The VISES of Garage Journal

[Gixerfixer]

I don't suppose you know roughly how old your 25 is do you?
I'm curious about when they brought the flat ended spindle in, mines rounded.

Can't help you with that I'm afraid, both of mine are the same construction and at a guess I would say around 25/30 years old + I have had it at least 15 years, both were gifts s/hand from a friends father (like a real Dad) mine was an ar*ehole

 

[Catalyze]

Fireman - 2 slices of vise pie for your fantastic work on that Athol that was welded up on the base! I love the Athol hold down locks with the swinging handle.

Cfiles - very nice work on the Stanley and Littlestown. They look a treat since you did them up right.

And of course anyone needing Wilton parts can just wait until Autopts goes to get his new copy of "Dog the Bounty Hunter: How's My Hair Look" autographed down at the bookstore......then just go into his basement and shop around.
Craig

 

[bigcaddy]

Here is a little vise that i actually picked up a long time ago. It was purchased at an estate sale along with some other tools and a small Palmgren milling vise. I never got around to even mounting it and just dug it out a few weeks ago but still had no idea what i should do with it. After a quick phone call to my parents, i got an idea.

The color i choose for the vise might not suit many of the fellow members on here but i listed it on ebay as a charity auction and will donate a percentage of the winning bid to the Susan G. Komen Foundation for Breast Cancer Research.

If anybody is interested in bidding, it shouldn't be too hard to locate on ebay.

 

[autopts]

Nice little vise and a nice jesture on your part bigcaddy! When I see it, I will throw a bid in on it.

 

[PCO6]

I don't suppose you know roughly how old your 25 is do you?
I'm curious about when they brought the flat ended spindle in, mines rounded.

John - I don't know if this helps but I bought a No. 4 Record new in the mid 70's and it has a flat ended spindle. It's the 3rd one from the left in the picture below. I think the other ones (Nos. 1, 3, 7 & 8) are a bit older and they all have flat spindles. If you look closely at the No. 4, the face of the dynamic jaw is flat. All of the other ones have a horizantal ridge cast into them just above the spindle. Other Record vices I have seen and think are newer don't have the ridge.

 

[Carla]

Hello, Garage Journal folk,

Here is a photo of one of the vises I'd done up for my own use, about 15-ish (edit.....actually, more like 20-ish, now that I think about it.....something about 'time flies' or some such), or so, years ago.

The context here is a bit of 'kitchen table gun-tinkering', replacing a broken firing pin retracting spring pin on a Winchester M61.

This little vise is a Reed, 3-1/2", of 1920's (I think) vintage. It had been used gently by previous owners, so it didn't show any wear or damage.

Along with the usual cleanup and refinishing, I made up some improvised fixturing to set the jaws up in the surface grinder, to grind the jaw faces accurately flat, parallel, and to a high finish.

This is an 'old toolmakers' trick', which I was shown by an old toolmaker, years ago, which allows for holding high finish work, such as the breech block in the photo, with just 'card stock' paper to protect the workpiece finish.

The idea is to grind the jaw flats, then do a trial assembly, with the vise gently but firmly closed. Then, try the jaw fitup with a feeler-gage, re-fixure one jaw to compensate for error, and re-grind. When correctly done, the vise will hold a .001 feeler at any point on the jaws, that is, the jaws will be parallel within that .001 when normal clamping pressure is applied.

This one had a bit of error in the taper fit of the swivel back jaw pin, so I re-bored and reamed the jaw pin bore with the jaw under normal clamping pressure, using a 2 Morse taper reamer, then made a new jaw pin to suit the 2 taper.

cheers

Carla

<img src=http://www.tactical-link.com/ebay/M612.jpg>
<img src=http://www.tactical-link.com/ebay/M613.jpg>

 

[CecilTheTurtle]

How did I do?

Just picked up this bad boy today. A Wilton 645 in pretty good shape. The dynamic jaw wobbles a bit so the jaws don't quite line up perfectly. Is there a way to tighten that up?

The guy was asking $100 and I talked him down to $60. How'd I do?

 

[The Sarge]

Re: Could this be a Wilton?

I got this vise from Chicagoland CL for $45 before Christmas.
It says "Made in USA" on it and has a few other markings but no brand name. Could this be a lower end Wilton? Anyone knows?
This weighs about 42 pounds, has 5 inch jaws. Near mint shape. Paint looks original.

