom] so should ideally be milled appropriately?

Or, potentially easier, heat the fixed jaw enough to carefully restore it to the vertical so that they line up, then the gap should disappear?

The way it looks to me is if the two bolt/rivets in the bottom of the movable jaw are worn or in elongated holes. This has just tilted the casting back. If the casting is tilted towards the other jaw it would lower the top too. The holes in the tee section need welding up, the jaw aligning and re-drilling.

 

[Arc Tourist]

One problem with bolts, is that sometimes wrong bolts are used which have threads in their shear plane and can be crushed with repeated clamping over time; bolt's with a solid shaft, except for the threaded end would be correct for structural joints.

 

[Turbo]

It looks like it. Curious because the tommy bar shows no signs of exuberant usage and the jaw cross section i quite substantial, as you'd expect..

My suggestion would be to remove the bolts/rivets holding on the moving jaw & check out the holes & bolts for elongation or damage. If they are damaged you could clamp the jaw so that everything is square again & drill out the holes the next size up. Not sure how to clamp it but the vice should be wrought iron so a few tacks of weld should work.

 

[pondy]

Swindens I brought last weekend all sorted

 

[Viceman]

Before I post my collection of vices, I have a quick question regarding the jaw screw size on the Record 111 - 114 models. I managed to snap two of them trying to remove and clean the jaws so hoping to fin some replacements.

Cheers

110 and 111 are 5/16 BSW
112, 113, and 114 are 3/8 BSW
All are bolts screwed from the rear of the jaw

 

[SteveB58]

There is no wear to the bolt holes on mine, and they are bolts not rivets, if the static jaw did not have a 3/16 shim the jaws would not align with the moving jaw being somewhat higher.

 

[Seadog]

Mine has one rivet and one bolt, so could have been played with. I'll look at it more closely when I get back at the end of the week.

 

[SteveB58]

Both bolts have rounded heads which suggest that they are tapered to ensure a better fit. I might add that I have not checked this but the bolts are a snug fit and do not turn when the nut is tightened.

 

[Ed.]

Swindens I brought last weekend all sorted View attachment 159913 View attachment 159914 View attachment 159915 View attachment 159916 View attachment 159917 View attachment 159919 View attachment 159920 View attachment 159921 View attachment 159922 View attachment 159923

Just my opinion but this poor old vice looks like it's had a very hard life, been abused and almost beaten to death, some workers certainly don't care!

 

[pondy]

They look worn out from new, the castings are round as anything on the older ones, it's not exactly young. Apart from a few hacksaw marks on the castings, Jaws have slight wear, everything came undone fine and works fine, ready for another 60 years work

 

[The_Yellow_Ardvark]

To the vice experts on here.

Woden Vices.

What were the colours they were traditionally finished in.

The one I recently acquired has been painted green, black and deep red.

Parkinson No6 Vice.
Again what was the paint colours? Plus Were the details cast onto body parts ever highlighted in gold leaf or paint.
The one I have, waiting to be worked on appears to be gloss black and some gold on the writing?

Record Vices.

Are they always blue, I ask as I have been converting friends No23. It is a gloss green, looks original as the stickers are still present.

Thanks guys.