The VISES of Garage Journal

[VISEs]

I have over a dozen vises mounted and in use in my woodworking shop. Then there are the dozen or so in the back room. I know everyone here understands the need to be surrounded by cast iron.

So my daughter recently took up jewelry making as a hobby. I started her off with a few small vises from my stash. In the last few months, she has gotten serious and has made some really nice earrings and such. I sent her a picture of a nice Craftsman screw mount and asked her if she needed it. Her response was priceless. Here is the direct quote.

"Sure. You can't have too many vises."

You taught the girl well!


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[z28hoarder]

Can anybody tell me what model of Vise this is? I want one just like it for my garage but am a newb when it comes to vises.

 

[454ragtop]

Z28hoarder welcome, that's a Wilton mechanics/utility vise with a stamped steel slide. More of a low to medium grade vise, not to be confused with the more desirable bullet style. Probably be fine if not abused.

 

[Bcom]

Can anybody tell me what model of Vise this is? I want one just like it for my garage but am a newb when it comes to vises.

Its a wilton 645. Its a low-mid grade vise. Ive seen the whole body bust in half on those.

 

[rusty65]

Its a wilton 645. Its a low-mid grade vise. Ive seen the whole body bust in half on those.

Busted in half like this parker? It has 4 1/4 in jaws.




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[va.grouseman]

Vises, the big arm looks like a submarine periscope rig.

 

[Bcom]

Busted in half like this parker? It has 4 1/4 in jaws.




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Wow that thing is toast!

 

[rusty65]

Wow that thing is toast!

The only two things not broken on the vise were the main nut and the collar on the spindle. The main screw didn't snap but the whole ball end cracked away from the main screw so it begs the question if the whole vise didn't just get ripped off a bench at one point.


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[PghJKB]

Previously posted by PghJKB.


Hey VA - What is the ratio between your "Little Pittsburgh" 's slide and jaw? Maybe we can extrapolate from yours to the Big One. Certainly not perfect, but most likely closer than my Golden Ratio product.

JKB

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Sorry about the delay, been traveling today.---Here's what I have.---Hope you can work with this.---NOTE the key and keyway, with its grease, kind of like a Wilton.---It weighs 4.2 lbs. and has 1 3/4'' jaws with screwed in replaceable jaw inserts.---Slide carriage is 3 1/4''.
Do I need to measure the length of the entire dynamic?

http://i1127.photobucket.com/albums/l628/weakmanfor2things/100_1885.jpg

http://i1127.photobucket.com/albums/l628/weakmanfor2things/100_1884.jpg

http://i1127.photobucket.com/albums/l628/weakmanfor2things/100_1878.jpg[/QUOTE]

VA
Thanks!

It looks like your slide is about 5/8 (.625) inch in diameter. The jaws measure 1 3/4 (1.75) which gives a jaw to slide ratio of 2.8.

The PAV&T (Pittsburgh Automatic Vise & Tool) ad gave a slide diameter of 7 inches for the 695 pound Big Pittsburgh. If that ratio holds true, the Big Pittsburgh would have a jaw width of

19.6 inches !!!!!!!!

That seems obscenely large, my thoughts are that the ratio changes (gets smaller) as the vise gets larger.

Any one else out there have a Pittsburgh Automatic Vise?
What is the diameter of the slide and what is the jaw width?

A while back a 6(?) inch jaw Pittsburgh was posted rusted, jawless and outside in a field. One shot had it holding something.

Can't find it now, but if the owner can contribute the slide diameter and jaw width we can see if the slide to jaw ratio holds as the vise scales in size. The more data the better the results

JKB

 

[cajunfirehawk]

I have over a dozen vises mounted and in use in my woodworking shop. Then there are the dozen or so in the back room. I know everyone here understands the need to be surrounded by cast iron.

So my daughter recently took up jewelry making as a hobby. I started her off with a few small vises from my stash. In the last few months, she has gotten serious and has made some really nice earrings and such. I sent her a picture of a nice Craftsman screw mount and asked her if she needed it. Her response was priceless. Here is the direct quote.

