The VISES of Garage Journal
- Thread starter mjozefow
- Start date
Radar, it’s been a bit cool here lately and we’re expecting rain tomorrow and snow in the local mountains.
Shift, I had heard that Wilton cast way too many baby bullets in Chicago and the supply lasted into the 80’s. The Schiller Park baby bullets are the rare ones.
Shift, I had heard that Wilton cast way too many baby bullets in Chicago and the supply lasted into the 80’s. The Schiller Park baby bullets are the rare ones.
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Shiftless
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KMScott
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Thanks KMS. This one is a Chicago casting and the vise has 95% of the original paint left and a portion of the original sticker on the front. I would have to guess this one was used in the electronics industry because there are no marks on it. You’ve got a nice little group of baby bullets going there yourself. Those swivel bases must be a ton of work to make.
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chrisnazzy
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Shift
These aren't baby castings but I think it goes to show just what kind of backstock levels Wilton kept on hand!
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Shiftless
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Mslund:
That’s beautiful!
Is that Rustoleum soft cast iron paint or something else?
That’s beautiful!
Is that Rustoleum soft cast iron paint or something else?
dutchgray
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Shift
These aren't baby castings but I think it goes to show just what kind of backstock levels Wilton kept on hand!
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A question I don't know the answer to, did Wilton have their own foundry or did they contact the casting out?
With regards to cast in information, it would be unusual to change the patterns that you make the sand molds from until the patterns are worn out and you have to redo them anyway, though some makers pinned embossed metal tags onto patterns which are easy to change. Many of the British vices they all had the same information and parts were ground off the castings to suit the differing models, the P for plain screw can often be seen ground out on quick release Record's for example.
With castings you also want to leave them a while before machining them to allow them to season, probably less necessarily with vice castings than some other things. IIRC Record used to leave its hand plane body castings in piles outside the factory for 6 months before finishing them.
Shiftless
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Thanks shift!
Yes, that’s exactly what it is. I thought it would be a bit darker but I’m very happy how it came out.
Thanks Smitty, I’m very pleased with it. Probably my favorite one I’ve done thus far.
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Good question. Per this catalog from 1960, the 800s were “not Wilton products,” which implies to me that someone else cast those, but that Wilton did cast the others. Nothing certain though. Now who cast the 800s? That’s an interesting mystery to me.
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KMScott
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Nice job on your Starrett Mslund, How is those jaws, I am a jaw guy and dying to see them, especially the serrations.
tool_scrounge
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I had the same visceral reaction.
Shiftless
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My house is a couple hundred yards from the Hayward Fault. ‘Nuff said.
DaveT
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royce
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Very fine Mslund,Finally got around to redoing my Starrett 924 this week
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Starrett's are just so skookum.
Well done
Royce
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J.C.
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Tidied up a Dawn offset that was the unfortunate bearer of the least pleasant red paintjob I have seen on a vice:
Put on some basic jaws to get it functional again. More pics etc here:
https://motofaction.org/tool-review...engineers-bench-vice-vise-review-restoration/
Put on some basic jaws to get it functional again. More pics etc here:
https://motofaction.org/tool-review...engineers-bench-vice-vise-review-restoration/
I found a beautiful Prentiss jewelers vise no. 30, it has 1 3/4” jaws and weighs in at 2 lbs. there is still quite a bit of the original Japan lacquer left and if you look closely at the first pic you can still see the faint outline of the original pin stripping 
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chrisnazzy
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Awesome vise Smitty! A swivel jaw Prentiss jewelers vise is on my top 5 list and someday sooner than later I'm going to pony up and add one to my collection.
Ya know, Rusty teases us all from time to time with a baby Prentiss group shot of his collection. I think it's high time for a group photo of the amazing jewelers specimens you've acquired!
I'll have to save it of course, in fact it may be time for saved pics of your collection to have their own folder!
