Identify the mystery vice

[zardoz]

I bought this big heavy old vice today at Elly port boot market, for £20. It weighed in at five and a half stone / 32Kilo or thereabouts, it has number 12 on the sides and at one time had a tin plate either side with (i presume) a name on it. The interchangeable hard faced jaws are 6" long, the first pic shows the vice open at 7 inches.

Now all i need is a table to bolt it to that doesn't collapse under its huge Mass

 

[Damaged]

Very old Record?

 

[knoba]

I love old tools... What a great find and what a great thread... Well done!


Reminds me of a "Parkinsons' Perfect vise" (they're usually marked though...). ...especially the bolt on jaw caps and the quick release / handle.

 

[knoba]

Is that a new Irwin Record next to it (2nd pic down)? If it is, what model is it and what do you think of it zardoz?

 

[zardoz]

speaking of old tools. I have had to go scrounging through the old rusty tool boxes at car boot sales for whitworth/BSF spanners and sockets. The half dozen Whitworth spanners and dozen sockets i had, seem to be sizes that my 1968 Rover P6 does not have. Its so annoying when s spanner is 1mm out (or should that be 1/25 of an inch) a few of my AF tools fit but not many. Fortunately though i rarely have to guess at sizes, I have an old original Rover 2000 workshop manual (with a rover part #) and a just as valuable parts book, these tell me the sizes of most of the nuts and bolts. Unlike todays Haynes rubbish.

 

[malcolm]

Looks a bit like mine. The devil will be in the detail trying to figure out the manufacturer. Immediately post war might be a date - when there were a lot of tooling manufacturers knocking about trying different things so as not to go bust after all the Spitfires were finished.

 

[knoba]

Any markings here...

 

[fingers99]

Lovely vice! A coat of paint and new jaws and it'll be good for another 60 years!

Record might have some idea. Strangely, there were two firms in Sheffield at one time (Record and someone else) producing virtually identical vices with different names -- all the springs, threads, etc. could be fitted from one to the other.

 

[zardoz]

Is that a new Irwin Record next to it (2nd pic down)? If it is, what model is it and what do you think of it zardoz?

thats my Record #11. quarter size anvil bought brand new off ebay for £12. Aint had time to hit it yet.

 

[zardoz]

Any markings here...

View attachment 5207

just been for a quick mooch in the shed to see. The opposite side to that has the #12 on it, that side has a small raised piece of metal, almost like where one might find a serial number or name stamped. But alas if there were any markings they have long gone.

 

[Paul.]

Ive just dumped a vice similar to that, the chap I got it from said it was made during WW2
Nice little anvil, bet mines smaller though

 

[Rogm]

Ive just dumped a vice similar to that, the chap I got it from said it was made during WW2
Nice little anvil, bet mines smaller though

Paul
I have only ever seen one more of that size and thats mine.its a paper weight my godfather used to be a sales manager for Record they were made as paper wieghts for freebies but alot ended up being used for jewelers.
I still have mine somewhere

Rogm

 

[knoba]

Drool...

Now then... how can I get one, in a suitcase, as hand luggage?

 

[Archie]

Looks exactly like the one we have at home, which also looks exactly like Malcolm's.

 

[zardoz]

Looks exactly like the one we have at home, which also looks exactly like Malcolm's.

Yep it does look very similar to the one malcom pictured. Wish it still had the tin name plate on it. Are there any vintage british tool websites that might know ?
Nearly broke my back carrying it back to the car though. five and a half stone. PHEW!

 

[Hitch]

Quite common then, place i worked at for a bit had one the same, the spindle was very worn where the tommy bar goes through, if you dropped the handle you always seemed to pinch your skin unless you had gloves on

 

[knoba]

You could try getting in touch with the curator at Bradford Industrial Museum.

I believe that most of those vices are copies of The Parkinson Perfect Vise, which was patented by Joseph Parkinson in 1884. A precursor to the paramo/record vices.

Some of the spares from Irwin record will still fit them too (quick release).

Isn't this a beauty... (an English rose - 6" #36)



This one's a re badged 4 1/2" Wilton bullet vise... (fantastic vice)



I have a 5 1/2' Parkinson Perfect Vise in the garage and will take a snap of it tomorrow.

 

[Archie]

Quite common then, place i worked at for a bit had one the same, the spindle was very worn where the tommy bar goes through, if you dropped the handle you always seemed to pinch your skin unless you had gloves on

The number of times I have done that! I have a practically permanent blood-blister on the left of my right index finger!

 

[knoba]

Not much in it...

 

[Hitch]

Not helping much, but for lovers of old tools, have a look here