Vice help

[KennyD]

Hi, I'm new to this forum. I'm looking for some advice when it comes to vices. I seem to have developed an obsession in buying old vices. At the minute I'm bathing them in Citric acid to lift the rust and then oiling them up to protect. My problem is I have so many I don't know which to keep for my own use... I'm planning on making furniture part time, something I did a long time ago. I have a few record 52 1/2 e, a 52 1/2, a Woden, a Parkinson's perfect and im about to buy another Parkinson's, Woden and a paramo woodworking vice. I also have a record number 6 engineers vice, it's a beast. My problem is I'm really spoilt for choice. All the vices a English made but I really don't know which to hang on to. All do know is I plan to keep 2 woodworking and one engineers. I'll confirm all models soon but any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance

 

[KennyD]

Just to confirm, the Woden has 89 on it and no2. The Parkinson's is a perfect with no number. I'll post pics soon when I get home.

 

[Rhyolith]

I would review what condition they are all in, get rid of all but the mechanically best.

After that keep your biggest remaining ones, they are the most expensive to replace and I find them typically the most useful.

 

[AndyT]

One thought that might help.
Some woodworkers like to use one big QR vice on the front of the bench and another arranged as an end vice. That's enough for a woodworking bench for one person, any more would get in the way.

Your big metalwork vice really needs to be on a separate metalwork bench, ideally with a steel top, but at least one that can get dirty.

I use a small metalwork vice on a board which is gripped in the woodwork vice, but I would not want to lift a No 6 on and off the bench!

If you ever need to do work on site or away from your bench, a small vice on a board that can be gripped in a Workmate could be useful - but you seem to have some sort of magnetic effect on really big lumps of iron!

 

[KennyD]

Thanks for the reply, both helped me make my mind up.

heres the pics as promised anyway, just in case your interested:

I think I'll keep one of the record 52 1/2 E and the Record no6. I'll also keep either one of the Woden's or the Paramo. I don't suppose anyone knows which model is the earliest and latest and what is the better manufacturer out of those?

As you can see from the pics, some need a bit of work before I can make the call on which is best to keep. The 52 1/2 E and the no6 were in the same condition before they took the bath.

Thanks again

 

[bugbear]

You don't too many vices, you just have too few benches...

BugBear

 

[Biliphuster]

If I could have any QR vice I would have a big record with the square boss, acme thread and a screw cover. I have used the one on my father in laws bench and it is near unimprovable for a QR vice as far as I can see. I even got into the habit of morticing by holding the work in the vice, something which I could not do in my much older pear bossed record (it seems older is not always better).

 

[Phil Pascoe]

A QR vice with an acme screw? I've never seen a Record or any other QR with one.

 

[Biliphuster]

A QR vice with an acme screw? I've never seen a Record or any other QR with one.

The newer Records came with acme threads (even some of the made in england ones), but now that you mention it perhaps they did not have the QR.

 

[KennyD]

Thanks again for the help,

BugBear, you are right about my bench space!

Now I've given the vices a good clean up, some of the quick release mechanisms do not work. I'm not entirely sure why as all parts move freely but it did make up my mind which to keep.

So I'm keeping the Record 52 1/2 E, the Woden 89 no2, the Record no6 (on a separate bench as Andy suggests) and I may keep the Paramo no52 if it comes out of the clean with all bits working.

I assume repairing the quick release is possible but I should put this obsession to one side and work on the furniture. My intention was never to start vice restoration!