Record Imp Vice

[CHJ]

I don't think the two are comparable. The Imp is a home, "handy man" vise (albeit a fairly posh one) , whereas the Eclipse is an instrument makers vise. Very different areas of application.
I've seen instrument vises sold (and used) for fly tyeing.
BugBear

Not comparable maybe BB but I can assure you very complimentary to each other if you are working with the servicing of aircraft instrumentation or avionic cable assemblies, in many instances I have seen both in use the same time to support an intricate cable loom and associated fine terminations whilst juggling with needle point soldering irons.

 

[bugbear]

Not comparable maybe BB but I can assure you very complimentary to each other if you are working with the servicing of aircraft instrumentation or avionic cable assemblies, in many instances I have seen both in use the same time to support an intricate cable loom and associated fine terminations whilst juggling with needle point soldering irons.

I can readily believe that; I have "some" vices, all of which get used for various things (all the way from Boley to Swindens).

My (weak) point was that an Imp and an Instrument vise do not form an "obvious" pairing.

BugBear

 

[CHJ]

My (weak) point was that an Imp and an Instrument vise do not form an "obvious" pairing.

Sounds like "collector syndrom" to me. :twisted: :lol:

 

[bigwol]

Guys

I wanted to thank the previous posters for their accurate descriptions of the Record Imp 80 vice.

I found this one on eBay last week, and was unsure whether to bid for it.

Your enthusiasm for it put my mind at rest, and I successfully won the vice in the auction.

Having received it today, I am in full agreement with you.

It is amazingly well built, and perfectly preserved - despite its apparent age - (30+ years??)

I think this one must have been bought and not used, because even the fibre soft jaws are immaculate and there is no sign of wear.

Thanks again.


Dave

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[CHJ]

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Welcome to the forum Dave, your pics got caught by the spam trap.

 

[bugbear]

Welcome to the forum Dave, your pics got caught by the spam trap.

Waddya' mean, "welcome"?

He's a gloating, lucky SOAB!

They say condition is everything - in that case, that Imp is everything.

BugBear

 

[DaveL]

Yes, massive gloat there, they are a very useful bit of kit.

 

[Woodmagnet]

Welcome to the forum Dave, what kind of w/working
are you into?

 

[bigwol]

My main interest is jewellery tools, as I am a stonesetter, but I make my own benches and fixtures. The Record 80 is perfect for my use as a jewellers vice as it incorporates an anvil - I haven't seen a modern equivalent and was lucky to find one in 'as new condition'.

Cheers

Dave

 

[Barold]

Here's what it says about it

"The #80 "Imp" Vice is really a minature #74 vice, having 2 1/4" jaws and opening 2 1/2", and in no way must it be confused with either toys or cheap and unsatisfactory vices. It is sturdily and compactly made; the screw is accurately made with machine cut square thread, and there is a parallel grip which is free from any suggestion of looseness. The steel jaws are hardened and of high quality; there is a hardened anvil as in the #74 vice, but of smaller dimensions of course. The slide is of steel. Small tubes and rods can be gripped in the specially designed jaws, and can be bent in the tube bender. It is fastened to the bench with an exceptionally well designed and well-made clamp which is incorporated, which has a grip that is almost unbelievable until it is experienced. The vice weighs 4 1/4 lbs."

Sounds quite good

Cheers :wink:

Paul

I recently aquired a second Record imp vice and this matched the description of the vice above. However my first record imp vice was slightly different. It was more maroon in colour, had a fine screw thread, the handles were slightly different and the anvil knob had a groove around the base. I think it was an earlier model but not sure when it was made. I have a full description and comparision at http://baroldstools.blogspot.com/2010/1 ... no-80.html (I couldn't figure out the adding of pictures to this site as I oversized the reply space with pictures I tried to download)

 

[Mr Kofi]

Hi,
Could somebody specify please which is the maximum thickness of the work bench I can use with this Imp Nº 80 Vice ?
Thanks a lot,
D.

 

[AndyT]

I've measured mine. 2 1/8" or 54 mm.

Great little vice.

 

[bugbear]

I've measured mine. 2 1/8" or 54 mm.

GreatEST little vice.

FIFY.

BugBear

 

[Mr Kofi]

Thanks a lot, Andy !

 

[memzey]

I've got one of these:

It's a cracking little vice. The anvil behind the rear jaw is super useful for bashing small bits of metal into shape.

 

[nabs]

the Woden Titan certainly seems to have been inspired by the Record Imp.

I use my Imp frequently, and they really are very useful indeed. If you are in the UK then you can still get them for around 20-30 quid on eBay which is astonishingly good value.

In case anyone is interested, here is some info that I dug up when I got mine a couple of years ago:

In 1928 C&J Hampton ltd, who manufactured Record tools until the 1970s (when they merged with Ridgeway to become Record Ridgeway), took out a patent for the tube bender incorporated in the vice (GB310723).

The patent number is marked on the steel slide of the original models. It is likely that they stopped marking slide after the patent expired in 1948, although the drawing in Planecraft from 1954 still shows it (perhaps because they did not get round to changing the picture).

There appears to have been at least one other model revision, where the boss on the handle is changed from round to square - I suspect this is a later model just because similar changes were made to later versions of their bench vices (in the 1970s, post-merger?). Perusing ebay I noticed that the thread on the jaw screw thread is finer than the original version.
[url=https://www.ukworkshop.co.uk/...3195.html]dating-this-record-vice-t93195.html[/url]

According to David Lynch, http://www.recordhandplanes.com/rare.html the vice was available up to 1982.

 

[memzey]

Useful info thanks! This may be a daft question but how exactly are you supposed to bend pipes with the "pipe bender"? Can't quite get my head around it.

 

[nabs]

I've not tried it, but the way it seems to work is you grip the tube between the small plate on the fixed jaw and the raised circular part on the moving jaws (there is a groove in both parts to accommodate the pipe). I think you then form the bend by pulling from underneath.

It looks like it could accommodate a pipe of about 1 cm in diameter, although in practice I think the jaws would get in the way if you were trying to put a bend in a long tube. When I get a hold of a suitable pipe I will give it a go!

 

[Bod]

the Woden Titan certainly seems to have been inspired by the Record Imp.

I use my Imp frequently, and they really are very useful indeed. If you are in the UK then you can still get them for around 20-30 quid on eBay which is astonishingly good value.

In case anyone is interested, here is some info that I dug up when I got mine a couple of years ago:

In 1928 C&J Hampton ltd, who manufactured Record tools until the 1970s (when they merged with Ridgeway to become Record Ridgeway), took out a patent for the tube bender incorporated in the vice (GB310723).

The patent number is marked on the steel slide of the original models. It is likely that they stopped marking slide after the patent expired in 1948, although the drawing in Planecraft from 1954 still shows it (perhaps because they did not get round to changing the picture).

There appears to have been at least one other model revision, where the boss on the handle is changed from round to square - I suspect this is a later model just because similar changes were made to later versions of their bench vices (in the 1970s, post-merger?). Perusing ebay I noticed that the thread on the jaw screw thread is finer than the original version.
[url=https://www.ukworkshop.co.uk/...3195.html]dating-this-record-vice-t93195.html[/url]

According to David Lynch, http://www.recordhandplanes.com/rare.html the vice was available up to 1982.

Nabs, do you still have the patent information for the patent drawing you show?
It's information regarding the Record 74/5 vices I'm looking for.
Thanks
Bod

 

[nabs]

I attached the patent Bod - now I look closer the diagram on the patent does seem to match the Imp's big brother...


*edit - upload of pdfs does not work, here is a link:
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B_6WZBFt_kvKOWtndUJldkE5ZWM