Swindens vice

[MattF]

Need to get back onto finishing off the Drummond, Ehrlich and Rapidor. The Ehrlich, (I'm still in tit lip mode with that over that bleedin' abysmal clamping plate for the headstock. I know I could fettle it and make it usable, but it just really goes against the grain to even temporarily fit something which is that shoddy), is needed, (else the Drummond, but that's still a fair way off done yet), to finish the Rapidor.

 

[TAITSIE]

Need to get back onto finishing off the Drummond, Ehrlich and Rapidor. The Ehrlich, (I'm still in tit lip mode with that over that bleedin' abysmal clamping plate for the headstock. I know I could fettle it and make it usable, but it just really goes against the grain to even temporarily fit something which is that shoddy), is needed, (else the Drummond, but that's still a fair way off done yet), to finish the Rapidor.

I have a Drummond round bed lying under my bench which I got a few years ago but as yet have not got around to doing anything with it

 

[MattF]

Honestly. What are you like. The model with the cast iron headstock bearings, or the older model with bronze bearings? I have a serious soft spot for the RB's.

 

[TAITSIE]

Cant remember , its been that long since I looked at it

 

[MattF]

Oh, this is getting worse. Dig it out man and start either using it or doing it up.

 

[TAITSIE]

Shhhhhhhhhhhhh

You can have it if you want to add it to your collection ?

 

[MattF]

I could definitely give that a good home, if you have no use for it. Getting it down here could be fun though. Drop me a PM, (or whatever the new name for them is ), to let me know what you want for it. Cheers.

 

[Norm]

I could definitely give that a good home, if you have no use for it. Getting it down here could be fun though. Drop me a PM, (or whatever the new name for them is ), to let me know what you want for it. Cheers.

Lol another one seems to me your only vice is collecting vices or other old machinery

 

[TAITSIE]

I could definitely give that a good home, if you have no use for it. Getting it down here could be fun though. Drop me a PM, (or whatever the new name for them is ), to let me know what you want for it. Cheers.

PM sent

 

[MattF]

PM sent

Replied. Can't get used to using that new fangled message system. Cheers.

Lol another one seems to me your only vice is collecting vices or other old machinery

What can I say; I'm hooked. Old machinery truly is beautiful stuff to use and work on. The Drummond's more than anything, as the workmanship on those is exemplary. The downside, (for most equipment, not me), is that everything I work on gets compared to Drummond's, and it's an impossible goal to achieve for most. The amount of times I've seen some weird, sloppy or half arsed method used on a piece of machinery, and I've realised my favourite saying has become: "You'd never see that trick done on a Drummond". I think I've become a Victorian old fart well before my time.

 

[Norm]

Replied. Can't get used to using that new fangled message system. Cheers.




What can I say; I'm hooked. Old machinery truly is beautiful stuff to use and work on. The Drummond's more than anything, as the workmanship on those is exemplary. The downside, (for most equipment, not me), is that everything I work on gets compared to Drummond's, and it's an impossible goal to achieve for most. The amount of times I've seen some weird, sloppy or half arsed method used on a piece of machinery, and I've realised my favourite saying has become: "You'd never see that trick done on a Drummond". I think I've become a Victorian old fart well before my time.

Your not wrong matt, about machinery that is, not being an old fart , I personally just like the look of some of the older machines I see on here, there's just something about the lines and craftmanship that makes them equally as nice to look at as use as taitsie said earlier you could put that vice of yours on display indoors.

 

[MattF]

Aye, the older stuff they were just as interested with form as functionality. It had to look nice as well as perform nicely. The beading on the pre-B, for example. It's pretty much totally unnecessary, but it just adds that little touch.

 

[MattF]

Finally got the jaws refitted. Ended up using countersunk machine screws for the jaw bolts. Not sure if it's worthwhile, at a later date, making up some more to the original design, with the plain shank where it passes through the inserts and cast, or whether the fully threaded machine screws will be fine left on there?

Also in the process of making this plinth up for it. Not sure if the wood is Mahogany or Oak. Seem to recall it being Mahogany, but the colouring tends to make me think Oak.

Just the top piece has had a coat of Linseed oil in that photo, to show the difference it makes to the finish. I haven't had a "can't cut for toffee moment" on the shaping btw. That irregular shape is quite closely followed from the casting. That top piece is around an 1/8" or so larger than the vice base, alway round, rather than being actual size. Thought it would give it a bit of character. Those plinth pieces were hand cut from the piece of wood which the vice is stood on in the photo's above.

Reason for the plinth is so that the vice doesn't need to go at the bench edge. It can be stood inbound on the bench with that plinth and still allow the jaws to clear and rotate. The plinth should hopefully have plenty of strength for the task.

 

[Pete.]

But vices are supposed to over-hang the bench enough so that stuff held in the fixed jaw can clear the front of the bench.

 

[MattF]

Yup. Figured out that I tend to do more small work, filing and shaping than owt else these days though, so having it set back a bit is actually preferable for me personally. That way, the crap from filing, cutting etc goes on the bench rather than the floor, and it also gives me somewhere to rest the elbows when doing really fine stuff. I have the little Record vice set up for overhang, and that vice is usually plenty for longer pieces I need to work on. This Swindens seems more suitable for shaping work and such, with being able to rotate the jaws. What can I say. I'm just an awkward git.

Still trying to decide whether I ought to make it able to rotate base wise too. Can't decide one way or the other on that point as yet. It'll obviously be sturdier with the typical three point bolt down fixing, (hence the elongated shape of that wooden base to allow for that), but for how I envisage using it, having a central pivot lock down bolt might be more functional.

 

[Norm]

Great job Matt that looks sweet. hand cut your a glutton for punishment, where's that nice meddings scrollsaw of yours?

 

[MattF]

Quite an ironic little nugget is that. The Meddings is sat at the other end of the bench from where I cut this in the vice with a hand fretsaw. Need to sort the motor on that though. Occasionally, it trips the main breaker in the house, so I use it at a last push until check those starter contacts on it.

 

[Cobbs]

That wood is definitely not oak...

 

[MattF]

That wood is definitely not oak...

Cheers. Never been too good at remembering grains. It'll be Mahogany then, judging by whom I got it from. That was the wood he used mainly. It was just the colour which threw me off. Seemed to think Mahogany had a tad of a deeper brown colour.

 

[gordon stephenson]

Lovely looking and useful vice.. anybody would be proud to own it, Just can't agree with your no overhang policy.