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Gary Indiana, (kind of makes ya wonder if it's a name, or location...) I have a question about your unlabelled Wilton 645... I have been lurking around for a couple of weeks, hoping to identify my recent acquisition - a Wilton unnumbered 5" vise. Mine has no "645" cast into the body, but mine does have "Wilton" cast into one side in big bold letters. It also has EXACTLY the same casting numbers as yours stamped into the three major castings, 111101, 111102, and 111103. Where yours says Made in USA, mine has three lines of text cast into the body, "Jaw Width 5", "Jaw Opening 6 1/2", and "Made in USA".

My dilemna is this. I have removed the lead screw and dynamic jaw but I cannot remove the lead screw nut from the dovetail because of the pin that comes up from the base plate. With other vises, that pin must be hammer driven up and out from below. Installed, it usually will protrude through the main base body, securing the lead nut in its dovetail by blocking any forces trying to drive the lead nut rearward. But in the case of my 645, the pin comes through under the lead nut, and as such it cannot be driven through from underneath because the lead nut is blocking its egress. How is your pin positioned in relation to the lead nut?

I also think that someone may have reversed the lead nut in the dovetail on my vise. One face of the nut casting is flush between the end of the threaded portion and the end of the dovetail part of the nut casting. The other end of the nut casting is offset, with the male dovetail longer than the threaded portion. It would make more sense if the offset end of the nut were positioned toward the rear of the vise so as to maximize engagement of the lead screw when the dynamic jaw is fully extended. On mine, the offset end of the nut is facing the front of the vise, and the flush end is situated to the rear. Could you look at yours and let me know the orientation of the lead nut? Thanks in advance.

 

[bigcaddy]

Re: Could this be a Wilton?

"My dilemna is this. I have removed the lead screw and dynamic jaw but I cannot remove the lead screw nut from the dovetail because of the pin that comes up from the base plate. With other vises, that pin must be hammer driven up and out from below. Installed, it usually will protrude through the main base body, securing the lead nut in its dovetail by blocking any forces trying to drive the lead nut rearward. But in the case of my 645, the pin comes through under the lead nut, and as such it cannot be driven through from underneath because the lead nut is blocking its egress. How is your pin positioned in relation to the lead nut?"

The Sarge

If the pin is not behind the rear nut but underneath, it sounds like its in a bind. Could you unscrew the vise to the max opening with the stationary jaw clamped in a bigger vise, lighty tap the handle knob to move the rear nut off the pin and then drive it down and remove it?

I repaired a reed like this not to long ago. I gave myself so room by opening up the jaws, gave it a few whacks with a brass hammer, and then was able to clear the way for the pin to be driven down and out.

 

[bigcaddy]

Or you could just completely remove the front half of the vise and knock out the rear nut with a punch and big hammer.

 

[Flatland Dave]

New to me yesterday. A little ATHOL 77. with a odd ball swivel base. Base is not the correct one for the vise.



You can see the massive size of this vise...



2" jaws



Bottom marked 63-3 would like to find the correct base.

 

[balane]

Found this one at an estate sale. Columbian D44-M3 4" Jaws, Opens to 5 1/2" Hard to put a price on what I paid because I got a lot of stuff all lumped together. I didn't get a before photo but it was a real mess and truly needed a complete redo. There was a live spider in it still, tons of dead ones and egg sacs as well.

.

 

[ajchien]

New to me yesterday. A little ATHOL 77. with a odd ball swivel base. Base is not the correct one for the vise.



You can see the massive size of this vise...




2" jaws



Bottom marked 63-3 would like to find the correct base.

I was about to ask where you got that huge soda can!

 

[zoomieport]

Here are 3 "little" goodies I picked up over the weekend (3 different places, of course...). The mini-anvil ($8.00, estate sale #1) weighs 9 lbs, is about 2"x9" overall, 3"x5" base, +/- 5" flat surface, +/- 4" horn. The Vise ($12.00, local flea market) is an Athol 706, weighs about 11 lbs, has 2-1/2" jaws that open 2-1/2". Last is the Garfield Pow-R-Arm, Kansas City Mo., Model #H1-A-1 ($10.00, estate sale #2), the unit with the support attached weighs about 13 lbs and is about 18" tall, fully extended (the unit it's self is 11" tall), it weighs about 16 lbs with the support arm attached (13 lbs without) and the 3 hole base is 6" in diameter. For $30.00 all in... I am very pleased!

