Help me date this Wilton Mechanics Vise?

[pfbz]

I know Wilton machinist and combo vises pretty well, but not as familiar with these... I believe it is a "Mechanic's" vise, and I'd guess 1970's, but would love any more info on when they made these. No date stampings on this lower end series. It looks similar to the current 700 series mechanics vises, but the new ones don't have the horn behind the anvil and are not being made in the USA.

Marked 8-643½. 3-1/2 inch jaws, removable pipe inserts, locking swivel base, protected lead screw. I did a clean up and lubrication on it, but it still has the original finish.

 

[pfbz]

Also... I'm not exactly sure how it should be assembled.

The lead screw has three slots on it. Right now, I have e-clips in 1 and 2 (redundant, 1 never touches anything) and nothing in 3. I also found a picture on eBay of a similar vise, that looks like it has both e-clips, with a washer stuck in between. Is there anything you are supposed to put on slot 3? It looks pretty much impossible to get an e-clip in there after it is inserted into the movable jaw. Anybody have a parts diagram or know exactly how these things came assembled from Wilton?

 

[autopts]

I checked thru all my Wilton catalogs from from 1950-1968 and I can't find that vise. Like you, I think that vise was early 70"s. I have a 1975 catalog when wilton started with the bigger anvil machinist and introduced their Tradesman and by that time, their 600 series was that red utility vise they made in Schiller Pk. for a short time. I have no info on that spindle assy. Somewhere there are some posts and maybe info on the 645. Thats a very nice restoration!

 

[Outlawmws]

Help me date this Wilton Mechanics Vise?

Flowers and dinner is a good start! Maybe a movie.

 

[WWIIjeep]

I checked thru all my Wilton catalogs from from 1950-1968 and I can't find that vise. Like you, I think that vise was early 70"s...

The 645 goes all the way back to the 1950s. It's in the 1958 catalog as the "Triple Duty Utility Vise." Later, they called it the "640 Line Utility Vise." And then the "Utility Workshop Vise."

Early 1970s is probably about right. It may be mid/late 1960s too. Wilton catalog #120 shows the "640 Line Utility Vise" in identical appearance to the vise in question. The #120 catalog is undated, but I'm guessing it's mid to late 1960s. By catalog #130, which I think is from around 1973 or 1974, the style had changed to a much more squared-off look and the anvil horn was gone. By then it was called the "Utility Workshop Vise."

FWIW, list price in 1972 was $38.60. List price for the more modern version of the 645 had risen to $103.00 by 1987.

The extra lock ring slots may be because the screw may have also been used on another model vise. The 645 was also available for a while with a rapid-action nut (as #665) so that may have something to do with the extra slots if the same screw was used.

I'd probably assemble it with a washer between the rings, like whatever you saw on eBay.