Vices

[chaoticbob]

Of the clamping variety. I'm in the process of building my first 'proper' woodworking bench (it'll be a be a 2x4 laminated job, sort of hybrid of the many plans out there) and I'm wondering about suitable vice(s). I'm told from a reliable source that I shall bitterly regret it if I don't go for a quick-release mechanism, but looking at new prices for decent makes (eg Record, York) there's quite a price hike from plain screw versions. So I'm looking 2nd hand. I have my eye on a Record 52 going for 30ish quid but as far as I can make out this is 7" against 9" for the 52 +1/2, which seem to go for about double that. I suppose bigger/heavier is better - any advice welcomed!
Regards, Robin.

 

[DiscoStu]

I only have a small record wood working vice and a Clarke metal working vice and I have to say that a quick release would be very welcome - especially on the wood working vice. You're not likely to be wanting to buy a new vice very often so I'd say either pay a little more or wait for the ideal vice to appear second hand and get what you want as it should be a one off purchase. Quick release would get my vote.

 

[DiscoStu]

Also if you can get one where you can pull up a dog then I'd go for that. I wish mine did that as well as you can then use the holes in your bench with some dogs in and clamp very big pieces of wood. Hmm actually as I type this I'm thinking I might buy a new vice!

 

[DTR]

I'm told from a reliable source that I shall bitterly regret it if I don't go for a quick-release mechanism, but looking at new prices for decent makes (eg Record, York) there's quite a price hike from plain screw versions.

The half-nut mechanism on quick-release vises is usually the first thing that fails. I intentionally avoided the quick-release versions for that reason and haven't regretted it once.

 

[DTR]

Also if you can get one where you can pull up a dog then I'd go for that. I wish mine did that as well as you can then use the holes in your bench with some dogs in and clamp very big pieces of wood.

+1. Having said that, I ended up not using the "pull up" dog, and mounted a thick wooden jaw that houses a home-made dog instead.

 

[RogerP]

I'd recommend a Record 52½ quick release and with bench dog if at possible but not essential.

They do come up second-hand quite a lot but you need to be quick as they're very popular.

There are quite a few on eBay right now. Expect to pay about £45.

 

[AndyT]

I agree with the advice you have been given. I'm very glad I bought my old Record 52 1/2. I have used it to full capacity so was glad I did not settle for a smaller one.
One further tip - the older Records have a bulbous egg shaped boss at the end where the newer ones have a plain cylinder. So to be sure of getting one that was made properly in Sheffield, you might want to look out for that.

 

[paulrockliffe]

Gumtree is a pretty good option, they come up all the time and can be very cheap if you're quick. I have a pair of record 7" vices and an engineers vice that are in great condition (one is unused!) and I paid about £15 each for them. eBay auctions tend to find their price, but Gumtree items are priced at what the seller wants to have them taken away, so often there are real bargains.

 

[chaoticbob]

Thanks for responses chaps. On the basis of which I'm giving the 7" a miss and have offered to buy a 53E going near me on Gumtree for 55 quid, seems reasonable given it's a beast of a vice, if I'm too late I'll keep looking. Quick release , no dog, but doubt that's a problem given the capacity, I can fit a plate on the moving jaw to cope with that if I need, as suggested.
Regards, Robin.

 

[chaoticbob]

Well, I picked up the 53E today:

I was a bit alarmed by the bent tommy bar (why!?) especially in view of the comment above about the half-nut mechanism being liable to fail, but I stripped it down and all appears absolutely fine. It's a beefy thing!

Just one more thing though.... The holes in the jaws are tapped to take screws to fit wooden liners. I assume the thread will be imperial - 1/4" Whit perhaps, but anyone know for sure? I haven't any imperial fasteners to check.

Just out of curiosity I'd also be interested if anyone can say how old this vice is likely to be, and what the significance of the "E" suffix is?

Thanks again for advice - especially about trying Gumtree, which I wouldn't have thought of. I'm well pleased with this vice - it'll see me out for sure.

Regards, Robin

 

[AndyT]

Your picture isn't showing up at the moment but I can confirm that the threads on my 52 1/2 are 5/16" Whitworth so I should expect yours to be the same.

 

[chaoticbob]

Thanks, I shall try to get hold of some 5/16 BSW then, no idea why pic doesn't show (it was a link to photobucket - bviously I blundered somewhere). Not essential anyway, mainly to show alarmingly bent tommy bar!
R.

 

[AndyT]

I expect it's just the Photobucket servers being a bit slow to synch, they do that sometimes.

Meanwhile this earlier thread leads to an approx earliest date of around 1964

https://www.ukworkshop.co.uk/forums/record-vice-history-t68453.html

 

[chaoticbob]

Ah, thanks, quick read and looks like same vice (screw cover, square nose) and same question as the OP on that thread. So probably shall never know - just idle curiosity. Important thing is that it's rock solid, and now cleaned up and oiled runs silky smooth however old it is.
Regards, Robin.

 

[JonnyW]

I own one of the largest Record vices with the quick release function, and I wouldn't be without that option. It was a vice that was fitted to an old bench that was in my garage when I bought the house - I got rid of the old bench and fitted the vice to a better bench that had been built along the window wall of the garage.

The fitted bench is ok as I've flattened it and Danish Oiled it and bored some dog holes in it. It'll do until I have the time to tear it out and make myself a proper bench with a shoulder vice etc etc.

Like a previous post, with the Record vice, I bolted a larger/wider piece of hardwood onto it (it gives you holes in the vice face to bolt plates on to it) and bored three dog holes into the hardwood that correspond to a series of dog holes in my bench. It turns a basic vice into a far more usable tool. Stick two dogs into the vice and two in your bench, and you've opened up the clamping capacity massively - nearly a metre in my case.

But yeh, I wouldn't be without the quick release.

Jonny