Show us your bench vice(s)

[MattF]

Yeah, I've got a couple of broken hold openers also, making it frustrating when moving about.

Another sufferer of that here. All my leg retainer clips have snapped.

 

[Arc Tourist]

Another sufferer of that here. All my leg retainer clips have snapped.

Your up late there buddy, doing some stargazing ?

Edit: Guess not, I see you currently have 94% cloud.

 

[MattF]

Just trying to cram everything I want to do this weekend into the weekend.

 

[Vono]

Oh no, not another thing to collect , vices are bad enough.

There's lots of Workmate variations, all alloy, steel & alloy, all steel, differing sizes etc.
Vices work well bolted to them too..
Sorry not really helped there have I..

 

[dannysheff]

Don't tell me old workmates are collectable -- I should have known. I have one from the early 70s (die-cast alloy top section, pressed steel lower, owned from new) I also found another in a cellar - guessing older - die-cast bottom section, pressed steel upper parts - this one had pressed in steel inserts protecting the holdfast holes (which made the holes rather small for some B&D accessories) - both have spent some time outside so I had to ruin them as collectables and put new tops on (thick enough to mount real vices) - I now half-protect them with a tarp cover in winter and stabilise them with a shelf below loaded with vices awaiting refurb (what else). One of them has 3 solid woodworking vices attached (and still has the variable angle workmate action) and is stabilised with a couple of old Wodens on a shelf below.

The one thing they don't do anymore is fold.

 

[SteveB58]

Oh no, not another thing to collect , vices are bad enough.

I'm no Workmate anorak, the number was under the jaws which made it easy to find spares. However, during the same time there was an original WM on eBay which I forgot to bid on which went surprisingly cheaply, they can fetch £2-400. I did sell a table top version for £40 during lock down, never used by me and would have come from a car boot for a few pennies.

Steve

 

[Vono]

An interesting thing about workmates is that when the designer Ron Hickman approached Stanley tools with his idea/prototype, they effectively told him to get lost as they didn't think it would sell ...
Black & Decker took it on & did well out of it (several million built !).. as did Ron Hickman as I think he got a percentage off each one sold..
I bet Stanley tools regretted that decision

 

[Vono]

Anyway back to vices.
Has anyone seen that Record 518 1/2 on ebay ?
It's nice but erm quite dear..

 

[Vono]

I wasn't sure where to post this, so I hope it's ok in here. It's info related to Parkinsons that made vises. Thought it might be of interest to some.

https://www.northlincsweb.net/ParkinsonsShipley/

 

[SteveB58]

Another sufferer of that here. All my leg retainer clips have snapped.

Look if I could fix my partner as easily as I fixed my Workmate I'd be well happy!

 

[Vono]

Hello
Right i've decided, I think I want a Fortis 11 or a Fortis 12 steel vice, as my big vice..
I know the finishing ain't as good as a Parkinson (cheers MattF ) but there's just something about the design that appeals to me, be it either the more squared off one or the weird curvy one.
So, if possible has anybody got the dimensions of these as it would be handy to know length (from "meatball" to end of slide), width (mounting hole to mounting hole) & height (from workbench to top of jaws)?
If I can visualise the size it'll help me figure out if I definitely want one.
Yeah I know folk will be thinking it's just a ****** vice does it matter.. but I never said I was normal
Any help much appreciated.

 

[dannysheff]

Go for it -- can't answer your questions I'm afraid. Just reserve a big space for it on your bench and start building shelving and/or a new shed for the rest of your collection.

I think all Fortis and Ajax were from the same foundry in Coventry - casting steel was a bit more difficult than cast iron (higher melting temp etc) easy to get some surface pores etc-- I don't think it's just the finishing - Parkinson managed a bit better with their steel Samsonia range - likewise Woden and record cast steel vices. But no-one has said Fortis aren't tough (likewise older Swindens from their East Anglia foundry - rough surface, but tough).

 

[Vono]

Cheers danny thanks for that, yes much deliberating has been done, but (currently) those Fortis (and Ajax) are the ones i've narrowed it down to.
From images on here & on the 'net they do look pretty beefy so I do think it'll need to be a pretty big space !
Interesting info re' casting steel etc, i wasn't aware of that, thanks.
Odd you mention Swindens as they weren't one I was aware of until earlier today, I like those but possibly a bit pricey for me, also aesthetically they're a bit odd (to my eyes) too.
Shhh don't mention this becoming another thing I collect, you never know if my other half Sophie is watching, it's really only going to be just the one big vice honestly..

