Who made this 170 pound Wilton Swivel Jaw vise that has 6 inch jaws??

drivesitfar · Jul 2, 2014

I can't find much information on my Wilton 606 SJ vise that doesn't look like any other Wilton vise I've ever seen. anybody know who made it and when? anybody own one to share pictures of on this thread?

i'm going to go through a full restoration of it in any case because it's the biggest vise I own and i own a few big ones. it also has the nice option of the back jaw swiveling to hold irregular size pieces of material tightly.

the jaws are 6 inches wide and it opens up to maybe 18 inches wide to hold something very large while weighing in at about 170 pounds.

I'm hearing that American Scale vise company made a similar vise that was a model #79 and i'll post pictures of that in the next post so you can compare.

by the way that is a 4 inch aluminum anvil on top of my Wilton 606 SJ

drivesitfar · Jul 2, 2014

here are some American Scale Vise company vise pictures that several of the experts on the Vises of Garage Journal thread think they made my Wilton.

American Scale Vise company made vises with their own name on them until the early 1960's when they lost a lawsuit with the company that cast their vises so business stopped. i wonder if there was a time when Wilton was looking to have a big vise in their arsenal and they maybe hired American to make vises for them and when that year might have been.

I did an internet search and only one other Wilton 606 SJ popped up and of course it was a small thread on Garage Journal in i think 2012.

more history, pictures and comments to come as i learn them and a full vise restore will be in the process as soon as I am able.

Filson · Jul 3, 2014

Very interesting, and following to see where the rabbit hole leads on this one. Great find!

autopts · Jul 3, 2014

drivesitfar said:
I can't find much information on my Wilton 606 SJ vise that doesn't look like any other Wilton vise I've ever seen. anybody know who made it and when? anybody own one to share pictures of on this thread?

Dean,
If I didn't see it with my own 4 eyes I wouldn't have believed it. Yes, it does have that A.S look and you are lucky to own it. Lets see someone else come up with one!
Also, I think your right on with that Samson also. Here a similar R.I and its identical. That foundry in Erie I think made castings for many vise MFGs at that time.

tedsters · Jul 3, 2014

heck of a nice vise i have never seen one, I would sure like to find one in that good of shape or any USA MADE 6inch lol.
all laughs aside you got a heck of a find I think thats a YOU **** no matter what you paid

kc-steve · Jul 3, 2014

autopts said:
I can't find much information on my Wilton 606 SJ vise that doesn't look like any other Wilton vise I've ever seen. anybody know who made it and when? anybody own one to share pictures of on this thread?

Dean,
If I didn't see it with my own 4 eyes I wouldn't have believed it. Yes, it does have that A.S look and you are lucky to own it. Lets see someone else come up with one!
Also, I think your right on with that Samson also. Here a similar R.I and its identical. That foundry in Erie I think made castings for many vise MFGs at that time.

I defer to autopts, he is the expert. But as I said in the PM, Wilton didn't own the Columbian brand until the mid-1990s and your vise looks far older than 20 years.

Steve

drivesitfar · Jul 4, 2014

Filson: thanks for watching and hope you enjoy the journey we will take. maybe like a good roller coaster ride. did you get all moved in and maybe have your stand built you've been thinking about for a while now for your little 275 pound Reed 208? anything you know or hear please add to the thread and i'll keep trying to find all the secrets about this one.

AutoPts: please post any information you might find in any of your old Wilton books about this vise and you mentioned you had a Wilton vise with maybe 7 inch jaws that you might be able to post a few pictures of and of course that would be awesome. thanks

KC: yes i did start another thread on this for a few minutes with Columbian in the title, but started a new thread because the American Scale #79 vise is so far the closest match. VA said he might unchain his #79 if the hurricane doesn't hit his house and post a few pictures. who knows he might even have another Wilton 606 SJ out in the chain gang he forgot about to post pictures of.

