I need to get a grip on my Vices

**Simplicity** · 29th December 2016, 06:05 PM

Ok ,the review is done .

Well ,the vice works ,that's right it works.
Ok ,now keeping in mind it's a $40 tool.
As previously mentioned by Paul I think, yes the main body seems to be cast aluminium not cast iron ,like I thought(why I thought that I don't know ,it doesn't have that kind of weight to it).
The other parts seem to be steel.
But, it is still heavy enough for its size.
The swivel ball is quite tight in its movement ,which to my mind is a good thing keeping in mind it's not a $400 machinist vice.
But ,the locking bar is a little small.
But workable still.
With my example the parallel bars don't seem to be parallel ,the irony of that [emoji849].
Not sure if this was just a late Friday one.
Or ,this is common amongst them.
So winding the jaws in and out is a bit stiff.
Hopefully with use this may ease.
If not ,I will attempt to fix them!!
In using the vice to work on the saw handle, I'm making at present it works great.
It does have a small amount of spring for a better word.
I don't know ,if you could carve on it ,most of my handle shaping is done with files rasps ,sandpaper and it handles this force realistically well for its size.

Being able to move the handle in an arc from approximately 10 till 2 on a clock face is very handy.
Also ,it has the ability to lay the vice ,completely horizontal very handy.
The jaws are presented with soft jaws that are just slip on rubber covers but work perfectly.
For a small vice and a cheap price.
I would defiantly buy one again.
Not much else to say really ,I think for $40 I did good.[emoji106][emoji106]

Cheers Matt .

Paul, I hope you are going to be diplomatic with a reply.[emoji849][emoji849][emoji3]

**Bushmiller** · 14th February 2017, 11:41 PM

This is the Mk.2 slightly adjustable vice:

thumb_P1020582_1024.jpg thumb_P1020584_1024.jpg thumb_P1020585_1024.jpg thumb_P1020586_1024.jpg thumb_P1020581_1024.jpg

Based on a tow ball. Very rigid for working on but not as adjustable as I might have liked and not really easily adjusted in that all four bolts have to be slackened for movement, although not by much.

Originally designed to be clamped in a face vice, i changed my mind and decided to bolt it directly into the edge of the bench with three coach screws.

This vice, in french racing blue, has jaws packed out with timber again and lined with leather to suit the thickness of a saw handle.

Regards
Paul

**Boringgeoff** · 15th February 2017, 09:31 AM

Paul, would enlarging the hole where the neck of the towball comes through give you more adjustment?
Geoff.

**Bushmiller** · 15th February 2017, 12:09 PM

Geoff

No I don't think hole enlargement would help much as that is not really the limiting factor.

I deliberately inserted the towball into the lower vice jaw as far as it would go. Then I cut off the surplus thread, my fear being that the taller the vice became, the more wobbly it would be. Rigidity was my first concern, but I that has not been a problem. I think I could have left the full length of thread on the towball which would have given a greater range, but again not by much.

The limiter is really the diameter of the ball and the width of the plate in which the ball sits. Although it does not have the movement for which I had hoped, in conjunction with the Mk.1 (red) vice and the face vice on the bench I have covered most of the convenient positions I require for filing with a rasp and sanding.

Perhaps the the issue I have noticed most from this exercise is the requirement for this type of vice to be mounted considerably higher than the traditional bench vices. It is half the reason I decided to fix it directly to the bench. The other half is because I did not want to tie up the face vice. However, it could be usefully higher still: That would require a dedicated bench or structure (I don't think it could be called a bench anymore) to give a vice height around chest height. I think that would be ideal for using a rasp. That is theoretical so I may be wrong.

Regards
Paul

**Simplicity** · 15th February 2017, 08:23 PM

Paul,
It seems to me that the top plate were the ball comes through could be cut down a bit giving more movement.
But would also need re drilling tapping of the connecting bolts!!

Cheers Matt

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

**Bushmiller** · 15th February 2017, 09:30 PM

Matt

You are right with your thoughts, but still the movement would only be slightly increased. What I do have somewhere (I think it might be back in NSW) is a 65mm towball which is on an extended spindle. If I ever find it and get keen I might have another go at it, particularly as I have no reasonable use for a 65mm towball! For now I am content (with my level of vice).

Regards
Paul

**Bushmiller** · 17th February 2017, 06:05 PM

From this week's Aldi catalogue on sale Sat 25 Feb:

thumb_P1020613_1024.jpg

Regards
Paul

**Bohdan** · 17th February 2017, 06:56 PM

Changing the plates to a triangular pair so that you only used 3 bolts would make it much easier to adjust.

**Bushmiller** · 17th February 2017, 07:04 PM

Bohdan

It would be worth investigating that suggestion.

Regards
Paul

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