Need pics. I sold a 3.5" Bulldog a few months ago for $100 on the auction site.
Do you use your vintage vice?
- Thread starter Rod N
- Start date
Damn, I'm going to lock that stuff up and ration it wisely!
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slowtwitch73
Well-known member
Ok thanks... quite a bit lower than I would have guessed.
That's a nice vise for 100.
Is this a serious question? I think that there is too much collecting these days and not enough using. I wish people would quit hoarding multiples that they will never use so maybe the price on some of this stuff will go down. People start collecting when they think that it’s too valuable to take a chance on breaking it. I think I paid 40 dollars for my vintage vise 3-4 years ago. It’s used for something almost every time I come in the shop to work on something.
Agree with your comment, but also that's a really nice setup with that vice. I think I'm going to make one of those stands for my spare huge vice
torqueman2002
Well-known member
I do. Here are some pics. right after refresh.
isb cornbinder
Well-known member
You said, "I have been sitting on them for 20 years." I have to ask, Is your **** getting sore?These old Simplex 41S vises are overdue for a little attention. I really don’t know much about their history. I saved them from the scrap dumpster when my employer closed up shop 20 years ago and I’ve been sitting on them all this time. I think I’ll start cleaning them up this weekend for a new bench that I’m putting together.
1oldtimer
Well-known member
Everything old gets put back to use........cars and tools 
.
.Roberts210
Well-known member
Heck yes I use mine. The larger one is a Wilton 4.5 inch machinst vise. I bought it in the early 1990's for about $85 if I recall correctly. The smaller one is a 3" Wilton. I sold that one, but I'll never sell the 4.5. I use it ALL THE TIME.
yelchevelle
Well-known member
It’s worked good for me so far
Shiftless
Well-known member
I see some enterprising person listed 2 cans for a hundred bucks. But it seems as though he/she settled for less. How much less, we’ll never know.
Lou's Garage
Well-known member
Here's mine, it was in use earlier today.
Lou Manglass
Mintgrun
Well-known member
I have a smaller version of that vise.
it's in the upper left corner of the photo below. I bounce back and forth between the two. They both make me happy.
it's in the upper left corner of the photo below. I bounce back and forth between the two. They both make me happy.
I regularly use my "Massey Vise CO - Chicago IL mfg 1895" unit, I beat it without hesitation and it's an unrestored original. Not sure on the exact size but it will easily hold a 5 gallon bucket sideways with room to spare and is probably 250-300 pounds. Old vises like this were made to use and use hard, so don't worry about it.
My Grandfather told me he bought my vise from the Boeing Surplus store in Ephrata WA in the late 1940's (WWII surplus.) I couldn't afford a modern equivalent (if one even exists of this quality.) So yes I use mine "hard," but I'm a homeowner and hobbyist and not an airplane factory; so my vise lives a pretty easy life compared to what it was designed to handle.
My Grandfather told me he bought my vise from the Boeing Surplus store in Ephrata WA in the late 1940's (WWII surplus.) I couldn't afford a modern equivalent (if one even exists of this quality.) So yes I use mine "hard," but I'm a homeowner and hobbyist and not an airplane factory; so my vise lives a pretty easy life compared to what it was designed to handle.
rustyzman
Well-known member
I would love to see a picture of that vise!
I passed up an big, amazing one at an estate sale once that I really regretted not buying, but not That big.
Something of that caliber is truly made to survive a beating.
I passed up an big, amazing one at an estate sale once that I really regretted not buying, but not That big.
Something of that caliber is truly made to survive a beating.
Mark in Indiana
Well-known member
1.) My daily driver, 1930 Chas. Parker with a vintage Reed pipe vise (unknown date). Holding a motorcycle fork for rebuild.
2.) My Polish FPU vise (1970s) holding my chainsaw chain for sharpening.
3.) My 1940s Morgan 10A woodworking vise. I'm not a woodworker, but it's great for holding workpieces that could get damaged in a regular bench vise.
4. My Walker-Turner Driver clamp-on vise (1930s?).
2.) My Polish FPU vise (1970s) holding my chainsaw chain for sharpening.
3.) My 1940s Morgan 10A woodworking vise. I'm not a woodworker, but it's great for holding workpieces that could get damaged in a regular bench vise.
4. My Walker-Turner Driver clamp-on vise (1930s?).
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elidas
Well-known member
Use my Parker all the time.
PugetDude
ALLIANCE MEMBER
I have an old Wilton Bullet mounted to my island bench that I regularly use in the shop. Also have a hitch-mount Olympia I bought from Tractor Supply and mounted on a post set in concrete just outside the garage door. It does most of the heavy lifting. It's much better quality than I was expecting for ~$75. Opens and closes smoothly, jaws come together square and it's taken more than a few beatings. I made soft jaws for it in about 10 minutes with a piece of aluminum angle, a Hackzall, and a ball pein hammer. They live outside with it and protect the jaw faces from the weather, slip on/off easily when I don't need them.
