A parallell action hand vice

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A parallell action hand vice

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Viewing 19 posts - 1 through 19 (of 19 total)
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  • #799870
    Fulmen
    Participant
      @fulmen

      I’m lacking a good hand vice, but I don’t really care for the traditional ones that are hinged since they won’t clamp parallel. Then I came across this elegant design:

      360_50ab00e7bfbafaf08229dbe2279ef3a9

      The scissor mechanism is as simple as it looks, and judging from the 3D printed model it works very well:

      2025-05-26_182721

      I don’t have anything solid to show off yet as I don’t do much work in the shop during the summer. But I’ll leave it here as inspiration to others.

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      #799882
      Michael Gilligan
      Participant
        @michaelgilligan61133

        Count me inspired !

        I like that  lot.

        … could you please photograph or transcribe the markings on that original ?

         

        MichaelG.

        #799886
        Fulmen
        Participant
          @fulmen

          There is precious little info on these online, I’ve only found a few photos and a couple of names. The one depicted is from here: https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/vintage-parallel-action-hand-vice-162047774 and is supposedly marked “Henry Boker – 17.”

          The other one is this: https://picclick.com/Vintage-GOODELL-PRATT-96-HAND-VISE-Parallel-Jaws-323328311988.html

          #799888
          Michael Gilligan
          Participant
            @michaelgilligan61133

            An excellent start to my investigation … thanks

            MichaelG.

            #799889
            Michael Gilligan
            Participant
              @michaelgilligan61133
              #799890
              DC31k
              Participant
                @dc31k

                On the original, are there any springs so things do not go slack when opening it? If not, how is that achieved? Could the nut be captive so it pushes as well as pulls?

                #799893
                Fulmen
                Participant
                  @fulmen

                  The mechanism doesn’t go slack, the jaws will only move straight in and out.

                  #799894
                  Michael Gilligan
                  Participant
                    @michaelgilligan61133

                    I’m intrigued [or should that be bewildered ?] by the details of construction … particularly obvious on the Goodell Pratt version

                    The handgrip is clearly pressed, but the jaws appear to be forged … so where is the joint ?

                    MichaelG.

                    #799898
                    Fulmen
                    Participant
                      @fulmen

                      Die forged perhaps?

                      #799899
                      Michael Gilligan
                      Participant
                        @michaelgilligan61133

                        From the wondrous 1922 catalog, available here: https://dn790000.ca.archive.org/0/items/GoodellPrattCatalogNo15/Goodell-prattCatalog15.pdf

                        MichaelG.

                        .

                        Posture

                        #799900
                        Fulmen
                        Participant
                          @fulmen

                          Good find, your Google-fu is strong indeed.

                          I made a new and more elaborate design:

                          MK2-2  MK2

                           

                           

                          #799903
                          Robert Atkinson 2
                          Participant
                            @robertatkinson2

                            Not surprising there arn’t many around. The $2.80 is over $50 in todays money.The average take home pay was under $40 at the time….

                            Robert.

                            #799904
                            Bazyle
                            Participant
                              @bazyle

                              One could usefully make a toolmaker’s clamp on this principle…….

                              #799912
                              Fulmen
                              Participant
                                @fulmen

                                As it happens I’m getting access to a water jet and a CO2 laser, that opens up some interesting possibilities. It’s a new gig so I don’t have much time for personal projects yet, but any spare time I have I spend trying to learn the software, so I need something to practice on anyways.

                                #799919
                                DC31k
                                Participant
                                  @dc31k

                                  For efficiency in manufacture, is it correct to say the two jaws are identical at the forging stage? The slight differences would then be made in the machining.

                                  The separate jaws of the new design are a useful feature and also mean the ‘forging’ could be water-cut as a T-shape with a bulge in the stem.

                                  You could put a vertical or horizontal vee in them for holding round stock and even drill and tap as a pair so they act as halfnuts for gripping a threaded item.

                                  #799931
                                  Fulmen
                                  Participant
                                    @fulmen

                                    Yeah, I will most likely cut the two sides identical and machine the differences. I really like the half nut idea, the jaws could be held in place with two guide pins and a magnet.

                                    #799938
                                    Andrew Crow
                                    Participant
                                      @andrewcrow91475

                                      Rather than just a hand vice, I decided to make an attachment for my Jewlers vice to make it into an instrument vice. I made two vices, one from 20mm Square material with replaceable Jaws and one from 12mm Square. Both can also be used as a hand vice.

                                      20250527_08581420250527_08570720250527_085601

                                      #799939
                                      JasonB
                                      Moderator
                                        @jasonb

                                        Screw on jaws give the option of soft aluminium ones, though I suppose a magnet could be bonded into the rear face.

                                        If you do go for screws then think about threading the jaws and having counterbored hole sfrom the outside as it will be a lot easier to get at the screws. Do the drilling and counterboring first while you have flat surfaces to work with.

                                        #799952
                                        Fulmen
                                        Participant
                                          @fulmen

                                          @Andrew: Very nice.

                                          @Jason: Screwing them from the back is better than from the front as you don’t need to disassemble the vice to get access. But it would mess up the nice curve 🙂

                                           

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