Show us your bench vice(s)

[Arc Tourist]

Hardly in poor mechanical condition, it wasn't seized nor were the jaws misaligned. It looks as if pin that retains the spring had sheared but that's not a difficult fix.

Guess I saw it with a different perspective. The obvious slop in the vice seen at the 15 and 17 minute mark in the video convinced me it was in poor condition.

 

[SteveB58]

Guess I saw it with a different perspective. The obvious slop in the vice seen at the 15 and 17 minute mark in the video convinced me it was in poor condition.

Don't see anything at 15 minutes, there is some wobble at 17 minutes; but this is after the so called restoration! What he actually did was paint a vice.

 

[Laurie Tedcastle]

I stand corrected, I knew Fortis started in Birmingham and then moved to Coventry and I presumed (wrongly) they were taken over by Alfred Herbert, the Fortis and Ajax castings are very similar to each other

I've been thinking about the Ajax vices. Unfortunately I cannot locate my late 1960's illustrated HST&E catalogue . There is a company called Ajax Machine tools - started in 1939. Still exists after many different owners and several moves. Now in Lymington Hampshire. If the Ajax name for vices was the property of Alfred Herbert Ltd, then I assume that it would have to have predated 1939. I've failed to uncover any information about Ajax vices.

Laurie

 

[dannysheff]

I've been thinking about the Ajax vices. Unfortunately I cannot locate my late 1960's illustrated HST&E catalogue . There is a company called Ajax Machine tools - started in 1939. Still exists after many different owners and several moves. Now in Lymington Hampshire. If the Ajax name for vices was the property of Alfred Herbert Ltd, then I assume that it would have to have predated 1939. I've failed to uncover any information about Ajax vices.

Laurie

The w mids brand Ajax certainly goes back before 1939 -- I have a 1917 copy of the Herbert Coventry small tools cata (5th ed) which lists Ajax QR all steel vices size 1 to 8, (9in jaws), they also show iron Fortis QR vice sizes 1 to 6. Interestingly the vice stand shown in the cata, also the woodworking vices are definitely by Parkinson of Shipley. The QR on all these is Parkinson patented style. the catalogue uses the word factored throughout and they define this as bought in and g'teed by Herbert, (no apparent Coventry cast in to the vice bodies).

Could Parkinsons have made all of these originally as oem for Herbert? In later years herbert seem to have taken the Ajax brand more in house and the Fortis brand was available without Herbert's sales involvement and both went steel - there's also the question of very similar vices with neither brand, but marked Coventry - maybe there's a story with one Coventry foundry at some point casting for all three lines?

re Herberts .. the cata has 1917 pictures of their v large works in Edgwick (inc foundry) and The Butts, and a view of their large works in 1889.

viceman says Fortis started in brum -- were they making vices there -- any dates?

 

[Vono]

Here's a gratuitous pic of my IRON Fortis (these are shown in the catalogue Danny mentions). It's the only Iron one i've ever seen (unless somebody else has got one ?)

 

[Arc Tourist]

Spent some time today finishing up a swivel jaw vise I acquired earlier this year. Although shabby, it didn't look abused so I took a punt. After overhauling it, I was undecided on weather to leave it bare or give it some colour, so just gave a quick spray of clearcoat to inhibit rust. I decided to replace the orphaned bolt and make a proper tapered plug to index the swivel jaw, and cut reliefs in the main casting and T-handled base clamp nut so a ring & chain could be added to prevent loss of the index plug; which I still need to find a D-ring for. Usually I prefer green, but remembering how the vise was previously painted, I thought a coat of Red would do it better justice.

Here are some photos from start to finish.

 

[dannysheff]

Spent some time today finishing up a swivel jaw vise I acquired earlier this year. Although shabby, it didn't look abused so I took a punt. After overhauling it, I was undecided on weather to leave it bare or give it some colour, so just gave a quick spray of clearcoat to inhibit rust. I decided to replace the orphaned bolt and make a proper tapered plug to index the swivel jaw, and cut reliefs in the main casting and T-handled base clamp nut so a ring & chain could be added to prevent loss of the index plug; which I still need to find a D-ring for. Usually I prefer green, but remembering how the vise was previously painted, I thought a coat of Red would do it better justice.

