Record Vice Guide Bars Bent

[donie]

Hi everyone, looking for a bit of help or advice please.

I have a record 53 vice with 2 bent guide bars, when it closes and only touches at the bottom left corner of the jaws.

The two guide bars are well off to the left and down instead of slightly up vertically (to allow the top of the jaws to close first as intended)

They're off about 10mm over 300mm both ways.

Does anyone have any suggestions as to straightening them?

Can they be taken out? They look peened over at the front face. Possibly pressed in?

Thanks

 

[ChaiLatte]

Does anyone have any suggestions as to straightening them?

Can they be taken out?

The two questions are related. They are easy to remove if you do not want to use them again. Centre pop them and drill with increasingly larger bits until only a thin wall is left and then they will nearly fall out.

Unless you have the facilities to straighten them (a press, two vee-blocks and a dial gauge), it may be easier just to buy two pieces of round bar, turn the ends down and loctite them into the jaw.

Straightening on a press is only likely to be successful if they are overall bent. If the bend occurs at the change in diameter, it will be difficult to correct. Try a straight edge against them to assess where the bend is and a small square between bar and jaw to make sure the bend is not at that point.

 

[Dee J]

Or you could take the pragmatic approach and make a tapered wooden outer jaw to compensate...

 

[steve355]

it may be easier just to buy two pieces of round bar, turn the ends down and loctite them into the jaw.

You’ll need something bigger between centres than a typical mini lathe or myford for that won’t you?

There look to be a few companies out there who sell spares for record vices.

 

[ChaiLatte]

You’ll need something bigger between centres than a typical mini lathe or myford for that won’t you?

I do not know. What diameter are the bars? What length are the bars? What is the diameter reduction required to fit the moving jaw?

With an abrasive chop saw, a bit of plywood and a few blocks of wood it would be possible to make them with no lathe.

Make two vee blocks from the wood. Make an end stop from the wood. Screw blocks and end stop onto plywood. Position steel bar under chop saw, set depth stop on chop saw and gently rotate bar grinding away excess material.

 

[Cabinetman]

Sorry but I f it were me I would say it was time to get a new one, and I’m tight enough to try and fix most things.
Would they ever be straight enough so that they didn’t bind as the vice opened and closed? I would say it’s doubtful. Also just how on Earth did it end up like that?
Ian

 

[Fergie 307]

If you know anyone with a metal working lathe then probably cheaper to just make new ones. The bar will probably cost less than £5. That is assuming there is no damage to the casting from whatever hooligan bent them in the first place.

 

[okeydokey]

Or you could take the pragmatic approach and make a tapered wooden outer jaw to compensate...

i quite like this approach but I cant get my mind to work out if they will do a false parallel grip (as they will when closed) at various stages of opening and at various degrees of bend along the length of the bars

 

[Fergie 307]

Sorry but I f it were me I would say it was time to get a new one, and I’m tight enough to try and fix most things.
Would they ever be straight enough so that they didn’t bind as the vice opened and closed? I would say it’s doubtful. Also just how on Earth did it end up like that?
Ian

£200+ new I think so well worth having a go at a repair. But I wouldn't bother trying to straighten them, quicker and easier to just make new ones. I would be willing to bet the rods are a standard diameter, and I wouldn't have thought a local machine shop is going to charge much to machine a shoulder on them if that is what's needed.

 

[toolsntat]

Before you get carried away, do I remember some of these bars being threaded into the front jaw?

Cheers, Andy

 

[ChaiLatte]

...I wouldn't have thought a local machine shop is going to charge much to machine a shoulder on them

And modern anaerobic thread locking adhesives make fitting and securing them into place a lot less hassle than in the past.

 

[donie]

Right chaps update time it is.

I took it to a local engineer who reckoned they could indeed be drilled out and replaced with new bar. I will get him to do that and heat the old jaw face and insert new bar with knurled ends. The old ones were 7/8" on the front as well, no shoulder or thread or other reduction on the end. 7/8" straight press fit it looks like.

I might buy a new bottle of loctite, I don't know if I'd want the thread locker or bearing retainer?

They're 7/8" diameter, I believe it's a 1920s model vice going off that and the quick release mechanism underneath is cast in not the 30's on steel bracket type.

I have it off to get sandblasted at the moment. I plan to repaint it in BS110 xylene paint. Might do a thread on it if there's any interest?

 

[toolsntat]

Apart from the bent guide bars problem are you sure the screw thread is in good order to enable proper function afterwards?
Cheers, Andy

 

[donie]

Apart from the bent guide bars problem are you sure the screw thread is in good order to enable proper function afterwards?
Cheers, Andy

Yes I checked that it seems straight as far as I can tell with any method I have.

 

[Fergie 307]

7/8 bars, would love to know how someone bent them. Not doing woodwork I suspect

 

[toolsntat]

Yes I checked that it seems straight as far as I can tell with any method I have.

I'm specifically hinting at the fact the "hook" of the thread can become nearly vertical causing camming out under pressure

 

[John Hall]

Sounds like it’s been dropped from a great height…
I’d keep looking on EBay for a good one, they can be found quite cheap..