Ess-Vee 100mm Bench Vice Restoration and Review

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I picked up a little Ess-Vee 100mm (4″) bench vice recently that needed a little bit of TLC – here’s our minor restoration and review of it. You can sometimes find these vices on eBay AU. The previous owner said it was pretty old – though what exactly that means is anybody’s guess. From what I can find online the company makes tools in India.

Here's a restoration and review of an Ess-Vee vintage bench vice, in 100mm or 4-inch size.

The other side:

Here's a restoration and review of an Ess-Vee vintage bench vice, in 100mm or 4-inch size.

It’s not super well defined on the side of the vice but you can see the maker’s name:

Here's a restoration and review of an Ess-Vee vintage bench vice, in 100mm or 4-inch size.

At some point the main nut has been cracked – not through the threaded area for the screw, instead the foot where the screw is screwed into the base:

Here's a restoration and review of an Ess-Vee vintage bench vice, in 100mm or 4-inch size.

This doesn’t seem to have a huge effect on the main screw – it does not appear to shift much even without the support of the bolted section. The handle is 12mm in diameter:

Here's a restoration and review of an Ess-Vee vintage bench vice, in 100mm or 4-inch size.

215mm end to end:

Here's a restoration and review of an Ess-Vee vintage bench vice, in 100mm or 4-inch size.

Cleaning it up for some fresh paint the casting quality appears… varied:

Here's a restoration and review of an Ess-Vee vintage bench vice, in 100mm or 4-inch size.

Here's a restoration and review of an Ess-Vee vintage bench vice, in 100mm or 4-inch size.

There are quite a few sections with cavities in the surface, which were largely hidden by paint. Finished cleaning, fresh paint:

Here's a restoration and review of an Ess-Vee vintage bench vice, in 100mm or 4-inch size.

Here's a restoration and review of an Ess-Vee vintage bench vice, in 100mm or 4-inch size.

The spring that sits around the screw was a little short here and allowed the screw/handle to move before the dynamic jaw moved:

Here's a restoration and review of an Ess-Vee vintage bench vice, in 100mm or 4-inch size.

I wasn’t sure that the vice was assembled correctly (previous owner error?) but there was a taper on the screw and a matching taper in the slide, that fit neatly together:

Here's a restoration and review of an Ess-Vee vintage bench vice, in 100mm or 4-inch size.

Here's a restoration and review of an Ess-Vee vintage bench vice, in 100mm or 4-inch size.

Putting a washer on the outside resulted in the hole through the screw being much too far under the spring to fit a split pin through even with the spring under full compression. So… slop it is, or a longer spring.

Reassembled with new grease:

Here's a restoration and review of an Ess-Vee vintage bench vice, in 100mm or 4-inch size.

Not sure what the “3” on the side of the slide represents.

Here's a restoration and review of an Ess-Vee vintage bench vice, in 100mm or 4-inch size.

In use (this particular example, at least) the vice isn’t awe-inspiring – there’s a lot of slop left/right and up/down in the dynamic jaw and the loose spring doesn’t help with the screw staying tight. On the upside, the screw is pretty well protected and I suspect that for light and occasional use the vice would be adequate – but I wouldn’t call it a nice tool to use.

Here's a restoration and review of an Ess-Vee vintage bench vice, in 100mm or 4-inch size.

Check out Ess-Vee vices on eBay AU or check out some of our other tool reviews!

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