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PanaVise Junior Model 201 |
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Reviewed By Doug Hamilton, #21985 |
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| MSRP: $23.99 USD The model 201 PV Jr. is the latest offering from PanaVise Products Company. Modelers have long associated the equipment offered by this company with high quality, and versatility. This new vise is no exception. Constructed of mostly metal and fiber reinforced thermal composite alloy for the jaws, this vise will do all the many things of it’s larger brothers, only in a smaller, easy to use size. One of the features that make this product so versatile is the way the base is constructed. The base is cast in one piece of zinc, and is 3 ½” diameter with tabs that will allow up to a ¼” mounting bolt to be used. The holes are countersunk to allow a standard wood or machine screw to be used. PanaVise offers a number of high quality base mounts, sold separately, that will allow the vise to be mounted in a number of different ways. I screwed my sample to a piece of 1” pine board, and used a quick clamp to hold it to my bench top. The unit was very secure when mounted in this fashion, and was practically unmovable. I also found it to be quite stable without attaching it to the bench for smaller, lighter jobs. There is one control knob positioned on the base, which by loosening allows the top head to be swiveled, tilted, or rotated in nearly any direction. Using a ball socket arrangement gives very good rotational mobility on three axes to allow pinpoint positioning of the object being held. The fiber composite jaws are grooved in both horizontal and vertical directions to hold round stock, or irregularly shaped pieces. This is a very handy feature. The jaws open to about 3”, and are controlled by a combination lever and dial. This feature lets to you precisely adjust the tension of the jaws during closure for holding very fine work. I thought the levers are a little short, and believe lengthening them to 1” on each side of the dial could enhance this feature. The dial center makes fine-tuning easy, which will all but eliminate crushing delicate parts with too much force. I always like new and improved versions of an old familiar tool. PanaVise has created a very nice product, and I would recommend this one to anyone looking for a quality tool. It has all the versatility a modeler needs at a reasonable price, and would be a fine addition to your toolbox, or bench top. My thanks to PanaVise for supplying this fine product, and IPMS 1st Vice President John Noack. |
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