- Thread starter MattF
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rockweasel
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Personally, I like my vices to be old & grubby.
My dad's advice was: "No one cares about the paintwork if the jaws are tight."
(Also: 20th wedding anniversary this month!)
My dad's advice was: "No one cares about the paintwork if the jaws are tight."
(Also: 20th wedding anniversary this month!)
CwazyWabbit
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To a large extent rockweasel he is right. That said a number of the vices I have bought have been rusted solid so had to be dismantled and derusted to get them working properly, at that point it's not a great deal more work to put some paint on and it does make them easier to sell on........ oh and it's always nicer using tools that don't look like you've just dug them out of a bonfire.
I'll admit to being not right in the head and a collector of vices and other old tools (I do use them as well, admittedly not all of them, all of the time) , some people collect antique furniture, some old toys, etc ....... I like old vices and tools, it's a nice reminder of when things weren't designed to be thrown away, most of the old stuff that has survived this long does the job it's designed to do and does it well. A good example of this are ball vices, I have 2 old ones and they both lock up solid very easily, I've yet to come across a modern one that manages to lock well enough to resist even moderate pressure.
But yep, they don't need to be shiny and freshly painted, they just need to work properly and smoothly.
I'll admit to being not right in the head and a collector of vices and other old tools (I do use them as well, admittedly not all of them, all of the time) , some people collect antique furniture, some old toys, etc ....... I like old vices and tools, it's a nice reminder of when things weren't designed to be thrown away, most of the old stuff that has survived this long does the job it's designed to do and does it well. A good example of this are ball vices, I have 2 old ones and they both lock up solid very easily, I've yet to come across a modern one that manages to lock well enough to resist even moderate pressure.
But yep, they don't need to be shiny and freshly painted, they just need to work properly and smoothly.
MattF
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Matt, you should put that as your title under your name.
Vice gimp or geek would probably be better for I.
MattF
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MattF
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Aye, they are definitely an under-appreciated item. They're one of those ubiquitous things which rarely tend to get a second thought, yet we'd be well and truly ******** without a decent one when we need it.
rockweasel
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Are congratulations or commiserations in order?
Congratulations. The paint may be faded but the jaws are still tight
Ben - Kinetics
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Remembered I had a login on here! Those above are mine - top one is a Mathieson 6" from the Saracen Tool Works, Glasgow. Then a Swindens, age unknown, and finally a 1942 Wilton.
Picked up this baby tonight for £35.
It's a Paramo no 5 which looks to be in fantastic condition with no marks on the slide and the jaws are virtually unmarked. Unfortunately it had an accident with a tin of white paint which the owner didn't bother wiping off properly.
It has a thick layer of white paint encrusted in places but it still works perfectly! Plan is to strip the paint off in the e-bath, paint it and probably sell it on. It will look mint when it's finished and it will fetch top dollar. I'm a bit short of cash after buying the lathe so I need to get some funds back in.
It's a Paramo no 5 which looks to be in fantastic condition with no marks on the slide and the jaws are virtually unmarked. Unfortunately it had an accident with a tin of white paint which the owner didn't bother wiping off properly.
It has a thick layer of white paint encrusted in places but it still works perfectly! Plan is to strip the paint off in the e-bath, paint it and probably sell it on. It will look mint when it's finished and it will fetch top dollar. I'm a bit short of cash after buying the lathe so I need to get some funds back in.
Wallace
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MattF
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You're walking a wobbly bridge with the restoring and flipping. You need to remember that you may not make much more for it being restored, so don't get your hopes up too high. Hopefully it will sell for a decent profit, 
but vices can be an unstable area, price wise.
You need to remember that you may not make much more for it being restored, so don't get your hopes up too high. Hopefully it will sell for a decent profit, but vices can be an unstable area, price wise.CwazyWabbit
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The vice price seems to change with the weather round here ......
MattF
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Doesn't it just. As erratic as a womans moods.
Ah, you're in a better spot than us then. The secondhand machinery & tool prices over there in general tend to be quite higher than ours, don't they? You definitely should be able to make a good few bob from that vice, if so.
