Harold Hall
First, the colour of the paint was different and the general quality of the finish was not so good. Even with that difference there still seemed something odd, because of this I brought out the earlier ones to compare, only to find that whilst the general shape was the same they had not been made from the same castings. In this respect there were significant differences in their dimensions. Of course, non of this effected their ability to do the job for which they were advertised, a drilling vice, they were just different.
Probably the most significant feature that was poor was the jaw's keep plate which on one was poorly made and on all of them smaller than they need be. Even so, they were only sold as drilling vices for which they would be OK in most circumstances. This would not of course be the case if to be used in a workshop involved in high accuracy tasks, press tool making for example, but then one would not expect such a firm to buy budget tooling. Only, £23 (2012 price) for a heavy 80mm vice is surely a budget item. The absence of any easy method of securing them to the drilling machine table is though a bit questionable for a drilling vice.
Not only were these obviously from another manufacturing source to those I had obtained previously, but it is highly likely that the four now purchased came from two, if not three, manufacturers.
I cannot believe that the UK supplier would, for such small value items, search around China (where at least some came from) to find a manufacturer, and therefore consider that they arrived here via a middle man who sources them from different manufacturers. The vices as received can be seen in Photo 13 and have jaw sizes of 40, 64, 80 and 100mm, opening by similar amounts.
The vices were purchased from MSC (UK) but with similar vices, at similar prices,
obtainable from other suppliers though not that I can find in the larger sizes.
MSC in the US also list them but are more expensive in the larger sizes, I suspect
therefore they are better quality. There are also more options that I discuss in
my pages on re-
Note Since writing the above I have found that MSC do supply drilling vices having
a toolmakers vice style, but not calling them as such. They are also not budget items
so cost more than those I have re-
Metalworking
Workshop Processes
13
