CwazyWabbit
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They are nice bits of kit, I use my big one quite a bit despite it's size and weight. They're very well made and I'm betting they were very expensive when new.
- Thread starter MattF
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TurtleDude
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New disks and pads all round for someone's lucky motor?
Have taken it apart. The casting looks very bad. Maybe it's a prototype or something ... Sent an email to Swindens, and here is the answer ..... "
Congratulations. It looks like you have either an 8" or 6" Swindens Revolving Head Vice. Just open the jaws to their fullest and measure the gap. It should be half an inch more than 6 or 8. (It looks like an 8")
Make sure that you oil it as it doesn't look too rusty, but it obviously need cleaning and painting.
You're missing the locking handle.
If the center of picture 1 is the center of a clock face, the little hexagonal knob at 11 o'clock next to the anvil is what the locking handle fits on.
We can supply a blank handle but you'll have to get the hole made. This is an old vice and I'm not sure whether there are any distinguishing factors to indicate the size or year of production.
If you need replacement jaws, flat or pipe, we can supply as well as plastic jaws for sensitive materials, should this be useful.
Please find attached the current price list. I would have to quote including the cost of delivery, once I know what you require, since delivery cost is based on weight.
CwazyWabbit
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That is the cutting edge of quality for a Swindens casting, I kid you not.
MattF
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Seems weird when you can look at that and realise it's a good example, isn't it. Like CW says Solo, that's a pretty damn good cast quality compared to a lot of them. Functional a Swindens may be, but pretty and refined they are usually most definitely not. The quality of the casting usually makes them akin to a bairn who has a face only a mother could love. What's the serial number on that ring which holds the slide in the body, btw? That serial will be a good indicator of whether it's an early one or not.
MattF
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Spaced apart on either side of that arrow, by any chance? Any chance of a photo of it? The leading 6 can be ignored, as that's just reference to the jaw width, so the serial is likely 09486, which means yours was within the first 10,000 produced. Also look at the side of the jaws, where the inserts go. If it was a Military vice, there'll usually be an identifier stamped somewhere there.
As to whether they started from 0 for each specific model, or whether they were sequential across the range of sizes, I'm not sure as yet, though the fact they start the serial off with the jaw width suggests they may have used a single range of sequential numbers across the range, rather than having the numbers staring from 0 for each size, and then each model having its own range of sequential numbers. That's only a guess though.
As to whether they started from 0 for each specific model, or whether they were sequential across the range of sizes, I'm not sure as yet, though the fact they start the serial off with the jaw width suggests they may have used a single range of sequential numbers across the range, rather than having the numbers staring from 0 for each size, and then each model having its own range of sequential numbers. That's only a guess though.
CwazyWabbit
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There looks to be a number 8 on the side of the main body under the lock nut, on the 4" that number was on the other side but was the jaw size......
CwazyWabbit
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In which case I'm just getting old 
MattF
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In which case I'm just getting old
Join the club.
If that is classed as a 8" model, (though why they'd go against the standard and use the jaw opening rather than width is beyond me), it means my thinking about the first number of the serial being the size designator is wrong too.CwazyWabbit
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Unless of course the first digit is the jaw width but the number on the side is the model number which is the jaw opening
CwazyWabbit
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They are by jaw size, IIRC from the time I spoke to Swindens they don't really know much about their older vices so it's quite possible they gave out the wrong info.
I'm inclined to believe catalogue info from the time.
I'm inclined to believe catalogue info from the time.
CwazyWabbit
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perhaps that is a bad 6 on the side?
MattF
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Solo, I'd forgot they stamped the number there too. Just ignore that slash in the serial number. It does appear to be an earlyish one you have there. What method have you used for derusting it, btw? That's cleaning up nicely. 
Looking at that catalogue page though, jaw opening and jaw width are the same on all models, so it should be the same. I'm thinking you're correct in that it's probably a malformed 6.
Looking at that catalogue page though, jaw opening and jaw width are the same on all models, so it should be the same. I'm thinking you're correct in that it's probably a malformed 6.