"Sure. You can't have too many vises."

You make this wonderful post and don't show us any pics, you know this group is pic hungry...

 

[Bcom]

You make this wonderful post and don't show us any pics, you know this group is pic hungry...

X2

 

[jimreed2160]

I have over a dozen vises mounted and in use in my woodworking shop. Then there are the dozen or so in the back room. I know everyone here understands the need to be surrounded by cast iron.

So my daughter recently took up jewelry making as a hobby. I started her off with a few small vises from my stash. In the last few months, she has gotten serious and has made some really nice earrings and such. I sent her a picture of a nice Craftsman screw mount and asked her if she needed it. Her response was priceless. Here is the direct quote.

"Sure. You can't have too many vises."

Well I would have posted a picture initially but I knew that everyone here has several of these. Here it is along with its Prentiss 18 companion.

 

[va.grouseman]

Jimreed, the Prentiss #18 is not an easy vise to find either.---Rarely see one pop up on EBAY.

 

[va.grouseman]

PghJKB, the diameter is 7/8'' and the entire dynamic is 5 1/16''.---That might change your figures.---I couldn't hold the rule and camera in sync to get an accurate pic, as you can see, so I used calipers.---An even 7/8''.

 

[PghJKB]

PghJKB, the diameter is 7/8'' and the entire dynamic is 5 1/16''.---That might change your figures.---I couldn't hold the rule and camera in sync to get an accurate pic, as you can see, so I used calipers.---An even 7/8''.

VA,
I am using the slide diameter and the width of the jaws under the premise that the slide was engineered to withstand the weight of the jaws, the weight of the "maximum load" the designer felt was appropriate for his jaws and the clamping force applied by the screw against the jaw faces. (There are a good deal of factors at work here, area of the jaw faces, size of the screw and nut, length and diameter of the slide, the length and diameter of the handle and probably more.)

In an attempt to simplify the calculation as much as possible, let's use the ratio of slide diameter and the width of the jaws to get a number to relate the jaw size of a small Pgh to a Big Pgh. (Pgh is the old Postal designation for Pittsburgh, the only city east of the Mississippi to end in GH).

So, if your vise has a slide diameter of 7/8 (.875) inch and a jaw width of 1.75 inch, the division works out to 2, the jaw width is twice the diameter of the slide.

According to the ad, the Big Pgh has a slide diameter of 7.0 and the ratio (multiplier) derived from your vise is 2, the Big Pgh would have a jaw size of 14 inches (7x2). I may be able to use the slide length, as the ad states the vise opens to 15 inches, but it is difficult to exactly determine the manufacturers definition of fully open and a users definition of fully open - hopefully, fully open means that the end of the screw is even with the nut, but...?

So, to Bcom's question, based on this simplistic formula, I would expect the Big Pgh to have a jaw width of 14 inches.

JKB

Please excuse the pedantic nature of this, but I formerly taught High School science.

 

[Bcom]

VA,
I am using the slide diameter and the width of the jaws under the premise that the slide was engineered to withstand the weight of the jaws, the weight of the "maximum load" the designer felt was appropriate for his jaws and the clamping force applied by the screw against the jaw faces. (There are a good deal of factors at work here, area of the jaw faces, size of the screw and nut, length and diameter of the slide, the length and diameter of the handle and probably more.)

In an attempt to simplify the calculation as much as possible, let's use the ratio of slide diameter and the width of the jaws to get a number to relate the jaw size of a small Pgh to a Big Pgh. (Pgh is the old Postal designation for Pittsburgh, the only city east of the Mississippi to end in GH).

So, if your vise has a slide diameter of 7/8 (.875) inch and a jaw width of 1.75 inch, the division works out to 2, the jaw width is twice the diameter of the slide.

