@AD

Just got round to watching that,thanks for posting

And a matching Woden 186b/3 to smarten up a bit

My first vice was a Woden like the one above, after year so of service I gave it to my brother when we built his shed together.

https://www.petermclarenfineart.com/Blog/Studio-Build-Blog

Quite excited currently as building my first workbench. My Dad surprised me last year when he just dug out an old vice languishing under his workbench and said have it for my shed. I’ve not even looked at it properly yet, it’s covered in a layer of dust encrusted grime and is well used. Will take a look at weekend and get photos.

Have been making do with a Record no 0 or (double 00) bolted down to a wooden frame resembling a chair. Birthday present from over 30 years ago. Used on the floor of the porch until we moved last year and I got a shed. Will keep it bolted to the wooden frame as it can be used anywhere and on either left or right sides, pointing up in the air, as well as normal orientation. Very handy for small things.

Had a closer look of it this evening. It’s a Record no3. I’m curious about how to fix it to a bench. The underneath looks like this no2 on mig welding forums looks like it’s meant to go onto something, do you know what? I plan on fixing it to a wooden bench so could maybe just pad it out with an extra bit of wood or something, or, just bolt it and not worry?

Just bolt it down. It’s doesn’t need any other material between the cast base and the bench

@sirromj I imagine the tab/sticky outy bit on rhs of your photo goes up against the front edge of your bench.
Not sure, though.
Edit
Bunkum, take no notice of me.
But yes, that’ll tend to tilt the vice.

@sirromj
Get some nice carriage bolts to mount it and try to have the back jaw over the edge of your bench.

Thanks thought perhaps was over thinking it.

I have some M10 coach bolts to hand and fancied the dome part of the head on top of the vice but holes not large enough and of course there’s the other problem with that idea.

Will probably sit on 2 x 18mm MDF bolting through 38mm CLS but think the bolts are only 100mm so might need longer. Plenty to do building bench yet though. Not sure how well my design will work out for mounting a vice didn’t really think about it when starting, but will find a way.

This:

Now looks like this:

Picked this up a couple of days ago…

Will pick up some coach bolts this week.
Then in the future perhaps a strip down, clean and a fresh lick of paint if I have the time.

I’ve just picked this up from a lady nearby. I think her husband died recently, she seemed quite reticent to let it go but had offered. I’d like to refurbish it a bit and let her know it will be looked after. I think it’s quite a steal for a giveaway.

@umop3pisdn – How did you go about restoring yours? Looks great

@jimmy – there’s some photos a ways back of a Record I bought that was about like that one, and I cleaned it up with a wire whizwheel I bought cheap from Homebase ‘cos it was a display model without packaging. Did a brilliant job, but eye protection is a must, and a mask would be a good idea too, something that pretty much everyone is going to have handy! I used flat blue Hammerite paint, rather than the metallic hammered finish, it’s almost exactly the same colour as the original paint.
To be honest, though, looking at yours, I’d leave it alone, other than giving it a thorough clean with WD40 and wire wool, or maybe white spirit, just to remove all the old dirt and muck, it’s still got original paint, and it’s been well used, and deserves to show that wear and tear – mine had several layers of grubby paint of different colours, was a black-ish red/grey, and filthy, so needed stripping back to metal, but yours looks great, just give it a clean!

Yep. That doesn’t meet refurbishing, it just needs a clean and maybe some light oil on the mechanism.

@jimmy I stripped it down fully, cleaned, left it in citric acid to remove the rust (waste of time) then attacked it with a wire wheel in an angle grinder. Paint was hammerite spray paint, a few thin coats. Then regreased and reassembled.

Seems a lot of people don’t like the idea of refurbishing vices, not sure why!

That looks great! I’ve picked up a No3 to restore as a gift for someone, trying to decide whether to just oil it, or paint for a lower maintenance finish. However, I want a dark blue, not that bright Hammerite a lot of people seem to use. Any recommendations?

Recently installed,

Bought this 52 about 10 years ago from a car boot for a fiver as it was seized, built a man cave around it in summer lockdown 😁

https://postimg.cc/4m4444yp

https://postimg.cc/phtxwR3h

https://postimg.cc/7fQ4xgpy

https://postimg.cc/hQDnGMDK

https://postimg.cc/jCbd94rg

I believe the vice is about 80 years old and will probably still be here when I’m gone so I engraved a little message on the ‘service hatch’ for the next owner.

