Record 634 vice

[Screwdriver]

This turned up just a few miles up the road from me so I snapped it up.

Big isn't big enough a word. It's massive!

It weighs the same as my full size blacksmiths anvil (!) at a whopping 77kg. Here's half of it on the anvil for scale.

I don't know where I am going to put it. I might just sell it to be honest after I tart it up a bit. Lead screw looks really good and is an amazingly fine pitch for such a big vice.

But since it's the best part of a metre long, there isn't really anywhere in the workshop it will fit. it would take up almost as much room as my flypress.

Great fun.

S.

 

[Screwdriver]

So I thought I'd pop the jaws off before painting and to tidy them up a bit. They did NOT want to come off!

Had to beat the heck out of the impact driver after several rounds of heating with a blowtorch. The heads got mullered.

Annoyingly the stepped jaws are not reversible, one edge is substantially thicker than the other. Though they do fit "upside down".

While I was at it the main screw has a stop on it which had slipped due to the locking bolt shearing off Looks like someone had drilled into the shaft too so I welded it up and smoothed it down. Also tapped a new hole in the retaining collar so it now has two grub screws (instead of one snapped off bolt).

Cleaned up and ground out the screws prior to TIG welding.

60 amps was a bit hot for such a small piece but they welded up ok.

Then just turn them down roughly before I figure out how to form a new slot.

I'll probably make up a jig to hold a disk grinder and feed the screws into the blade with a cross slide vice. Then tidy them up, grind to length etc.

S.

 

[Screwdriver]

I'm not overly happy with the colour but I had some hammerite blue so I just used that. I toned it down a bit with some black.

The black was a hammered finish so theres a bit of glitter in the finish.

Record blue would have been nice but black is definitely too old looking.

Still not happy with the jaws. I have ground them down a bit on the linisher but they still have some deep divots and a dodgy edge.

I might grind them a bit more or maybe fill with some weld. I dread to think how much a new set of hardened jaws would cost so I need to be a bit careful.


S.

 

[Screwdriver]

I pressed the cold cut chop saw into action and it really struggled with the "mystery metal" I found to use for pipe jaws.

It does a lovely job eventually though, very little finishing required.

....and the accuracy of cut is the width of the scribe!

It's 20mm stock and it needs to be at most 19mm and ideally 18mm thick.

Eventually managed to thin it down on the linisher but it takes a long time since the piece gets very hot.

Two more to go then cut a V for the pipe clamping feature. I might just leave them plain rather than cut teeth into the faces.

Screwd.

 

[Screwdriver]

And then to finish them off, I faced them on the lathe.

Awkward because the size of each piece was just exactly as difficult to grip as you could get.

They wouldn't fit with the jaws stepped and with them this way round, I needed a spacer behind.

Anyhow, all done now and they fit.

I did have to pull the single jaw out by 5mm so that will need some packing fitting to the back, probably a couple of bolt heads.

Catalogue says it will grip a six inch pipe so that's what I am aiming at.

Just need to figure out how to cut the V slot to accommodate it. NB: I have deliberately inset the jaws 10mm behind the main jaw so I can leave them in place without them interfering. Again, I might pack them out to be flush with the main jaws if that looks better.

Screwd.

 

[JZiggy]

Shipping cost to California?

 

[dutchgray]

Great work so far bringing that rare beast back to good order.

 

[KMScott]

Here is a drawing of a Master set of pipe jaws that I scale down or up to fit the height of my missing pipe jaws. The depth I control by adding a 3/4 spacer block that I can machine down easy since the pipe jaws should be hard Tool-Steel. Let me know if a DXF of this drawing will help you.

Great job you are doing Screwdriver on this restore.

 

[CNGsaves]

That is truly a monster VICE . . . that you likely need a BIGGER bench !!!

Venture to say that is RECORD size for a Record vise on GJ . . . 150 lbs !!!

Keep the PIC's coming . . . can you tell us what you paid for it ???

 

[anndel]

That's a sweet vise!

