Hi we all love a great bench vise. It is talked about on here repeatedly. I have numerous Vises set up in my shop. From a wilton 400 to a wilton c2 along with a 1765 wilton. These vises are in great shape. I also have 1 of those garage sale finds. A 75 lb lump of coal vise with a name you cant pronounce. I have friends etc come over to do some repairs on whatever is broken. I find that when something needs to be heated, cut, hammered, Drilled, Pressed. etc. I tell my friends and myself to use the lump of coal vise. That way if it gets cut or drilled no one cares. Now I have used the other vises. Just the other Day I needed to extract a bolt from a stud extractor. Glad I had a 100 lb wilton c2 for that. The question is How many of you guys do the same as me with your vises as far as use. Or have a few good vises and do everything with them. I know a vise is a work holding tool. I seem to have an issue with hammering on a premium vise. Looking forward to the replies.
Bench vises. How Many use Them
- Thread starter justtools
- Start date
You have to match the vise to the job. I am perfectly willing to beat on a workpiece in a huge machinist vise.
I do not have any pictures of my vises right now. They are in a lot of threads. I just wanted to say that the wear on my 4 1/2 is from before I got it. She lived a hard life for over 40 years in an auto shop. The wear that I have put on it is negligible, and it will outlast me. I should buy it some new jaws, to make it look better.
Anyhoo... I would beat a workpiece in either of my machinist Wiltons. They are made for it. They have 60,000 psi ductile steel.
I use a bench anvil in lieu of using the anvils on my vises. It is just a round piece of scrap.
I have a wilton C2 I inherited from an uncle. It was in flawless condition which was surprising because he was a career welder and a genius with an oxy acetylene torch.
I also inherited an anvil from th same uncle. It became clear why the vise was in such good shape. It appears he did all his beating and cutting on the anvil and the vise was used for holding work.
I have tried to continue that methodology in my use. The anvil is for beating, the vise is for holding things. If, on occasion, I need to beat on something being held by the vise, I dont worry too much about it. It's a tool.
I also inherited an anvil from th same uncle. It became clear why the vise was in such good shape. It appears he did all his beating and cutting on the anvil and the vise was used for holding work.
I have tried to continue that methodology in my use. The anvil is for beating, the vise is for holding things. If, on occasion, I need to beat on something being held by the vise, I dont worry too much about it. It's a tool.
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Htscheg
Well-known member
i restored mine and I use it daily.... its a tool to be used. But i do take care of my tools so my grandson can sell them when I die lol
rsparks64
Well-known member
I have a very small bench vise that I use occasionally.
finn
Well-known member
Tools are for using, at least in my shop. I wouldn’t hesitate to beat on my vice, but if I had a more appropriate tool, I would use that as first choice.
What’s the point of having a premium tool, in this case a nice, heavy duty vice, if you aren’t going to use it?
Similarly, why have an anvil if you only use the Vice?
What’s the point of having a premium tool, in this case a nice, heavy duty vice, if you aren’t going to use it?
Similarly, why have an anvil if you only use the Vice?
I don't use a ratchet as a hammer, nor do I use a screwdriver as a chisel nor do I use a vise as an anvil. (tapping yes, beating no). It's easy to find an old chunk of RR track so why risk a precision work holding device? I can't count the number of Wilton machinist vises where the cast iron ledges under the jaws are broken off.
Mr. Wonderful
Well-known member
I use mine with one exception. I put my Craftsman 5197 on the bench and used it as it was meant. The collar slipped on the main screw at one point. I thought I had ruined it. After some contemplation I retired it to my collection for the time being. When I restored my Hollands 46 I thought I was going to be extremely OCD about it. To my surprise the small nicks and scratches from use don't bother me at all. I treat all my vises with the proper level of respect but I keep in mind they were built for harder use than I dish out.
RTM
Well-known member
Why do you have an aircraft landing strip in your shop? Never seen that much open space before.
I have a Reed 203.5 bolted to a bench in the shop, a cheap Craftsman 4.5” on a 4x6 that I can clamp into my workmate for dirty or hot jobs in the driveway, or clamp into the Reed to raise the workheight for convenience. I have a chunk of RR track for serious beating, an ASO for precision hammering, and a small arbor press.
Very rare that anything needs to get beaten on in a vise. Tapped maybe.
There are a variety of other vises waiting for restoration, and smaller special purpose ones that clamp into other things, but that’s off topic.
Mr. Wonderful
Well-known member
finn
Well-known member
Beaten on is an all inclusive term.
Hitting something clamped in a vice, using a full onerhead swing, with a 12 lb hammer isn’t going to happen.
A hearty swing using the anvil portion of the vice, and a 23 ox hammer likely will. Unless an anvil is available.
I’ve been looking for some 100 lb rail for a while, but it’s not common where I live. Lighter rail, yes, but it’s only marginal better than the vice bolted to the bench because of rebound
Shiftless
Well-known member
I use my (repainted and new jaws) Wilton C1 regularly. This vise came out of a local refinery. The most common task for it in my garage/shop is to hold parts of other vises during restoration work. “You need a vise to fix other vises, right?”
It looked like this right before the first day of work. It doesn’t look like that now.
Like many others, I don’t beat on vises, I have a length of train rail for that.
I have about 90 vises and this is the only one I actually use. Weird huh?
It looked like this right before the first day of work. It doesn’t look like that now.
Like many others, I don’t beat on vises, I have a length of train rail for that.
I have about 90 vises and this is the only one I actually use. Weird huh?
