Biggest bench vise ever made?
- Thread starter A_Pmech
- Start date
R6 Racer
Well-known member
Big honkin Columbian:
Whoa! What would you do with that? Get a hernia turning the screw.
demoman
Well-known member
This is as far as I know the biggest vise ever made weighing in at 695 pounds. Thats right almost 700 pounds. Click on the ad I posted and you see it is even a swivel head AND base. I dated it to 1907. If you have one of these in your shop I will pay to enter and see it! I have thought about making a mold and havig one poured in cast steel. It would be fun to machine it out. This is a must have for big vises. There must be one left somewhere out there in a RR museum or where? The best big vise I have is the Hollands #28 which is a newer 8 inch version that weighs 327#. I know it needs a paint job and I will get to it this winter. I have been working on my shop. WE actually use a reed 108 and reed 4c in the shop to work on heavy equipment parts so they are not just setting around. I have about 60 vises now and that is not good. There must be help out there!
Post more photos of big ones or weird vises.
Click on the attachment for the pdf ad.
Post more photos of big ones or weird vises.
Click on the attachment for the pdf ad.
Last edited:
BanjoSavesTheDay
Well-known member
bczygan
Well-known member
Here is a patent for a vise, by the guy who was president of that company George P. Blackiston. Similar design.
Bill
coolreed
Well-known member
This all makes me wonder, back in the day that is,..what businesses were these very large Vises used? Railroads come to mind first, then the steel industry, but what others? And why aren't the few American companies left like Reed, Wilton, etc, not making a few Large Quality Vises anymore. Reed doesn't make anything near what they used to, and many of the Wiltons are cheap imports.
I have managed to find four vises with 6" jaws or wider. They are difficult to find and expensive.
I have managed to find four vises with 6" jaws or wider. They are difficult to find and expensive.
venturesomerite
Well-known member
I recently visited a hydraulic shop that had several of those big guys mounted about 7-8 feet apart down a steel bench that ran the length of the room.(about 60 feet) The bench was 1" steel on top, and at least 4"x4" (prop 1/8" thick) legs every four feet, all the cross bracing and what not. He was trying to get a fitting of a pump he had in the vise and was actually lifting the damn bench off the ground, and mind you this is one, solid, continuous bench, that was clearly built in place and will never be moved.
It was quite a sight, the guy wasn't a big guy either, just had alot of cheater pipe!
It was quite a sight, the guy wasn't a big guy either, just had alot of cheater pipe!
Mickey O
Well-known member
Wilton had some pretty large vises:
The one from the pdf above:
The one from the pdf above:
bobcatdan
Well-known member
Wiltons still makes some monster, the 800 is still availalbe at 238 lbs and the C3 combo is right around 210. Yost has some big 8"s, that weigh in the 170 range. I would give my right testicle for that 700 pounder!
Lump
Well-known member
LOL. I think you're joshin' us, Mickey. That's a little Wilton on one of those little model floor jacks, right? Nice photo.
Mickey O
Well-known member
rockchucker
Well-known member
LOL! ^ Those are great!
Although I have no need for such a vise...I still want one!
Although I have no need for such a vise...I still want one!
jayrush13
Well-known member
Maybe this will help:
They make mini anvils to
Mickey O
Well-known member
Lump
Well-known member
Well done, Mickey. Looks great. I just sold an anvil about like that one today.
Mickey O
Well-known member
Okay, it's actually a 1/2" jaw salesman sample Wilton:
rockchucker
Well-known member
The shopping cart is a riot!
Rusty Musket
Well-known member
Nice Photos Mickey! This just popped up on the local CL tonight. Someone please let me know if they are rare or worth the $150 the seller wants.
http://portland.craigslist.org/wsc/tls/3339128230.html
http://portland.craigslist.org/wsc/tls/3339128230.html
Attachments
Okay, it's actually a 1/2" jaw salesman sample Wilton:
You can't fool us. That's one of those giant plastic display pens.
WOODFORGE
New member
How about this one?
More on it here: http://woodforge.edpardo.com/projects/bench-vise-from-hell
The vise in front is a standard size bench vise...
