Show us your bench vice(s)

[Arc Tourist]

Finally got around to cleaning up and painting this rather odd, ball mounted vice, which I acquired awhile ago.
It has jaws 1 3/4" wide and opens to a little over 2".
Haven't been able to find out what it was designed for, does anyone here know ?
.

 

[JD_]

Its a 14 with a quick release, now gone to a local garage for some abuse.

Lovely stuff.

 

[slim_boy_fat]

Haven't been able to find out what it was designed for, does anyone here know ?

Jeweller's vice?

 

[Arc Tourist]

Jeweller's vice?

I wouldn't think so, as it doesn't have the smoothness or refinement of a precision instrument.

 

[Matchless]

ok, yes I am a messy ba5tard, trying to get tidy but everytime I tidy up I cannot find anything......

 

[RobCox]

I picked up this old Paramo vice off ebay a while ago


Started working on it Saturday:



After a good rub down with a wire wheel it's had a thorough clean as it had mainly been used for clamping wood judging by the debris inside. The screw and nut are in excellent condition. The jaws are a bit beaten up but will do for now. I remade some new screws to hold the jaws in - the old ones were well chewed up and I doubt I'd be able to buy any - 55deg thread, 5/16 20tpi, so not BSW or BSF. Also reamed out the hole for the pin that retains the handle in the moveable jaw. Its a tapered hole but didn't have a tapered pin, so made one to fit and a new washer to retain the spring:



A coat of paint plus highlighting the lettering (for a bit of bling) and here it is 5 days later:



Rob

 

[Arc Tourist]

I picked up this old Paramo vice off ebay a while ago
View attachment 222097

Started working on it Saturday:

View attachment 222098

After a good rub down with a wire wheel it's had a thorough clean as it had mainly been used for clamping wood judging by the debris inside. The screw and nut are in excellent condition. The jaws are a bit beaten up but will do for now. I remade some new screws to hold the jaws in - the old ones were well chewed up and I doubt I'd be able to buy any - 55deg thread, 5/16 20tpi, so not BSW or BSF. Also reamed out the hole for the pin that retains the handle in the moveable jaw. Its a tapered hole but didn't have a tapered pin, so made one to fit and a new washer to retain the spring:


A coat of paint plus highlighting the lettering (for a bit of bling) and here it is 5 days later:

View attachment 222103

Rob

Nice job !

 

[The_Yellow_Ardvark]

I picked up this old Paramo vice off ebay a while ago
View attachment 222097

Started working on it Saturday:

View attachment 222098

After a good rub down with a wire wheel it's had a thorough clean as it had mainly been used for clamping wood judging by the debris inside. The screw and nut are in excellent condition. The jaws are a bit beaten up but will do for now. I remade some new screws to hold the jaws in - the old ones were well chewed up and I doubt I'd be able to buy any - 55deg thread, 5/16 20tpi, so not BSW or BSF. Also reamed out the hole for the pin that retains the handle in the moveable jaw. Its a tapered hole but didn't have a tapered pin, so made one to fit and a new washer to retain the spring:

View attachment 222099 View attachment 222100

A coat of paint plus highlighting the lettering (for a bit of bling) and here it is 5 days later:

View attachment 222101 View attachment 222103

Rob

Stamp a NSN number on it, as well as RN.

It could pass for a Royal Navy item

 

[JD_]

I picked up this old Paramo vice off ebay a while ago
View attachment 222097

Started working on it Saturday:

View attachment 222098

After a good rub down with a wire wheel it's had a thorough clean as it had mainly been used for clamping wood judging by the debris inside. The screw and nut are in excellent condition. The jaws are a bit beaten up but will do for now. I remade some new screws to hold the jaws in - the old ones were well chewed up and I doubt I'd be able to buy any - 55deg thread, 5/16 20tpi, so not BSW or BSF. Also reamed out the hole for the pin that retains the handle in the moveable jaw. Its a tapered hole but didn't have a tapered pin, so made one to fit and a new washer to retain the spring:

View attachment 222099 View attachment 222100

A coat of paint plus highlighting the lettering (for a bit of bling) and here it is 5 days later:

View attachment 222101 View attachment 222103

Rob

I like that colour. Looks really good.

 

[RobCox]

Bridgeport blue/grey. Leftover paint from my mill and T&C grinder. Bit boring, but my surface grinder and shaper are going to end up the same colour.

 

[JD_]

Just noticed the 5/16-20 whitworth form screws. That's a properly weird one isn't it? I've only ever come across 5/16" BSW, 1/4" BSW for the smaller ones, and 5/16" BSF on one old Woden. I think if I'd come across 5/16-20 I think I'd have drilled and tapped/helicoiled for something less oddball but I like the fact that you've gone the extra step to keep it as you found it and that should last another lifetime.

 

[JD_]

Anyone else watching that Record 516 on ebay for £895? I know it's somewhat rare and it looks to be in VCG, but that's a mite too rich for me. (Call me when it's £200!)

 

[Migmac]

Dug this out the shed. Belonged to my grandfather, so it’s a good few years old. No makers names on it. It’s not very big , need a bigger one

 

[Migmac]

The little vice has had a strip and clean. Originally black, it’ll get repainted black once I find some paint

 

[Migmac]

Painted the vice yesterday afternoon. Disaster, paint reacted. Thought I’d cleaned all the oily residue off. Oh well

 

[dannysheff]

I'm guessing it's a (very well made) apprentice piece. Nice design, too eg the dovetail slide.

Or did a lathe operator have too much time on night shift?

Some of the most interesting bits of small tooling are one offs.

What do people think?
Danny

 

[Migmac]

I'm guessing it's a (very well made) apprentice piece. Nice design, too eg the dovetail slide.

Or did a lathe operator have too much time on night shift?

Some of the most interesting bits of small tooling are one offs.

What do people think?
Danny

I thought it was maybe an apprentice that made it. The fixed jaw is “pinned” to the base plate from underneath. The The collar that keeps the threaded bar in position is held in place by a very small diameter copper pin. Very easy to knock out

 

[SteveB58]

Dug this out the shed. Belonged to my grandfather, so it’s a good few years old. No makers names on it. It’s not very big , need a bigger one

View attachment 224424

View attachment 224425

First thoughts it was an apprentice piece. As an apprentice fitter turner I made one parts being made in different shops during training. Spindle and tommy bar in basic turning, block for both jaws basic milling, then in the advanced machine shop that block was split, internal acme threads cut, jaws milled and ground, thread cut on spindle, base ground holes drilled in lathe using 4 jaw chuck, slides milled and then final assembly. I was not allowed to have mine as I'd filed sharp edges round which was frowned upon.

 

[JD_]

I was not allowed to have mine as I'd filed sharp edges round which was frowned upon.

That seems a bit harsh.

 

[Solo]

New one