Tedsters: thanks for the YS and even though it was more than a few Benjamins i'm pretty happy with it so far, but i haven't started taking it apart yet. it's actually probably too big to mount on a bench with clamps, but i might try to see if the swivel base isn't seized and i haven't tried to pull the pin to see if the swivel jaw moves like it should. it hasn't had a terrible life, but it has been neglected for quite a while now

All: I did see one other one that had maybe a 12 post thread about it with not much information that i can't find now if anybody might know how to find the link to that thread and post it here. if i remember correctly that thread was in 2012 and didn't last long if that helps somebody else find it. here is more pictures of an American Scale vises and also a Prentiss 22 that is sort of close and not sure if the white one is my Wilton or what brand that is.

va.grouseman · Jul 4, 2014

Well Drivesit, It cooled down, humidity lowered, and Arthur missed us and actually gave us a cool breeze today. So I took some pictures this morning cause the heat is suppose to come roaring back. Pictures still aren't good because the vises are crammed together, and just weigh too much to move them all right now. If you are going to show one, you need to show the sides, the jaws, the underbelly, the back, the front. Theirs just no wiggle room. And the 79 is right in the middle wouldn't you know. Couldn't even unwind it to get the chain out.

Sorry about the lack of detail. Hardest one to get to.

Here's the other two 6 inchers you asked for.

[URL=http://s1127.photobucket.com/user/weakmanfor2things/media/100_1536.jpg.html]

Again, sorry about the quality, just isn't many angles I can get in to shoot.

drivesitfar · Jul 4, 2014

VA: thanks you very much and no apologies necessary. happy to see the chain hasn't broken yet and is still in good shape. :thumbup:

not many or maybe any of us have the herd of old time huge US and old well made big and little ones you do. thanks again for sharing and if you needing a few ideas on how to make stands to use some of these and then swap them out easily please read my Vise Stand thread and feel free to post any that you use or would like to make. :bowdown:

i'm guessing you don't own a Wilton 606 SJ vise or can't remember where you put the little guy? :dunno:

thanks again for the pictures you did post and happy to hear the hurricane missed your part of the country. maybe all that good old steel pushed hard against the wind and helped. :thumbup:

va.grouseman · Jul 4, 2014

While I was into it, I took these pics. they are a little clearer than first ones I posted a couple hundred pages back on the vises page.

Funny, the 8s on both vises look like 3s. They all need a good restore, but for now they have so much heavy oil on them, I won't let them come up for air. Drowned them I say!

nine4gmc · Jul 4, 2014

Love the vise-god's trinket bracelet, VA! :drool:

drivesitfar · Jul 4, 2014

VA: i agree with Nine. great looking bracelet for those big guys. thanks again for posting more pictures of your big guys and feel free to post more if you want to or have any. :thumbup:

by the way remember me saying i have an 80 year old friend that thinks Starrett made the Craftsman 519x series? take a look at the knobs on the ends of the handles of your big Starrett swivel jaw vise and then look at a few pictures of the Craftsman 5191, 5196 and 5197 handles that have been posted. see anything?

just saying and i'm going to start another thread sometime soon with all my Craftsmans because i seem to have a magnet for them now. it's like they call in their relatives to join them sort of like the big 6 and 8 inchers seem to find Virginia a nice place to rest after a busy life.

thank you very much VA

va.grouseman · Jul 4, 2014

Drivesit,---I absolutely do not own a Wilton 606. Only because you found it first. I would have breeched my ethics and went into vise debt for that one. Find of a lifetime. I perceive that all your vise conquests will be anticlimactic from this point on. The only thing you can look forward to is a 209, 408, or the big craftsman. Can't wait to see what the 606 brings on E-bay. Might be mine yet.

autopts · Jul 4, 2014

va.grouseman said:
Well Drivesit, . Pictures still aren't good because the vises are crammed together, and just weigh too much to move them all and Couldn't even unwind it to get the chain out.

Sorry about the lack of detail. Hardest one to get to.

Here's the other two 6 inchers you asked for.

[URL=http://s1127.photobucket.com/user/weakmanfor2things/media/100_1536.jpg.html]

Again, sorry about the quality, just isn't many angles I can get in to shoot.

Larry
Have you ever privately discussed your problem with a certified Therpist?

jakemac · Jul 4, 2014

autopts said:
Larry
Have you ever privately discussed your problem with a certified Therpist?