Chris
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The 1 3/4 model is one of smallest production vises ever. I’ve got one that weighs 1 1/2 pounds and I believe you can date this model by the weight. I believe the newer models 1 1/2lbs 1900-20 have thinner and smaller feet so less weight and then the older models 1 3/4lbs 1880-1900 have thicker bases with larger mounting feet so slightly more weight. I am basing this off the era of the catalogs.
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Thanks KMScott! Here are a few pics of the jaws, just factory that are cleaned up.
Thanks ROYCE and DAVET!
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Thanks for the info rusty, I appreciate your knowledge of these little jewelers vises. I actually bought that jewelers catalog because I knew it had Prentiss vise pages.
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Shiftless
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Plenty of drool worthy pics this morning. Thanks for posting guys!
Amazing jaws on the Starrett. How are those not brand new?
Previously used to clamp down gently on marshmallows?
Amazing jaws on the Starrett. How are those not brand new?
Previously used to clamp down gently on marshmallows?
KMScott
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Thanks for taking the time and taking those pic:s. I appreciate it. Jaws are in pristine shape. I fabricate Starrett jaws and cutting the serrations are most difficult getting them right. I will save your pic:s and share them with a possible new jaw builder. Starrett's in my opinion are the King of USA Bench Vises.
chrisnazzy
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Thanks Smitty
Beautiful collection.
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Beautiful collection.
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I agree, my favorite vise I own to date.
Shift,
I was leaning toward it was used to check the tensile strength of bubble wrap
Also, I picked up a new one today.
Morgan 160 6”
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Productbob
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ms your Morgan looks to be in great shape and that Starrett is beautiful! 
Smitty wonderful pic of all those little guys
Smitty wonderful pic of all those little guys
Productbob
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Josh C
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Hey folks, stumbled on a vise transport tip yesterday and figured I would share with you all and maybe someone will get something out of it. Had to go meet a potential customer with a vise and at the last minute based on a comment from our phone conversation I decided to throw several others in just in case. As I headed up the drive I suddenly realized that I had to travel “down the mountain “ which means coming off the Blue Ridge Mountain range and dropping est. 1800 ft in altitude in a handful of miles. Basically switchbacks like a autocross/roadcourse. Vise’s weren’t gonna sit still for that. Grabbed a ratchet strap and headed to the bed of the truck and then thought about this configuration. Most vehicles have some low attachment points in the cargo area which is what I hooked to. Hard to tell in the photo but the far outside two have the strap in their jaws and are clamped onto it. The center two I didn’t clamp onto the strap as it went snugly across the slide and held them firm. Needless to say not any movement at all from them either down or back up, and I certainly was pushing hard. I don’t often transport several usually one and I put it on the floor inside, but for those handful times a year this is a pretty decent method that I will be using again. Ok, now more pictures of Prentisss, or Gorgeous restored Starretts, or whatever lol. Josh
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va.grouseman
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Josh, sounds like you went to either Roanoke or Mt. Airy.---Am I close?
va.grouseman
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KMScott
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He did not leave my place va, elevation drop is 2500 ft in 16 miles.
Nice baby Prentiss collection Smitty, 1/2 made it in the Spreadsheet.
Nice baby Prentiss collection Smitty, 1/2 made it in the Spreadsheet.
Josh C
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VA-Roanoke and Mt. Airy were two very likely guesses, but I actually went to Bassett which isn’t far from Martinsville and only an hour and ten minutes from Dugspur. Day before I had gone to Glen Lyn, a little town just over the West Virginia/Virginia boarder to pick up some items. Really doesn’t sound like I am keeping myself quarantined like I have said I would. Josh
va.grouseman
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Well as long as you lay down the vise and buyer lays down the cash at least 6ft apart, kind of like a hostage exchange, you should be fine.---But spray the cash real good with Lysol.
va.grouseman
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You know I never thought there would be a time when it's more important to decontaminate a $100.00 bill than to check for counterfeit.---Strange days indeed.
Be safe fellows.
Be safe fellows.
Shiftless
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Or the day when you would prefer electronic funds transfer to CASH!