 

[Screwdriver]

Thanks Scott, mine are 90mm x 60mm x 19mm. I just made them up froman interesting length of mystery metal.

Shipping to Cal wouldn't be too bad, under $1k I should expect

I paid £50 for it and luckily it was right on my doorstep. Heck of a thing to pick up, even in two pieces. Its difficult to get a real sense of scale, I'll see if I can grab a better picture of it.

Now the jaws are nearly done, I'll put it back together properly. Better find a semi-permanent place for it first in the workshop. I don't want to keep moving it!

S.

 

[JZiggy]

But since it's the best part of a metre long, there isn't really anywhere in the workshop it will fit. it would take up almost as much room as my flypress.

If that thing showed up in my garage it would demand a permanent residence!

Nice work and a super cool vise. Sorry, vice.

 

[8man]

Wow, that is awesome! Great work on the refurb too!!

 

[lilredex]

Love that *********** on the 634.....we never see those around here, just lots of the regular vices like on the RHS.

Nice work!

 

[Alexbn921]

nice find and great work getting it back to new condition.

 

[dutchgray]

Love that *********** on the 634.....we never see those around here, just lots of the regular vices like on the RHS.

Nice work!

We almost never see the combinations over here either.

 

[Screwdriver]

I'll be the first to admit this is a teensy bit obsessive but the single jaw was 5mm inset compared to the double vice jaws. The jaws sit solidly against the rear face of the holders so I had to modify the new jaw. I toyed with the idea of putting in a couple of spacers but it was easier just to widen it with a slab of 5mm stock.

I chamfered the edges to give me some penetration then tacked and TIGged.

Not the tidiest of welds but its all getting ground off anyway.

Some time later the new jaw is flat and sits inside the vice body perfectly square with the vice and with the same extension as the opposite jaws.

Now I just have to bite the bullet and decide on the exact cutout I need.

Once again I use a 6 inch disk as a template because thats the maximum rated size for this vice. It could probably go up to 8 inch. However, most of the time it would be used for scaff pole or even black iron pipe for threading duty.

Don't know yet if I am going to cut one V or one big one small.

S.

 

[jipps]

Amazing work.

I think the blue doesn't look too bad at all, and I certainly wouldn't normally even mention changing it BUT, given the great pains that you're going to on all other aspects, it might be nice to go for standard record blue. Anyway, if it helps, I understand that "Record blue" was BS381C 110 "Roundel Blue".

Looking forward to seeing more of this epic resto

 

[Canoe50]

Big? Massive? Nah, maybe when it's 205lbs. like this Starrett 926. That Record is medium sized at a mere 158lbs.
Seriously, very nice vise & great job on the restoration. (& step by step pictures)

 

[Screwdriver]

Anyway, if it helps, I understand that "Record blue" was BS381C 110 "Roundel Blue".

Looking forward to seeing more of this epic resto

Many thanks. Maybe next time.

Big? Massive? Nah, maybe when it's 205lbs. like this Starrett 926. That Record is medium sized at a mere 158lbs.

Well you wouldn't want to drop it on your foot. It weighs in at 170 lbs according to the record catalogue.

I can't quite see the pipe vice jaws on that Starrett. Are they detachable??

S.

 

[Screwdriver]

A surprising number of fiddly bits later.

I chopped out one of the pipe jaws, the others are marked and ready. made up the main jaw securing screws and fitted the handle etc.

To cut the machine screw slot I doubled up on the hacksaw blades and cut the slot in one go, then tidy up with a needle file.

Came out ok after all that messing about.

Just need to finish the second pair of pipe jaws and then think about building a stand.

S.

 

[dutchgray]

Nice work on the screws, I would never have thought of doubling up hacksaw blades.
With regards to the heaviest Record, CW had a bigger one.

 

[Screwdriver]

Nice work on the screws, I would never have thought of doubling up hacksaw blades.
With regards to the heaviest Record, CW had a bigger one.

Yeah, surprising how often I hear that. Don't see it very often though.