I have a cheap Mastercraft 5" vise in my shop that I use for all sorts of shenanigans. E.g. I've used it to press in bushings, hammered on it, etc. Really, I'm surprised I haven't mangled it by now. Must be better than the price tag reflects. Lifetime exchange warranty too, in case things ever do go wrong.
I'm always on the look-out for an old vise to add to the mix, but I know how I am around nice tools - I tend to treat them gently even though they are better able to handle the abuse. I can't help it though - I don't want to wreck my nice things.
I'm always on the look-out for an old vise to add to the mix, but I know how I am around nice tools - I tend to treat them gently even though they are better able to handle the abuse. I can't help it though - I don't want to wreck my nice things.
engineer2
Well-known member
I also have the cheap Mastercraft 5" swivel vise and use it for minor stuff weekly. Last time was to hold a 24" steel rod horizontally so I could hold a steering wheel in position to re paint it.
My older Craftsman is mounted to the workbench in the shed.
I also have a small Wilton that I don't use. I will likely sell it.
My older Craftsman is mounted to the workbench in the shed.
I also have a small Wilton that I don't use. I will likely sell it.
Al Borland
Well-known member
- Joined
- Jan 20, 2016
- Messages
- 1,602
Great big Wilton without the swivel ring for beating/smashing/pressing. Beat up when I got it.
Smaller Wilton for holding work.
Small Wilton on a trailer hitch mount, used to use it a lot. Not as much nowadays.
Small clamp-on 2" vise for portable use. No clue on brand, found it tearing down a barn 40 years ago.
Shiny pretty Columbian that's just garage art.
Couple other Wiltons that I picked up and haven't done a damn thing with.
So, I use about half my "collection".
Smaller Wilton for holding work.
Small Wilton on a trailer hitch mount, used to use it a lot. Not as much nowadays.
Small clamp-on 2" vise for portable use. No clue on brand, found it tearing down a barn 40 years ago.
Shiny pretty Columbian that's just garage art.
Couple other Wiltons that I picked up and haven't done a damn thing with.
So, I use about half my "collection".
Shiftless
Well-known member
Why not both?
Lots of guys have a late model daily driver car or truck and one or more vintage project cars or weekend fun machines.
For me, I enjoy the process of taking a hunk of iron that’s in bad shape and possibly on its way to the scrap yard and putting it back into good enough or even better shape to go back to work, for whoever ends up with the vise after I sell it, trade it away, or gets sold at my future estate sale. I do sell, trade or even give away some of my
I have a Wilton 400HD swivel and a Morgan 45 that I use as they were intended. I have repainted the Wilton twice and restored the Morgan. I don't abuse them but I use them within their limits. I want to build a portable welding table and use my Dewalt vise I no longer use for welding, torch work and grinding. I'm careful when using my good USA vises but it would be nice not having to care on a beater vise.
Shiftless
Well-known member
Railroad track is perfect for us casual users. It’s certainly not a real anvil, but it certainly doesn’t cost hundreds of dollars like a really nice anvil will. Beware of “anvil shaped objects” that you can buy here and there. They are made of cast iron and will crack under hard use. No way in hell will you crack a piece of train rail. Put it up on a tall stump and smack it with a full swing using a 10 pound sledge hammer. Repeat 100 times and report back.
ajchien
Well-known member
I am sorry. I have committed Garage Journal blasphemy. A few weeks ago as I sold a Craftsman vise. Please don’t ban me from the group. I still have a Parker, Yost, and Wilton.
All of mine were bought second handed, cleaned up and repainted when I got them. Currently workbenches, one on each. The third one is sometimes used when I need to do something outdoors, it gets moved around to wherever.
All of mine were bought second handed, cleaned up and repainted when I got them. Currently workbenches, one on each. The third one is sometimes used when I need to do something outdoors, it gets moved around to wherever.
Shiftless
Well-known member
You are forgiven.
A few weeks ago, I traded away 3 vises to get just one in return.
I have a C. Parker and a little Wilton. Neither are showpieces, but they're used for holding. Beating is done on a small (8" or so) chunk of rail. Pressing is handled with a Greenerd #3 press. I've repented from abusing vises.
Admittedly I only have a tiny vice. It's a Wilton that probably weighs 10-15 pounds. Opens up I think 4 inches but might be bigger with probably 5-1/2 inch jaws. Have it mounted on a butcher board so I can set it wherever I need it but it's primary purpose is to hold things for assembly. Anything needing bent or cut gets clamped against a 1 ton steel table in my shop with some heavy duty clamps or sent to a sister shop that has a big vice. I do want a big vice for my shop but I'm too frugal if it's not something I need for a collection or will see common use.
2baditsnotachev
Well-known member
I have 3 in my garage currently. My Chas Parker 974.5 has copper jaws, my 6" prentiss usually has a tool clamped in it, like my tube notcher, and i primarily use my Reed 204R for everything else.
consti2tion
Well-known member
I have a couple of Ridgid vises that have come off past work trucks as they replace the vise when they replace the truck and they tell us to make the old ones disappear if we want. These are my primary users they're stout 5" units that get the job done. I have a Wilton C2 that a friend of mine gave me that I have cleaned up and painted I use that one for holding electrical stuff when soldering because I can't bring myself to "abuse" it in any way.
I took a picture of the vise that I use most. It was used roughly for 40 plus years in a shop. I have no qualms with using it, or my nicer Wilton, to do whatever I need to.
I use a bench anvil. I do not use the anvils on my vises.
I use a bench anvil. I do not use the anvils on my vises.