-WOODFORGE
More on it here: http://woodforge.edpardo.com/projects/bench-vise-from-hell
The vise in front is a standard size bench vise...
-WOODFORGE
I van putski
Banned
Hollands. Yea!
mcmlvif100
Well-known member
Great find. Hollands 27 suggests it should have 7" wide jaws with the 2 indicating a swivel base. More details please -- jaw width, weight, etc.
I van putski
Banned
Correct. Seven inch jaws with a swivel base. But how much does it weigh?
ZRX61
Well-known member
Just haven't found a bench big enough yet....
I van putski
Banned
Cool!
4 foot jaws, max opening 2 inches.
4 foot jaws, max opening 2 inches.
WOODFORGE
New member
How about this one?
More on it here: http://woodforge.edpardo.com/projects/bench-vise-from-hell
The vise in front is a standard size bench vise...
-WOODFORGE
The vise is 7" wide, 31" long and 14" high. I had to push the vise off my tailgate into a snowbank to get it out of my truck. I soaked it with penetrating oil and then in the morning, worked on separating into 2 sections...otherwise it would still be on the driveway.
My rough guestimate puts it at about 300 lbs. I will take more pics as I work on it.
DKerns
Active member
I found an identical vise behind my grandfathers shop....... Could do nothing short of roll it over. It is missing the base though!!
Outlawmws
Well-known member
Outlawmws
Well-known member
Just haven't found a bench big enough yet....
Holy Cow! I want one! I have NO CLUE what I would do with it, but I WANT ONE! "Sheet Metal" cover (Light plate??) it has to open a foot or more!
jabberwoki
Well-known member
mcmlvif100
Well-known member
From the picture, it looks like it might have a swivel jaw. Correct ?
My understanding is that a Hollands 1X designation is for a fixed base vise with X" jaw width and that a 2X means a swivel base vise with X" jaw width. Just a guess but perhaps the Hollands 46 designation is for a swivel base, swivel jaw vise with 6" wide jaws.
Regardless, the vise looks interesting. Is it yours? If so, more pictures, please.
WOODFORGE
New member
So what is a Hollands 27 worth? Any interested buyers?
gatewaysysop
Well-known member
Let's bring this sucker back on track with some bench vises of gratuitous girth, shall we? 
I'll submit the biggest I've got, which according to the catalog I have, is/was the heaviest that Athol ever produced. She weighs in at a full 300 pounds, and you can see my original acquisition thread with more pics here.
As I've told others, I still grin every time I set eyes on this thing. Can't believe I actually acquired such a monster.
Behold, the 8" Athol 628 in all its glory:
Original seller photos:
Devouring a 4" Prentiss swivel jaw...
For scale, it's sitting next to my 6", swivel jaw, 170+ pound Athol 646.
As to someone else's earlier question of how you move such a monstrous vise, I can only say that I moved it in pieces and even then I needed help. You know it's a sickness when you draw other people into the madness with you.
I'll submit the biggest I've got, which according to the catalog I have, is/was the heaviest that Athol ever produced. She weighs in at a full 300 pounds, and you can see my original acquisition thread with more pics here.
As I've told others, I still grin every time I set eyes on this thing. Can't believe I actually acquired such a monster.
Behold, the 8" Athol 628 in all its glory:
Original seller photos:
Devouring a 4" Prentiss swivel jaw...
For scale, it's sitting next to my 6", swivel jaw, 170+ pound Athol 646.
As to someone else's earlier question of how you move such a monstrous vise, I can only say that I moved it in pieces and even then I needed help. You know it's a sickness when you draw other people into the madness with you.
jabberwoki
Well-known member
No it`s not mine the dude wants 250 for it. As for the swivel jaw the back jaws/top does have a pin and it`s a sepporate part more like a cap?
BullfrogJohnson
Well-known member
My Columbian 508 project
gatewaysysop
Well-known member
ZRX61
Well-known member
jabberwoki
Well-known member
I'd buy in a heartbeat, but that's just me.
Well if you ever get up this way i`ll take you over there and you can grab it.