If he did, she may be chained up in the back of the pile. :lol_hitti

drivesitfar · Jul 5, 2014

VA: they only jest because they are jealous. they have their own vises I'm sure because it comes with the territory of being a member of Garage journal. Probably no Ebay for this one unless i find it's twin. just want to find out more history of not only who made it, but when exactly (or ballpark). :bowdown:

AutoPts: would love to see a few pictures or a lot of them of your rare Wiltons and a few pages of those books you have with maybe the answers. :thumbup:

Jake: pretty funny, but you know the chains are not the security. they just wake up the guy with the M16 or scoped gun in the house. :bounce:

All: i saw a thread on this Wilton 606 SJ vise in 2012 and can't seem to find in any of my searches. any of the young guys have magic fingers i would appreciate you finding the thread and posting a link to it on this thread. thanks in advance. also any lurkers (readers) that are reading this thread and know anything on the history of this vise please join garage journal and post the information on this thread. i'd be grateful.

va.grouseman · Jul 5, 2014

Previously posted by Autopts.

Larry
Have you ever privately discussed your problem with a certified Therapist?
------------------------------------------------------------------------

No Nick, not yet. But you give me 1 hour with one of those shrinks and, I show him/her just what drive you feel being in the hunt,---what rush you feel when you've located,---and what sense of euphoria you get when you've procured that gem you've been looking for so long. Not only will he/she be thrashing through yard/estate sales, E-bay and Craigslist the very next day. He/she will be prescribing it to all his/her patients. And he/she will be posting their findings on Garage Journal. So you see the shrink needs to come se me. :thumbup:

AndrewH · Jul 5, 2014

va.grouseman said:
Previously posted by Autopts.

Larry
Have you ever privately discussed your problem with a certified Therapist?
------------------------------------------------------------------------

No Nick, not yet. But you give me 1 hour with one of those shrinks and, I show him/her just what drive you feel being in the hunt,---what rush you feel when you've located,---and what sense of euphoria you get when you've procured that gem you've been looking for so long. Not only will he/she be thrashing through yard/estate sales, E-bay and Craigslist the very next day. He/she will be prescribing it to all his/her patients. And he/she will be posting their findings on Garage Journal. So you see the shrink needs to come se me.

Amen to that! However, if you need to keep your vises under a tarp all chained together, that's no life for them! If you're unable to build a larger shop to accommodate them, let me know. I'll drive down there and take a couple off your hands to properly restore and display them, especially that 208! :evil:

drivesitfar · Jul 5, 2014

VA: as long as we are asking put my name on the Starrett 6 inch swivel jaw that would sit nicely on the other end of the bench from this Wilton 606 SJ. did you notice the end of the handles on that Starrett looking like a Craftsman 519x series or do you even have one of those in your herd? or just look at one of them Oldie keeps posting of the 5196 that i attached pictures of.

the mystery on who made the Craftsman 519x series intrigues me as much as who made my Wilton 606 SJ. Columbian seems to be out front or it could be Starrett, Reed or Rock Island which all made vises for Craftsman.

va.grouseman · Jul 6, 2014

Originally posted by Drivesitfar.

by the way remember me saying i have an 80 year old friend that thinks Starrett made the Craftsman 519x series? take a look at the knobs on the ends of the handles of your big Starrett swivel jaw vise and then look at a few pictures of the Craftsman 5191, 5196 and 5197 handles that have been posted. see anything?
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Drivesit,----Jason J. posted a picture of his Craftsman handle and screw on page 780, post 15597. And you're right, they do look alike. And knowing Starrett's proclivity for quality and precision, You just might be on to something. I had never paid any attention before. If Starrett was making vises for Sears along with others, stands to reason they would want theirs to stand out. And the 519s clearly stand alone. Till someone comes with something concrete, I'm going to have to change my position.

Edit

Well I posted this before I saw that you had posted your vises, but they clearly look alike. b100 will straiten out the confusion.

oldldh · Jul 6, 2014

Ah...Ye Olde Thickening Plot!!!

As I used to say---

Mysterioso, and more mysterioso... :dunno:

The problem we have may be---

Too many choices for the manufacturer... :evil:

The Quest goes on---

Who made this 170 pound Wilton Swivel Jaw vise that has 6 inch jaws??

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