# Decent quality for the money



## jbertelson

Hi Mark,

I have a similar vise, a Shop Fox, still in the box at my Washington vacation home. I am betting it is the same design, and maybe came from the same factory. I bought it in Bellingham at a hardware place before I realized that the Grizzly Store was there….....and that the Grizzly store has an amazing variety of stuff that they don't make. However, Grizzly sells the same one, since they own Shop Fox. I came to the same conclusion you did, probably good enough for the money.

I have a somewhat better vise here at home, but as I recall, more money…...

http://lumberjocks.com/jbertelson/blog/28188

It will take quite a bit of force, as you might imagine. I bought it on line from Lee Valley…...
I only mention it because if you end up needing a better vise at some time, it would be worth looking at. I have another very old woodworking vise installed on my old bench, and it still gets some use as well.

We are into our rainy time of year, starts in August here. We had a beautiful summer, though, with June and July being very warm and dry….....one of our best summers for years.

I am betting you will find your vise is none too big, and it will get a lot of use. Have a good one….....


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## b2rtch

I have two similar vices but with quick release from Harbor Freight for several years. 
I am very happy with them.
HF no longer carry them, I am happy that I bought mine then.


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## 33706

Hey, Mark!
I think my vise is the same as yours. It was purchased from Lee Valley a few years ago, and it was made in Chech Republic( or was it Czechoslovakia?) Anyway, here's a pic of mine for comparison, the label was falling off so I taped it back on for the sake of this photo.










could yours be Eastern European too?
http://www.leevalley.com/US/wood/page.aspx?p=49980&cat=1,41659


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## MarkColan

Hey PK:

It sure looks a lot like mine. Same color. Mine did not have a Made in Czech sticker on it. I thought I remembered seeing "Made in China" on the box, but I have recycled it so I can't czech it (heh).

As I understand it, it was designed by a British Company that bought the rights to the Record vise design. They presumably re-engineered them for production, then hired that out. It isn't unusual for a company to change business partners, and it may have started in Czech, then moved to China, or maybe vise (heh) versa.

Sorry for the bad puns. I'll look at it carefully and see if I can find any indication one way or the other.


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## Tedstor

I have the same HF vise that Bert is referring too. Very similar to the Eclipse. The HF had a few minor fit/finish issues, but for $39, I was willing to make a few tweaks. I really like this style of vise. I was dead set on a leg vise for my bench, but these quick release rigs are brainless to install, less fussy to use, and still offer 95% of the functionality of a leg vise. 
As Bert said, the HF product is no longer avaiable, and I've considered another quick release vise for my 2nd bench. I've seen these eclipse vises advertised before, but didn't know much about their quality/performance. Thanks for the review. I'll have to keep these on my radar.


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## 33706

Mark: Thanks for the *ad-vice*! Hmmm… Medford, home of Bal-a-Rouie or however it is spelled. Is that dive still in business? Us boys would drive all the way down from NH because we heard that "Med-Fid" chicks were HOTTT… Or was it 'Melrose'?


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## MarkColan

I'm not a native of Medford, and I never heard of it. I did a google on Bal-a-Roue and found out it was a skating rink on Mystic Ave (38). That's a kind of "interesting" part of town. Sorry I missed it!


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## stefang

Hi Mark. Nice review. I'm pretty sure your vise is a Record knockoff made in China. I just bought two of the 10" models which appear to be exactly like yours, except that they are painted green and are sold under the name of a U.K. tool store, namely Axminster. I just mounted the face vise today and I'll be mounting the tail vise tomorrow. Like yours, the quick release mechanism works very smoothly, but the cranking action is a little stiff. It is worth noting that there is no racking in it whatsoever, so that might compensate for the stiffness. I am hoping it loosens up a bit with use though. You have had yours for about 9 months now. I'm wondering if you are still pleased with and if it does indeed crank easier now. I'll appreciate any comments you might have about it.


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## MarkColan

Hi Stefang, Our vises sound similar. I have been using the vise here and there since I installed it. It's hard to know whether it has loosened up the way I would have liked, or I have just gotten used to the stiffness, but I'm still happy with the purchase.

My rear vise face is now covered by the front panel of the workbench (with a cutout to fit), and I have a block of the same material for the front vise face. Having a very deep jaw opening means it is still deep even with these blocks taking up some of it. I will rarely use most of the depth, but I'm glad to have it when I need it.


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## stefang

Thanks very much for your reply Mark. I have had a traditional cabinet makers bench I bought over 30 years ago. It has wooden vises and it was ok, but way to small and with a tool well (which I hated). I replaced it with a longer and wider bench and I'm installing the metal vises on it. I have no previous experience with them, but it is encouraging to hear that you are satisfied with yours. My old bench is going to my son's workshop in Sweden, so not a waste, as I use his shop when we visit him.


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## Rick201m

Hello,

I'm new to woodworking and have a question about my woodworking vise and need some help.

It doesn't allow the work piece to lay flat on the vise. It "rocks" on the bottom of the vise between the center screw, which is higher, and the two side rails, which are lower.

Is this how a vise works and if not is there a fix?

Any help will be greatly appreciated.

Thank you very much.

Rick


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## Ocelot

The way you do it is hold the piece up while tightening the vise. Your workpiece normally will not rest on the screw.


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