Restoring 1952 Wilton Bullet 8400 Vise

Danilo · Feb 15, 2017

Picked this up a few weeks back after reading about them.
I do not need anything of this caliber, but I'm happy with the price I paid for it (off ebay) and how little I have invested into it.

I ordered a set of new jaws from AutoPts, and they just came in today.

when I received it, it was pretty ugly... after a quick wipe it looked a lot better, but left a lot to be desired.
It sat in a tub of Purple Power (per member recommendation) for about 3 days, and they I hit it with a wire brush to get rid of the little bit of rust that was on it.
I filled 2 drill holes and some larger dings with JB weld and then knocked it down with a file.
Only thing left to do is paint it, and apply a heavy grease to the screw. I coated it in silicon grease for the mock up, and to prevent any rust from coming back while I find a can of Verde Green locally.

I am super happy with the way it turned out, and I will be keeping an eye out for other in the future. It had so much **** and paint on it that I could not see the "HD" casting mark or the "8300" at all.

The lever is in pretty poor state, and I would like to replace it some day if I could find a replacement, as I don't have tooling to make a new one myself.

Attached a few pics of when I bought it, initial wipe, after soaking in degreaser, and current state.

bluebolt · Feb 15, 2017

Looking good Danilo!
When you get a chance can you weigh it with the new jaw inserts, I have a question about early Wilton weights you can help answer.
Also take a picture of the date on the slide and post it to the Wilton date thread please?

Danilo · Feb 15, 2017

I already posted the slide picture in that thread.

This weighs just a few ounces under 42 pounds.

StillTooManyHobbies · Feb 15, 2017

I understand the problem of finding Verde Green locally. Not at two Ace Hardwares, not Lowes or Walmart. Finally found a close match of Rustoleum hammered "Rosemary". We'll see how it turns out on my 1946 Wilton 840. Danilo your efforts look great. Good Job!

bluebolt · Feb 15, 2017

Danilo said:
I already posted the slide picture in that thread.

This weighs just a few ounces under 42 pounds.

Was that with the new jaw inserts?

cgrutt · Feb 16, 2017

I restored one a few months ago and used the hammered rosemary. I liked the way it came out. Not sure if it is close to original but very nice nevertheless. Sold it but would love to restore another. Nice job, good luck with it.

cgrutt · Feb 16, 2017

BTW, this is what the hammered rosemary looks like.

cajunfirehawk · Feb 16, 2017

cgrutt said:
BTW, this is what the hammered rosemary looks like.

Reminds me of the color of the wilton power arms...Neat color for sure :thumbup:

G-ManBart · Feb 16, 2017

bluebolt said:
Looking good Danilo!
When you get a chance can you weigh it with the new jaw inserts, I have a question about early Wilton weights you can help answer.
Also take a picture of the date on the slide and post it to the Wilton date thread please?

I don't know if it helps, but my model 9400 (slide stamped "Guar Exp 12-31-1960") weighed 50lbs when I weighed it earlier today (figuring shipping because someone was interested in it). I know that scale is accurate to less than a pound compared to a postal scale. The swivel base adding 8lbs seems reasonable.

StillTooManyHobbies · Feb 16, 2017

cgrutt, thanks for the picture. That cleanup and resto looks really nice, and I think I'll like the color when I get mine done.

Danilo · Feb 16, 2017

bluebolt said:
Was that with the new jaw inserts?

Yes it was.

exmaxima1 · Feb 16, 2017

StillTooManyHobbies said:
I understand the problem of finding Verde Green locally. Not at two Ace Hardwares, not Lowes or Walmart.

In the midwest we also have Menards, and they carry Hammered Verde Green. But I don't think you see many non-Schiller Park Wiltons in that color as original finish. :dunno:

G-ManBart · Feb 16, 2017

exmaxima1 said:
In the midwest we also have Menards, and they carry Hammered Verde Green. But I don't think you see many non-Schiller Park Wiltons in that color as original finish.

The hammered verde green came along well after the move to Schiller Park...almost definitely in the 1970s. I've had bullets from the late 1960s and early 1970s with original paint that was the older blue/green gray that's sort of like a machine gray, and then bullets from the late 1970s and early 1980s that were the verde green. Prior to the blue/green/gray was a more pale green color and I think they had a color before that which was more blue than green.

Danilo · Feb 16, 2017

G-ManBart said:
The hammered verde green came along well after the move to Schiller Park...almost definitely in the 1970s. I've had bullets from the late 1960s and early 1970s with original paint that was the older blue/green gray that's sort of like a machine gray, and then bullets from the late 1970s and early 1980s that were the verde green. Prior to the blue/green/gray was a more pale green color and I think they had a color before that which was more blue than green.

I did not know that about the color changes. I think I actually scraped into some of that older original color under multiple other layers of paint.
In all of the reading I have done that got me hooked on the Bullet, I never saw anything about original colors other than Verde Green being the closest modern color available.
Do you by chance have a picture of the original "chicago" 50's color?

Danilo · Feb 16, 2017

Question:

Am I missing a washer somewhere in this? The videos of disassembly I saw do not mention it, but AUTOPTS sells the front collar with a washer on ebay.

G-ManBart · Feb 17, 2017

Danilo said:
Question:

Am I missing a washer somewhere in this? The videos of disassembly I saw do not mention it, but AUTOPTS sells the front collar with a washer on ebay.

It depend on the model. I don't believe the 8400/9400 had a washer. The 9400 I restored certainly didn't.

bluebolt · Feb 17, 2017

G-ManBart said:
I don't know if it helps, but my model 9400 (slide stamped "Guar Exp 12-31-1960") weighed 50lbs when I weighed it earlier today (figuring shipping because someone was interested in it). I know that scale is accurate to less than a pound compared to a postal scale. The swivel base adding 8lbs seems reasonable.

