Ok, so here's the reason why I'm giving Fretters the squinty eyeball right now.
I've been looking for a clamp-on vise for my clean bench that will fit the 1-1/2" thick table. I found one at the FM on sunday. The plan was to paint it Kona Brown like the smaller one posted earlier in this thread. But .......................
................... That damned limey put Burgundy in my brain and I can't get it out !
The can I used on the Stillson wrench started whispering to me, and before I knew it,
I had a Fretters Special sitting on my bench.
The vise is a MODERN #M743 made in Milwaukee. The jaws are 2" and will open to 2". There is a little slop in the jaws that can't be adjusted. The screw collar is pressed on the spindle and I didn't want to risk hammering it out. In addition, the main nut wasn't designed to be removed. Instead of a pin holding it in, there is a tab on the back of the nut casting that was hammered down into the hole to hold it in place. Once again, I didn't want to risk using a hammer and snapping the tab off the casting. So, the vise was restored in two pieces, making it a bit awkward to work with. It's a good thing it's small.
The color is Krylon Satin Burgundy, with the cast-in medallion Krylon Carmel Latte (I wanted to see what it looked like, so I could decide if I wanted to use it as a substitute for Craftsman Power Bronze). The letters are a little messy, but considering that I was using a 1" foam brush dipped in a yogurt cup filled with paint from a spray can, I think they came out ok. The paint was then sealed with Krylon Clear to give it a shine and protect the lettering.
I left the file marks in the jaws to keep the history, and will glue some sheet rubber in the clamping area to keep the paint from sticking to my bench. The vise won't stay on the bench, it will come out only when needed.
Next up : an update on an earlier issue discussed in previous posts.
I've been looking for a clamp-on vise for my clean bench that will fit the 1-1/2" thick table. I found one at the FM on sunday. The plan was to paint it Kona Brown like the smaller one posted earlier in this thread. But .......................
................... That damned limey put Burgundy in my brain and I can't get it out !
The can I used on the Stillson wrench started whispering to me, and before I knew it,
I had a Fretters Special sitting on my bench.
The vise is a MODERN #M743 made in Milwaukee. The jaws are 2" and will open to 2". There is a little slop in the jaws that can't be adjusted. The screw collar is pressed on the spindle and I didn't want to risk hammering it out. In addition, the main nut wasn't designed to be removed. Instead of a pin holding it in, there is a tab on the back of the nut casting that was hammered down into the hole to hold it in place. Once again, I didn't want to risk using a hammer and snapping the tab off the casting. So, the vise was restored in two pieces, making it a bit awkward to work with. It's a good thing it's small.
The color is Krylon Satin Burgundy, with the cast-in medallion Krylon Carmel Latte (I wanted to see what it looked like, so I could decide if I wanted to use it as a substitute for Craftsman Power Bronze). The letters are a little messy, but considering that I was using a 1" foam brush dipped in a yogurt cup filled with paint from a spray can, I think they came out ok. The paint was then sealed with Krylon Clear to give it a shine and protect the lettering.
I left the file marks in the jaws to keep the history, and will glue some sheet rubber in the clamping area to keep the paint from sticking to my bench. The vise won't stay on the bench, it will come out only when needed.
Next up : an update on an earlier issue discussed in previous posts.
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) and installed it back on the sander. 
That's a **** looking little vice there Jake. Dashed good colour choice. 
