Record vices

[Clatters]

Hi. I have rescued three vices from going into a skip; two Record 52 E's and a Record 55. Thanks to a 2015 post from AndyT, I was able to source the correct size of screw and am now ready to clean them up, make up some wooden linings for the jaws and install them for use. I am unsure which wood to line them with though. I have quite a lot of iroko in stock (same skip), some oak, some plywood and some pine, but I don't mind buying in something if none of these are suitable. The iroko is 25mm thick and the plywood 18mm, but the others can be cut to size.

I'd be grateful to receive the panel's views.

 

[rogxwhit]

I must reiterate that oak, whilst being a fine timber in appearance and for many purposes including load bearing spans, isn't the best suitable for situations where pressure across the grain or impact are likely on smaller sections. It has planes of particular weakness along its pronounced medullary rays that make it fissile. For a vice jaw I'd choose a wood that's more cohesive.

 

[Jacob]

I install mine flush with the apron but set back a few mm and lining the face of the inner jaw with a bit of ply glued on, so it's covered and flush with the apron.
The outer jaw - any handy off-cut will do. Praps not MDF but OK if that's all you can find!
Installing - much easier if you turn the bench on its back so the vice goes in on top.

 

[thetyreman]

oak is not the best choice I agree, I have used oak on my vice jaws and it chips too easily on the edges, so it's not ideal, I'm going to do some surgery on it and implant some cherry for the top edges on it, where it's chipped away.

p.s where on earth do you find skips like this? I've been skip hunting for years and never found such things.

 

[Jameshow]

Pine doesn't mark the denser woods you are working on and easily replaced.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

^^^^ Yes. I changed mine for softwood, they're sacrificial.

 

[Clatters]

Thank you for your answers and your tips, which I will heed. I am new to all this but am very pleased to find a place where I can get help when needed.

As for the skip, I was very fortunate. I work in a school and happened to be walking past a skip outside the Technology Department when I saw various treasures contained therein. I asked the Head of Department if I could have them; he agreed, we got chatting and I’ve bought home loads of ‘obsolete’ stuff which was earmarked for disposal. There’s a large plastic crate of chisels and gouges, another of hand drills and braces, six or seven planes, some sash cramps, some engineering tools (taps and dies, snaps and sets, lathe tool holders etc) and some marking out tools. Best of all, I was given a buffing machine (nobody polishes anything any more) and an Axminster disk sander (it has a manual brake but the modern requirement is for an automatic brake).

These days, school technology is moving towards building and construction, rendering so much of what they once used as unnecessary. The other schools I worked in also had piles of tools taking up valuable space, so if anyone has any contacts in an older school then it might be a rich source of treasure.

Again, thanks for your help.

 

[thetyreman]

that makes sense, I actually know a D&T teacher but he often takes stuff for himself, so he gets it before I can get a chance.

 

[pe2dave]

Agree, sacrificial? Too hard and you'll mark work pieces?
I had some beech which I found perfect. When that was too chewed up, just softwood
and be prepared to replace it?

 

[HamsterJam]

I have oak jaw facings in my bench vice.
In hindsight it is not a good choice as it is too hard. (Can mark delicate items and prone to slip). Will swap for something a little softer when I get round to it - been like it for several years.

 

[schnapps95]

Hi. I have rescued three vices from going into a skip; two Record 52 E's and a Record 55. Thanks to a 2015 post from AndyT, I was able to source the correct size of screw and am now ready to clean them up, make up some wooden linings for the jaws and install them for use. I am unsure which wood to line them with though. I have quite a lot of iroko in stock (same skip), some oak, some plywood and some pine, but I don't mind buying in something if none of these are suitable. The iroko is 25mm thick and the plywood 18mm, but the others can be cut to size.

I'd be grateful to receive the panel's views.


View attachment 145712

Hi. In our workshop we have six of the large Record vices and two Emmert pattern makers vices all of which have 18mm Finnish birch (birch throughout not with softwood core) ply fitted to the metal jaws easey to renew, You don,t need fancy/exotic timber linings in my opinion they are work tools not a piece of furniture

Hi. I have rescued three vices from going into a skip; two Record 52 E's and a Record 55. Thanks to a 2015 post from AndyT, I was able to source the correct size of screw and am now ready to clean them up, make up some wooden linings for the jaws and install them for use. I am unsure which wood to line them with though. I have quite a lot of iroko in stock (same skip), some oak, some plywood and some pine, but I don't mind buying in something if none of these are suitable. The iroko is 25mm thick and the plywood 18mm, but the others can be cut to size.

I'd be grateful to receive the panel's views.


View attachment 145712

 

[rogxwhit]

I've had the same beech facings on my front bench vice for the last 45 or more years ... never mind sacrificial, it's good to have a bit of continuity ...

And the tail vice too, now I think of it ...

 

[Fergie 307]

For metal working vices you can buy covers in a variety of materials, either screwed on or designed to clip over the existing jaws, not sure if they also sell them for wood vices. But a set made of a softer plastic type material might be useful to pop on when you need to hold something delicate. They also often have vertical and horizontal slots, very useful for holding rounded items.

 

[Reffc]

I rescued and did up a Record #52 and used Beech jaw liners on mine. Been using it almost daily for over 3 years since and they're still in great shape. I've also used Birch Ply before now which has had several coats of Osmo poly-x applied and they lasted surprisingly well too.

 

[BillHoughton]

Thin, high-grade plywood (sold as "craft" plywood here in the U.S.), with thick (3/16"/5mm or so) leather glued to it, and the plywood then contact-cemented to the jaws.

 

[lee celtic]

I've used two bits of pitch pine from a pew I reworked.. as others have said sacrificial and soft enough to not mark the work.. I mounted them both first then planed them to bench height.. My bench is used for everything not just woodwork so it has three removable panels on top of it made of 40mm chipboard with white formica type finish.. when it wears out I swap that too.. I do a lot of screwing jigs ,patterns and wedge blocks to it so theres no point having a quality top..lol

 

[scubadoo]

I'm just about to do mine on my, new to me Record 52 1/2, was planning on birch ply with suede glued to them.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

I replaced hardwood jaws with very soft softwood - it doesn't bruise anything. Much better.

 

[Trafalgar]

Use pine, it won't mark the wood. Cut a clear section, no knots or pitch pockets.

 

[French Chris]

Hi. I have rescued three vices from going into a skip; two Record 52 E's and a Record 55. Thanks to a 2015 post from AndyT, I was able to source the correct size of screw and am now ready to clean them up, make up some wooden linings for the jaws and install them for use. I am unsure which wood to line them with though. I have quite a lot of iroko in stock (same skip), some oak, some plywood and some pine, but I don't mind buying in something if none of these are suitable. The iroko is 25mm thick and the plywood 18mm, but the others can be cut to size.

I'd be grateful to receive the panel's views.


View attachment 145712

Hi. Quick question about the Record 55 (I've just inherited one). I need to clean it up but it isn't fully functioning. When I open the vice, the screw turns properly but the metal vice doesn't move unless I pull it out. I expected to find a hole in the thread to fit a washer and cotter pin between the two jaws, but there is no hole. What am I missing here? Many thanks.