Here are some photos from start to finish.

View attachment 309818 View attachment 309819 View attachment 309820 View attachment 309830 View attachment 309839 View attachment 309840 View attachment 309841 View attachment 309842

very nice, and i like your restoration -- a Columbian - what size?


while we're on the subject , anyone got a swivel Fortis or Parkinson to show?

 

[Laurie Tedcastle]

The w mids brand Ajax certainly goes back before 1939 -- I have a 1917 copy of the Herbert Coventry small tools cata (5th ed) which lists Ajax QR all steel vices size 1 to 8, (9in jaws), they also show iron Fortis QR vice sizes 1 to 6. Interestingly the vice stand shown in the cata, also the woodworking vices are definitely by Parkinson of Shipley. The QR on all these is Parkinson patented style. the catalogue uses the word factored throughout and they define this as bought in and g'teed by Herbert, (no apparent Coventry cast in to the vice bodies).

Could Parkinsons have made all of these originally as oem for Herbert? In later years herbert seem to have taken the Ajax brand more in house and the Fortis brand was available without Herbert's sales involvement and both went steel - there's also the question of very similar vices with neither brand, but marked Coventry - maybe there's a story with one Coventry foundry at some point casting for all three lines?

re Herberts .. the cata has 1917 pictures of their v large works in Edgwick (inc foundry) and The Butts, and a view of their large works in 1889.

viceman says Fortis started in brum -- were they making vices there -- any dates?

Danny,

Thanks for the very comprehensive update. Somewhere earlier in this thread are pictures of my Fortis offset jaw vice bought at works discount in 1968.

The Edgwick works was 14 acres under 1 roof and there were other buildings there including 3 foundaries. There were 2 other sites in Coventry and 1 at Lutterworth. Then there were several other companies that they took over.

Laurie

 

[Arc Tourist]

very nice, and i like your restoration -- a Columbian - what size?
.........................

Its a Columbian # 403 1/2 which has 3 1/2" inch wide jaws which securely opens to 5" inches, and has a jaw depth of 3 1/8" inches.
I have a 4" Columbian # 504 which has the standard jaw configuration. It opens to 7" inches with a jaw depth of 3 1/2" inches. The plan is to keep the #403 1/2 and find a new home for the larger one, along with some others I really don't need. Life changes, and I want to downsize again.

 

[MattF]

while we're on the subject , anyone got a swivel Fortis or Parkinson to show?

Base or jaw?

 

[dannysheff]

Base or jaw?

swivel, or swivel or swivel/swivel
any

 

[Vono]

Picked up another vice.
This is a bit unusual for me as it's a little corner mounted Rededa, in rather nice condition. Not one i've seen that often (saw one in an old Buck Hickman catalogue).
Apologies i've not cleaned it yet !
I hope you like it.

 

[Arc Tourist]

I acquired this ball base vice awhile ago, without a clue as what it was for, or what to do with it ?
What do the vice guru's here think it was used for ?

 

[MattF]

Holding something?

 

[Arc Tourist]

Holding something?

 

[MattF]

They had variants. One has T-handle nuts for the swivel.

This is one of the T-lux(?) bases.

 

[MattF]

swivel, or swivel or swivel/swivel
any

I've posted photo's before, but here's my swivel jaw, again.



@Gragson has a swivel base Parkinson, & @CwazyWabbit has god knows what.

p.s: Yes, I know I'm a clutterer.

 

[The_Yellow_Ardvark]

I've posted photo's before, but here's my swivel jaw, again.

View attachment 310290

@Gragson has a swivel base Parkinson, & @CwazyWabbit has god knows what.

p.s: Yes, I know I'm a clutterer.

No, there is empty floor space, fill it.

 

[Vono]

I've posted photo's before, but here's my swivel jaw, again.

View attachment 310290

@Gragson has a swivel base Parkinson, & @CwazyWabbit has god knows what.

p.s: Yes, I know I'm a clutterer.

That's just fabulous & on a stand too

 

[Arc Tourist]

I've posted photo's before, but here's my swivel jaw, again.

View attachment 310290

@Gragson has a swivel base Parkinson, & @CwazyWabbit has god knows what.

p.s: Yes, I know I'm a clutterer.

Classy posh shop having carpet.