Do you use your vintage vice?

[Buddy94]

No, but I have a massive Reed Mfg Co one that must weight 40-50lbs. It doesn't rotate. I'll take some pics today as I'm cleaning out my Dads house to sell it. It is as least pre-1960 as it was my grandfathers.

 

[McFarmer]

The only vise I have is vintage, so yes, I guess I do.

If it weren’t for vintage tools I wouldn’t have many tools at all.

 

[Ricky Joe]

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!

Too bad! That would look good on a granite kitchen countertop!

 

[genog]

Too bad! That would look good on a granite kitchen countertop!

Think So!
I will run it by my wife.

Was thinking of painting it a marvelous shade of mauve with red high light letters
Only I am fussing over the Exact shade of Krylon that I want
Darn Darn Darn
They just Don't make my color!

;-)

 

[RBarnes]

Since I do not wrongfully abuse things, not afraid to use and actually prefer my vintage, made in USA tools. I actually use different ones on a daily basis.

 

[Fretters]

This is the one I use in the workshop. This one was made/stamped in 1936, if I recall correctly.



I realised years ago that not using a tool is self defeating. No point getting stuff, in general, if we'll never use it. Doesn't mean we can't have some just for the sake of it though.

 

[DanZ3]

Mine has been in use for about 90 years. Why stop now.

 

[isb cornbinder]

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.

VERDE is French for green.

 

[ecotec]

Mine has been in use for about 90 years. Why stop now.

I love this vise! An American Chinese wonder vise. The lettering is in amazing condition.

 

[Rod N]

I was surprised how much people wanted for vintage vices, so I figured I already had one so let me see if I can make it better.
It was sticking and not smooth at all. I took it apart and gave it a good cleaning in my parts washer and reassembled it.
Voila! Slick as butter. I move the handle a hair and the jaws move a hair. It's sort of special as it was owned by my father.

 

[Renegade1LI]

I have a couple brand new late 30s early 40s that were stored away in a schools basement, a little horse trading & I got the vises & benches they were mounted on. Custodian says a lot of the old shop stuff gets tossed, what a shame.

 

[Jr5]

Yes, but only for VERY light work.

In my opinion it was meant to be used, but I’ve got others (new) for beating on Lol.

 

[Rod N]

I've never understood people beating on their vises. You can see a big plate of steel behind my vice that I use for hammering stuff.

 

[Shiftless]

I've never understood people beating on their vises. You can see a big plate of steel behind my vice that I use for hammering stuff.

Yep!
I keep a short length of train rail handy for beating on. Real anvils of course are better but $$$$.

 

[Jr5]

I've never understood people beating on their vises. You can see a big plate of steel behind my vice that I use for hammering stuff.

Well, when I say “beating” I mean for lightweight stuff. I’ve got a very tiny apartment work bench.

I have a saw-horse in my truck for anything bigger than that. I wanted to make an anvil from a piece of RR track, but everything I work on is generally smaller

 

[Violaleeblues4@gmail.]

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

I have this same vise. I collect vises, have about 12, and I believe this model is one of the best I've ever seen. The smoothness, alignment and build quality is on point. Very well made and ZERO slop anywhere.

 

[2oolhound]

I have a few that are used for everything. I cringe a bit if I nick one with an angle grinder.

 

[MongoTA]

It all started with a Beaver 2700 drill press and now I'm really liking vintage stuff.

I want a vintage vice, but I need a vice. I won't paint it, just clean and lube etc.

Do you guys use your vintage vice or is it just there to be admired?

Cleaned them up, gave them a light rubdown with Penofin (it's what I have on hand), and I use them. I love the old metal look, I'd never paint or repaint one. Too sterile looking for me. I like seeing the scars on my old-iron tools.

 

[Beerhippie]

This is the only "vintage" vise I use with any regularity:

I'm pretty sure it's a Sargent #95.

It's great for sharpening long tools and machetes and such.

My daily-user for the last twenty-five years (does that make it vintage?) is this;



Maybe the way I use it is abuse, but it's taken a hell of a lot of it and just kept going. The copper lug, lower right, is for my welding ground clamp--it's bonded to the steel plate in the background, too. I've beat a lot of stuff into shape on the anvil portion (why put an anvil on something if you're not supposed to beat on it?).

Someday, I'll clean this one up



and mount it to the bench, too. It's a swivel-jaw, missing the base. I have no idea where it came from nor how long it's been around the shop.

 

[larry_g]

I have tools I've bought brand new that some of you now consider vintage and collectable. All are still in use.

lg
no neat sig line

 

[paulsomlo]

I can't imagine a vise so valuable, that it can't be used - maybe the $18,000 Bugatti, but the vast majority of vises are just not worth that much.

 

[Michael_PE2003]

I use mine all the time, it’s not pretty but it works well.





Kind of cool it was in a DOD plant during the war.

 

[Beerhippie]

Maybe I'll be using and abusing mine, now that it lives atop the bench instead of under it.






But it would be hard to think of ways in which it hasn't already been abused.

 

[i4ni]

To me Vises are tools meant to be used otherwise they just set on a shelf somewhere useless as **** on a boar. I mean I appreciate the work that goes into restoring a vise but it's not like some paint and cleaning turns it into a rare Picaso that needs velvet ropes around it for Christ's sake. The person that appreciates the working value of a vise and utilizes that tool to create or repair things I understand. The vanity thing, not so much. But Hey, that's just me.

 

[don long]

I just can't do it.

 

[PDXDave]

Not using them is an insult to the tool...
This old equipment was meant to be used.
I just got my recently rescued Wilton 1760 mounted and ready to go as soon as the new jaws and clamp bolts arrive.

 

[fishwatcher]

I like this thread because I appreciate both the amazing and beautiful restores that many GJ vise aficionados do, as well as the “it’s a tool, use it” attitude that vises were built to serve.

I’ve now cleaned and or painted a several vintage vises, and bought two that were modern. I certainly don’t “need” more than one or two vises to use. When I have the need to use any of them, I don’t hesitate and the restored ones have gotten dings in them as a result. It’d be nice if they stayed pristine, but that’s okay, it doesn’t bug me.. I mean.. kind of.. but I can’t resist using quality tools .

 

[paulsomlo]

I just can't do it.

Can't blame you - but most of us don't have a "museum" to display them in, Don. And I'm sure you have the equivalent in your working shop, without the glossy paint and polish.

 

[four.cycle]

when I arrive at that point where I can actually see the entire top surface of my work bench (instead of just an inch or two around the perimeter) my gigantic "Parker" vise will get bolted down.

 

[fishwatcher]

With all due respect to the OP’s intent with this post…

I think this thread would be even more interesting if people included images of their vintage vises in use.

I’m not a fabricator, nor a skilled mechanic. My use is very novice home owner repair and amateur bike maintenance oriented.

I’ve often wondered what people are using all of their vises for (old and new).

 

[Kent_B]

I have 2, a 3" Wilton swivel vise with '46 stamped on the slide and a C. Parker #39 fixed base. The Wilton has a little weld splatter, both are dirty & greasy. Both get used.

The Parker was pictured shortly after I joined in another thread.

 

[Beerhippie]

I put this Reed 404 1/2 back together yesterday and I've already put it to use. I even found my first use for the swiveling jaw!



What am I gonna do? dent it?

 

[cretedog]

t all started with a Beaver 2700 drill press and now I'm really liking vintage stuff.

I want a vintage vice, but I need a vice. I won't paint it, just clean and lube etc.

Do you guys use your vintage vice or is it just there to be admired?

Absolutely!

 

[paulsomlo]

Absolutely!

That table with the T-slots - I'm envious.