Show us your bench vice(s)

[Farside]

By the way - that green under the W in Glasgow is awfully reminiscent of Corporation Green. Not saying that vice was routinely supplied that colour by Mathieson's, but they might have supplied it to special order in that colour, and if it was bolted to a bench in a Corpy tram or bus workshop it might have been plastered with that beforehand, as a matter of course.
Kind of deterred anyone from picking it up and taking it home in their piece box.
Of course, the anti-theft measures were only partially successful, and it wasn't terribly unusual to see the Corpy Green paint itself being used domestically.

 

[TAITSIE]

By the way - that green under the W in Glasgow is awfully reminiscent of Corporation Green. Not saying that vice was routinely supplied that colour by Mathieson's, but they might have supplied it to special order in that colour, and if it was bolted to a bench in a Corpy tram or bus workshop it might have been plastered with that beforehand, as a matter of course.
Kind of deterred anyone from picking it up and taking it home in their piece box.
Of course, the anti-theft measures were only partially successful, and it wasn't terribly unusual to see the Corpy Green paint itself being used domestically.

I worked in the city bus garages for over twenty years and never saw a vice like that or any painted vices. As for the matter of items being borrowed on a long time basis I refuse to comment

 

[MattF]

By the way - that green under the W in Glasgow is awfully reminiscent of Corporation Green. Not saying that vice was routinely supplied that colour by Mathieson's, but they might have supplied it to special order in that colour...

There's that possibility. Be nice to know whether that was the original colour or not. I'm thinking I'm not likely to go with that colour this time round though. Green seems to be one of those colours which either fits a vice perfectly or looks crap, IMHO. I'm thinking it might look the latter on this one. It just doesn't say green to me.

I never looked that far along for the makers name, looks good condition considering its age.

The condition is definitely good. Only place there's any minor rust pitting is on the rear of that top rail on the slide, but even that's negligible. Good quality casting too. No major cavities, blow holes or the like, and even the rough surfaces aren't dog rough like some. I'll pop up another photo in a bit which shows all the main pieces derusted/depainted. That base has cleaned up awfully well too. Just the screw left in the vat now, and then that side of things is done once that comes out.

It's deciding what finish to go with now which is the perplexing bit. I honestly don't think any of the paints I have here will do it justice. I'm tempted to finally get the bits ordered in to make a homebrew stove polish and try that, on this one. Graphite black seems like it might go well with this vice. What do you think?

 

[TAITSIE]

There's that possibility. Be nice to know whether that was the original colour or not. I'm thinking I'm not likely to go with that colour this time round though. Green seems to be one of those colours which either fits a vice perfectly or looks crap, IMHO. I'm thinking it might look the latter on this one. It just doesn't say green to me.




The condition is definitely good. Only place there's any minor rust pitting is on the rear of that top rail on the slide, but even that's negligible. Good quality casting too. No major cavities, blow holes or the like, and even the rough surfaces aren't dog rough like some. I'll pop up another photo in a bit which shows all the main pieces derusted/depainted. That base has cleaned up awfully well too. Just the screw left in the vat now, and then that side of things is done once that comes out.

It's deciding what finish to go with now which is the perplexing bit. I honestly don't think any of the paints I have here will do it justice. I'm tempted to finally get the bits ordered in to make a homebrew stove polish and try that, on this one. Graphite black seems like it might go well with this vice. What do you think?

I you are right about the paint colour, I think the shape and size of the vice would look better in a black or grey finish.

 

[Farside]

I worked in the city bus garages for over twenty years and never saw a vice like that or any painted vices. As for the matter of items being borrowed on a long time basis I refuse to comment

I recall various items of plant being painted - it wasn't consistent though, and not everything was plastered with it. Most of the street furniture was, of course. Otoh, if that vice is Victorian, and Corpy Green goes back as far as that, who knows what was done at the time, or subsequently.

 

[the snooper]

have you got a pneumatic vice in your collection

 

[MattF]

I you are right about the paint colour, I think the shape and size of the vice would look better in a black or grey finish.

That's what I was thinking too. If it looks a bit naff when I try it, it would be easy enough for me to strip it off and start again. Only one way to find out though. This is the photo of all the main bits cleaned up.

The sliding and mating surfaces on the base are in lovely nick.

have you got a pneumatic vice in your collection
View attachment 73341

Nope.

 

[MattF]

Picked this one up yesterday. Jaws have seen better days, but it's an unusual one, and also came with the cast iron vice stand/trolley too.

I've got some beeswax and graphite on order, so I'm thinking that one may get the same stove black type finish which will be going on the Mathieson.

