Dating this Record Vice

[DoctorWibble]

An even better buy. Most 34's are iron. You could probably actually use that anvil without breaking the vice!

I guess if the RD number was dropped before the round boss then your vice would be unlikely to be at the later end of my guessed date range. But its also possible that the steel version used an old mould (with RD number and license to hit with a hammer) up to the end. Often design changes were prompted by moulds wearing out but if fewer Steel ones were made the old moulds may have had plenty of life left in them and perhaps could've remained in use after RD numbers were dropped from other models. That is assuming they did use separate moulds and those markings weren't created by inserts which is maybe yet another possibility.

The only way to really narrow it down is to find catalogues which feature your vice or versions of it.

 

[A3051422]

That's some wise thinking! Many thanks
Dave

 

[A3051422]

Found this on a welding thread:


Member
Single digit numbers 0-8 General Mechanics vices, unbreakable nut, no quick release, patent 196858, reg des 666598, an S after the digit were swivel versions (swivel patent 125707)
14-16 Fabricated steel unbreakable quick release vices (appear in 1960 catalogue) add a P for non QR (16 disappears 1971)
21-28 Fitters vices, cast iron, quick release. Also available with swivel apart from the 28.
30-33 Non QR pearlitic iron vices with greater jaw depth and further opening than normal. (appears in 1971/72) These look nothing like the 34-36 vices
34-36 Filers and fitters vice, quick release (non QR add a P), swivel also available. Jaw and slide sloped for better access. Unbreakable steel according to catalogue
46-49 Dockyard/foundry vice, cast iron and massive but look similar to the 34-36 vices. No 49 weighs 250lb
74-75 All steel garage combination vice with anvil.
80 clamp on table vice very similar to the garage vice but much smaller, cast iron with steel slide.
83-84 quick release heavy duty steel vice (post 1935)
110-114 Heavy duty vice with quick release, cast steel, non quick release same model no but with a P at the end
242-246 Machine vice for milling/drilling, heavy duty.
412-414 Machine vice with swivelling jaw.
506-508 1/2 American style heavy chipping vice, cast iron.
516-518 1/2 American style heavy chipping vice cast steel
631-634 American style combination vices, available with swivel
643-645 Machine vice for milling/drilling, heavy duty, grooved jaws to hold round stock vertical or horizontal.(post 1935)
703-704 Record blacksmith leg vices

Nippy Drill vice

After a certain date the steel vices were changed to pearlitic/malleable/sg/nodular iron

I'm bound to have missed some from the above (I've not included any of the woodworking ones or anything modern).

EDIT: Just remembered there are also the SQ series of vices that are similar to the standard mechanics vices but have a quick release that works by undoing them 1 turn.

 

[A3051422]

Here with some catalog shots