Wednesday, December 29, 2010

Record Imp Vice, No 80

This is the Record Imp Vice, No 80

 

First reference "The "IMP" table vice first listed in Catalogue No. 12, 1933. Last listed in 1982." from http://www.recordhandplanes.com/rare.html
1959 edition of 'Planecraft' states
"The #80 "Imp" Vice is really a minature #74 vice, having 2 1/4" jaws and opening 2 1/2", and in no way must it be confused with either toys or cheap and unsatisfactory vices. It is sturdily and compactly made; the screw is accurately made with machine cut square thread, and there is a parallel grip which is free from any suggestion of looseness. The steel jaws are hardened and of high quality; there is a hardened anvil as in the #74 vice, but of smaller dimensions of course. The slide is of steel. Small tubes and rods can be gripped in the specially designed jaws, and can be bent in the tube bender. It is fastened to the bench with an exceptionally well designed and well-made clamp which is incorporated, which has a grip that is almost unbelievable until it is experienced. The vice weighs 4 1/4 lbs."

I have 2 versions of the Imp vice the maroon one on top and the red one on the bottom. The red one matches the 1959 planecraft description. The maroon one I think is an earlier model

Close up of the maroon (early model) name
Close up of the red (late; at least 1959+) model

The first difference is the screw thread, square thread in the late model, fine thread in the early model
 
Next is the anvil knob, the early model has a groove around it, the late model is straight sided

The  handles are also different the late model having a distinct ball shape

 The colour schemes are also different, maroon for the early and red for the late model.


The clamp washer is oval shaped on the early model. The late model washer was not original as it had been replaced at some stage so it couldn't be compared.

Other features are the same, the pipe bender 

Anvil present on both

Number the same

Both with "Made in England"


Conclusion
The maroon vice is most likely the early version with later improvments in design which were at least incorporated by 1959 but probably earlier than that.


7 comments:

  1. Hi Julian here. I'm from South Africa and I've got the same vice. Bought it way back at a antique shop. But it seems like some parts on mine seems diffrent than yours. Can't post photos here butt I could email it. Will be interesting to know what you think.

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  2. I think you have your information the wrong way around, the Red model with the finer threat is the later model.

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    1. Sorry i meant the maroon colour version is the later model. the Red colour is the earlier model

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  3. What is the early model worth in Sterling

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  4. Thankyou for the information. I seem to have a model that is in between your two. Red in colour. Square thread. No groove around the anvil. Round and original clamping plate but the clamp handle is much simpler. Of course it may be that it is exactly like your red one but that your clamp handle is not original and was replaced when the plate was.

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  5. I now have two Record Imp 80 vices. I recently purchased what I now recognise as the very early version.
    First; early versions are acme thread, later versions from the 60's(?) are 55* standard thread form that are not as fast acting nor is the 55* thread form as strong as Acme.
    There are other differences between the earlier and later.
    The very earliest Imp 80 with Acme thread has slightly shorter width jaws (1/4"?)than the later Imp 80 with the standard 55* thread.
    On the earliest Imp 80 static main body the abut that tubes to be bent act against is also a more smoother shape casting than the later; the later versions are 'squared off'.
    The bender fulcrum on the the moving jaw body of the earliest Imps are cast integral.
    The later Imp 80 versions have threaded in tube bender fulcrums.
    The earliest versions all have the grooved tube bender fulcrum.
    The earliest versions have a plain anvil on the static body; not grooved like later versions.
    Lastly,the earliest version acme screw is retained by a keeper plate while the later versions are retained by spring, washer and pin.
    They are exceptional little vices.

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    1. The very early models also have a "Meatball" end on the square threads instead of the cylindrical end .

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