The VISES of Garage Journal

[Mark Stansbury]

Found this Charles Parker 33-1/2 at Goodwill yesterday. My first thought was it was an import due to the non-acme thread and other details, but it says U.S.A. Jaws are 3-5/8" wide.

 

[wrenchr]

I found this listed on FB MP and it is a Wilton 5 inch vise but a cadet, the body of the vise looks like a normal 500 Wilton but it is cast cadet. Is this unusual?

 

[Outlawmws]

I found this listed on FB MP and it is a Wilton 5 inch vise but a cadet, the body of the vise looks like a normal 500 Wilton but it is cast cadet. Is this unusual?

The most visual differnce is the non, bullet back side, and being more squared off.

 

[SkyPuncher]

5" looks to be the largest of the Cadet line. Pretty cool

 

[CRSINMICH]

Mark S: I found a 331/2 too. Neither mine nor the one pictured in this 1953 Parker catalog have springs on the guide bars. That might have been user-added at some time in the past. Notice that the catalog specifies acme thread.

​

EDIT: I just noticed that the spindle hub on yours is different too.

 

[Shiftless]

I found this listed on FB MP and it is a Wilton 5 inch vise but a cadet, the body of the vise looks like a normal 500 Wilton but it is cast cadet. Is this unusual?

Nice find.
Those traces of orange paint you see are the original color. That’s another unusual thing about the Cadets.

 

[tool_scrounge]

) The badges on the craftsman vises are half an inch smaller than the more common badges on toolboxes etc. which are 3 1/2 inches wide. Too bad for us vise restorers.

That I did not know. I had one that in mechanically good shape but painted with a few layers of grey paint and a damaged badge. I was going to restore it but never found a tool box to supply the badge. Finally sold it a bit back as a good user vise to someone who will actually nurse it. Glad I did not find a tool box and then realized the badge would not fit the vise.

 

[Shiftless]

That I did not know. I had one that in mechanically good shape but painted with a few layers of grey paint and a damaged badge. I was going to restore it but never found a tool box to supply the badge. Finally sold it a bit back as a good user vise to someone who will actually nurse it. Glad I did not find a tool box and then realized the badge would not fit the vise.

I have an almost NOS badge that I bought before I learned of the different sizes.

 

[Outlawmws]

I have an almost NOS badge that I bought before I learned of the different sizes.

So are these the heritage or crown tags, and have you tried comparing to the smaller 1/4" boxes?

 

[Shiftless]

So are these the heritage or crown tags, and have you tried comparing to the smaller 1/4" boxes?

Thanks for the tip
Smaller boxes might have smaller labels

 

[fishwatcher]

5" looks to be the largest of the Cadet line. Pretty cool

I love the Wilton Cadet’s style. It’s classic, unique, and still super functional as far as a mostly covered main screw. It is very Bullet-like.. and easily strong enough for anything I would do, especially a 5” version!

I have a 4.5” Cadet. A chunk of the jaw support was missing.. but a little epoxy putty and paint helped to conceal this flaw. I’m not selling it anytime soon.. it’s got a permanent place on my work bench.

 

[fishwatcher]

I found this listed on FB MP and it is a Wilton 5 inch vise but a cadet, the body of the vise looks like a normal 500 Wilton but it is cast cadet. Is this unusual?

Compared to a Wilton Bullet 5”.. my guess is the Cadet is less bulky as it is a mechanic’s vise, not the higher end machinist or combination vise.

 

[eflem]

I have this reed 224-1/2 R I recently restored also. Completely broken down, 100% sand blasted every part, primed painted, all hardware was black oxide coated and I milled the jaws flat and parallel. I believe it’s 1940’s. I have a second one that I am keeping in original condition.

 

[Mark Stansbury]

In case you haven't seen it, I located a scan of the complete Oswego Tools Catalogue No. 27 and have posted it on the Internet Archive.

 

[Tom99]

I picked up this little guy last week at an estate sale. All the tools were priced stupid high, like a craftsman #4 plane for $50. No price on the vise or workbench, so I asked the lady about the vise. She said how about $20?

Jaws are only 2 1/2". It swivels and rotates very smoothly. I'm impressed. I'm guessing pre-WW II date of manufacture. Am I in the ballpark?

 

[Outlawmws]

I picked up this little guy last week at an estate sale. All the tools were priced stupid high, like a craftsman #4 plane for $50. No price on the vise or workbench, so I asked the lady about the vise. She said how about $20?

Jaws are only 2 1/2". It swivels and rotates very smoothly. I'm impressed. I'm guessing pre-WW II date of manufacture. Am I in the ballpark?

you **** SO BAD!...

And yes.

 

[Patrickm82]

Awesome find @Tom99! Like Outlaw said you **** for that score.

 

[PeterPeter]

Here is a usual form. Anyone recognize the maker?

Simple, clean lines. No over thinking in this design.

peterpeter, whose parents over complicated his name.

 

[CRSINMICH]

PeterPeter: A lot of companies made oval slide vises and they're sometimes hard to tell apart. Early Sears and Wards catalogs had them without identifying the manufacturer. You may be reasonably certain that the one you posted is not a Parker - it doesn't have the Parker collar. Here's a 1926 cut showing Adams Oval Slides but I wouldn't want to wager any money on yours being one of theirs.

