Show us your bench vice(s)

[StevieO]

Could not resist posting this little beauty from marketplace showing a "restoration" of a Parky Model F.

The colour looks a somewhat match to the original Parky red but that's where it stops being good...
Painted the jaws, hub, bar, even part of the QR spring - OMG.
BUT - how on earth can anyone paint the moving jaw flat surface!! It's peeling off already.
Sometimes I wonder - and other times I really wonder....

 

[dannysheff]

Had an email yesterday from their Chair Keith Crawshaw, so I'll update as I hear more.




Steve
Woof Woof Woof - That's my other dog imitation!

Elizabeth and Keith are helpful folk.
Note that the wonderful Hawley collection is entirely run by volunteers, some doing a high number of hours there.
I was a volunteer for a few years, but in the end couldn't commit to the same level of hours as others.


And that maroon Parky */**::"!!!

 

[CwazyWabbit]

Don't be too hard on them, they won't have prep'd it properly so it all come off nice and easy for the real restoration

 

[Charawacky]

Thanks for the info.

It appears the No3 was superseded by the No4 portable vice stand between 1935 and 1940 catalogues.
I also note a manoeuvring handle suspended beneath the No 3 vice stand table.
The stand I had previously restored still retained its separate cast hook bracket under the table to hold the 'manoeuvring handle' which can be seen in the 1913 image. This bracket had puzzled me, but no longer!
As would be expected the handle is long gone, does anyone have one to buy or copy?

Thanks again for finding this information.
Tom

 

[SteveB58]

Since the death of my outside No74 which I replaced with another 74, but there's something not quiet right with it, it clicks and skips I think it may be the spring but I really want some thing with a little more oomph. Amongst the rusting relics in the garden is a leg vice that 'erindoors bought me as a Christmas present 2/3 years back. The screw was unoriginal and there was no fixing plate or bell. Managed to source these parts, but no bracket to fix it to a bench. I had some metal to make one, but could never get enough heat into it to bend into shape. Anyway, with the warming of the weather the need for an outside vice was becoming imperative so having found some suitable brackets from a strip of nearby waste ground and bought some 12mm stud bar and nuts, bent the bar into a 'l' shape, an bit of fettling and hey presto one old leg vice back in service. The design. or lack of, throws the leg out so it's clamped at present at the leg, but I've got an idea for that. I know it's not great engineering but its making the best of what I have available and the tools at hand, given a m/c shop and a smithy it would be different. I might add that it was all in place just in time for the temperature to fall and for me to catch Covid.

 

[tigdlo]

Sometimes I wonder - and other times I really wonder....

I would like to think these people have the best of intentions but they are just after a quick profit, they know there are people that know no better and will pay extra for shiny, well almost shiny

 

[StevieO]

Thanks for the info.

It appears the No3 was superseded by the No4 portable vice stand between 1935 and 1940 catalogues.
I also note a manoeuvring handle suspended beneath the No 3 vice stand table.
The stand I had previously restored still retained its separate cast hook bracket under the table to hold the 'manoeuvring handle' which can be seen in the 1913 image. This bracket had puzzled me, but no longer!
As would be expected the handle is long gone, does anyone have one to buy or copy?

Thanks again for finding this information.
Tom

View attachment 341431

Hi,
Do you have a copy of the 1935 and 1913 catalogues you can share? That would be fantastic. br Steve

 

[Charawacky]

Hi,
Can you not see the dropbox link CwazyWabbit above on this page?
Tom

 

[StevieO]

Hi,
Can you not see the dropbox link CwazyWabbit above on this page?
Tom

Sorry Tom, Yes, I had downloaded those, but I thought you were referring to other full Parkinsons catalogues of those two dates... my mistake.
I have had some joy with the Hawley collection and have to spend time on that and probably visit Sheffield about it. Just a bit out of sorts - my mother passed away yesterday morning. She was 91.

 

[Arc Tourist]

Sorry to hear of your loss.

 

[Charawacky]

Sorry Tom, Yes, I had downloaded those, but I thought you were referring to other full Parkinsons catalogues of those two dates... my mistake.
I have had some joy with the Hawley collection and have to spend time on that and probably visit Sheffield about it. Just a bit out of sorts - my mother passed away yesterday morning. She was 91.

Thanks for your interest & help.
I also offer my condolences at this time.

 

[Vono]

Sorry Tom, Yes, I had downloaded those, but I thought you were referring to other full Parkinsons catalogues of those two dates... my mistake.
I have had some joy with the Hawley collection and have to spend time on that and probably visit Sheffield about it. Just a bit out of sorts - my mother passed away yesterday morning. She was 91.

Very sorry to hear about your loss.
My condolences.

 

[brewdexta]

As I was walking around Beamish, one of their replica early steam engines was steaming away in the shed.

Down the side of the engine was a nice old bench

Where is spied a leg vice. Seems to be at a strange angle.

 

[dannysheff]

As I was walking around Beamish, one of their replica early steam engines was steaming away in the shed.

View attachment 341720

Down the side of the engine was a nice old bench

View attachment 341719
Where is spied a leg vice. Seems to be at a strange angle.

View attachment 341721

Yup, strange angle, but maybe for some reason - good thing is, it has signs that it's actually in use.

 

[StevieO]

Thank you for your kind comments
I'm holding it together, but only just.

 

[SteveB58]

Yup, strange angle, but maybe for some reason - good thing is, it has signs that it's actually in use.

Might be that the supporting block under the leg has gone missing. While it can be used like this, the ability to hold securely is compromised.

 

[ranger08]

Sorry Tom, Yes, I had downloaded those, but I thought you were referring to other full Parkinsons catalogues of those two dates... my mistake.
I have had some joy with the Hawley collection and have to spend time on that and probably visit Sheffield about it. Just a bit out of sorts - my mother passed away yesterday morning. She was 91.

Sorry to hear Stevie0, my mother passing was the worst day/week ive had so far

 

[ranger08]

first vice bought in a wee while, as it is a small bench clamp vice, which i now prefer as they take up less space and less rust bath and actually less of everything
my first Marples will see how it cleans up, my first impression is it is not as good quality when compared to a Millers Falls which made a Marples copy

 

[Gregb23]

Really enjoy reading this thread and seeing some of the quirky vices on show. A quick few photos of my smallish collection, a few still tucked away here and there. Just moved in last week and a couple of nice vices left behind.

We have a samsonia model 38J as the main vice. Acquired a couple of years ago for £20. Still to be bolted to the bench or a stand. Believe it to be steel as significantly lighter than expected.

Have the record 23 left behind. In a bit of a sorry state, coated in rust, front jaw cracked and then the jaw face welded on, will become the welding vide. Currently drowned in oil to slow the rusting.

Nice pipe vice left behind. Missing a handle, will make one at a later date.

Then we have the inherited standard swivel vice with some DIY soft jaws. Scuse the mess.

Then onto woodworking vices, we have a nice little whitmore. Attached to a small bench when I was little by my grandad.

Medium sized record 52, with a quick and dirty install, to be improved at a later date.

Not shown, my dad's record 24 to be inherited one day, a nice paramo square bar woodworking vice still in storage. Numerous dodgy drill vices of no particular value and a small Aldi special multi swivel bench vice.

 

[dannysheff]

Great collection, plenty to keep you busy.
Yes, the Parky Samsonia will be steel.

I can't quite make out the cast in writing (except for 1878?) on pic 3 pipe vice - looks interesting.

Welcome to the slippery slope of vice acquisition.