Show us your bench vice(s)

[Arc Tourist]

I have this vice too, I think Arc Tourist posted a premier vice that looks identical but this isn't marked.
I also bought this for occasional jobs under the drill but it's awkward. You can't wind it in without the handle overhanging the edge. Means you can't clamp it down unless the handle ends up horizontal.

So where these just bench vices? Why isn't this one marked? Green paint but i see no military markings.

View attachment 316081View attachment 316082View attachment 316083

How do you tag a member? Arc Tourist, is this the same as yours?

It looks almost identical, I'll get some photos posted soon.

 

[GraemeVW]

@GraemeVW just put the at sign in front of their name '@'

Thanks, should have known that really.

 

[GraemeVW]

It looks almost identical, I'll get some photos posted soon.

I screenshot the posts where you mentioned it and it looks VERY similar.

I had a cold last week so Friday, I spent the whole day and went through EVERY page of this thread, start to finish.
Obviously didn't read every work but saw every picture and read all the bits that were talking about stuff I liked.
That's when I saw yours, thought that looks like mine. Only just got round to taking pics of mine.

No idea what I'll do with it. I guess I could bolt it to a plate to raise it enough to give clearance for the handle, bit if I use it on the drill I guess I'm best off with a removable handle anyway.

 

[MattF]

I spent the whole day and went through EVERY page of this thread, start to finish.

You sad git.

 

[GraemeVW]

You sad git.

I was ill
Got a bit carried away.

Was better than what's on tv!

 

[CwazyWabbit]

You sad git.

Not as sad as those of us who wrote it all

 

[Arc Tourist]

This Premier vice is about 11" overall length, with 4" wide jaws. Sorry about the photo quality, they don't seem to come out well with my camera in LED lighting. Having a flat base, these vices are versatile in that they can be mounted on the side of a bench as well as on top. Having a wider opening and deeper throat than drill press vices makes them more useful too. Getting the tommy bar out of the way to lay flat is a simple matter to make up a couple of sheet metal shims to fit in the jaws. I decided to paint the vice with some rattle can Teal colour to match the Fobco press where I expect it to be used mostly. I think this vice would also be great for sliding around on a welding table to hold Items.

 

[GraemeVW]

@Arc Tourist That is so almost identical, but the front jaw is a little different. It looks almost like mine could be an earlier version.

Same as you, the whole reason I bought it was because of the jaw height, I figured it would come in handy now and then under the drill.

Good point about shimming the jaw to make sure the handle ends up horizontal.

I have a kerry super 8 so it doesn't really matter where the workpiece ends up as table movement isn't restricted to an arc like most pillar drill. You can get every single square mm of the table to end up under the chuck.
Means I could hang the handle off the edge if ideally had to.

 

[GraemeVW]

@Arc Tourist slightly different underneath, and yours has a more rounded spindle nose.
Convention says then, if they are by any chance different variants from same place, yours would be earlier.
Maybe the molds got passed on to another place, they changed them a little and took the name off.
Or maybe premier stopped making them and someone copied it.

It seems good quality.

 

[Arc Tourist]

I'm happy with the quality. The jaws line up, and there is only a very small amount of wiggle in the movable jaw.

 

[GraemeVW]

Yesterday maybe it was mentioned about the holes in the front of a Parkinson's jaw and wjat might have caused them.
I found the vice with even more holes that I mentioned.
Looks like it's been ground down maybe, looking at the jaw plates.

And another split rear jaw Parkinson
I don't know Parkinson's well but this looks a little different, bit don't know why. Might just be the angle, or the size.

Edit... Or the 4 mounting points!
Is it even Parkinson's? It's probably not is it. The decoration on the rear end of the slide look the same though.

 

[Arc Tourist]

Yesterday maybe it was mentioned about the holes in the front of a Parkinson's jaw and wjat might have caused them.
I found the vice with even more holes that I mentioned.
Looks like it's been ground down maybe, looking at the jaw plates.
View attachment 316097

I would refurbish it by warming up the vice a bit and pouring molten lead over the holes, then hammering it in to the cavities, filing smooth, and giving the vice a coat of paint; about all you can do realistically to spruce it up.

 

[CwazyWabbit]

--SNIP--


And another split rear jaw Parkinson
I don't know Parkinson's well but this looks a little different, bit don't know why. Might just be the angle, or the size.
View attachment 316098

Edit... Or the 4 mounting points!
Is it even Parkinson's? It's probably not is it. The decoration on the rear end of the slide look the same though.

That looks like an early Parkinsons Handy vice. The type that was copied and led to the development of the QR Perfect Vice.

 

[GraemeVW]

I had this soaking in soap overnight, try and loosed ant left over packed in mud. It didn't really help.
I wanted to get the quick release off though as however I de rust it, I'm cautious of putting brass in the process (the release plate is brass).
Front bolt came out easy (single bolt, fortis 10 seem to normally have 2?).
The 2 bolts underneath sheared as soon as I put slight pressure on them. No big deal, I'll try welding nuts on them, if not I'll drill them out.

It wouldn't all come out though. Spent some time freeing the lever from the front plate. Got if free, but still no joy. The main screw needs to come out.
Lots of wd40 and repeatedly knocking the handle clockwise and anti-clockwise and eventually it freed off!

So, now there is no brass and it's also easier to dunk as the handle isn't in the way.
I'll have a little bit more of a play as de rusting would be easier if I can get it apart, but no doubt it will be de rusted as it sits here.

 

[25.4_mechanic]

So it's looking like the decorative inlay disappeared with Cocker Bros.

... if a year was already mentioned for this, then I could not find it in any case when leafing back ...

So, if the end of the decorations at the ends of the sleighs probably coincides with the end of Parkinson vices from Cocker Bros, then we are talking about approximately what years?

Thanks all!

Carsten

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[25.4_mechanic]

No big deal, I'll try welding nuts on them, if not I'll drill them out.

Since I guess I'm not a particularly precise MIG welder, I've found it helpful to weld a washer on first and then a nut on top of that.

All too often - especially with small diameters - the inside of the nut is otherwise welded before contact is made with the broken bolt ...
But maybe that's just me ...

Carsten

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[GraemeVW]

Since I guess I'm not a particularly precise MIG welder, I've found it helpful to weld a washer on first and then a nut on top of that.

All too often - especially with small diameters - the inside of the nut is otherwise welded before contact is made with the broken bolt ...
But maybe that's just me ...

Carsten

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One of them has maybe 8mm sticking out so that should be easier. The other one is flush.
I thinkni only have 0.8mm wire at the moment too which won't help.
I'll build a blob up on top, probably with a washer as you say, then put a nut over the blob.
I don't have a great success rate with this technique anyway. Id be surprised if I don't just end up drilling them.

 

[FR518]

forgot to share the missing piece to a full collection

 

[GraemeVW]

This fortis does seem to have had a plated handle. Nickel I'm guessing

Which means these ends must be screwed on

Is this usual for fortis?

The quick release stuff, I assume these are just pinned and peened over

 

[25.4_mechanic]

The quick release stuff, I assume these are just pinned and peened over

Because I just see the spring of your QR:
I've been quite pleasantly surprised lately by how well you can recover rusted springs.

I saw a few springs lying around at the last old-tool fishing expedition, too.

With the front loader on our Unimog, we always have to run a sheet metal guard over the teeth of the bucket on the road.
That is held in place with springs. Our springs are quite tired and sometimes one gets lost.

This type seemed suitable:

15 minutes later it looked like this:

Just Ballistol-Oil and a wire-wheel.

I am quite satisfied.

Have a nice evening all

Carsten

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