Show us your bench vice(s)

[Arc Tourist]

"a few engineering methods"= hit with a hammer.

Got one just right for the job.

 

[SteveB58]

A little while back saw sharpening vices were mentioned. This is mine, found it while looking for something else, thought some may find it of interest.

 

[Arc Tourist]

A little while back saw sharpening vices were mentioned. This is mine, found it while looking for something else, thought some may find it of interest.

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That's a nice one, top class !

My Dad had a Disston that was on a ball mount, don't remember what happened to it, but he acquired a different kind which I believe I still have in one of my storage boxes. The hunt is on.

 

[SteveB58]

For those wanting to know how to use a saw sharpen as saw in their saw sharpening vice I heartily recommend Paul Sellers. Real craftsman who knows his stuff.

Saws - Sharpening and Refurbishment

If you are a beginner, the following link from our beginner site, Common Woodworking, may be useful to you: For any saws that are 10ppi plus we sharpen them to a rip cut pattern for both ripping and…

paulsellers.com

Steve

 

[mtt.tr]

For those wanting to know how to use a saw sharpen as saw in their saw sharpening vice I heartily recommend Paul Sellers. Real craftsman who knows his stuff.

Saws - Sharpening and Refurbishment

If you are a beginner, the following link from our beginner site, Common Woodworking, may be useful to you: For any saws that are 10ppi plus we sharpen them to a rip cut pattern for both ripping and…

paulsellers.com

Steve

Very few things are as rewarding as filing all the teeth of a saw and recutting them

 

[Vono]

Hello all
Just a quick question, were Parkinsons Vises ever sold painted green ? I saw a pic of one recently that had obviously old & very worn green paint, so wondered if it was likely to have been like that from new ?
Cheers

 

[The_Yellow_Ardvark]

hope I'm not boring you, cast iron bench vice enthusiasts (me too) but to continue with the theme of chops -- I took photos of my 'woodies' :-

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that's the Tiranti Scopas from about 1970 -- oak, jaws 3in wide


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this is an unknown maker (to me) -- quick release just by pulling/pushing then full force with hand turning (no tommy bar) -- I'm not so keen on the high chrome, but I think it needs that smooth surface to slide - 4in jaws - looks like it would tilt with that screw at front but no -- maybe there was an alternate base? -- I guess also aimed at carvers - Euro-continental? --- don't know the QR mech, all inside the wood rear static jaw

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this is my favourite -- a relatively short leg vice, very well made of oak with hefty screw and steel jaw faces (!) - with a slot so maybe there were slot-in wood faces? looks commercially made - I have seen another almost identical and with remains of a label, but unreadable - bought in W Yorks - seller didn't know history except belonged to his grandad - a large bolt and a small one seem to have been the method of attaching it to the corner of the bench

I'd welcome any further info on these last two

There you go -- last wooden contribution from me (and I really couldn't buy another although each of these cost less than £20 - that's why I couldn't pass them by)

and thanks Arfur for the classical input -- love to be informed - good ol' Scopas - diggin' in my memory banks -- was Perseus another Greek sculptor -- think I'll name one of the others a Perseus Chop, or is that pretentious (yes it is danny)

 

[Vono]

Hello all, I picked this up today.
Looks like it's been painted green in its life but the paint appears old & the normal Parky colour seems to be underneath but perfectly intact. A lot more green paint has come off on one side of the slide (but there are traces it was fully covered).
Would Parkinson have maybe done it like this for an order for a customer who wanted it green & just painted over the normal red ? Seems odd that an owner would re-paint a vice when the red paint is good??
There's also some letters on it, there's a C on the top of the slide & an L on the top of the "foot" at the back. Any ideas ?
Cheers

 

[The_Yellow_Ardvark]

Hello all, I picked this up today.
Looks like it's been painted green in its life but the paint appears old & the normal Parky colour seems to be underneath but perfectly intact. A lot more green paint has come off on one side of the slide (but there are traces it was fully covered).
Would Parkinson have maybe done it like this for an order for a customer who wanted it green & just painted over the normal red ? Seems odd that an owner would re-paint a vice when the red paint is good??
There's also some letters on it, there's a C on the top of the slide & an L on the top of the "foot" at the back. Any ideas ?
Cheers

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Check the fixed jay base for government arroe stamps on it.

 

[Vono]

Check the fixed jay base for government arroe stamps on it.

Hello thanks for replying, that's really interesting, I didn't know Parky supplied to the Govt/Forces, i'll have a look.
Don't suppose you've any idea where they might be/ what size have you ? Or could they just be anywhere ?
This forum is sooo cool

 

[The_Yellow_Ardvark]

Hello thanks for replying, that's really interesting, I didn't know Parky supplied to the Govt/Forces, i'll have a look.
Don't suppose you've any idea where they might be/ what size have you ? Or could they just be anywhere ?
This forum is sooo cool

On the base, near the mounting holes.
They will be stamping about 1/4" high.
It may be:
WD and a year.
RN and a date.
Army and a regiment number.
RAF and a number/date.

