Woden tools, anybody know anything about them?

[Lankytim]

Hi Gang,

 

After several years of beating the crap out of expensive automotive items on the garage floor, a bit like a monkey hitting a coconut with a bone or something, I have decided to invest in a workshop vice. A few days searching ebay turned up various items, all quite pricey (when did old workshop vices get so popular?) and with mega postage costs, none were local enough to warrant the trip to collect either. Eventually I found a vice locally at a decent price on preloved.com. The description was pretty poor but on collection I found it to be a Woden 190/7a, a type of vice my Dad had many years ago. Its an awesome thing, pretty large with a quick release feature, seems very well put together too. Its now bolted to my metal bench and is awaiting its first hammering/grinding session with something!

 

The thing looks pretty old, a quick search on the net tells me that the Woden factory was in Wednesbury in the Black Country and that they were taken over by Record tools in the 1960s, apart from that its difficult to find out any other info. Google keeps replacing the word "Woden" with "Wooden" meaning I get snowed under with spurious results.

 

I'd love to date my new vice, can any old skool engineering fans help me out?

[Justin Case]

Tim, 'Woden' was a trademark of the wonderfully named Steel Nut and Joseph Hampton Company (it was probably a reference to them that you found.)

 

If you follow this link:

http://www.localhistory.scit.wlv.ac.uk/ ... dustry.htm

there is a reference to them about 3/4 of the way down; it says that they patented their quick release vice in 1955, so yours would have been made about then.

 

I have an ancient Record No3 vice which probably dates from about that time (inherited from father-in-law) but it hasn't got the quick-release feature, so it would be useful to see a picture to compare it with. Although I suppose I could be classed as an 'old skool engineering fan', my main interest is in local history which is how I found the link.

[Rusty Pelican]

Love old tools like these , ive got two Swinden patent swivel vices , both from the 50s , both less that a tenner each from boot sales , Swindens are still going but they cost a fortune now.

Theres a 6 inch one on the bay , Buy it now at £595 , new they are £1500 , If you ever find one cheap buy it they are THE BEST

 

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Swindens-Workshop ... 529wt_1139

 

 

 

[myglaren]

Google keeps replacing the word "Woden" with "Wooden" meaning I get snowed under with spurious results.

 

Try putting Woden in quotes.

 

"Woden" tools produces a decent amount of results

[Lankytim]

Cheers for the info guys. I was actually using the vice today to hold an old shock absorber I was modifying to fit the Maestro van trailer, the job would be pretty much impossible without it!

 

I'll chuck a couple of pics up when I get the chance probably later this week, in the meantime the vice I have is very similar to the one in the top of this picture.

 

[Guest]

I've just bought one of these on Ebay to replace my Clarke (Chinese probably) vice that decided to break last week for no apparent reason. The seller had two for sale, although only one was sold (to me). I haven't collected it yet, but I might buy both, especially since a quick search found that my suspicions of where they were made proved correct - Wednesbury in the West Midlands. Bostin stuff from there........

[Lankytim]

Go for it, I love mine!

 

I think i've visited the old Woden works a few years ago- It had Woden in the name and was in Yam Yam land.