Doof Doof, what did you use to clean up your vice? I’ve got a woodworking vice that needs a refurb, I’d be delighted if I could ge it anywhere near as shiny as yours.
I used a wire wheel (proper one, not drill mounted) to get the bulk of it cleaned up. It came off quite readily, but it killed my arms holding it during the process! The areas the wheel couldn’t access, eg. between the guide shafts, I used fabric backed sandpaper strips. I finished it will canuba wax and it seems to be holding up fine so far.
I also have a rare Record #75 like yours that I’m in the process of cleaning up. Thinking of using the bead blaster at work on that one as there’s no original finish worth trying to preserve. Will post some pics when it’s eventually done.
Yeah I thought the 23 was big until we put the 112 up against it, 6″ jaws instead of 4″ and everything is massive, shame the 23 is cracked as it doesn’t look like it’s been abused!
Had another look through this thread last night and decided to upgrade from my Woden 188.
A quick search on Gumtree and I’m now the proud owner of this:[url=https://flic.kr/p/nM9nnz]IMG_0726[/url] by bigshep28, on Flickr[ [img]https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3854/14294375510_b203fdf1e8_s.jpg[/img][url=https://flic.kr/p/nM9pQb]IMG_0727[/url] by bigshep28, on Flickr
The bloke was asking £50, but I bid him £40 and he accepted 😀
A quick wire brush and grease and I reckon she’ll be as good as new.
£600 in Machine Mart 😯
Edit: Aargh how do you get Flickr links to work again?
Thought I’d stick up a pic of the Record No 4 I bought nearly a year ago, as I was using it this afternoon, and it was a good opportunity.
I don’t have a big enough shed, or a bench I can bolt it to, but for the odd little jobs I need a vice for, the damn thing is so heavy that it doesn’t move much.
The item in the jaws is a horn scale from a little pocket knife and I’m making a pair of new ones out of Striped Asian Ebony, and I needed to file it pretty much to shape, before the final finishing on the knife.
The white bits are ice lolly sticks, ideal for preventing damage to the item being gripped.
I rather like its worn appearance, the paint has cracked and flaked off, possibly because it’s been re-painted with something that’s reacted at some point, but it’s good and solid, and I think nicely patinated. 😀
I picked up one of these last night after being inspired by this thread.
Not sure what brand/model it is but it weighs as much as a small car and opens and closes, not bad for £25.
me1tdown, probably just a wire brush on an electric drill, with a hand-held wire brush with short bristles for the fiddly bits. Aluminium oxide paper stuck to strips of duct tape is useful for cleaning up any round bits like the winding handle, stops the paper from tearing, and polishes as it wears and gets smoother.
Thought I’d resurrect this thread with my No.75 refurb.
Purchased in pretty poor cosmetic condition, although seemed to work fine (sellers photo):
I wire brushed the handle/screw assembly and bead blasted the body:
Three coats of Hammerite later. These cast steel vices were red to differentiate them from the standard cast iron ones, and were guaranteed unbreakable. Realised too late I shouldn’t have painted the top of the anvil and areas around the jaws. Jaws are just aluminium ones I made up while I source new replacements for the originals that were damaged during removal. Record No.1 for size comparison (3″ jaws).
Nice work doof-doof. No. 75s are fantastic vices, their offset jaws are pretty handy too.
The condition of the jaws on mine is pretty similar the condition of yours pre resto. They still work really well. I’d be interested to hear if you can find new ones however.
Last time I looked, which was more than twenty years ago they were really expensive, £60 or thereabouts.
That 74 is a lovely vice, great work! – looking to restore one as a present for my nephew – an engineering apprentice – for his 21st. . . . but they are hard to find. Have a Parkinsons 7, a Record 2 that have refurbished and in use – and a Record 53e redady for when the workbench gets extended in the garage
The condition of the jaws on mine is pretty similar the condition of yours pre resto. They still work really well. I’d be interested to hear if you can find new ones however.
Last time I looked, which was more than twenty years ago they were really expensive, £60 or thereabouts.
Sorry, I meant to say the jaw screws were damaged during removal. The jaws themselves are fine. Just need to figure out what size the screws are, possibly something like 5/16″ Whitworth.
The resto job on that 75 is stunning, doof_doof, I’ll bet it never looked as good as that when new!
The wedge-shaped block by the anvil at the back, is that designed to be easily knocked out? Is the idea to be able to use different materials, or just be able to replace it when it’s been bashed about too much to use properly?
Whatever, that’s a terrific piece of equipment.
Thanks, but the bead blaster machine does most of the hard work 😉
The bashing block on the back wouldn’t budge on mine when I tried to move it. I don’t know if MM has tried to remove the one on his vice? I suspect that it isn’t designed to be removed/replaced, it’s simply an insert made of tougher steel than the cast body and can take more of a beating. I would have thought if it was designed to be a consumable, it would be screwed on.
By the way, jaw screws on the 75 are indeed 5/16″ BSW if anyone finds this from a google search.
Where’s the best place to get some soft jaws and axle clamps? The soft jaws seem Ive seen eBay, but struggling to find the axle/shaft clamps. It’s for reverb servicing amongst other things
Where’s the best place to get some soft jaws and axle clamps? The soft jaws seem Ive seen eBay, but struggling to find the axle/shaft clamps. It’s for reverb servicing amongst other things
[url=https://flic.kr/p/r18fc4]001 Unknown vice[/url] by scruffywelder, on Flickr
[url=https://flic.kr/p/qXZf1L]002 Unknown vice[/url] by scruffywelder, on Flickr
I picked ^^this^^ up for £12 in a tool auction at Penrith earlier this month. No makers name on it, all welded steel construction. Never seen anything like it before (at least 75% of why I bought it 😉 )
It’ll be joining a steel Record 36 when I get time to rebuild my workbench…
Dad uses this on an almost daily basis…
[url=https://flic.kr/p/qHQ1p2]003 Record 75 vice[/url] by scruffywelder, on Flickr
…backed up by a Record no5 on a swivel base. He’s also got a no74 Autovice and a no80 Imp in a cupboard. And a Swinden under the bench…
[url=https://flic.kr/p/qHQ4Pi]004 Swinden vice[/url] by scruffywelder, on Flickr
My main squeeze.. the father inlaw donated it, looks to have seen some use [url=https://flic.kr/p/qKXh9d]Record No.23[/url] by z1ppy2, on Flickr
When I do eventually sort out a proper work bench, this will be added [url=https://flic.kr/p/q6vbMW]Record No.52[/url] by z1ppy2, on Flickr
Just been given a Woden 186B/2 [url=https://flic.kr/p/qL5Y9X]Woden 186B/2[/url] by z1ppy2, on Flickr
but the clamp bolt and supporting cast iron has sheerer off, worth trying to drill is out? [url=https://flic.kr/p/qL5Xxr]Broken Clamp[/url] by z1ppy2, on Flickr [url=https://flic.kr/p/q6vbc7]Broken?[/url] by z1ppy2, on Flickr
Picked up a Record no1 off Gumtree yesterday, just need to decide where about I’m going to mount it on the bench. It’s dinky, but should do me for bike stuff.
Took stock of the vices at framebuild HQ today, realised I missed the woodworking one or the lug vice and this doesn’t include the two at the shop. The two big Records are actually different, one is 6 inch opening, the other 8, both quick release. The small record vice is mounted on a block of wood so it can be held in one of the other vices to hold stuff at different angles. I think I have a problem