What type of vice?

[ShinyLauren]

The only vice I own is a tiny little one which screw clamps to the side of my bench. It's fine for holding ring triblets if I tighten the clamp constantly, but I need something a bit beefier to hold bangle mandrels.

What type of vice would people recommend to hold this type of bangle mandrel? http://www.cooksongold.com/Jewellery...prcode-999-803

[Dennis]

When I go to my weekly class, I see people beat the hell out of rings and bangles on a mandrel Lauren, but I have never understood why.
For me it is just a gentle tap tap tap with the base on my lap, or the tip resting on a sandbag.

If you need a big vice, screwed or bolted to the bench, then Record make a good range. You can also get fibre jaws to fit them so as to avoid jaw marks. However bangle mandrels, being so conical would not be very secure in a vice. Dennis.

http://www.tooled-up.com/manproduct/...-100mm/184467/

[CJ57]

I usually use my mandrel in my lap as well but I have a screed down vice the same as the link

[Paul Kay]

At the studio I go to for my weekly class, the Bangle Mandrel, being hollow, has a square timber jammed into it which is then used to secure it into a fairly large standard bench vice. Though personally, I'm with Dennis and others, lap and tap.

[enigma]

Im trying hard to imagine why anybody would want to put a bangle mandrel in a vice?

[ShinyLauren]

Thanks all.

I've tried putting it in my lap, which is fine for thin bangles, but to make chunky ones I need the mandrel to be held in a vice so I can give the wire a good whack!

Maybe I need to get one of the mandrels with a square tang on the end so I can hold it in a vice.

Paul, I shall try jamming a square bit of wood into it first - thanks

[josef1]

If the mandrel is hollow all the way through maybe you could use a large threaded rod with a big plate or washer on the end and bolt it through a block of wood that can be bolted to your bench ?

[enigma]

If its for bangles you can just stand it on the bench and tap the bangle around whilst holding the top with one hand?
I do up to 3mm thick gold that way with no problem?
I do cuffs that thick too although they are a bit more tricky and I have the mandrel on its side on a padded base to start it off.

[LydiaNiz]

I hold mine between my thighs, it is the most practical (if totally unelegant solution) I've found so far...

[Goldsmith]

I have a 4 inch jaw record vice on my bench which is useful for holding tools, like this one;http://www.screwfix.com/p/irwin-reco...hop-vice/88650
I also have another vice at the other end of my bench which is a larger one with 6 inch jaws.
But like others I hold my bangle stake in my lap resting against a hollow in my bench edge.



James