Does it have "HD" on it?

cajunfirehawk · Feb 17, 2017

bluebolt said:
Does it have "HD" on it?

What does that signify?

StillTooManyHobbies · Feb 17, 2017

HD is just that, a little heavier duty according to this info on older models. Larger main screw, longer opening and heavier. 67 years ago prices were a lot different. :eyecrazy:

G-ManBart · Feb 17, 2017

bluebolt said:
Does it have "HD" on it?

Yep, it sure does. I also just bought a similar looking 4" Schiller Park model that has HD on the side, but haven't weighed it.

Since I took these pics I replaced the swivel locks with the correct 3/4 half hex style. The handle is a replacement that KMScott made, but I figure the weight should be pretty close to the original.

This one appears all original other than the paint. The slide has a 1973 date code. I can weigh it if you'd like.

G-ManBart · Feb 17, 2017

Danilo said:
I did not know that about the color changes. I think I actually scraped into some of that older original color under multiple other layers of paint.
In all of the reading I have done that got me hooked on the Bullet, I never saw anything about original colors other than Verde Green being the closest modern color available.
Do you by chance have a picture of the original "chicago" 50's color?

I'm not sure I have a picture of that color saved, but I'll look for it. I just picked up a 1966 production 2" baby that has the original paint and stickers, I'll post of picture of that...it's the more pale green. I also had a 1968 or 1969 production 4.5" bullet that had the original paint and stickers, with the more machine gray and I'll post a picture of that as well. You'll see they're quite a bit different that Verde Green.

Here's the 2" baby...I think the green is more pale and has less blue/gray to it than the color that followed. They don't seem to be hugely different, but enough to notice.

This is the later 4.5" vise....the color varies a little bit with sunlight, but you can tell it's sort of a blue/green/gray. I had a paint shop (all three guys on duty) spend 45 minutes trying to match it. We got something pretty close I'm going to try soon on a vise of this vintage.

Danilo · Feb 17, 2017

@G-ManBart
I actually saw that larger one on your page. That baby bullet is amazing! I will own one some day!!

G-ManBart · Feb 18, 2017

Danilo said:
@G-ManBart
I actually saw that larger one on your page. That baby bullet is amazing! I will own one some day!!

Believe me, I almost fell over when I saw a baby with the original sticker and paint two feet away from the 450SJ I bought at the same time. I actually bought the newer of the two 4" HD models I posted in this thread at the same time...it was a good day!

G-ManBart · Feb 18, 2017

I just weighed the second 4" HD vise and it was 49lbs on my scale.

exmaxima1 · Feb 18, 2017

G-ManBart said:
I just weighed the second 4" HD vise and it was 49lbs on my scale.

Could you also check if it opens 7" like the literature stated

G-ManBart · Feb 18, 2017

exmaxima1 said:
Could you also check if it opens 7" like the literature stated

Sure. I think I checked it when I weighed it, but I may be confused with the older Chicago 9400A HD. I'll double check both today and report back. I'm pretty sure both did open a full 7".

G-ManBart · Feb 18, 2017

exmaxima1 said:
Could you also check if it opens 7" like the literature stated

I confirmed it opens up 7" or a touch over.

Danilo · Feb 20, 2017

Mine does as well, but it says quite a bit at that full extension. (Just under 7")

Does anyone know how much a replacement handle will cost me?

G-ManBart · Feb 21, 2017

Danilo said:
Mine does as well, but it says quite a bit at that full extension. (Just under 7")

Does anyone know how much a replacement handle will cost me?

I think that size runs about $65 from KMScott, but I think shipping is additional.

Danilo · Feb 22, 2017

Thanks.

Danilo · Mar 7, 2017

Was doing some stuff on the work bench today and found a bottle of "Super Blue" that I once used to touch up some parts on a gun barrel... either way, one thing led to another, and I "Blued" my handle, collar and jaws.

On the handle it helps hide a lot of the inperfections, which it has a ton.
I like the way it looks. The vise is currently just sprayed with self etching primer until I find the right color for it (likely hammered light blue, according to what I read somewhere.)

cgrutt · Mar 7, 2017

I like it, looks good. I'd be interested to see how it holds up.

BVH · Apr 15, 2019

Hello, new member but have often come here over the years. I have a restored 1946 Wilton 835 and just purchased a 1956 8400. Both have the center dowel pin in each jaw. What was/is the design purpose of the pin? I see some replacement jaws have no provision for the pin and some have a machined "relief" to accommodate it.

I don't have the 8400 yet and am wondering whether it is the wider opening 7-8" model or the standard opening 5" model. The only other casting numbers besides the "8400" on the "right" side is the "HD" on the left side. It's difficult to tell in the pics whether it looks longer than others and I forgot to ask before it was shipped. I have not been able to search out the difference between the 8400 and the 9400. Maybe the 9400 is the wider opening of the two?

Added: Thought I'd read this thread thoroughly but now see that the "HD" means longer and larger diameter screw and wider opening. Can't wait till Wednesday!

BVH · Apr 16, 2019

Well...I wasn't prepared for the "mass" increase between my 835 and the 8400 HD (or 9400 HD) that just arrived. I knew it was shipped at 52 lbs but I still wasn't prepared for it's size. I need more posts to start a thread.

Adderall · Nov 9, 2019

BVH said:
Well...I wasn't prepared for the "mass" increase between my 835 and the 8400 HD (or 9400 HD) that just arrived. I knew it was shipped at 52 lbs but I still wasn't prepared for it's size. I need more posts to start a thread.

This is funny to me because I too have a restored 835, and just got a 1957 8400HD to restore.

Restoring 1952 Wilton Bullet 8400 Vise

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