 

[bluebolt]

Here are 3 "little" goodies I picked up over the weekend (3 different places, of course...). The mini-anvil ($8.00, estate sale #1) weighs 9 lbs, is about 2"x9" overall, 3"x5" base, +/- 5" flat surface, +/- 4" horn. The Vise ($12.00, local flea market) is an Athol 706, weighs about 11 lbs, has 2-1/2" jaws that open 2-1/2". Last is the Garfield Pow-R-Arm, Kansas City Mo., Model #H1-A-1 ($10.00, estate sale #2), the unit with the support attached weighs about 13 lbs and is about 18" tall, fully extended (the unit it's self is 11" tall), it weighs about 16 lbs with the support arm attached (13 lbs without) and the 3 hole base is 6" in diameter. For $30.00 all in... I am very pleased!

Nice haul!

 

[Outlawmws]

I love these tiny little vises! Something cool about a tool so small (But good quality) that you have to work at thinking of a purpose for it!

New to me yesterday. A little ATHOL 77. with a odd ball swivel base. Base is not the correct one for the vise.



You can see the massive size of this vise...
2" jaws

 

[Outlawmws]

I was about to ask where you got that huge soda can!

It's the 1 Gallon economy can!

 

[The Sarge]

Many thanks, BigCaddy. It worked, the nut came loose. But what I discovered is the unique way Wilton decided to secure the lead nut, and consequentially the swivel base.

Where most vises I have seen pass the swivel bolt though the base and body, threading it into the bottom casting of the lead nut, then securing the nut from sliding out of the dovetail with the pin, driven upwards from bottom of the main vise body, but behind the lead nut casting.

But in the case of the Wilton 645, the swivel bolt has a shoulder that acts like a bushing for the swivel base to ride on, and the swivel bolt threads into the main body of the vise. The lead nut slides into the dovetail, but the pin, still driven upwards from main body, is driven securely into a pin hole in the bottom of the lead nut. It is not a through-hole for the pin, the hole does not bore through the lead nut, entering about half way.

In removing my lead nut, I had to shear the pin. I can see no other way to have removed the lead nut. Before I put the vise all back together, can anyone with some experience or exposure to the Wilton 645 confirm for me that my conclusions about this pin are correct?

And, I was wrong in my last posting, if this pin is anchored in the lead nut, the my lead nut could not have been positioned with the "flush" end foreward and the "offset" end rearward, if it was still expected to have the two pinholes to line up in the two castings.

Am I on the right track here ? Any thoughts would be appreciated.

 

[Bad Jackson]

So, I finally got my Vise back from the powder coater today. I have been waiting quite a little bit to post my vise on here. It has looked like this in my head for a number of years, but TODAY, it is reality.

Here it is:

 

[autopts]

So, I finally got my Vise back from the powder coater today. I have been waiting quite a little bit to post my vise on here. It has looked like this in my head for a number of years, but TODAY, it is reality.

Here it is:

An excellent restoration!!

 

[zoomieport]

so, i finally got my vise back from the powder coater today. I have been waiting quite a little bit to post my vise on here. It has looked like this in my head for a number of years, but today, it is reality.

Here it is:

wow!

 

[lzenglish]

That is a "Purdy" looking vise Bad Jackson! I like the contrasting colors you chose. Did you do the prep work on it, before you took it in? I think I will go this way with my 645, if the price is not too steep.

Wayne

 

[Bad Jackson]

Not a lot of prep work. My powder coater chooses to do most of the prep, in order to make sure there isn't any grease remaining. The grey is a zinc epoxy (not actual powder coating) it has already shown some signs of scratching, but I don't care... Its a vise.
The orange is PC, it should wear pretty well. His original quote was 75, but I called him back and requested the COLUMBIAN and the MADE IN U.S.A. to be done in grey too. Apparently that ran me 50 extra!
Oh well, I like it.
Thanks for all the kind words.
Munsk.

 

[zoomieport]

As you can see from a couple of posts back...I recently found an OLD Garfield H1-A-1 POW R ARM, the same as a Wilton 303 Pow-R-Arm (I believe Wilton bought the patent from Garfield) and when I took it apart (it was siezed) the two rubber "plugs" that hold the hydraulic fluid int the resevoir popped out before I could see their original position... All of the parts are cleaned and in great shape, I just don't know the first thing about this unit and want to get it right! Any help would be appreciated!

