The Framers Forum

Hello,

I'm looking for a Stanley 400 Mitre Vice in good condition - everything moving freely, jaws parallel. For delivery to a UK address.

Appreciate any offers. Thanks, Paul

I would guess that these have not been produced for years, but the second hand ones usually survive pretty well. If mine is anything to go by there is a little wiggle room to allow it to line up and with the moulding being joined. I got mine second hand a the original owner used to spray frames while held in the vice and the were several layer of gold spray paint in places on the vice. I never tried to remove this old spray paint and never had any problems. Usually anything in reasonably sound working condition will be o.k. These Stanley framers vices are usually very durable and not easily damaged.

Have you seen the illustration in Pete Bingham's book, where he has removed the adjustable base and mounted the vice directly onto a large board. It's a good idea and I have done the same with mine. I produce various stacked moulding frames a quite often need to use veener pins to fix parts of these together and sometimes the frames vice can be very helpful, when work with difficult to pin together jobs. There is a separate flat face on the outside of the moving jaws, which is ofter useful if you need to pull a nailed together frame apart.

I don't get asked to do this anymore, but at one time I used to pull old vintage frames apart and resize them to suit other artworks and foud the stanley framers vice very helpful, when pulling old frames apart without imparting any damage. Although I use my framers vice less these days, it still is a useful item to have on hand when the need arises.

There used to be an auction house in my town at one time. Lots of large framed mirrors tended not to sell because they were much to big for smaller houses. Very often, after the auction the owners would avoid collecting there unsold mirrors and I would often do a deal with the auction house to take them away for a very little cost to me. I would use me stanley framers vice to pull the frame apart and produce two matching smaller mirrors, which would usually sell with no trouble. Over the years, I did dozens of these and ended up with other left over bits of mirror glass, whch found there way into art deco, vintage style mirrors, which often sold well. Times have changed and the auctions house is long gone, so I don't have quite the same oportunities.

I don't usually do very well with selling mirrors, but from time to time old mirrors and large pieces of mirror glass which used to be screwed to wall come my way and I try to make interesting mirrors from them. I have a friend who does various painting decorating and generally renovating peoples house and often they want wall mounted mirrors removed and my friend brings them to me. Mirrors which look too "run of the mill" usually don't sell for me. If I produce something which is easy bought somewwhere else, it is a complete waste of time and nobody wants it. However, it is not a difficult thing to produce really interesting art deco frames, as stacked moulding frames. A really good reason to be getting a Stanley framers vice. Frames with nicely nailed corners are generally assumed to have a bit of age and this often creates a bit more interest.

Thanks Mark.

That's really interesting. Constructing handmade frames, including built up frames, is certainly one of the reasons I want to acquire this vice. I already have a Stanley 100 framers saw/vice and want a 400 also, to begin. To use them for separating old frames is not something I'd considered. I appreciate you sharing experience and I'm sure I'll be returning after I'm set up, and deep into a new job, to look for some more advice!

Thanks

Getting a stanley 400 frames vice may well be a very good move, as it can add extra versatility to your available options of what you are able to offer in terms of goods and services to your customers. Listening to the radio 4 news, I am wondering how bad things might get and how soon!

I checked eBay just for my interest and I found a Stanley 400 Miter Vice, you can also check it out. I just want to share information, maybe you are still looking for it.

Is this one? I've bought 2 from Axminster, they are great, and have helped a lot mostly with oversized frames. I paid around £70 a year ago or so, it is cheaper now.

I hope it helps.

https://www.axminstertools.com/axcalibe ... 9a2ccc7d8b

Kind Regards,
Paul

Thanks, I'm familiar with the Axminster type.

It is one of the stanley versions I'm after, which do indeed come up on ebay, but I was hoping to get one from a framer on this forum as there should be more of a guarantee that it is a fully functioning example, that has not been dropped or is misaligned in any way. Thanks for the interest.