​

 

[Outlawmws]

I'm not seeing an oval?

Flat top, seriously beveled corners, and vertical sides?

 

[RTM]

Jaws are only 2 1/2". It swivels and rotates very smoothly. I'm impressed. I'm guessing pre-WW II date of manufacture.

I'll trade you my Chinese made 4.75" vise straight up, you pay shipping.

Nice get.

 

[Shiftless]

No price on the vise or workbench, so I asked the lady about the vise. She said how about $20?

Jaws are only 2 1/2". It swivels and rotates very smoothly. I'm impressed. I'm guessing pre-WW II date of manufacture. Am I in the ballpark?

I'll trade you my Chinese made 4.75" vise straight up, you pay shipping.

I can do a lot better than that.

 

[Outlawmws]

I can do a lot better than that.

Me too! I'll buy him a brand spanking new one from HF, so he doesn't have to deal with all the cleanup, de-rusting and painting....

Just to help a guy out, ya know?

 

[Tom99]

Me too! I'll buy him a brand spanking new one from HF, so he doesn't have to deal with all the cleanup, de-rusting and painting....

Just to help a guy out, ya know?
[/QUO

Wow. Thanks . You guys are too kind.

 

[3baygarage]

Tom99 gets a YOU ****! You found the original swivel vise, the one all the others copied.

 

[Mugen AP1]

Picked up this 350 locally. Perhaps I overpaid for it but I couldn't leave her behind. really nice shape.
GUAR EXPO 61

https://imgur.com/Ma9WQhZ

 

[PeterPeter]

I'm not seeing an oval?

Flat top, seriously beveled corners, and vertical sides?

That’s what I’m talking bout. Unusual design. Seems quite rudimentary. If it weren’t 2 hours away, I’d lay out the ten spot just to bring it home and take a closer look.

 

[n6lrv]

I recently picked up a Wilton turret/patternmaker's vise similar to the greenish one shown in some other threads however, mine is missing the main auger nut. Could someone with the same vise reply with photos of what the proper nut looks like? Next to a ruler would be helpful too. Based on the shape of the fixed jaw's machined void I think it might be like the one shown in the picture I attached but some photos of the real thing would be best. If it's possible to find an orphaned one in the wild I thought it best to ask here first.

 

[Outlawmws]

I recently picked up a Wilton turret/patternmaker's vise similar to the greenish one shown in some other threads however, mine is missing the main auger nut. Could someone with the same vise reply with photos of what the proper nut looks like? Next to a ruler would be helpful too. Based on the shape of the fixed jaw's machined void I think it might be like the one shown in the picture I attached but some photos of the real thing would be best. If it's possible to find an orphaned one in the wild I thought it best to ask here first.

See my comment in the parts swap thread.

 

[TheRealZeus]

 

[TheRealZeus]

I do not believe Wilton provides parts so you may have to consider reproduction/remaking, or another one as a part horse, unless someone else knows of part numbers, and vender for it, of course. Seen a couple with the wide jaws busted.
Patent:

 

[n6lrv]

I'm aware of the 91A but mine, like many others discussed here, does not have the "L" shaped woodworking jaws shown in the ad for 91A's. Instead, it has 7"x3-1/4" square offset woodworking jaws like those shown in the patent drawings but the guide rail in mine is square steel and "Wilton" is cast vertically into the moving side of the small jaw. The mount and nut design appears to be the same as what's shown in the patent drawing. I wonder if mine is still considered a 91A or a later variant.

 

[n6lrv]

And then I find the attached catalog page in Wilton's catalog #115 from 1960. Looks like mine is a 93A and it does use a Rapid Titan Nut. Now to find one.
<https://archive.org/details/wilton-catalog-115/Wilton Catalog 115/mode/2up>

 

[TheRealZeus]

Perfect. Great info find! I only got to 109.

 

[Shiftless]

Here is a pic of my Columbian 505 1/2. It helped in the war effort WWII.

I posted the story of it over in the Veteran’s day thread.

 

[Willy Wilson]

Never seen this one before.

 

[Beerhippie]

Spotted on a local work truck:





I think I'll see if they'll trade that old beater for a brand-new 5" Palmgren.

 

[Shiftless]

In lots of neighborhoods those bolts would get unscrewed and that fine old vise would fly away.

 

[Outlawmws]

A good tack weld on the bolt to nut solves that for the most part, or at least makes the removal process far more noisy/obvious...

Back more than 55 years ago (parents were still married, I was barely in HS) someone tired to steal the 10,000 lb winch of my dads's international (former house mover's truck...). I found broken wrenches in front of the truck... Winch was still there, but the power cables had been cut.

 

[Beerhippie]

A good tack weld on the bolt to nut solves that for the most part, or at least makes the removal process far more noisy/obvious...

Back more than 55 years ago (parents were still married, I was barely in HS) someone tired to steal the 10,000 lb winch of my dads's international (former house mover's truck...). I found broken wrenches in front of the truck... Winch was still there, but the power cables had been cut.

Back in my air-cooled VW days, theft of engines was a common problem. Just too damned quick and easy to pull one with very few tools. Two guys could easily heft one into a truck.