Show us your bench vice(s)

[Vono]

Folks, I'm after a bit of advice. Recently picked up a Fortis 3 jaw swivel engineers vice that was pretty badly neglected. Having stripped it back to bare metal I'm now looking to repaint it, but what colour? I don't know what it would have originally been as it had already been repainted at some time in it's life. I like the green one pictured below but would like to keep it as original as possible. Also anyone have any idea what sort of age it is?
Thanks in advance. Leigh

Welcome - Great looking vice

It's a slippery slope, just to save you from yourself, package it up & send it me, trust me i'm doing you a favour

 

[Vono]

Picked up the pipe clamp attachment for my Record No 74 today (an Ebay seller in Ireland).

it has a magnet built in so it can be retained against the vice body:

Cool looking item.
Mine somehow still has the original jaw but it's easy to see how so many got lost, I like the idea of a magnet on it that's a great idea.

 

[Arc Tourist]

Had a look for one of these pipe jaw's for my Auto Vice. Haven't seen a replacement offered before, but noticed that as we're nearing the December holiday season the Record 74's among other vice prices have escalated considerably.

 

[SteveB58]

Picked up the pipe clamp attachment for my Record No 74 today (an Ebay seller in Ireland).

it has a magnet built in so it can be retained against the vice body:

By an odd coincidence I took delivery of one of these for my 75 today. There is a chap on eBay who makes them with the magnet inset. Won't be able to get out to the workshop until the weekend but I'll post some pictures then of it in situ.

Steve

 

[Arc Tourist]

Considering the price, it doesn't look too difficult to make, and then heat and quench in oil to harden.

 

[SteveB58]

Considering the price, it doesn't look too difficult to make, and then heat and quench in oil to harden.

I don't have the tooling at home and while I could make it by hand I don't fancy standing with a file in my hand for hours. Not had to do that since I was an apprentice. I think the £25 is reasonable when you factor on the cost of my labour.
Steve

 

[dannysheff]

Found this on www --- intrigued by the "semi-steel" --- guess means a malleable cast iron or maybe an alloy steel? I also found that VONO stands for 'Vaughan Only (accept) No Other' and that Duport is their foundry and a second big works -- French for Dudley Port. They were a very large operation - especially beds but also early versions of fitted kitchens etc and during WWII they made Bailey Bridges. All gone now, but remembered by Dudley and Wolverhampton people/

The ad is from 1929 - it'd be nice to see what the whole range was - we know swivel and fixed jaw quick release wood working vices of at least 7" to 10 1/2", I wonder what the range of these bench vices was (seen both QR and non) -- nice if they made a swivel jaw version. And here's an interesting machine vice. It would be good to see them in a preWWII retail catalogue (maybe W Mids?) - why so rare from a big outfit like this? were they too pricey, not profitable, hit by the crash?

 

[Vono]

View attachment 261722

Found this on www --- intrigued by the "semi-steel" --- guess means a malleable cast iron or maybe an alloy steel? I also found that VONO stands for 'Vaughan Only (accept) No Other' and that Duport is their foundry and a second big works -- French for Dudley Port. They were a very large operation - especially beds but also early versions of fitted kitchens etc and during WWII they made Bailey Bridges. All gone now, but remembered by Dudley and Wolverhampton people/

The ad is from 1929 - it'd be nice to see what the whole range was - we know swivel and fixed jaw quick release wood working vices of at least 7" to 10 1/2", I wonder what the range of these bench vices was (seen both QR and non) -- nice if they made a swivel jaw version. And here's an interesting machine vice. It would be good to see them in a preWWII retail catalogue (maybe W Mids?) - why so rare from a big outfit like this? were they too pricey, not profitable, hit by the crash?

That's brilliant info', thanks for posting it

 

[Vono]

My Vono says hi

 

[dannysheff]

Thought you'd be interested, Vaughan, from now on we'll accept No Other. Sorry Parky and others.

they obviously put a big effort into vices - provisional patents 9827, 32254, 31434; patents 210210, -; registered designs 697761, 694211 and others. Shame there's not more to show for it today. There's probably much more online if you know how to search using these numbers.

 

[SteveB58]

My Vono says hi

The jaws look a little high on the bench.

 

[Vono]

The jaws look a little high on the bench.

Yeah i know. To be honest as it's a pattern makers vice i don't actually use it.
Plus mounting it wasn't easy it is incredibly heavy. I was just happy to get it bolted on and not die whilst doing it

 

[dannysheff]

One strategy for taking the weight while fixing is to make a strong right angle from a couple of bits of beam, clamp it tight in the vice and hook that onto the bench - adjust with bits of thin ply if nec. And/or wedging a piece of wood between vice and floor. Then with weight held you can wiggle vice into position, add spacers if nec and bolt/screw in.

(I decided to inset my oldest version Parky woodworker behind the bench front, - it's quite a bit heavier -- language was not for gentle ears).

I have the swivel jaw Vono on another bench -- usually use it with jaw fixed straight - works fine as a normal woodworker.

 

[dannysheff]

By chance, today's Sheffield Star online has a picture of "Record Ridgeway 1977" and it's the vice shop - no further info given, but lots of big bench vices visible, at least two models on the main production line rollers and others visible behind - what are these workers doing - painting? (would expect spray), touching up?, glueing on decal? greasing?

(not my copyright - hope the Star photog doesn't mind - thanks)

 

[Barking Mat]

View attachment 261754

By chance, today's Sheffield Star online has a picture of "Record Ridgeway 1977" and it's the vice shop - no further info given, but lots of big bench vices visible, at least two models on the main production line rollers and others visible behind - what are these workers doing - painting? (would expect spray), touching up?, glueing on decal? greasing?

(not my copyright - hope the Star photog doesn't mind - thanks)

Lady on the right is turning the handle?

Greasing the screw?

 

[The_Yellow_Ardvark]

Lady on the right is turning the handle?

Greasing the screw?

Lady on the right, greasing and checking the screw thread.

Lady on the left coating the bare metal with stowage/transport preservative covering.

 

[MattF]

Lady on the right is turning the handle?

Greasing the screw?

I'm really going to stop reading threads backwards. The photo was such a let down after that description.

 

[The_Yellow_Ardvark]

I'm really going to stop reading threads backwards. The photo was such a let down after that description.

I half see what you did there.

 

[Vono]

View attachment 261754

By chance, today's Sheffield Star online has a picture of "Record Ridgeway 1977" and it's the vice shop - no further info given, but lots of big bench vices visible, at least two models on the main production line rollers and others visible behind - what are these workers doing - painting? (would expect spray), touching up?, glueing on decal? greasing?

(not my copyright - hope the Star photog doesn't mind - thanks)

What a great photo'.
Makes you realize how labour intensive it all was.
The thing with photo's like that is it somehow makes me a little sad to think how much has gone now from the U.K., not just Record vice manufacture but making other stuff too, such a shame.
Thanks for posting it though, good to see I'm currently trying to identify the Record models shown

 

[brightspark]

them 2 women look like a couple of old boots look at the size of her arms on the right wouldn't argue with that