I started a new thread, as I couldn't find an existing thread on re-building one of these, please let me know if there is one where this is already covered. Thanks you guys!

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=139089

 

[zoomieport]

As you can see from a couple of posts back...I recently found an OLD Garfield H1-A-1 POW R ARM, the same as a Wilton 303 Pow-R-Arm (I believe Wilton bought the patent from Garfield) and when I took it apart (it was siezed) the two rubber "plugs" that hold the hydraulic fluid int the resevoir popped out before I could see their original position... All of the parts are cleaned and in great shape, I just don't know the first thing about this unit and want to get it right! Any help would be appreciated!

I started a new thread, as I couldn't find an existing thread on re-building one of these, please let me know if there is one where this is already covered. Thanks you guys!

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=139089

Well now don't i feel like a goof for asking! You are correct sir! They emailed it right over, thanks! Wish me luck!

 

[bigcaddy]

"The Sarge"

I've dealt with a number of similar size/quality entry level Wilton Mechanics vises but ive never encountered one with a rear nut in a bind as you explained. It could be that i fairly young and haven't got my hands on enough project vises but i'm sure other members on here have.

You should get some input by other members soon enough.

To the other members on here, i'm at home sick today but if i get a chance to swing my shop, i will get a few more pictures to post on here later. My old man brought me a really unique Craftsman to work on. Its been in his garage for a long time and he decided it needed a freshening up.

 

[EJM02]

Just as soon as I'm done building my work bench to replace the mess, the next order of business will be restoring my Craigslist Athol. Sorry for the grainy pic but I just had to share----I can't believe how eager I am to pull this thing apart and have it sand blasted

 

[Kevin54]

Here is a little vise that i actually picked up a long time ago. It was purchased at an estate sale along with some other tools and a small Palmgren milling vise. I never got around to even mounting it and just dug it out a few weeks ago but still had no idea what i should do with it. After a quick phone call to my parents, i got an idea.

The color i choose for the vise might not suit many of the fellow members on here but i listed it on ebay as a charity auction and will donate a percentage of the winning bid to the Susan G. Komen Foundation for Breast Cancer Research.

If anybody is interested in bidding, it shouldn't be too hard to locate on ebay.

Is this over with or still on FleaBay? If it's still there, I couldn't find it. Post a link maybe?

Never mind, I found it!!! http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Lit...0?pt=BI_Tool_Work_Holding&hash=item2a19d65234

 

[bigcaddy]

Is this over with or still on FleaBay? If it's still there, I couldn't find it. Post a link maybe?


That's the one!!. I don't know what happened but i guess the pictures were never uploaded to the listing. I got a question about it last night and noticed my mistake so pictures have been uploaded.

 

[cbb]

Here is a little 3 1/2" Craftsman with the same early 60's vintage Craftsman toolbox. Got the toolbox when my Grandfather pass away over 30 years ago and got the vise from a good friend a few days ago.

The tools box has been everywhere, an everyday user, and the vise was disassembled, cleaned, handles polished, lubed and reassembled. Did not think the vise needed anything else.

 

[bigcaddy]

Here is the finished product from my Wilton C2 i started a few weeks ago. It has a few dings and cuts in the jaw towers but in otherwise excellent condition.

The second set of pictures is a Craftsman vise my dad bought at a yard sale a few years ago. Ever since I've been refinishing vises he has started to dig some of his out and let me go at them.

Does anybody here know who manufactured this particular vise for Craftsman? I've seen some made by Reed and even more made in Japan but this one has no markings indicating a maker and a very unique style.

 

[jake149]

I just picked up two vises today for $5 a piece, figured i couldn't go wrong at that price. I know the red vise is a scout by wilton. The black one i have no clue. The only markings are v-15 and v-14, and on the bottom of the swivel the numbers are v3-4. Both are 3 1/2 inch. any help on the black would be appreciated.

 

[bigcaddy]

I just picked up two vises today for $5 a piece, figured i couldn't go wrong at that price. I know the red vise is a scout by wilton. The black one i have no clue. The only markings are v-15 and v-14, and on the bottom of the swivel the numbers are v3-4. Both are 3 1/2 inch. any help on the black would be appreciated.

