Show us your bench vice(s)

[SteveB58]

The Axminster version can also be flipped 90 degrees.

 

[RWD3M]

Hi all,

I've had quite the day today! Not only have I collected a very old Denbigh Pillar drill (more on this elsewhere) but as part of the deal I had to take a couple of old bench vices. One was just a regular old Record No.24, but the other was this:

It has no visible markings and I don't think I've ever seen anything remotely like it.

Anyone out there know anything about it?

My plan had been to sell on these two vices to put towards the Denbigh but I quite like this little thing so I'm going to keep it.

As I already have a Record No. 24, I may sell the other one on but I'm not entirely convinced I will. See what you lot have done to me!!!!

 

[Arc Tourist]

Nice condition ! It appears to be from one of the German makers.

 

[rosinante]

There was also a 90* degree adaptor to attach to the base for the Will-Burt vice's, so that the vise could be rotated forward or backward to increase its versatility. Rare to find an original cast iron one, but I have seen DIY versions. Not sure if they were also available for the Columbian models ?

Edit: Here's a screen shot of an adapter from a video.

View attachment 378744

Hi , well my willburt is in the post , should be here on Thursday strikes allowing , here's hoping it's what I need , may be looking for an adaptor , or someone to make one , will post a pic up of the vice,
Chris

 

[RWD3M]

Nice condition ! It appears to be from one of the German makers.

Hi Mike,

I just got around to Googling 'German Bench Vice' and my word, there it is! Great shout mate

 

[25.4_mechanic]

I just got around to Googling 'German Bench Vice' and my word, there it is! Great shout mate

... give us the link, please, everybody get a bit different result by searching - although I would like to agree, German make, your copy has special features (and lack thereof) that I cannot immediately classify ....

Thanks



Carsten

--

 

[RWD3M]

... give us the link, please, everybody get a bit different result by searching - although I would like to agree, German make, your copy has special features (and lack thereof) that I cannot immediately classify ....

Thanks



Carsten

--

Hi Carsten,

I simply entered 'German Bench Vice' into Google, went to images and it showed me many of that style of vice. I hadn't seen anything of that style before and this search brought up many images of them. I didn't mean to imply that I had found my specific vice, just that they do exist after all.

That said, I'd be very interested to hear if you can shed any light on the origin of my example.

Richard.

 

[rosinante]

My Will Burt No1 arrived today , a quick wipe over and here it is , now the quandary where to fit it ? There are marks of use but all else is absolutely fine,it locks in place when tightened , the jaws meet all the way down no gap grinning at me , I am not a collector but seem to have ended up with an Entwistle Steelrack, this one , a vice screw " recovered" from a joiners bench in Grytviken South Georgia in 1982, 2 self centering vices from manual pillar drills.A Facom steel 5 inch vice, a chunky driil vice , 2 left hand trapezoidal threaded lead screws to be made into a Moxon style vice, that's a round tuit job. These Will Burt vices seem to be quite rare, next on shopping list is a patternmakers vice (Iwish)
Cheers

 

[SteveB58]

My Will Burt No1 arrived today , a quick wipe over and here it is , now the quandary where to fit it ? There are marks of use but all else is absolutely fine,it locks in place when tightened , the jaws meet all the way down no gap grinning at me , I am not a collector but seem to have ended up with an Entwistle Steelrack, this one , a vice screw " recovered" from a joiners bench in Grytviken South Georgia in 1982, 2 self centering vices from manual pillar drills.A Facom steel 5 inch vice, a chunky driil vice , 2 left hand trapezoidal threaded lead screws to be made into a Moxon style vice, that's a round tuit job. These Will Burt vices seem to be quite rare, next on shopping list is a patternmakers vice (Iwish)
Cheers
View attachment 379320View attachment 379321View attachment 379322View attachment 379323

Unless you have a common job that you use this vice for repeatedly it's not worth permanently, fixing to your bench. The beauty of these vices is their utility and flexibility. I fix mine down with 3 coach bolts wherever needed or convenient on the bench. Sometimes positioned so I can work on something long hanging over he bench or something longer which needs supported in more than one position on the bench. So unless you are precious about drilling into your bench use it and put it were it gives the best service.

I'm going to have to use mine today as I had a guitar fall off the wall yesterday and the parrot will help in repairing it. (and keep me out of management's hair for a goodly while).

