Show us your bench vice(s)

[The_Yellow_Ardvark]

That was a close shave...

This gives a close shave.

 

[Seadog]

My grandfather used to buy safety razors in Bakelite cases, throw, or give, the razor away and then build small crystal sets which he fitted inside. He sold many, apparently. This was in the 1920s.

 

[dannysheff]

That was a close shave...

yup, Irwin, could get stuck with that

 

[ranger08]

Hi

Of course, right at the beginning, when you introduced this new acquisition, I felt called to say something about it.

Unfortunately, I have not been able to make a clear classification in the meantime, but I can share my observations:

- The design clearly points to a German manufacturer, whereby one must understand Germany in its largest extension, thus also including Poland, Kaliningrad, the Czech Republic, Austria and other areas, because large foundries are notoriously difficult to move and take with one when the enemy approaches;

- The "piggy nose" is more often seen on German vises and not a specific feature of GDR vises - you only need the outermost radius to drive the spindle, steel was always expensive and in the East they adopted all the material-cutting measures and in many cases pushed them further;

- This vice has strong similarities to Eikar, manufactured by Breitenfeld & Scholz in Bunzlau, now Bolesławiec in south-west Poland.
There, too, one could not save much more than one's naked skin when one fled, and so a successor company in Poland later had a good start.
View attachment 350130

View attachment 350131

- However, I also see differences, e.g. I haven't seen the captive nut in the cast on the underside anywhere;

- But what I think I can say for sure is that it is not from socialist production:
View attachment 350132

Obove is clearly a measure to "convince" the customer to continue buying all spare parts and accessories from me in the future.
Breitenfeld & Scholz had some patents to enshure exactly that.

This is the exact opposite of the "use of identical parts" as it was practised in the East and is also today in large companies.

(That's why today I sometimes like to work with equipment made in the East, for example: A watchmaker needs a timing machine, and the Swiss and German manufacturers have outdone themselves in making the paper strips smaller and the ink ribbons more and more exotic in order to secure follow-up orders.
The opposite was true in the Eastern Bloc: there was essentially only one timing machine,
the PPTsch-7m

View attachment 350137,
which everyone had and which had to run everywhere. Consequence still today: any ordinary typewriter ribbon and a normal cash register roll fits for working and recording).

- For me, it is also clear that the specimen is a pre-war vice from somewhere in the (former) German-speaking world; in the East, these extravagant jaws would have been an immediate thing of the past.

Keep us updated when you find out more,
will do the same.



Carsten

--

quote "However, I also see differences, e.g. I haven't seen the captive nut in the cast on the underside anywhere;"
im sorry Carsten, its not for a captive nut, now that i've cleaned it out the hole was threaded, my mistake
im the process of completing it, and ive gone for what i believe was the original paint colour "orange"!, after speaking to a fellow owner of one in Germany, and i must say it looks spectacular!!
photos soon to come

 

[SteveB58]

I noticed that in your previous photo. Seen the same sort of thing before on an old branch trimming saw we had that was on a long pole. You could adjust the saw by unscrewing a wing nut then retightening it when a more efficient cutting angle was desired.

Better view of the clamping/swivel mechanism on the Disston saw vice.

 

[SteveB58]

Too wet on Wednesday to go to the local car boot so continued to renovate my grandfathers wooden tool box. The lid has been missing for years so I clamped up some floorboards to make a replacement. Here's what I used, while not bench vices they share a number of characteristics. The nearest is a Woden and the others Record.

 

[rosinante]

Wanted , a 7 inch Steelrack woodwork vice , I have its big brother ,want one for a smaller bench , any leads welcome , or if one exists a smal, patternmakers vice ,
Cheers

 

[dannysheff]

Wanted , a 7 inch Steelrack woodwork vice , I have its big brother ,want one for a smaller bench , any leads welcome , or if one exists a smal, patternmakers vice ,
Cheers

Do you mean the wood working quick release vice from the 1870s which was offered with a 'steel rack' and that was usually the only easily visible marking although sometimes an 'E&K' standing for Entwistle and Kenyon was visible - also the even less common Syers vice used a steel rack (I think they may also have been available with a less hard cast iron rack?

I do believe these two great vices (if you find an E&K you must make sure the loose cam is not missing, the Syers has it fixed) are only available in the approx 9 inch width.

