Record #74 "Auto-vice"

[jipps]

Okay, so this is really just another vice resto thread BUT I thought it might be useful for some people, because when I was in the market for one, there wasn't too much info available.


First things first, why do you want one of these not-very-well known vices?

Well, it was English made by Record. I don't know the exact dates, but it was certainly in production from the 1930s through to the 60's, and I think probably 70's. It's a quality bit of kit.

Also, it has a unique design, shared only with the clamp-on "Imp" and the larger Record 75. All three in the family were red-painted from the factory. The design was specific to what Record thought long-and-hard about what might be required by a home or professional garage (as opposed to a more industrial-specific application like machinist, diesel fitter etc).

Therefore, this vice does a lot of what the homeowner/DIY market could ask of a vice... assuming you can get your head around the slightly challenging aesthetics, then we've got anvil, swivel, pipe jaws, detachability and portability.

And it takes a standard 4" jaw (this was my chief rationale for the 74 over the 75 - the 75 takes something like a 5.25" with back-screwed jaws, and good luck replacing those!

 

[jipps]

So, here is the vice as it came to me. Cosmetically not superb, but all the important parts had been well lubricated, the slide was perfect, the anvil essentially unused and - crucially - all the bits were there (these things often end up losing their swivel plate or the big securing wingnut, etc etc....

 

[jipps]

Stripping these is very quick - just remove the visible pin on the dynamic jaw. (the pin and washer assembly were the only parts that needed replacing - you can see in the fourth image above that both had deformed, allowing the spring too much travel down the screw...

 

[jipps]

Then a quick going-over with a wire wheel

 

[jipps]

Before re-painting. As noted above, the 74 is one of very few Records that did not leave the factory in traditional "Roundel Blue" - instead, these were always red. I used Hammerite smooth red. I didn't find this to be a particularly impressive paint in application, but the result is reasonable and hopefully when it goes off fully over the next month or two it will toughen up nicely.

 

[jipps]

Then the only task was to sort out the spring retention. I fabricated a new washer (drilling out a 1.25" galv washer to 18mm), straightened up the original washer in a pliers wrench so I could retain it in front, then dropped a new 3.2mm cotter pin (snipped for length) into the hole in the screw.

 

[jipps]

And that was that. A good coat of paste wax explains the weird white look on the jaw markings etc... Would love to know what you think of the outcome, I'm pretty happy and looking forward to putting this to good use

 

[1982fxr]

nice

 

[CNGsaves]

FABULOUS restoration !!! . . .

LOVE the color and all the polished areas.

Can you explain / demonstrate how the swivel works ??

 

[jipps]

Can you explain / demonstrate how the swivel works ??

Good question - it's an entirely different mechanism from all other Records.

The 74 has a base plate, which is secured to a bench via three bolts as usual. However, rather than a flat face with internal collar, this base has an internal ring, with a series of 16 radial ridges and valleys - giving swivel adjustment in 22.5 degree increments. You can see the ridge detail in this pic:

The base of the static jaw has two corresponding ridges underneath, which locate in the base valleys. a threaded bar feeds up into the base of the static jaw, passes through the centre of the ridged base, and right through the bench. It is then secured via a large wingnut. The whole assembly is designed such that making the wingnut finger tight does in fact make the whole assembly extremely tight and rigid. You can get an idea of this bit from the catalogue illustration (this one's from 1950):

So, why the unusual design

Well, it appears to be in order to combine the swivel function with true portability. The idea is that the ridged base stays bolted to the primary work area but - in case of need to temporarily move the vice to a different location - the wingnut can be spun off and the vice can be dropped into any hole at any location and tightened up by hand.

The whole operation of re-locating needs no tool, unlike a traditional swivel set up. The temporary set up (sans base) is slightly less effective at resisting rotation but the design makes it highly secure in respect of all other vice and anvil operating forces.

I think it's a really impressive mechanism which adds a bit of flexibility and really rounds this vice out for its stated purpose (here's more from the 1950 catalogue):

So I like it, but what do other people think ???

 

[countryroad82]

Nice!

 

[demographic]

Got one of those myself, think mines possibly older due to the style of writing on it but I have no evidence to back that thought up.

 

[jipps]

Got one of those myself, think mines possibly older due to the style of writing on it but I have no evidence to back that thought up.

Yep, yours is older. I have a 1935 catalogue which shows the script as per yours, and in the next catalogue I have (1950) the "Auto-vice" script is gone, as per mine (although n.b. mine has some other changes that indicate it's 1960s or later, e.g. the square-ended screw...

How do you like the 74? Do you use it?

 

[jipps]

Got one of those myself, think mines possibly older due to the style of writing on it but I have no evidence to back that thought up.

Oh yeah, and another nice feature on yours that was deleted by 1950 is the pair of holes on the right hand side up near the anvil. I understand that they were for turning valves, do you know whether that's correct?

 

[Dave455]

Nice job!

The red colour denoted the vice was made from steel rather than cast iron, so you could hammer on it without fear of cracking it!

I have a Record 'Imp' from the early 70's that's the same colour!

 

[jipps]

Nice job!

The red colour denoted the vice was made from steel rather than cast iron, so you could hammer on it without fear of cracking it!

I have a Record 'Imp' from the early 70's that's the same colour!

Thanks!

Yes, I think you're right about the origin of the colour, but I believe that by the middle of the century (and per catalogues) the 74 had gone over to cast iron. Only the 75 was guaranteed unbreakable, and even those switched to pearlitic iron during their life (and certainly by 1961).

The Imps are cool and way more useful than their small size would suggest - you can see my trusty Imp clamped to my roll cab in the second pic of this thread (and, at the time of writing anyway, in my avatar!). I don't believe the Imp was ever all steel - just a steel slide and the two screw in pucks. I think they got the red because they were by then kindof in the same "family" as the 74 and 75... but I don't know that for certain and would love to hear a more informed view than my own.

 

[paulm12]

I'm not into vises (in terms of collecting), but that thing is just cool looking. And the resto is very well done.

Paul

 

[EdShed]

Hi

I have just been given 1 of these Vices.

Its not in to bad a state but would like to give it some TLC before I use it.

Does anybody have any manuals etc for this vice so that I know how to strip it down etc?

Thanks

 

[HanShotFirst]

The replaceable anvil is a great idea