Bought a vintage vice, had to join!

[jdmminot]

Greetings from North Dakota!

My name is Justin and I live in Minot. I enjoy tools of all kinds, garages, taking things apart and working on my old rx7 with my 3 year old son. I have been researching vintage Bench vises for a few weeks and my search always seems to bring me back to the garage journal forum. I picked up an old Wilton yesterday and can't wait to start restoring it. I have many questions about it and plan on starting a new thread to document the work in the appropriate section. Here are a few pictures, it is a Wilton C2 with 5" jaws. The date stamp has me confused, as it is stamped June 30th, 1936. Thanks to all for any info you may provide.

Title should be vintage VISE, damn autocorrect haha!

 

[PugetDude]

Wow- hard to believe, but you earn a YOU **** on your first post.
Welcome to the GJ.

 

[txvwnut]

Welcome aboard. If I'm correct one vise is a cover charge, you'll need more than two to continue membership.

 

[3baygarage]

Welcome. Nice one there.

 

[exmaxima1]

Greetings from North Dakota!

My name is Justin and I live in Minot. I enjoy tools of all kinds, garages, taking things apart and working on my old rx7 with my 3 year old son. I have been researching vintage Bench vises for a few weeks and my search always seems to bring me back to the garage journal forum. I picked up an old Wilton yesterday and can't wait to start restoring it. I have many questions about it and plan on starting a new thread to document the work in the appropriate section. Here are a few pictures, it is a Wilton C2 with 5" jaws. The date stamp has me confused, as it is stamped June 30th, 1936. Thanks to all for any info you may provide.

Title should be vintage VISE, damn autocorrect haha!

That date stamp is totally wierd. Makes absolutely no sense for a company that didn't exist until 5 years later...

 

[WWShop]

That date stamp is totally wierd. Makes absolutely no sense for a company that didn't exist until 5 years later...

I was wondering the same thing.

 

[Shiftless]

I agree with exmaxima. No explanation from me about that date code. Nobody has any bullets that old that I know of. And if the date stamp guy just mixed up the six and the three back in 1963 he would have been marking a vise made in Shiller Park and not Chicago as yours is clearly marked.
The mystery continues.

Why not repost over on the main vise thread so more people will see it and possible shed some light on the mystery of the 1936 date.

 

[WWShop]

Maybe its 86 and the 8 didn't stamp properly? Just thinking.

 

[Shiftless]

Maybe its 86 and the 8 didn't stamp properly? Just thinking.

It must be something other than that. The vise is marked Chicago where Wilton built vises until the late '50s before they moved. Later models were marked "Schiller Park"

 

[jdmminot]

Re: Bought a vintage vise*, had to join!

Thank you all for the replies! Here is another clue to the puzzle that I didn't notice earlier: the static jaw has 1950 cast on the side and the dynamic has 1850. Upon closer inspection of the date stamp, I am sure it is a 3 and not a botched 8, though that was likely a mistake on their part. Here are 2 more photos.

 

[jdmminot]

 

[Scout3918]

It must be something other than that. The vise is marked Chicago where Wilton built vises until the late '50s before they moved. Later models were marked "Schiller Park"

My Wilton made in Schiller Park What year did they move? is there a place stamped to see when made? Thanks

 

[Shiftless]

My Wilton made in Schiller Park What year did they move? is there a place stamped to see when made? Thanks

On the bullet form Wiltons, the "machinist" vises, the date is stamped on the underside of the key below the round slide. Pull the dynamic jaw and slide all the way out, wipe off the grease,many you should see the date. The square slide mechanics vises aren't dated, as far as I know.

They moved in 1957

 

[cajunfirehawk]

WELCOME, lock up your check book! Cause this forum tends to make people spend $ I have a 12/53 C0 I am in the middle of restoring, its not red anymore but soon it will be restored.
20161215_165633 by Cajun Firehawk, on Flickr

 

[jdmminot]

WELCOME, lock up your check book! Cause this forum tends to make people spend $ I have a 12/53 C0 I am in the middle of restoring, its not red anymore but soon it will be restored.
20161215_165633 by Cajun Firehawk, on Flickr

Nice vise, but your avatar is making my mouth water! My wife and I lived in Baton Rouge for a while and could get our mud bugs everywhere. Now we go through the Louisiana crawfish company and have them flown overnight to North Dakota for our boils! 'Tis the season...I better get some soon.

 

[jask]

vise..? vice....? around here that is pretty well an interchangeable term.... we all know it is an addiction, but do not see the problem!!
sweet vise!

 

[drivesitfar]

JD: sorry i didn't see your vise (vice) thread back in October when you first joined, but wanted to welcome you just the same now. WELCOME TO GJ.

did you post the date on the slide or didn't you find one? some of the older bullets didn't have a date on them prior to 1945, but it would have had Patent Pend or Chicago on the sides cast in. since yours is Schiller Park it's older than 1957 and if there isn't a date more than likely it wore off from use. many of the old Wiltons were sold to Schools and shops and had very heavy use that could have easily wore off a little date stamp.

i do like the Wilton Bullet C series vises and the C2 might be maybe the best one they made/make.

it's even good as a weight to put the dog's chain attached to his collar in if needed. no tree needed.

 

[jdmminot]

BUMP

It's been a few years now and I am thinking about parting ways with my beloved C2. Any ideas on a starting asking price, or how about an asking price for GJ members?

I would like to get some opinions before putting it up in the classifieds here.

 

[nadogail]

Welcome to the forum from Southwestern California.