According to the ad, the Big Pgh has a slide diameter of 7.0 and the ratio (multiplier) derived from your vise is 2, the Big Pgh would have a jaw size of 14 inches (7x2). I may be able to use the slide length, as the ad states the vise opens to 15 inches, but it is difficult to exactly determine the manufacturers definition of fully open and a users definition of fully open - hopefully, fully open means that the end of the screw is even with the nut, but...?

So, to Bcom's question, based on this simplistic formula, I would expect the Big Pgh to have a jaw width of 14 inches.

JKB

Please excuse the pedantic nature of this, but I formerly taught High School science.

I got lost in the intricate science and mathematics of this formula. I formerly failed science and math in high school

 

[Mrroo]

Scored these vices for free!!




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[oldldh]

LATE NEWS FLASH:

Free, well and truly *****!!!

 

[mrrooG8]

LATE NEWS FLASH:

Free, well and truly *****!!!

And the grinder was free along with a ton of other stuff. I could go on and on about everything I got but don't want to make everyone too jealous.

 

[joe.striper]

Just got this very clean Record #2, 3.5" jaws, for $25. I am happy.

 

[HCNDM]

Just got this very clean Record #2, 3.5" jaws, for $25. I am happy.

Insolide have paid 25 for that record too! Good Find.

Big fan of the records!


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[va.grouseman]

Previously posted by MrrooG8.

And the grinder was free along with a ton of other stuff. I could go on and on about everything I got but don't want to make everyone too jealous.
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My friend, that ship has sailed!---But since it has sailed, you may as well make us good and green, and show us all the rest of the good stuff.

 

[va.grouseman]

Very nice score Joe.---Price and vise.



PghJKB, That sounds about right to me.---If the Chinese can put 12'' jaws on a 150 lb. vise, it's not to big of a stretch to think that a Pennsylvania firm can install 14'' jaws on a 700 lb. one.---And that's JMO, nothing more.

 

[kwoswalt99]

VA,
I am using the slide diameter and the width of the jaws under the premise that the slide was engineered to withstand the weight of the jaws, the weight of the "maximum load" the designer felt was appropriate for his jaws and the clamping force applied by the screw against the jaw faces. (There are a good deal of factors at work here, area of the jaw faces, size of the screw and nut, length and diameter of the slide, the length and diameter of the handle and probably more.)

In an attempt to simplify the calculation as much as possible, let's use the ratio of slide diameter and the width of the jaws to get a number to relate the jaw size of a small Pgh to a Big Pgh. (Pgh is the old Postal designation for Pittsburgh, the only city east of the Mississippi to end in GH).

So, if your vise has a slide diameter of 7/8 (.875) inch and a jaw width of 1.75 inch, the division works out to 2, the jaw width is twice the diameter of the slide.

According to the ad, the Big Pgh has a slide diameter of 7.0 and the ratio (multiplier) derived from your vise is 2, the Big Pgh would have a jaw size of 14 inches (7x2). I may be able to use the slide length, as the ad states the vise opens to 15 inches, but it is difficult to exactly determine the manufacturers definition of fully open and a users definition of fully open - hopefully, fully open means that the end of the screw is even with the nut, but...?

So, to Bcom's question, based on this simplistic formula, I would expect the Big Pgh to have a jaw width of 14 inches.

JKB

Please excuse the pedantic nature of this, but I formerly taught High School science.

As small as that thing is, I wouldn't expect it to have the same proportions as the biguns.

 

[drivesitfar]

JKB: thanks for taking the time and putting to PENCIL the dimensions of the 695 pounder. so your best guess is 14 inch wide jaws which seems very plausable for a vise that big. for some reason i thought i read the jaws were 12 inches, but it's been a while.

ALL: speaking of teachers that have a vice for vises how many regulars do we have on this thread that were teachers in the past?

CRS was a teacher?
Shiftless was a chemistry teacher?
JkB was a science teacher

DRIVES was the student asking the most questions in class!!

 

[mlisac]

And the grinder was free along with a ton of other stuff. I could go on and on about everything I got but don't want to make everyone too jealous.

oh, please. DO go on and on....