 

[Maker]

Picked this one up yesterday. Jaws have seen better days, but it's an unusual one, and also came with the cast iron vice stand/trolley too.

I've got some beeswax and graphite on order, so I'm thinking that one may get the same stove black type finish which will be going on the Mathieson.

What is it? The top edge of the jaw is completely knackered, and I can't see any lines to suggest they are inserted jaws.

 

[Screwdriver]

My current favourite: a relatively modern Swindens.

Mind you, it needed quite a bit of work when I first got it:

These vices are unbelievably handy, if only because its so easy to reposition a workpiece without releasing it from the jaws. Plus the the choice of hard or soft, flat or round jaws is dead handy too. Don't know how I made do without one.

Screwd.

 

[MattF]

What is it?

I've absolutely no idea regarding manufacturer, as yet. It could be from either side of the pond.

The top edge of the jaw is completely knackered, and I can't see any lines to suggest they are inserted jaws.

Knackered is relative. It's repairable. You're correct in that they appear to be cast inserts. I'll not know for sure until I clean it up though. It does appear someone has attempted, poorly, fitting screwed inserts, hence those seeming gouges in the top of the front jaw. Did I mention it's on a wheeled cast iron vice stand? Been waiting yonks for one of those to appear, within reasonable distance.

Truth be told, I wasn't actually expecting to get this, but I went and did my usual trick, (placed the token, starting bid so that it would appear in my bids list, so I can easily keep track of something), and then no-one else bid on it. I'm glad I did though.

 

[Screwdriver]

Matt that vice looks ace as a beater (which it probably has been most of its life) and the cast stand is awesome.

I'd happily plonk one of those outside in the garden somewhere and probably use it a lot more often than I planned.

 

[MattF]

I had considered doing that, but knowing how protective I tend to become of things, especially once I've fettled them, it'll end up staying inside and being treat nicely.

 

[Screwdriver]

Fair enough. That stand on its own is definitely worth the effort of restoring.

 

[Screwdriver]

Like waiting for a bus, after all these years, one Swindens turns up, then another one a few days later!

Not "finished" yet but this 1945 version (!) took less than a day to restore to good working condition.

S.

 

[MattF]

That stand on its own is definitely worth the effort of restoring.

My thoughts too. There doesn't seem to be a vast amount of those stands knocking about.

Like your other Swindens too. That old style is my favourite of the designs. I know the slide isn't fully enclosed, as with the newer ones, but they have more appeal in their appearance, IMHO. The new ones don't seem to have that same look of ruggedness about them, I always think.

 

[Maker]

Like waiting for a bus, after all these years, one Swindens turns up, then another one a few days later!

Not "finished" yet but this 1945 version (!) took less than a day to restore to good working condition.

S.

That looks great, I'd leave it unpainted if I were you.

 

[Screwdriver]

That looks great, I'd leave it unpainted if I were you.

It is tempting and it's why it's still raw. Had some good results on some other stuff with a very light coating of boiled linseed oil.

 

[MattF]

Knackered is relative. It's repairable. You're correct in that they appear to be cast inserts. I'll not know for sure until I clean it up though. It does appear someone has attempted, poorly, fitting screwed inserts, hence those seeming gouges in the top of the front jaw.

Just been having a proper look at the jaws, and it's hard to tell whether it may have been cast jaw faces else screwed inserts originally. There does appear to be damage underneath where inserts would be, as if insert shelves have been beaten/broken off over time, and there are screw holes on both jaws, (though those could be later additions by a previous owner), but if there were insert shelves on there originally, the inserts would have been quite demure in height, (excessively small, IMO), so it's hard to tell which way it may have been designed originally. I've stripped it down and still no makers marks evident.

 

[jweaver]

After living with a small 1 Ton record for many years, I had an idea of upgrading after seeing a vice in our "plant room" at work which was going in the bin when we moved.. But after months of dropping hints, we moved office and I never got it.

So I ended up looking around and in the end bought a reconditioned Record 110..

But as luck would have it.. 2 days later, our facilities manager had to go back to our old site and picked up the old vice for me.. It turned out to be a Record No.5 and its lovely as its only been used for VERY light work (plumbing, gluing, etc)

I now have both but room for only one.. So I decided to keep the No.110 (primarily because of its quick release) and will sell the No.5 on.

I guess its worth mentioning, I paid £80 + £20 shipping for the 110, which is not particularly cheap.. But they don't come along very often and it was in nice condition, so I figured it was worth it.. Although if I had knonw the No5 was coming, I obviously wouldn't have bought it

Jon