minaret Posted August 3, 2016 Share Posted August 3, 2016 I recently picked up this German bench vise. 6" jaws, 85#, very smooth action. Couldn't find any maker mark (without taking off the paint) and am wondering if anyone is familiar with it and can share any info about it? Also, any recommendation on where to get replacement jaws for it? Thanks for any advice/info. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted August 3, 2016 Share Posted August 3, 2016 So you hunting for replacement jaws in South Africa or Australia or Lithuania? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
minaret Posted August 3, 2016 Author Share Posted August 3, 2016 Ah sorry, just updated my profile. I'm in Texas as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted August 3, 2016 Share Posted August 3, 2016 As the hole locations are probably different than most of the USA vises it may be easiest to just make a set; though you could take accurate measurements and post them and ask if anyone has a matching set on a known brand that you could then source. I'd be tempted to make a set of mild steel "soft" jaws and then just replace them as needed. Austin is where the "Mother Ship" is for the company I work for! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
minaret Posted August 3, 2016 Author Share Posted August 3, 2016 Cool, I think I may make them out of mild steel then. Sounds like a fun project. One of the tech companies here? I was just near you, up in the Cloudcroft NM area. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gote Posted August 3, 2016 Share Posted August 3, 2016 I have her sister and she is a very good one. Do you know that she is German? I thougt Swedish. Mine is at least 80 years old so you will have to make your spares. It cannot be very difficult. Any mechanical workshop can make new if you do not have the equipment. Make sure you have the right thread. There are metric threads that are very near inch threads. If you force the wrong one into the holes you are in for trouble. The original screws have recessed conical heads with slot for screwdriver. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
minaret Posted August 3, 2016 Author Share Posted August 3, 2016 2 hours ago, gote said: I have her sister and she is a very good one. Do you know that she is German? I thougt Swedish. Mine is at least 80 years old so you will have to make your spares. It cannot be very difficult. Any mechanical workshop can make new if you do not have the equipment. Make sure you have the right thread. There are metric threads that are very near inch threads. If you force the wrong one into the holes you are in for trouble. The original screws have recessed conical heads with slot for screwdriver. That is great to hear! Do you have any photos that you can share of yours? I got it from someone in Germany but it very well could be Swedish, and perhaps that is why I haven't found anything similar, because I have been searching for the wrong country of manufacture. Anything else you know about them? If yours is 80 years old, I would assume mine would be somewhere near that. It has smoother action than my other vises and I'm looking forward to getting it set up. Thank you for the advice regarding the metric threads! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gote Posted August 4, 2016 Share Posted August 4, 2016 I do not know how to post the right thread but if you look after "my machinery vise" August 2015 you will find a picture. Yes it has a very smooth and effortless action. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
minaret Posted August 5, 2016 Author Share Posted August 5, 2016 On 8/4/2016 at 4:16 AM, gote said: I do not know how to post the right thread but if you look after "my machinery vise" August 2015 you will find a picture. Yes it has a very smooth and effortless action. Thanks, it's good to see another one. I like your description of it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gote Posted August 5, 2016 Share Posted August 5, 2016 I have checked a little on google by calling it "Schraubstock alt" and found a number of them so it is probably German. Search in Swedish yielded zero results. One poster said probably 100 years old. One of them has the lettering RB on the side which points to the manufacturer Röhm. However this designation is for a present model which is very different. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kozzy Posted August 5, 2016 Share Posted August 5, 2016 On August 2, 2016 at 8:50 PM, ThomasPowers said: I'd be tempted to make a set of mild steel "soft" jaws and then just replace them as needed. I second this. The one thing that keeps annoying me about my own vice is the hard checkered jaws: I seem to do 10 times more work that would be harmed by the jaws than work which wouldn't so constantly have to find ways to protect the work. I never seem to get around to making a new set because it's not something one thinks of until the problem comes up. Another option you might consider is holding the jaws in place by inserting/gluing magnets in a rear pocket (drilled pocket, round magnets). To do this you probably want a little side wrap so the jaws can't slip side to side. This allows you to make several "Quick change" jaw versions, including aluminum or brass for the really soft stuff. Good rainy-day project. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted August 5, 2016 Share Posted August 5, 2016 I have a postvise where the jaws were HEAVILY checkered like 1/8" tall pyramids and fairly coarse too. It has a set of angle iron covers for the jaws for working steel in my shop.. Since we can replace jaws fairly easily on machinist vises, we can make them to suit and not worry so much about longevity considerations. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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