If you want to find out more, a delve in the website www.smallworkshop.co.uk has most of the story.

 

[ranger08]

my finished early J Parkinson Handy 5 inch with"0" stamped into it, or it might just be one of those copies he complained about at the time before he cast his name into them.
I decided to keep all the history on display, hacksaw marks and dings as for something that may just be 140 years old its in very good shape, just linseed oil to protect.

 

[dannysheff]

my finished early J Parkinson Handy 5 inch with"0" stamped into it, or it might just be one of those copies he complained about at the time before he cast his name into them.
I decided to keep all the history on display, hacksaw marks and dings as for something that may just be 140 years old its in very good shape,
View attachment 350565

great - a fine old vice with it's history of use on display - ready for its next century+

 

[rosinante]

Do you mean the wood working quick release vice from the 1870s which was offered with a 'steel rack' and that was usually the only easily visible marking although sometimes an 'E&K' standing for Entwistle and Kenyon was visible - also the even less common Syers vice used a steel rack (I think they may also have been available with a less hard cast iron rack?

I do believe these two great vices (if you find an E&K you must make sure the loose cam is not missing, the Syers has it fixed) are only available in the approx 9 inch width.

If you want to find out more, a delve in the website www.smallworkshop.co.uk has most of the story.

Thank you , I have the 9 inch , in daily use , will check the link , thanks for reply ,
Chris

 

[Lugh Lámfada]

very fine old two-person saw, good refurb - these big ol things often had the raker teeth swaged as well as the cutters filed, I believe. Do you use it?

No, never used, I did clean set and sharpen the teeth, so it 'could' be used. Possibly, probably, well ok maybe.
Last decent tree I removed I delimbed with a silky saw (amazing saws!) While still standing, But took the main body down with the chainsaw. Problem with a two man saw, is the second man! Didn't have access to a suitable option :-)

 

[SteveB58]

No, never used, I did clean set and sharpen the teeth, so it 'could' be used. Possibly, probably, well ok maybe.
Last decent tree I removed I delimbed with a silky saw (amazing saws!) While still standing, But took the main body down with the chainsaw. Problem with a two man saw, is the second man! Didn't have access to a suitable option :-)

Some might see this as a suitable reason for marriage, but you would have to be the second man, and do as you're told!

Steve

 

[MattF]

Some might see this as a suitable reason for marriage,

& some may bloody well not.

 

[SteveB58]

& some may bloody well not.

I've only been living with my partner for 34 years. You've got to try before you buy, so I've not committed yet.

 

[dannysheff]

I've only been living with my partner for 34 years. You've got to try before you buy, so I've not committed yet.

and I guess the same goes for her?

So --- has she tried you on the other side of the tree with a two-person saw?

{(now --given some of the correspondents here, should I have written that?)}

 

[500e]

First time I used one of those was 9 years old with a 11 year old on other end, the school I was at used to give you Logs as punishment minimum size was 6 inches X 12 it was doled out in multiples of 25
Think of that today 2 children with a 6/7ft felling saw
Cant remember anyone hurting themselves, we had felling axes as well

 

[dannysheff]

First time I used one of those was 9 years old with a 11 year old on other end, the school I was at used to give you Logs as punishment minimum size was 6 inches X 12 it was doled out in multiples of 25
Think of that today 2 children with a 6/7ft felling saw
Cant remember anyone hurting themselves, we had felling axes as well

sounds fine - bring em back - I'm totally agin some old (corporal) punishments but that's a good blend of learning skills, hard work with a purpose and something you won't forget. Let's bring a bit of risk back into a child's daily life (that isn't playing on a road with crazy drivers).

((slight danger, might put some off working with wood, but don't really think so))

 

[The_Yellow_Ardvark]

A few hours work, fun, coffee and sunshine.

Alas the water slide transfere did not survive the cleaning.

The original plan was to clean it up and keep it as original as posible.
But the paint in places was falling off and being lifted with rust.

 

[The_Yellow_Ardvark]

This saw Vice was a difficult to restore.
I knew the wood had worm, old and unactive. But the action of the jaws was stiff and would some times lock.

Getting it into bits was not easy.

After a few hours in warm citric acid the rust had gone. Then a hard boil in washing powder had all tyhe old grease and dirt off.