Show us your bench vice(s)

[Arc Tourist]

My 2nd favorite vice .

That is tiny, if its sitting on the end of (what I think it is) a Batty surface gage base ?

 

[slim_boy_fat]

My 2nd favorite vice .

That is lovely!

That is tiny, if its sitting on the end of (what I think it is) a Batty surface gage base ?

I thought it was one of these - even more impressive!

 

[redlig]

nice - dovetailed ways etc - german? - tiny?

and your 1st?

Damm your close ! It was a 5th birthday pressy from an Austrian uncle who taught engineering at a college in Vienna I have a feeling he nicked it from a student probably called it War Reparation. . 2.5 inches long.

 

[The_Yellow_Ardvark]

Just assembled.
The hard wax is still soft at this point. The wax is just to give it one more layer of protection.

 

[Slowcoach]

That looks cool.

Any chance of any more pic's, what size/no is it ?

Here’s some more pics. Probably should have done this in the first place.
It’s got a few battlescars but I can live with that.
Any opinions on colour?

 

[Arc Tourist]

Sand blast it raw, or paint it to your liking; only you have to live with it.

 

[Johnny Crossan]

Old vise i got gifted to me

 

[dannysheff]

="Slowcoach
It’s got a few battlescars but I can live with that.
Any opinions on colour?

A few years later they were usually red-maroon, but could be green or grey to order, I hear.

This is an early one so don't know - mine from that time seems to have had a grey paint, but may not be the earliest coat? - as arc says - your vice, your colour.

 

[Vono]

Ta for the pics Slowcoach
That's a nice looking old thing, battlescars are cool they are part of its history. That two piece casting is great, I love the simple way they join it together, nothing fancy it just works - my kind of engineering.
As to colour, as the other have said it's your vice & danny has mentioned some Parkinson colours, i've no idea either what the early ones were done in originally (CwazyWabbit or MattF may know). Personally I don't tend to re-paint things I just leave as is but it's personal preference.
I look forward to more pics when it's all back together

 

[Arc Tourist]

The good thing about paint, is its easy enough to change with a fresh top coat if the colour doesn't look quite right.

 

[Gragson]

@Slowcoach I would agree, see what you think when its stripped & cleaned, a simply oiled vice can look very nice and if a daily user, wont suffer the paint being chipped.
I did my 37 in close to original light blue, looks very nice but bit of a show pony and not too sure the finish would take a clobbering, your welcome to use that, plenty left. - > https://www.mig-welding.co.uk/forum/threads/parkinson-37-spruce-up.105840/

I've got an unused tin of Paragon blue, very tough but too bright for my liking but you are welcome to it also, also have the ubiquitous Hammerite in black, blue, red, yellow, silver But I know you know a fair bit about paint.

 

[dannysheff]

heads up for two interesting vices on e-b - listed as 'heavy duty vice' --- two sizes of the very solid steel 'Blair' vice - look in good nick, and are quite scarce - they're in Bishop Auckland, ie close to the second site making these (first in Newcastle) but don't seem to have the usual maker's plate rivetted on -- wonder if they're effectively new old stock from the closing works inventory?

I'm telling you because I already have a big Geo Blair and that's plenty

 

[Slowcoach]

Thanks for experienced opinions gents, I’ll clean all the old gunk off and let it bathe in citric and see why it’s like.

 

[Slowcoach]

That's usually just due to lack of tension on the spring.

Thanks Matt, looks like the spring has a bit of life left. Saved me reading the whole thread to see if it had been covered before.

 

[Dieselman 63]

A quick and dirty restoration on this one - all parts cleaned up but the casting has been left alone. It works, but it’s not concourse! This vice was fully seized when I got it, and now it’s back to one finger turning ease.

 

[MattF]

Thanks Matt, looks like the spring has a bit of life left. Saved me reading the whole thread to see if it had been covered before.

View attachment 267746

When you refit the QR assembly, turn the nut 2 to 3 clicks, & try it out. That amount's generally around the mark.

 

[Dieselman 63]

An unusual one for you lot, the Woden Ideal Action wood vice. A half turn backwards of the handle disengages the nut and the vice slides open. Winding forwards closes the vice as normal.

I’ve wanted to see one of these for ages to understand how they work, it’s really cool and better than a Record I reckon - simpler and takes up less space.

 

[SteveB58]

A quick and dirty restoration on this one - all parts cleaned up but the casting has been left alone. It works, but it’s not concourse! This vice was fully seized when I got it, and now it’s back to one finger turning ease.

Looks great, no rotary wire brush or metal polish, original paint too. Rather like the rusted up picture too. Love the 75, newer casting than mine, did you salvage the swivel base?

Steve

 

[dannysheff]

Here's another shot of my Parkinson No8.

slim_boy_fat on here suggested that I should take a vice & mug shot so here it is

Looking at a reprint of a 1908 Tyzack of London (related, but not the Sheffield saw-maker) I see that I was mistaken in naming the huge 276lb Parky Perfect bought by an American recently as the No 10 - all the biggest seem to be called no9, thus:


No 9 (I have one, but with wider 7in jaw inserts and 2 part static) 6.5in wide jaw, 115lb (mine is heavier)
9a -- 7in, 171lb
9c -- 6.5in, 134lb
9b -- 8.5in, 260lb
9b version 2 with adjustable front pillar (?) 8.5in, 287lb

strange sequence - at a guess they made versions of their biggest vice for particular customers/applications and then sold to others

note also that the 2 casting static versions from slightly earlier may weigh differently
then there were the later swivel jaw and swivel base versions, probably not of no 9s

anyone know/guess what an adjustable front pillar is - doesn't sound like swivel jaw?

 

[dannysheff]

An unusual one for you lot, the Woden Ideal Action wood vice. A half turn backwards of the handle disengages the nut and the vice slides open. Winding forwards closes the vice as normal.

I’ve wanted to see one of these for ages to understand how they work, it’s really cool and better than a Record I reckon - simpler and takes up less space.

If you fit it to a well used woodworking bench, let us know how it goes -- Woden had a few goes at simpler quick release vices - this 'Ideal' seems like the commonest apart from their use of the Parkinson Perfect type (as used by the other branch of the family who owned Record).

All quick release vices seem to need a 'de-clog' every now and then, but I did hear that the Woden specials were more susceptible than some.

Nice find.