BTW it looks as if yours can also be flipped 90 degrees too.

 

[rosinante]

Unless you have a common job that you use this vice for repeatedly it's not worth permanently, fixing to your bench. The beauty of these vices is their utility and flexibility. I fix mine down with 3 coach bolts wherever needed or convenient on the bench. Sometimes positioned so I can work on something long hanging over he bench or something longer which needs supported in more than one position on the bench. So unless you are precious about drilling into your bench use it and put it were it gives the best service.

I'm going to have to use mine today as I had a guitar fall off the wall yesterday and the parrot will help in repairing it. (and keep me out of management's hair for a goodly while).

BTW it looks as if yours can also be flipped 90 degrees too.

Hi , yes it can be flipped 90 deg , since last post have just fitted three threaded inserts into bench to suit vice stand , three m8 countersunk set screws and voila! it's sorted , inserts are aluminium recovered from table legs , , just need a project to justify it ,
Chris

 

[25.4_mechanic]

Hi Carsten,

I simply entered 'German Bench Vice' into Google, went to images and it showed me many of that style of vice. I hadn't seen anything of that style before and this search brought up many images of them. I didn't mean to imply that I had found my specific vice, just that they do exist after all.

That said, I'd be very interested to hear if you can shed any light on the origin of my example.

Richard.

Hi Richard,

now I understand - I had briefly thought that you had figured out something about German vises that I hadn't been able to crack yet .... and of course I wanted to see that.

I think your specimen is clearly an example of a "German vise model", but a very special one.

Since I don't feel like going out to our barn at the moment , I'll try to explain what I mean with pictures from the net.

- The top of the dome of the movable jaw is higher in your case, almost forming a real semicircle; I know it in a flatter form.

- The troughs, which are presumably intended to keep chips away from the dovetails, are very nicely formed in your case, they became mere symbolic at one point.

- It should always be taken into account that manufacturers - once they had mastered the production of a model and got it to work - began to look for ways to achieve the same goal more cheaply with less (material) effort - this process has obviously not yet taken place in your case or it was made invisible on the inside, which would also be a special feature to this extent.

- No type, manufacturer's mark or logo/name of a large tool dealer on whose behalf this piece would have been made.

The assumption that it must be a German vice is not the only possibility:
Since you found it there, perhaps a British manufacturer said "Let's see how the bloody Krauts do it" and gave it a try.

Congratulations in any case, an exceptional piece!
(Please don't mess it up with a hasty paint application).




Carsten

--

 

[Arc Tourist]

My Will Burt No1 arrived today , a quick wipe over and here it is , now the quandary where to fit it ? There are marks of use but all else is absolutely fine,it locks in place when tightened , the jaws meet all the way down no gap grinning at me , I am not a collector but seem to have ended up with an Entwistle Steelrack, this one , a vice screw " recovered" from a joiners bench in Grytviken South Georgia in 1982, 2 self centering vices from manual pillar drills.A Facom steel 5 inch vice, a chunky driil vice , 2 left hand trapezoidal threaded lead screws to be made into a Moxon style vice, that's a round tuit job. These Will Burt vices seem to be quite rare, next on shopping list is a patternmakers vice (Iwish)
Cheers
View attachment 379320View attachment 379321View attachment 379322View attachment 379323

That is a nice vise ! It looks to be in great condition and like it has the original "Japaning" paint scheme.

 

[RWD3M]

Hi Richard,

now I understand - I had briefly thought that you had figured out something about German vises that I hadn't been able to crack yet .... and of course I wanted to see that.

I think your specimen is clearly an example of a "German vise model", but a very special one.

Since I don't feel like going out to our barn at the moment , I'll try to explain what I mean with pictures from the net.

- The top of the dome of the movable jaw is higher in your case, almost forming a real semicircle; I know it in a flatter form.

View attachment 379329


- The troughs, which are presumably intended to keep chips away from the dovetails, are very nicely formed in your case, they became mere symbolic at one point.

View attachment 379335



- It should always be taken into account that manufacturers - once they had mastered the production of a model and got it to work - began to look for ways to achieve the same goal more cheaply with less (material) effort - this process has obviously not yet taken place in your case or it was made invisible on the inside, which would also be a special feature to this extent.

View attachment 379337


- No type, manufacturer's mark or logo/name of a large tool dealer on whose behalf this piece would have been made.