I have the same Scout sitting on my bench right now and 5 is a good price for any vise. The other vise only has the V markings? I had a similar vise with "V" cast in the side and it was made by Eclipse. They were another branch of Prentiss vise co or another large manufacturer. I'll dig some more info up in a bit

 

[jake149]

I have the same Scout sitting on my bench right now and 5 is a good price for any vise. The other vise only has the V markings? I had a similar vise with "V" cast in the side and it was made by Eclipse. They were another branch of Prentiss vise co or another large manufacturer. I'll dig some more info up in a bit

yea thats all the markings i can find. and thanks

 

[bigcaddy]

I was getting a few things ready to sell today and came to the conclusion that i have avoided facing for some time. I have an addiction problem and Wilton vises are my drug of choice.

Autopts, this picture is for you. I was doing some reading earlier and saw that you lost tons of pictures and information regarding Witon vises that you had accumulated over the years. Hopefully the info/pics will be kept safe and passed on for years to come.

 

[autopts]

I was getting a few things ready to sell today and came to the conclusion that i have avoided facing for some time. I have an addiction problem and Wilton vises are my drug of choice.

Autopts, this picture is for you. I was doing some reading earlier and saw that you lost tons of pictures and information regarding Witon vises that you had accumulated over the years. Hopefully the info/pics will be kept safe and passed on for years to come.

Thanks bigcaddy! Thats a very nice collection you have there. I wish I was 30 years younger, I've had almost every year and model Wilton pass through my hands at one time or another. It hurts to sell off the nice or rare ones but I have too. Some of the biggest vise collections are among the GJ lurkers that just read what we write. I only know a couple and there have got to be 100 serious vise collectors that just don't buy the bargins, they pay close to user price but they know their collections can never be duplicated. A collector will one day come to the fork in the road as to what to do with his tool collection after he takes a dirt nap. My wife and only child (a daughter) wouldn't think twice about pulling up the scrape truck and having them hauled off. Every vise I have is for sale and as long as I can get top buck, I will continue to buy and sell vises, primarilly Wiltons.
That Craftsman is nice! Maybe a Reed with special spindle that Craftsman ordered. Those make great rstores. I've seen a few on here.
Nick

 

[lzenglish]

I just picked up two vises today for $5 a piece, figured i couldn't go wrong at that price. I know the red vise is a scout by wilton. The black one i have no clue. The only markings are v-15 and v-14, and on the bottom of the swivel the numbers are v3-4. Both are 3 1/2 inch. any help on the black would be appreciated.

I have one that looks very close to your black one, without the cast in pipe jaws. Mine was made by Milwaukee Tool and Equipment Company, which bought out Morgan, as far as I can determine. Mine has a V1, and V2 in the same locations as yours, and what is left of the name tag. I'm still researching mine. Check out this link below:

Wayne

http://www.milwmal.com/v_hand.htm

 

[Brad54]

If anybody needs parts for a Reed 104 or 124, or a Columbian (including swivel base), I'm parting out three vises over in the classifieds.

-Brad

 

[Jack Olsen]

Autopts is kind of the patron saint of Wiltons on this board. He was very helpful with both of mine. (Which is two more than I needed, honestly, but now that they're installed, my future 'dirt nap' is the only thing that will get them out of my garage.)

My big Chinese vise is very ugly, compared to the Wiltons. But it's got 10" jaws that open up to a spread of 13".

The 1973 Wilton 9450 is the best looking of the bunch. At $130.37, it cost me more than any vise I've ever owned. (In the picture it has a pair of magnetic rubber soft jaws.)

The other is a Wilton C1 from 1985. It cost me $76.02.

One of the reasons it was cheaper is that it was missing one of the mushroom heads on the handle. Autopts was helpful in suggesting I weld on a nut and shape it with a bench grinder to stop the thing from falling to the tiles with a clang.

 

[Coolabah]

Autopts is kind of the patron saint of Wiltons on this board.
<snip>

NICE vices, I just wish they were available in Australia they are just SO cool... maybe I need to buy one (some!) on GJ and pick them up personally ??...hmmm.... to compare : if I order a NEW vice online, shipping is "only" $600 .... cheap at half the price as they say

Probably different language over here but in Australia we would call that a "nut" rather than a "bolt" that you welded on to the handle.... great idea all the same.