Or are Civil defence.

From about 1034 to 39, as war preparation started the government took up stock and stores from any were.

Under Corsham there is a set of moving staires from a London Underground station.

My Parkinson was stamped GPO, then stamped WD.

 

[Vono]

On the base, near the mounting holes.
They will be stamping about 1/4" high.
It may be:
WD and a year.
RN and a date.
Army and a regiment number.
RAF and a number/date.

Or are Civil defence.

From about 1034 to 39, as war preparation started the government took up stock and stores from any were.

Under Corsham there is a set of moving staires from a London Underground station.

My Parkinson was stamped GPO, then stamped WD.

Thanks very much for the info'.
Sadly no markings on mine that i can see ☹. The paint does look old though, so it's certainly been on a while.
I do still wonder about the C and the L markings.
I do like Parkys, for a vice with a 4inch jaw width this thing weighs a ton

 

[CwazyWabbit]

The No7 is an excellent vise and the first QR vise I bought, I picked mine up from the local tip for a fiver and it's still bolted to my bench today. The first vice I owned was a Record No3 and after little use the jaw screws stripped the threads out of the casting, the Parky has taken far more abuse over the years.

 

[Vono]

Picked another one up today. Not marked with a makers name but I reckon it's a Parkinson, as does Danny on here, any other thoughts ??
Bit of damage under one jaw (looks like it's had a whack at some point) but considering its age I think it's rather good. I love the rather "Heath Robinson" three screw/wingnuts to fix the swivel. 3in1 can is there for scale.
Interestingly the screws holding the jaws on look rather hand made/primitive as the slots in the heads are rather off-set/not central.
Opinions welcomed

 

[arther dailey]

I like the original old finish on the wood ,but to me ruined by the shiny vice grips ,although very useable , and the super clean handle, should have been left in its original rust brown patina to show its age and the use many craftsmen had used/given it , but thats just personal taste , nice to see kit like this being made reuseable rather than binned , which is the point . loverly tool.

 

[dannysheff]

I like the original old finish on the wood ,but to me ruined by the shiny vice grips ,although very useable , and the super clean handle, should have been left in its original rust brown patina to show its age and the use many craftsmen had used/given it , but thats just personal taste , nice to see kit like this being made reuseable rather than binned , which is the point . loverly tool.

yup
always good to see tools rescued - but -- generally these carving chops have soft faced jaws and I think this was lead or zinc - replaces with -- stainless? - may mark the soft carving wood?

interesting that the base is leather -- you can see as he starts carving in the last few secs of this that it moves around, despite the large area of contact - there may be a better technique (elbow on round plate?) and it must be good to just move it as required, but there's also much to be said for the Tiranti Scopas Chops, which has a through the bench holdfast like a carvers screw.

off topic ps talking of zinc, why do British builders not use much zinc sheet? the French use acres of it on roofs (most of central Paris) seems good stuff - cheaper, and not the high weight/price of lead (or copper) sheet (note, I don't mean galvanised, which is coated steel)

 

[dannysheff]

Picked another one up today. ----.
Opinions welcomed

View attachment 293393

glad to see this in good hands - I have the No 00 version of this vice and swivel stand as shown on this thread last summer, - scarce, I'd think.

mine also had been fairly heavily used, and seemed to have flecks of green so repainted that colour

I agree most likely a Parkinson, but unfortunately, until they patented their quick release, they didn't cast in their name. I'm not sure if they used the name 'Handy' for these early versions (3 main castings, not 2, as after about 1900), but although both types overlapped, I'd call this 'Handy' version 1.

 

[The_Yellow_Ardvark]

"a few engineering methods"= hit with a hammer.

No, not all.

Using the correct application of a heat and force applied. With a non ferrous item, fitted to a cellulous based handle. The incorrect positioned item can be persuaded into the correct orientation.

At no point di I "hit it with@ammer."

 

[Vono]

glad to see this in good hands - I have the No 00 version of this vice and swivel stand as shown on this thread last summer, - scarce, I'd think.

mine also had been fairly heavily used, and seemed to have flecks of green so repainted that colour

I agree most likely a Parkinson, but unfortunately, until they patented their quick release, they didn't cast in their name. I'm not sure if they used the name 'Handy' for these early versions (3 main castings, not 2, as after about 1900), but although both types overlapped, I'd call this 'Handy' version 1.

Cheers Danny, yes I can't see there being many about, incredible to think it's that old, if only it could talk ! It really is a quality feeling old thing, it somehow "feels" like a Parky (if that doesn't sound too daft). Like you I do wish an old catalogue or something would turn up on these older models.
It'll have a good home here in its retirement

 

[SteveB58]

No, not all.

Using the correct application of a heat and force applied. With a non ferrous item, fitted to a cellulous based handle. The incorrect positioned item can be persuaded into the correct orientation.

At no point di I "hit it with@ammer."

It's knowing where, when and how to hit something withe the correct hammer that separates the tradesman from the amateur.