Show us your bench vice(s)

[CwazyWabbit]

Hmm maybe next time I go over to visit my cousins I should load the Land Rover up with vices?

 

[Turbo]

Ah, you're in a better spot than us then. The secondhand machinery & tool prices over there in general tend to be quite higher than ours, don't they?

That's great when you're selling, but I'm usually buying. Lathes are one thing that seem to get crazy prices over here, often twice the price compared to mainland Britain. That makes the Myford even more of a bargain! If you could source a good lathe in Britain you could buy it, go over & bring it back on the boat and it would still be cheaper than buying it here.

 

[MattF]

That makes the Myford even more of a bargain!

I was thinking that same thing earlier. That price you got it for would be good over here, but over there, that truly was a stonking deal.

 

[Ben - Kinetics]

Always liked the Saracen's since first seeing one. How do they compare to the others, or a standard English style, on build quality, function etc.?

Shamefully, I haven't bolted it to a bench yet - it was a buy-first-find-a-use-later thing. Very solidly built, though - decent castings and very smooth movement.

Love the tap wrench.

Have you seen how much big tap wrenches cost?! A proper one costs twice what I spent on my big lathe!

 

[Tinbasherdan]

My Woden 190/8a, but of a brute but it works !

 

[Tiggy_dorset]

Don't know if it counts as a 'bench' vice, but just bought it locally for 20 notes
Fabrex 413, made in Shefield. Practically brand new.

 

[MattF]

If it's a vice, it counts. Only put bench in the thread title to bypass the inevitable additions if I'd just put vices. That looks a fair size vice, unless that's an extremely small cup? Very good nick too. I'd say you got an absolute bargain with that.

 

[Tiggy_dorset]

3 inch jaws. One swivels. Machined end face, so can be used squarely on an angle plate. Grooved jaws for bar and roundy roundy stuff. I dont know, perhaps just a bog standard machine vice, but Im chuffed to bits with it

 

[MattF]

I dont know, perhaps just a bog standard machine vice, but Im chuffed to bits with it

Those are good vices, and that one's practically pristine, rather than having drill holes in it. The swivelling rear jaw comes in very handy too. It's the same as a Record 413. They always sell well, especially in that condition, from what I've seen in the past, so you're right to be chuffed to bits with it. I have one here which isn't in as good a condition as yours, and for certain jobs, those vices just hit the sweet spot when other vices won't.

 

[Tiggy_dorset]

The seller told me it came from an old fella who had passed away. It will become one of the very few items that I truly look after and only comes out when it has its place. It certainly wont be my every day vice.

 

[sardine]

I have a terrible confession to make.

My vice is....ahem...Chinese.

I don't want to talk about it.

 

[MattF]

The seller told me it came from an old fella who had passed away. It will become one of the very few items that I truly look after and only comes out when it has its place. It certainly wont be my every day vice.

I see you have a bit of a sentimental type streak too. I'm the same with certain pieces on occasion.

I have a terrible confession to make.

My vice is....ahem...Chinese.

I don't want to talk about it.

There's always one. Just a generic type, or a slightly better than the usual import affair type?

 

[Turbo]

That's a nice machine vice.

Since we're on the subject has anyone seen one of these before?

Each jaw has its own screw so their position can be independently adjusted. The angle is adjustable and it looks like it pivots on the base. The jaws are 120mm wide and it is 470mm long, so not small by any means!
Going to see it Saturday, what do you think it's worth?

 

[MattF]

Never seen owt like that personally. Looks a nice piece though. Seems to have some very vague similarities to one vice I can recall, but in larger scale and far more refined. I'll be damned if I can recall the make offhand though.

 

[CwazyWabbit]

Machine vices of that size are a bit of a hard one to price, on the infamous auction site it could go for anything between £30 and £200 at a guess. The problem is that it's too large for a lot of hobby machinists and a lot of businesses only buy new or from other businesses so they have a very limited market.

A good example is my large Sevo mill/drill vice, I paid £30 for that, shortly after someone listed one at nearly £300 which no doubt they could be worth .... I've seen it relisted many times since at a constantly reducing price.

Anyway, that was the long way of saying I have no idea on price

Looks like a nice vice, I'd buy it ... but then I'd need to buy a bridgeport or similar to use it on

 

[CRB]

Until I got to the last picture, I thought it was just a self-centring vice.

That is a very nice tool indeed.

 

[Turbo]

Ok guys I think I'm in love again. Met her Saturday afternoon and it was love at first sight. I couldn't wait to get her into the car and bring her home to meet my family. Ok she's a lot older than me and quite heavy but very beautifully made and a delight to use!

Yep, you've guessed it, I bought the machine vice! As soon as I saw it I knew I wanted it, it just oozed quality. The seller says it is made by JD Barrett who also make micrometers and industrial tooling so no surprise that it is so smooth and tight to use, a precision made instrument. Well worth £65 I think!

First problem was getting it out of the car and onto the drill. At 52 kg it's more than I can currently lift, though there was a time I could carry 50kg bags of fertiliser for fun!

It is a self centering vice as I have now discovered. No mug handy so using a coke can for size comparison.

Loosen 4 bolts and the top pivots smoothly round over 90 degrees either side. As well as the end bearings there is a centre support that the top slides on.

The entire top pivots on the base which is marked in degrees.

It looks quite at home on the big camelback drill, just the right size.

I will strip it down and clean off some surface rust on the machined surfaces but apart from that everything else is in great condition.

 

[CwazyWabbit]

Certainly looks more than worth the money, a quality vice and unusual to boot. You had a result there

 

[MattF]

Both the vice and the camelback are impressive.

 

[The_Yellow_Ardvark]

I have got round to posting my benches and vices, honest Gov, there is one in there some were.