Show us your bench vice(s)

[MattF]

Someone on here has a vice where thebwhole front jaw is brass don't they?

@CwazyWabbit.

 

[Dieselman 63]

Just a thought. Could it be possible that some vices in the past were made for the munition manufacturing industry with regard to using dissimilar metals, because of the remote possibility of a friction spark creating an explosion.

Yes Woden did phosphor bronze drill press vices I used to have one

 

[Screwdriver]

Just a thought. Could it be possible that some vices in the past were made for the munition manufacturing industry with regard to using dissimilar metals, because of the remote possibility of a friction spark creating an explosion.

They were but the smaller mechanisms would almost certainly be cast in brass because that's a million times easier than casting steel. Easier to machine too.

Now I assume the relative materials costs and improvements with manufacturing process makes brass a lot less cost effective.

 

[GraemeVW]

They were but the smaller mechanisms would almost certainly be cast in brass because that's a million times easier than casting steel. Easier to machine too.

Now I assume the relative materials costs and improvements with manufacturing process makes brass a lot less cost effective.

There seem to be some cases, my fortis being one, but others on here too, where companies used both.
Same vices, but sometimes with steel/iron parts, sometimes with brass.

I only have experience with one vice with brass parts, but they made them for decades in all steel and then it seems right towards the end changed one part to brass.

Seems odd to me.

 

[Dieselman 63]

There seem to be some cases, my fortis being one, but others on here too, where companies used both.
Same vices, but sometimes with steel/iron parts, sometimes with brass.

I only have experience with one vice with brass parts, but they made them for decades in all steel and then it seems right towards the end changed one part to brass.

Seems odd to me.

Steel was only used if it was marketed as an unbreakable vice. Grey iron was always around. The QR lever is going to break if you give it a good hit with a hammer whatever material it’s made of. After the war they used ductile SG iron on the patterns previously used for steel. The real killer for any vice is idiots who nip them up then walk away. Mother Nature expands through heat, and bang! The front jaw has split off.

 

[CwazyWabbit]

@CwazyWabbit.

The whole static jaw/body and nut are brass, the front jaw is steel on mine.

 

[Dieselman 63]

Another one, thankfully this is the last one of the series I have to do, this is a No5 which proved very tricky to get a hold of

 

[SteveB58]

They were but the smaller mechanisms would almost certainly be cast in brass because that's a million times easier than casting steel. Easier to machine too.

Now I assume the relative materials costs and improvements with manufacturing process makes brass a lot less cost effective.

Interesting. I think it more likely to be cost of manufacture that is the deciding factor. As for sparking, this is a wood workers vice and the jaws would be lined with wood, I would have thought that the most likely place for a spark would be at the jaws, so maybe these would be brass, or is it a bronze? All pure supposition and guesswork on my part.

Steve

 

[The_Yellow_Ardvark]

Yay.

New to me vice.

Yes, it needs a lot of work.

 

[SteveB58]

Here's one being 'restored'.

He'll have trouble replacing the static jaw without taking the whole vice off the bench.

Steve

 

[Dieselman 63]

Finished. Now to sell!

 

[Dieselman 63]

Another. Parkinson Handy No 1A. Not the greatest vice but a piece of history nonetheless. Happy to have it out of the workshop!

 

[Will1964]

Are the parkinsons handys less comon than the quick relece type

 

[Vono]

Another. Parkinson Handy No 1A. Not the greatest vice but a piece of history nonetheless. Happy to have it out of the workshop!

View attachment 323552 View attachment 323553

Got to say I'm not normally a big fan of repainted Vices but I think that looks really good, great job.

 

[MattF]

Another. Parkinson Handy No 1A. Not the greatest vice but a piece of history nonetheless. Happy to have it out of the workshop!

View attachment 323552 View attachment 323553

You have good taste in colour choice.

 

[MattF]

Are the parkinsons handys less comon than the quick relece type

Hard to say. They don't seem to appear as frequently as the QR vices though.

 

[ranger08]

Does having brass pieces suggest quality or is bras easier/cheaper to cast? Aesthetically, it looks better, but is there another reason.

Steve

as those two pieces are not required for strength, i think the non corrosion/rusting brass is a nice touch, they were painted over in the original condition.

 

[CwazyWabbit]

Hard to say. They don't seem to appear as frequently as the QR vices though.

I wonder if they were more likely to get broken so there's just less of them around now? They certainly seem more common in the smaller sizes which you would expect to have been abused less.

 

[Dieselman 63]

I wonder if they were more likely to get broken so there's just less of them around now? They certainly seem more common in the smaller sizes which you would expect to have been abused less.

The finishing is pretty ropey on it. The design is a good start but the Record dovetailed nut is better (though more of a pain to reassemble!). They often get sold as Records due to there being no Parkinson branding on them.

 

[The_Yellow_Ardvark]

From the door stop to work top.

This is the vice found on my door step when I got home.