One thing's for sure. I'm not looking forwards to picking it up off the bench!

 

[NitroSun]

Nice work. No such thing as too big. Just remember the GJ way.

If the vice is too big, get a bigger bench, if the bench is too big, get a bigger garage.

 

[nia573]

Cracking Record Vice - havent seen one that big before

 

[jipps]

Just need to finish the second pair of pipe jaws and then think about building a stand.
S.

Interested to know what height you (or others) are thinking for the stand, given the height of the jaws here and the fact that a vice of this size would favour heavy work, which in turn favours lower work height.

Are you thinking of a low-ish stand to bring the jaw height to about the 36" mark?

 

[Screwdriver]

Interested to know what height you (or others) are thinking for the stand, given the height of the jaws here and the fact that a vice of this size would favour heavy work, which in turn favours lower work height.

Are you thinking of a low-ish stand to bring the jaw height to about the 36" mark?

I'll be finishing off the jaws today and I'll grab a picture of me standing next to it. That will give me an idea of height and a surprising indication of scale!

Now the vice is fully assembled, it will be a non-trivial task to move it. I may need to bring in a hoist.

S.

 

[Canoe50]

Many thanks. Maybe next time.



Well you wouldn't want to drop it on your foot. It weighs in at 170 lbs according to the record catalogue.

I can't quite see the pipe vice jaws on that Starrett. Are they detachable??

S.

I hear you on dropping it.....not good.
No pipe jaws on the Starrett.
Really, really great job on that restoration, right down to the screws. Now that it's complete, that shade of blue you came up with looks great!

 

[2oolhound]

What a beauty! Nice work! Just wondering if they made a swivel base for this model?

 

[Screwdriver]

Thanks, there is a 634S apparently but the swivel option is not a retro fit item.

S.

 

[2oolhound]

I'd like to see how they added a swivel with only 2 lbs of extra steel. They usually add a 1" thick base consisting of inner and outer ring which is about 1" greater diameter than the vice base plus the levered bolts and nuts. If it wasn't such a job I'd weigh my 6" Record mechanic's vice swivel base but I don't feel like un-bolting it. They are cast pieces with lots of relieved areas so much lighter than solid rings would be but I thought it would weigh more than 2 lbs.

 

[Screwdriver]

Here it is all done with a mug for scale.

;D

 

[MikeF2316]

If I came into one of those at a good price, I would redesign my whole shop around it. I would have gone on a search for new jaws and their screws, I like your tig and hacksaw idea.

 

[jipps]

'ells bells! That is going to do some work! Great result, and the pipe clamps are looking great too

Here it is all done with a mug for scale.

;D

 

[LXCam]

DAMN!, that mug sure makes the vise look like a million bucks






LOL, great job on bring her back into fantastic shape!.

 

[JZiggy]

Ever thought about putting a needle thrust bearing under the screw spindle? I do that to all my vises (my Paramo and my Record currently have one) and man it makes the action nice.

 

[Canoe50]

Here it is all done with a mug for scale.

;D

I'm also liking that stand. Did you make that? I'm guessing you did.

 

[Screwdriver]

Ever thought about putting a needle thrust bearing under the screw spindle? I do that to all my vises (my Paramo and my Record currently have one) and man it makes the action nice.

I've seen them on machine vices, I guess if I run out of power wit the Record I would consider it.

I'm also liking that stand. Did you make that? I'm guessing you did.

Its a hydraulic bike lift, designed for dirt bikes. Damned handy thing to have around heavy objects too.

S.

 

[lilredex]

OK...please don't tease us! Show us more of that stand....I have a few miles of 1 X 3/8" hot rolled bar, to make one.

 

[Thrumcap]

What a great resto. I had to leave my jaws on my 634 and polish in place as I did not have the kit to get them unstuck. Your pipe jaws look great. I am trolling the web slowly on occasion, looking for NOS parts....I think I will be waiting a long time.
I have never seen a 634 - and there's only about 5 out there I have seen pictures of - with the swivel base or the original pipe jaws.
Thrumcap