ECLIPSE No:180 Instrument Vice info needed please

Hi All,

During our enforced clear out we are digging into stuff that we bought years ago and have never got around to fixing, this includes some of these ECLIPSE No:180 instrument vices which are absent the actual small vice section as ringed in the photo.

I wonder if anyone might have one that they could take some measurements from for me so that I can make a couple to complete the tools.

Just a "back of envelope" sketch with sizes and thread size etc would be really helpful

The castings are a real work of art as can be seen but the rest of it should be within my limited capability. I would make the jaws from a low carbon steel and there is a small firm near me who can heat treat and surface grind them for me.

BTW if anyone does have one of these do look after it as they are quite a valuable tool, often making £100 or more if boxed!

Cheers, Martin

Martin,

Just measured mine.

The jaws are 1/2 inch X 29/64 inch. The top angled at 30 Deg

thread is 7/32 X 28 BSF and the plain rod 7/32 and both 1 7/8 inch long

The attachment bar is 3/8 inch milled square to 5/16 inch

Will do a sketch later if you still need it.

Regards Barry

Hope you don't mind but I just had to dig out my old masterpiece from school GCSE metalwork class. Not quite up to the same standard as the eclipse but not bad for a spotty kid! I always wondered where the school got the design from, must have copied it from the eclipse model.

The latest MEW has a recycled article describing a similar vice. I made mine the first time round, just as I was starting out with this hobby.

Barry, You have a PM!

Regards, Martin

Anthony, Thanks for the heads up on the MEW article.

Cheers, Martin

Martin Have PM you the sketch

Martin Have PM you the sketch

Martin Have PM you the sketch

Martin, use gauge plate to make the jaws -- far superior and easy to heat threat with minimum distortion .

John

Hi, just for general interest, a scan from a 60's catalogue, the price from March 68 was £5.00 exactly.

Regards Nick.

Edited By Nicholas Farr on 01/05/2020 15:13:49