That's what's fun about it. Your free haul carries as much weight as the Wilton Magnet, The Vise(s) Mahal, and the $20 400lb vise. It's all good.

 

[jakemac]

I did a bad, bad, very bad thing on the internet today.
Photographs may have been involved.


Can't give details until the box shows up next week.

 

[bagged89s10]

I did a bad, bad, very bad thing on the internet today.
Photographs may have been involved.


Can't give details until the box shows up next week.

Did you purchase a big old Wilton?

 

[jakemac]

No, Wilton's are for selling, not for keeping.

 

[GETRIDAONE]

I did a little scaling on the Pittsburgh vise. I assumed 36" long from the ad. The scale on the drawing seems to be accurate. I was surprised the base is only 12" diameter and the mounting foot is 5 7/8" ? The other 7" dimension mentioned for the round section in the middle of the V scales perfect.
This doesn't tell us the jaw width but the front is 10 3/8" round and maybe the jaws are a few inches wider ?

 

[G-ManBart]

oh, please. DO go on and on....

That's what's fun about it. Your free haul carries as much weight as the Wilton Magnet, The Vise(s) Mahal, and the $20 400lb vise. It's all good.

X2 I want to know as well!

 

[trijeff]

I did a little scaling on the Pittsburgh vise. I assumed 36" long from the ad. The scale on the drawing seems to be accurate. I was surprised the base is only 12" diameter and the mounting foot is 5 7/8" ? The other 7" dimension mentioned for the round section in the middle of the V scales perfect.
This doesn't tell us the jaw width but the front is 10 3/8" round and maybe the jaws are a few inches wider ?

If it exists (lol!), I think it would have to be more than 36" long, many of the P98 measurements are same/bigger than the scaled ones you posted and the vise "only" weighs about 320lbs ... not sure where they would be hiding over 350lbs of additional material in there. For example, the P98 has about an 18" base (including approx. 3" tabs on each side) and the handle is 24".

EDIT: Here is a drawing from one of their ads, if the guys are somewhere between 5.5 and 6 feet then maybe 36" length does seem about right, but then we're back to the question of where all of that weight is hiding?

 

[va.grouseman]

There's one setting in some little old widow's basement right now, and she don't even know what it is.---All she knows is that it is something that her late husband drug in from an auction some 40 years ago.---He highly prized it and often talked about it, and she would just say, "yes dear", not understanding a word he said.---But she has hung onto it because he loved it and she loved him.---Now that same vise is going surface one of these days when she completes the circle of life.---May she rest in Peace.---One of you fellows will be at her estate sale.---Then we will know all the dimensions thereof.

 

[GETRIDAONE]

I was just going by the dimensions posted in the article.

 

[rusty65]

Honestly why couldn't the jaws be 16-18inches wide on the Pittsburg vise. If a prentiss 58 has 8in wide jaws and weighs right around 300 I would imagine 16in jaws would be 600 pounds size range? I remember a post some time about Houdini doing a escape trick from the vise so it must have had quit the jaw size.


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[kwoswalt99]

http://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/monster-reed-109-bench-vise-inch-wide-23534758

 

[kwoswalt99]

Honestly why couldn't the jaws be 16-18inches wide on the Pittsburg vise. If a prentiss 58 has 8in wide jaws and weighs right around 300 I would imagine 16in jaws would be 600 pounds size range? I remember a post some time about Houdini doing a escape trick from the vise so it must have had quit the jaw size.


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Honestly, I think it's probably a 12". But then again, most companies vises grew disproportionately smaller as jaw size increased.

 

[VISEs]

Day 1 of getting more organized.....now all I need is 3 or 4 more of these racks!


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[G20-Budo]

Day 1 of getting more organized.....now all I need is 3 or 4 more of these racks!

 

[VISEs]

I've been hunting some solid bar that would make for a fantastic vise base.

I bought this yesterday just for such a stand. It's quite heavy at 9,920 pounds!!!!!

Yeeeeeeeeeeeeee Haawwwwwwwww!!!!!


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