OLD Paramo Vise/Vice

[GarageNoob]

A family member heard that I was restoring an old Record 23 for my little firewood shed (http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?p=4817114) and they said that they had an old vice laying around that they would be willing to give me.

The person who gave me this vice inherited it and hasnt touched it for +50 years. So it is more than 50 years old and hadnt been touched in more than 50 years either.

When they gave it to me i thought - hey - its a Record 84M (it was dark)

It turned out it was a Paramo vice - but there was no model number - or even a "Made in "??? So im guessing it is very old/one of their first models?

Unfortunately it has been pounded upon and the bottom lip that holds the jaw had broken off (de ja vu? )

Then, it has been given a hideous paint of yellow...

Anyway - i took the wire brush to it and took it right down to the beautiful iron that had a lovely patina

Ive unseized it, disassembled it, wire wheeled it, beeswaxed it, buffed it, lubricated it, mounted it

AND even made some soft jaws for it using wood and leather!!!

ENJOY the pics

 

[GarageNoob]

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[drivesitfar]

GNB: those pictures you posted are amazing. very nice work cleaning it up and with only a wire brush too. i do like your new jaws you made that look like they work very well.

might i suggest you post up those jaw pictures and maybe a few of the full vice pictures on the Vise Repair 101 thread. that way someone might give you some ideas on a fix or maybe how to make some aluminum or copper or some type of metal jaws for your old Paramo.

It's good to see that that old vice made it to the right hands so it can get some use again.

thanks for posting and again welcome to our forum.

 

[Grimly]

They are wonderful old vices. That's identical to mine and like you, I had the same thought that the lack of type number meant it was likely their first one. They were only set up to provide an alternative to Record, so perhaps the niceties of model numbers seemed superfluous, given they probably only intended to make one model for the duration of the war.

 

[PWRstroke_smoke]

very nice work, love the new jaws!

 

[Dave455]

Good find, and nice work too!

Paramo vices were made in Sheffield, up until fairly recently.

The newer ones were originally blue, but a brighter shade than Record!

The last Paramo vices I saw new were their 'Engineers' vices. They were sizeable things, and I think cast from steel too, so you could hammer on them. Tilgear were selling them off at 1/2 price, which was only about £150. Stupidly, I didn't buy one!

Ironically, now that Record have been bought out and their quality has nosedived, Paramo could probably make a living selling decent stuff!

 

[Fretters]

Ironically, now that Record have been bought out and their quality has nosedived, Paramo could probably make a living selling decent stuff!

As far as I know, the Parramore foundry closed down donkeys ago.

 

[Dave455]

Yes, Paramo have gone, but it was only a few years back (well, could be 10, time flies)!

The Engineers vices were still available till then!

Can't swear they were doing their own forgings then, but the vices I saw were British made and top quality!

I'd have bought one there and then but had to go home on the train!!

 

[larryq]

Nice work so far! Could anyone tell me what the 'switch' and spring below the handle are for?

 

[drivesitfar]

Larry: that is the quick release mechanism. if you turn the handle counter clockwise that frees up the dynamic jaw to pull open freely then when you get the vise to about the right width for your project start turning clockwise and the vise tightens like a normal vise.

make sense? I've only owned one Record vice that had it and i still wish i owned it. some wood vises have similar mechanism.

 

[larryq]

Larry: that is the quick release mechanism. if you turn the handle counter clockwise that frees up the dynamic jaw to pull open freely then when you get the vise to about the right width for your project start turning clockwise and the vise tightens like a normal vise.

make sense? I've only owned one Record vice that had it and i still wish i owned it. some wood vises have similar mechanism.

Ah, I see now. Thanks

 

[Gert]

I like this vise.
I like the round nose, the quick release mechanism, how the jaws are mounted, the buttress thread, it's overall shape.
Ready for another 50 years.
Well done !

 

[Fretters]

Larry: that is the quick release mechanism. if you turn the handle counter clockwise that frees up the dynamic jaw to pull open freely then when you get the vise to about the right width for your project start turning clockwise and the vise tightens like a normal vise.

make sense? I've only owned one Record vice that had it and i still wish i owned it. some wood vises have similar mechanism.

That's the later style QR mechanism which Record briefly implemented which you're thinking of DIF. With the proper QR mechanisms, like the one on that Paramo, the little lever to the right of the leadscrew ball is pressed towards the handle. That disengages the half nut from the leadscrew. That lever is held until you reach the opening you want, and then you let go of the lever. Releasing that lever engages the half nut with the leadscrew, due to the tension of that spring.

 

[drivesitfar]

Fretters: thanks and one of these days i'll get one of those old English vices to see and try that myself.