ZRX61
Well-known member
My Morgan 40 came from the Lockheed Skunkworks in Palmdale, the Morgan 140 on the other end of the bench came from the original Lockheed Skunkworks in Burbank. They're bolted to a bench that was originally a Hamilton Standard prop stand
I have a pair of RockIslands that will be going on the next/bigger workbench.
I have a pair of RockIslands that will be going on the next/bigger workbench.
slowtwitch73
Well-known member
It's all hearsay without pics...My Morgan 40 came from the Lockheed Skunkworks in Palmdale, the Morgan 140 on the other end of the bench came from the original Lockheed Skunkworks in Burbank. They're bolted to a bench that was originally a Hamilton Standard prop stand
I have a pair of RockIslands that will be going on the next/bigger workbench.
toolmiser
Well-known member
I have a couple "old vices", but I learned here to use them as a vice and not an anvil or press. I think they will do fine since I use them for what they are designed for. As a whole I will use any tool, newer or older if it helps me complete a job.
slowtwitch73
Well-known member
I think its somewhat of a given. If you use a modern vise regularly, they break 9 times out of 10.
Forgottonia
Well-known member
Heck yeah! I don't own any tool I'm not willing to use.
d42jeep
Well-known member
I found this Milwaukee Tools vise at an estate sale early this year and it replaced a US made but terrible Craftsman vise at my summer home.
-Don
-Don
Ricky Joe
Well-known member
Unfortunately at my age most of my vices are used up. I do still use my vintage vise.
Boilerhouse
Well-known member
I was recently given a Record 6" No. 112. It is a bit of a beast. I may post again after it gets a better restoration, so far, all I really did was clean the worst of the rust and dirt off it with a wire wheel. I fully plan to use it for daily action. My neighbour, who gave it to me, expects nothing less. If he wanted it as a shelf queen, he would have kept it.
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genog
Well-known member
I took advantage of member autopts generous offer of 10% off everything in his store for GJ members.
I bought a swivel base for my Big Wilton
And of course, the Wilton is going to be used.
It is not going in the house to be displayed!
I bought a swivel base for my Big Wilton
And of course, the Wilton is going to be used.
It is not going in the house to be displayed!
I have two old vises in my garage. One came with the house, not sure of the actual age but wasn't new in 1988 when the shop was built. This one is on my equipment bench.
One came from my grandfather's shop, after it was in my dad's shop for 30 years. So it's at least from the 1950's.
I still need to mount grandpa's vise to the work bench.
One came from my grandfather's shop, after it was in my dad's shop for 30 years. So it's at least from the 1950's.
I still need to mount grandpa's vise to the work bench.
honza.vosalik
Well-known member
tool_scrounge
Well-known member
ajchien
Well-known member
I have four. Each of them got cleaned up, painted, and the screw greased when I got them. I don’t like rust, patina is okay. Two of them are on workbenches, the other two are underneath a workbench - sometimes to be moved outdoors temporarily for a project.
I try not to “abuse“ tools. Rather, perhaps I should say that I do use vises for unintended purposes - such as using it as a press or anvil. However, I don’t “neglect“ my tools - such as leaving them outdoors in the rain/mud.
I try not to “abuse“ tools. Rather, perhaps I should say that I do use vises for unintended purposes - such as using it as a press or anvil. However, I don’t “neglect“ my tools - such as leaving them outdoors in the rain/mud.
d42jeep
Well-known member
Grandpa Al’s vise was bolted to the workbench when we inherited the house in 2003. I’ve been using it regularly ever since. I also have a larger vise that is just a user but nothing special.
-Don
-Don
Indexmill
Well-known member
What's that thing made out of blue jeans?I have a smaller version of that vise.
it's in the upper left corner of the photo below. I bounce back and forth between the two. They both make me happy.
Mintgrun
Well-known member
That is a sand bag that I use like a soft anvil, to back stuff up when I hammer on it. I use it quite a bit, actually.
Fretters
Well-known member
Some of mine don't get used, as I have more than I need for use, but no, I don't class any of my vintage/antique tools as ornaments. They're all there to be used if/when need arises.
The three vices I currently use are a Parkinson No.7, a Parkinson No.8A swivel jaw, & a Swindens 4", (1936, Air Ministry stamped, if I recall correctly).
designer485
Well-known member
I need to permanently mount it to a bench, but I have every intention of using my Desmond Stephan 41p (just finished the restoration) regularly. I figure it should be ready to rock for another 80 years.
And one before shot for inspiration:
And one before shot for inspiration:
Catcher1984
Well-known member
That’s a beautiful Record vise! The few record/paramo/woden vises I see here in SoCal are all the regular No.1-5 type, and some 3VS. I’ve never seen the mechanics type vise like yours, really cool
Boilerhouse
Well-known member
Thank you. I will do a proper restoration and post some photos. I know the first scratch I put on it will hurt, but after that I won't feel a thing.
Despite our long shared border, I have seen very few American vises here in Canada. I really don't understand why. Almost every industry, at least the ones I have worked in, had English made Record vises bolted down to the work tables. The place I recently retired from had many of them throughout the plant. They are still in hard use, 50 years after they were bought and installed.