Circuit board vice recommendation

[72Blazer]

I noticed a nice large circuit board vice on Sluckey's Revibe page.  I'm wondering what type that might be or a similar product?

http://sluckeyamps.com/revibe/revibe.htm

[sluckey]

That old '70s vise was included with the Pace soldering station repair kit that FAA bought for all their workbenches. Although my vise is branded as Pace, I suspect it was probably made for Pace by Panavise. Here's a modern Panavise ...

     PANAVISE 324 Electronic Work Center

[sluckey]

Here's a smaller vise that I sometimes use, although I prefer the bigger vise.

     http://sluckeyamps.com/tdr/tdr_06.jpg

     http://sluckeyamps.com/warbler/w_03.jpg

[72Blazer]

Thanks,

I bought one on ebay very similar if not identical to one used in your "Warbler" photo. 

[PRR]

OMG! That looks older than the Panavise board holder! It may even be the original.

And dig the "Culver City USA". All the address they needed then. (There's only one Culver City, and not much manufacturing then or now.) They have moved (a 1-car garage in Culver City is now worth a million bucks) and apparently don't do simple board holders, but a line of board washers and stuff.

Hmmm. Panavice says: "1974 - PanaVise develops a Circuit Board Holder as an interchangeable head for the 300 base, and becomes a "standard" in the electronics tool industry."

[sluckey]

A man can never have too many clamps (says the woodworker in me)! My big vise is stamped Matrix Eng Co. rather than Pace.  The next one is the same as yours (you may be missing a knob or thumbscrew). The little one has been used a lot for tinning wires and prepping coax cables (click for pic). I just bought the blue one a couple years ago. The base is heavy steel and all eight of the doodads have a powerful magnet that holds them securely in place. It has been very helpful for holding electronics stuff but my latest projects include rebuilding the air pump in a BB rifle and rebuilding the carburetor for my riding mower. Nothing like a third, fourth, fifth, or sixth hand that doesn't talk back. 

I highly recommend the blue one from Amazon.

[72Blazer]

I'm thinking this will be interoperable (at least the bar that is 14") with the vice I purchased.  Thoughts Sluckey?

[sluckey]

I would need to have it in hand to make any comments.

[sluckey]

I'm thinking this will be interoperable (at least the bar that is 14") with the vice I purchased.  Thoughts Sluckey?

I took mine apart yesterday to clean up rust and repaint. I even disassembled the horizontal cross bars. There's a lot more going on than a casual glance will reveal. There is a long screw that runs the entire length of the cross bars. The little knob on the right end of the crossbars is actually the head of that long screw. And a compression spring that runs half the length of the cross bars. And finally a square nut on the end of the screw that moves inside the hollow crossbars. Turning the head of the screw sets the tension on the spring, which in turn controls the clamping pressure applied to the edge of the circuit board.

All this to say, I don't think you can use that extra crossbar with that vise.

[Lectroid]

A man can never have too many clamps...

Absolutely true. I believe that's in the U.S. Constitution somewhere...   

But all this talk has got me looking over my aluminum bar stock and thinking about a homemade version.

[sluckey]

But all this talk has got me looking over my aluminum bar stock and thinking about a homemade version.

Yeah, this has got my homebrew wheels turning. Reminds me of my simple amp cradle. Looks like longer rods would be a good mod. Take a look...

     https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0BHZCM216/

[Lectroid]

Speaking of amp cradles/amp caddies, have you see CrocMule's innovation?  At least I think it's his.  Look here and following:

https://el34world.com/Forum/index.php?topic=20007.msg326407#msg326407

He figured a way to tilt rather steeply toward the builder that I really like.  I immediately modified my own cradle with the drawer slides.  It is very useful in my book.

[72Blazer]

Thanks Sluckey-wow who would have thunk that?

[Lectroid]

Looks like longer rods would be a good mod. Take a look...
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0BHZCM216/

Or its baby brother, below. This version is too small for most amp work but look at the basic structure of it--very simple.  Could make most of it out of wood.



https://www.amazon.com/MMOBIEL-Adjustable-Soldering-Desoldering-Rotation/dp/B098PBPX8W/ref=sr_1_2?crid=35VU97Y4EW46G&keywords=MMOBIEL+Adjustable+PCB+Holder&qid=1683220101&sprefix=mmobiel+adjustable+pcb+holder%2Caps%2C77&sr=8-2

[sluckey]

Or its baby brother, below. This version is too small for most amp work but look at the basic structure of it--very simple.  Could make most of it out of wood.

Haha! I just bought that two days ago. All it needs is a 24" long 1x2 to handle every board I've ever made.

[Lectroid]

Oh that's too freaking easy.  I should have seen that.   Here I've been working for 2 hrs and got my version almost sketched out, probably wouldn't have cost me more than $60 in parts.

I think I'm doing it your way.

[sluckey]

Little pcb vise arrived today. Pretty cheap but will work fine for loading boards and connecting wires. It's worth $18. The stock fixture can handle a 8-1/2" Hoffman board.

[sluckey]

Life is good! I was looking for a scrap piece of wood to make a longer crossbar. Grabbed my 30 year old mahogany push stick, paint stirrer, multi-task stick and couldn't believe it. It was the exact dimensions needed for the cross bar! I can handle a 14" long Hoffman board now. Stick measures 1-3/16 x 5/8 in case you are curious. I may even sand it and paint it!   

[72Blazer]

I was waiting for you add a post on this (I bought one too).  $21 you can't beat it.  I haven't had time to put it together yet.  Thanks for the tip!

[sluckey]

One more pic of itty bitty vise...

[sluckey]

One more tip... I was searching through my wood scraps looking for something to make a 24" x 1-3/16" x 5/8" stick for this vise. I was just about to drag out the planer and make a mess, when it occurred to me...     the fence boards sold by Lowes are now 5/8" rather than the old 3/4" thickness. And I have a few. I grabbed a straight knot free board and promptly ripped a 1-3/16" wide stick. Another 5 minutes with the palm sander and I had a 6' extension cross bar that fits perfectly. Now to find that black rattle can.

BTW, do you have your old heavy duty pcb vise yet?

[RadioComm]

I'm sold. Just ordered mine too. Getting it tomorrow. Thanks a mille lectroid/sluckey for the pointer, review, and tips. 

[72Blazer]

Yes I do Sluckey-nice and sturdy that's for sure.  Got the main board from the noisy FDR I gutted on it now.

[sluckey]

Lil vise with fence board mod. Now I can do 20" turret boards. Fence board needs to be 4-1/4" longer than longest board you will work with.

[Lectroid]

Just wanted to update here that this works.  I stole sluckey's idea of making a longer spine.  Much easier to populate boards now.