Seems a lot of people don’t like the idea of refurbishing vices, not sure why!

don’t have time for jobs that don’t need doing! Got a no.3 off eBay recently, works fine as-is 😀 👍

I need a vice, there’s only so much stuff I can take to work and work on in their time…

I’d like a Record or Woden but they can be rather spendy. Just how bad is something like likely to be; https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/NEW-4-100mm-Jaw-Bench-Vice-Workshop-Clamp-Work-Bench-Table-Engineer/203243210280

Yeah well mine is red AND rarer AND exactly the same as one of the steel Record vices (No. 84) posted.

Parkinson Model F

Just found this;

It still works apparently and it’s only 25 quid, so I can see a bit of wire-brushing in my future.

I started to dismantle the Record No1 to clean it and have broken the pin that holds the spring and washer to the handle rod. Anyone know how to get a replacement – do they exist?

Doomanic, those jaws don’t look aligned properly, and that’s their display model! I’d go for a rusty old English one and clean it up, paint and grease. A bit of history and patina will improve your work no end!

In answer to my own question, as usual it’s just a matter of knowing what to Google. Hopefully ordered the right sizes from here

https://www.paigntontools.co.uk

1/8 X 1″

3/16 x 1-1/4

I bought a tatty condition but mechanically sound Record Imp table vice a while back.

Really only needs a lick of paint, but the question is what kind. Any paint recommendations or the right colour red, assuming a brush on enamel paint would be easiest?

Machine enamel from here:

https://www.paragonpaints.co.uk/BS381C-110-Roundel-Blue-Record-Vice-Blue.html

Seems a lot of people don’t like the idea of refurbishing vices, not sure why!

Mostly as in most cases your removing the hard as nails factory coat and replacing it with a coating of easy chipped poorly adhered machine enamel or even worst. Daubing it in hammerite.

@drnosh – Thanks, the Imps are red not the nice blue you normally think of with the record vices.

This looks to be close though.

https://www.paragonpaints.co.uk/BS381C-537-Signal-Red.html

Not mine but similar in terms of paint condition.

https://smallworkshop.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/IMG_2287.jpg

Bought a Record 24 and a little table from work – combined mass 854kg…..

After the woodscrew vice attachment abomination on page 1, I decided to do it properly 🙂

Mag base drill and M16 tapped holes. Then a 22mm centre hole so it can be lifted. Then a first row of tapped M12 holes (more to follow) so it can be used for framebuilding, aligning etc. Cast iron and good quality taps made it pleasant work.

Table will eventually be white with cleaned up steel top. Vice will be cleaned but left in original paint. Getting it home is a work in progress….

854kg – holy moly!!! 😳😳😳. How did you move it? Bet that ain’t goin up to the second floor!

Moving it at work isn’t a problem (cranes, fork lifts etc).

I’ve made a very substantial shelf that mounts to the bottom half of the legs (75×150 timber – unfortunately wood prices seem to have doubled at the moment so that was a bit spendier than I imagined). That should let me move it around with a pump up pallet truck. For the eventual journey home I think an engine hoist boom trolley thing will just manage it from the centre lifting hole. If too heavy then unbolt the legs (will be doing that for paint anyway)

Hoping to find a cast-in date somewhere.

That is fabulous. Want one.

The 1 tonne table now has a grid of 30 M12 tapped holes. Legs also removed ready for paint stripping (35kg each).

About 35* minutes in they used a gauge like the one I posted up here the other evening.

* Can’t belive I just spent over 1/2 an hour watch a man refurb a vice. My mind is relaxed and I am ready for the weekend. Sure beats eating yoghurt and saying Ohmmmmm for mindfulness

I need some advice please (no pun intended)

I’ve had an old Record 23 for a while, never bothered cleaning it up but thought I’d have a go with WD40 today. Turns out there’s more paint than rust – I thought it was the other way round. I found a video showing how to disassemble it, looks easy so I’ve done so and done more cleaning.

Given the amount of rust, would you put rust inhibitor on it and leave it or wire brush and re-paint? If paint, where can I get matching Record paint?

I’ve covered the ways and thread in way oil for now to stop it rusting before I reassemble it.

Grease the bits that need greased

Oil the rest with an oily rag when you use it.

Or heinously ruin it with a slathering of hammerite like everyone else “refurbing” and make it look nothing like new – look good on the bench though.

Thanks – oily rag treatment is what I’ve done for tonight.

What needs greasing on a vice?
Got a record 2 or 3 that my school refurb threw out. I did donate £10 to cake fund and everyone was happy.

If metal work -based of the thrust washer at the handle , thread and screw box with molybdenum grease.

If it’s a woodwork vice. Wax the same.