Record 74 auto vice

[Bod]

Arrived today.

Looks good.

Fits well, after clearing out 60+ years of mess.

Main jaws fully close.

Largest diameter is governed by the main screw.

Magnet works! How much this will attract iron filings in use remains to be seen.
I tried to make a mark on the jaws with a centre punch, no mark was made, the punch has now been resharpened!

Bod

 

[Bm101]

I just bought one of these for myself for christmas from everyone. Far better to get one present you actually want.
Pc is still kaput so not many pics as of yet but it's a good un.

All parts included. Even the mythical pipe bender. (hammer)
It's a newer one. Square screw on the the anvil, no curvy logo or serial number.
Equivalent newer model looks too be a good deal more than I paid (by a decent margin ...£70) and this one looks pretty mint and made to proper QC standards.
Well happy.

Just the level of restore to decide on.
:-"

 

[TFrench]

Last couple of vice restos I've done have been full paint ups - vices always seem to attract the phantom hammerite splasher... If theres original paint, I'd degrease and coat with boiled linseed oil.

 

[ED65]

Congrats of the vice Chris, I got an old no. 6 from the same source for Christmas

Just the level of restore to decide on.

For some things, and vices tend to be one of them, I let the amount of remaining paint (and how it has come off) decide how far to go.

I don't like the look of small islands and specks of paint just clinging on here and there so if there's that much gone I take it the rest of the way to bare metal, then treat the iron/steel or repaint. If 60% + of the paint is still there, and it's not flaky and scabrous if you know what I mean, I might leave it as the worn look has a charm of its own.

 

[dannyr]

New thread on scabrous vices ED?

I've had my 74 for many years - fettled and painted (just one thin coat) light green years back - serves me well. There is some play, but it takes a bashing quite well.
Do any swivelling vices rotate easily and fix firmly - oh yes, my Parkinson's ball vice does - otherwise I've not known any.
I also had a 75 - gave to my brother-in-law who used it for work on his 1960s Bentley. Saw one on the auction site for over £400 the other week (but did it sell?).
Each of these cost me less than £10 in the late '80s (car boot).

 

[RyanM97]

fibre jaw grips for gripping delicate items (good luck finding a vice where these have not already been lost.

I inherited this vice from my wife’s late great granddad and still have the original fiber jaw grips. Which is surprising considering it came from a farmer. The vice is in great condition just a bit of surface rust but I’m currently in the process of cleaning it all up and filling with grease. Looks like it has plenty of years life left in it. Excellent price of kit!

 

[dannyr]

yes - I refurbed mine about 15 years ago and, despite having other vices (no, seriously) this is my 'go to' for many jobs

 

[Bm101]

Never did touch mine.

 

[merlin]

Having a clear out under the bench and found the “Record autovice cylinder head holding plug” from my Dads old vice.
It doesn’t look like it’s been used - unlike the vice!
I grew up using this vice and still use it.

 

[nabs]

that is the first one I've seen - do you suppose the threads are supposed to go into the spark plug 'ole?

 

[dannyr]

I believe they are, --- better not be a large cast-iron straight six or bigger.
I have a 74, and gave a 75 to my bro in law when he had a large old Bentley - don't think he held the engine by a spark plug screw, but he uses it a lot.
However, Nick, if you happen to know anyone (such as nabs?) who specialises in small engines 50-250 cc, it's a must-have.

 

[Bod]

!st I've seen also!
Yes, the threads go into the spark plug holes, one end for British engines, the other for American heads.
Now I know what to look for on my rust hunting expeditions.

Bod

 

[RECORDANDWODEN]

Hiya I've just purchased one from ebay, does anyone have the dimensions of the pipe jaw? I've seen the ebay one but I've just spent all my money on the vice, would enjoy trying to make one myself, I'd love to know the thickness of material, length, width, when the serrated Jaws start, their incriments and how far down they go

 

[nabs]

I believe they are, --- better not be a large cast-iron straight six or bigger.

yes I think it might be a bit perilous to use it to dangle the cylinder head from a big engine! As it happens I have recently been working on a small Honda 150cc engine which might just be small enough to get away with:

... I suppose the gadget might be handy when removing the valves, but to be honest I can't think of anything that would have been much easier using the vice rather than just having the cylinder head sat directly on the bench. I am but a novice mechanic though, so I may be missing something obvious

Incidentally, it was a combination of my acquisition of my Record 74 vice - and the fact that I was so ignorant of mechanics that I had to ask sunnybob what a 'valve holder' might be for - that decided me to learn about how engines worked.

One of the many examples of the serendipitous effects of this forum!
nabs

 

[AndyT]

Such a near miss!
You might be the only person left who could use a cylinder head holding plug. Trouble is, you're going to need the even rarer variant, with one end for American engines, one end for British, and a third end for Japanese!

If I spot one, I'll send it to you, promise

 

[dannyr]

Maybe getting off-topic here:

I was educated as a 'bio' scientist, but after this and that finished up in engineering/metallurgy - so not a 'true' engineer, but had a colleague who certainly was - he gave his two sons motorbikes as they reached 17, but tore them down first so they had to rebuild them before they could use them. One's now a senior Toyota development engineer.
Your bench reminds me.

 

[Bm101]

Hiya I've just purchased one from ebay, does anyone have the dimensions of the pipe jaw? I've seen the ebay one but I've just spent all my money on the vice, would enjoy trying to make one myself, I'd love to know the thickness of material, length, width, when the serrated Jaws start, their incriments and how far down they go

Here ya go. Depth of jaw from top to bottom of hole is 11mm and the teeth get incrementally smaller as they go for smaller pipe.

 

[RECORDANDWODEN]

Thank you so much aha

 

[Bm101]

Pleasure. The only cost asked in return is progress photos and shared knowledge. :wink:

 

[merlin]

Here it is doing its thing ...