 

[Migmac]

A novice when it ones to vices. I have a record and a Irwin record vice. The record operates pretty smoothly and is well built. The Irwin record is rough and poorly built, still does the job required though. Got hands on a Woden the other day, operates very smoothly, really nicely built.

If you could only have one brand of vice, which would it be?

 

[CwazyWabbit]

thought I'd add a picture I've shared before of the 4 different ages/designs of Perfect vises that I have.
Bottom I believe to be the oldest, top one still two part static but newer style slide, 2nd from top now single part static with jaw screws threaded into vise body, 3rd from top the last revision with jaw screws now threaded into the jaw faces.
View attachment 257110

Wabbit - I know this gets into anorak territory here (so what's new?), but which of the older ones says Parkinson's (earlier) and which Parkinsons' (ie when the business became 'and sons')? And do any say vice rather than vise? I have an early Parkinson's that seems to say vice - haven't fully cleaned it yet, so may be a casting flaw.

Definitely weird - asking about the apostrophe on a 50kg bench vice.

That's a very good question, I'll try to remember to check when I next dig those ones out.
My half brass Parkinson's has the apostrophe before the s. That is however a total anomaly of a vise, it does look to have vice spelt as vise though.

 

[CwazyWabbit]

....thought I'd add a picture I've shared before of the 4 different ages/designs of Perfect vises that I have.
Bottom I believe to be the oldest, top one still two part static but newer style slide, 2nd from top now single part static with jaw screws threaded into vise body, 3rd from top the last revision with jaw screws now threaded into the jaw faces.
View attachment 257110

Wabbit - I know this gets into anorak territory here (so what's new?), but which of the older ones says Parkinson's (earlier) and which Parkinsons' (ie when the business became 'and sons')? And do any say vice rather than vise? I have an early Parkinson's that seems to say vice - haven't fully cleaned it yet, so may be a casting flaw.

Definitely weird - asking about the apostrophe on a 50kg bench vice.

Ooops, looks like I made a mistake. One of the Parkinson vises in the stack wasn't a model F, it's a model J but labelled as a Parkinsons' which is unusual as I thought the model J's were all Samsonia labelled.

In response to the names the two oldest appear to have the apostrophe before the s, then the model J has it after the s

 

[dannysheff]

Thanks for that info, wabbit, - now I'll have to check out my oldest Parky bench vice/vise - it's Parkinson's and looks like vice - but what with rust and a possible casting smudge, I may never be certain - some v careful cleaning needed.

My first old English vice (no doubl'entendres please) was a Parky woodworking 10 1/2 in first version (cast slide. long base version, 3 screw holes, Parkinson's) -- still my favourite after 35 years, (first 30 of which I didn't buy more vices) and I'm still most interested in the woodies - to the extent that I have collected three or four v. impressive (to me) non-QRs that I think came from the same neck of the woods as Parky and were probably not made by them but are earlier (not the Syer or E&K QRs). Trouble is, woodies take even more space than bench vices. All will be revealed.

 

[dannysheff]

Got hands on a Woden the other day, operates very smoothly, really nicely built.

If you could only have one brand of vice, which would it be?

Why not stay with Woden if only one brand -- always well made, a huge choice - cast iron, steel, quick release or not, woodies, benchies, and plenty available out there (but some rare versions if you're a collector type).

My favourite of the well-known makes is Parkinson, but only because it has a good history (as does Woden) and my first serious vice was a Parky.

 

[CwazyWabbit]

Well it seems I do have a Parkinsons with it spelt as vice
It's my half brass parky

 

[CwazyWabbit]

Thanks for that info, wabbit, - now I'll have to check out my oldest Parky bench vice/vise - it's Parkinson's and looks like vice - but what with rust and a possible casting smudge, I may never be certain - some v careful cleaning needed.

My first old English vice (no doubl'entendres please) was a Parky woodworking 10 1/2 in first version (cast slide. long base version, 3 screw holes, Parkinson's) -- still my favourite after 35 years, (first 30 of which I didn't buy more vices) and I'm still most interested in the woodies - to the extent that I have collected three or four v. impressive (to me) non-QRs that I think came from the same neck of the woods as Parky and were probably not made by them but are earlier (not the Syer or E&K QRs). Trouble is, woodies take even more space than bench vices. All will be revealed.

My cast slide Parky wood vice is only a two hole, but I do have a Woden cast slide wood vice with 3 holes. I also have Record and Premier cast slide wood vices. But as you say wood vices take up lots more room