View attachment 379338


The assumption that it must be a German vice is not the only possibility:
Since you found it there, perhaps a British manufacturer said "Let's see how the bloody Krauts do it" and gave it a try.

Congratulations in any case, an exceptional piece!
(Please don't mess it up with a hasty paint application).




Carsten

--

Thanks Carsten, this is very helpful. I'm not going to do any more than clean and lubricate it. I'm hoping to get it mounted tomorrow morning but will take a closer look for any identifying marks before I do.

 

[rosinante]

I have just missed a bench and vice , the vice had cast THE PERKINS VICE on the front , it had what looked like a push button to either quick release or rotate it looked to be about 9 inches wide ,anyone know anything about them nothing I can find on the Web
Cheers

 

[dannysheff]

I have just missed a bench and vice , the vice had cast THE PERKINS VICE on the front , it had what looked like a push button to either quick release or rotate it looked to be about 9 inches wide ,anyone know anything about them nothing I can find on the Web
Cheers

Perkins is not a rare name, but there was a well-known British heavy engineering co based in Peterboro and elsewhere who made large machinery, diesel engines, marine equipment, mining hardware, food and plastics industry gear and other.

Sounds interesting - steal any pix? And when you say 9in - if jaw width, then that is b-i-i-g.

Also am liking Wilbur the parrot (or is it Orville the ostrich - duh) and mystery German-style (yes could be English as the far smaller (1-2in wide jaws) vices of this type from about 1910).

 

[SteveB58]

Perkins is not a rare name, but there was a well-known British heavy engineering co based in Peterboro and elsewhere who made large machinery, diesel engines, marine equipment, mining hardware, food and plastics industry gear and other.

Sounds interesting - steal any pix? And when you say 9in - if jaw width, then that is b-i-i-g.

Also am liking Wilbur the parrot (or is it Orville the ostrich - duh) and mystery German-style (yes could be English as the far smaller (1-2in wide jaws) vices of this type from about 1910).

Remember taking a Perkins diesel apart when training, though don't ever remember working on one once qualified though I know the Fleet Auxiliary had them on some boats. I believe Perkins were taken over by Caterpillar before the turn of the century, so not sure if they are still active.

 

[GRW]

Remember taking a Perkins diesel apart when training, though don't ever remember working on one once qualified though I know the Fleet Auxiliary had them on some boats. I believe Perkins were taken over by Caterpillar before the turn of the century, so not sure if they are still active.

Perkins as a Brand are very much alive and prevalent.
Perkins aquired Rolls-Royce's larger Shrewsbury C series engines way back early in the 80's I think, giving them a range of engines from maybe 15hp up to (with development) up to 900hp-odd and more at higher rpms.
Yes, absorbed by Caterpillar (mores the pity) as Cat didn't build their own engines under about 250-300hp (you see Perkins 1100 Series engines in smaller Cat-branded Generators - just painted Yellow instead of Blue).

 

[dannysheff]

Perkins as a Brand are very much alive and prevalent.
Perkins aquired Rolls-Royce's larger Shrewsbury C series engines way back early in the 80's I think, giving them a range of engines from maybe 15hp up to (with development) up to 900hp-odd and more at higher rpms.
Yes, absorbed by Caterpillar (mores the pity) as Cat didn't build their own engines under about 250-300hp (you see Perkins 1100 Series engines in smaller Cat-branded Generators - just painted Yellow instead of Blue).

Looks like I may have mixed two Perkins -- Perkins diesel engines etc est in Peterborough 1930s and the earlier Baker Perkins (later APV Baker) also a heavy machinery maker, and nearly next door in P'b est WWI. [This was quite a diesel-strong region with Mirrlees in Stamford and Hornsby in Grantham, more similar in Gainsboro and Lincoln -- all far from the sea]

 

[The_Yellow_Ardvark]

YAY.
Another vice to play with.

 

[RWD3M]

Thanks Carsten, this is very helpful. I'm not going to do any more than clean and lubricate it. I'm hoping to get it mounted tomorrow morning but will take a closer look for any identifying marks before I do.

So a little later than planned, I have now mounted the vice I gained at the same time as the Denbigh Pillar Drill and must say, It's a lovely thing.

I've done nothing more than oiled it up and bolted it down but it has a very smooth movement and a nice solid feel.

@25.4_mechanic Hi Carsten, I did look it over in detail and can find no identifying (or other) marks anywhere on it.