HELP! Vintage Acme/Wilton Bench vise

[jond23]

I have a vintage Acme Tool Company of New York bullet nose bench vise. I can only find limited information about it. I can only find two of them online. I believe it was made by Wilton for Acme tools. It is An Acme 134 Mc No.-6 bench vise with swivel base. If anyone can please provide any information about it including a possible value I would really appreciate it. I will most likely keep it since it's in pretty good condition. I am going to clean it up removing all the crud. I'm really looking for information about it to help me decide if I'm going to do a complete restoration on it. Thanks in advanced.
P.S. I will get more pictures if needed.

 

[RTM]

Looks like Acme was only alive from 1946-48 or so, from Google Books references

"acme tool company" AROUND(3) new york - Google Search

 

[nadogail]

Looks like Acme was only alive from 1946-48 or so, from Google Books references

"acme tool company" AROUND(3) new york - Google Search

Look up The Wylie Coyote from Roadrunner, he gets lots of stuff from Acme.

 

[RTM]

Look up The Wylie Coyote from Roadrunner, he gets lots of stuff from Acme.

Mostly anvils, rockets and roller skates. Never seen a vise, but it’s been a few years.

 

[Roberts210]

Wily Coyote DID buy and use Acme vises. Most were lost when dropped off the edge of mile-high cliffs in attempts to bag the roadrunner. However, Mr. Coyote's use of Acme vises came to an abrupt end on Dec 5th of 1957 in a horrible work-related accident when the Acme vise landed on the head of Wily Coyote.

 

[paulsomlo]

It's value is in it's ability to hold stuff - clean it up and use it.

 

[jond23]

It's value is in it's ability to hold stuff - clean it up and use it.

Yep that's what I said I was going to do. If you do not have any usefull information or constructive input you could have at least made your useless comment, describing what a clamp does, funny with a Wily Coyote and Roadrunner reference instead of trolling a valid post on a forum about vintage tools. Hey, maybe you could help me with this: I have a vintage hammer I was thinking about cleaning up. Since you have so much free time, can you create and send me a user manual on how to use it.

 

[Shiftless]

jond23:

In my opinion, you have a rare and valuable piece of vise history. You might be surprised at how much the final bid might be if you list that one on eBay. Just rinse off the dust and dirt with a soft brush, take good pics from every angle, set a start of maybe $300 and wait for the bidding to take off,
If I’m wrong, and you don’t get that kind of action in a week or 2, go ahead and paint it and make it a user.
If it sells and you don’t already have a decent user, pick up a nice older made in USA vise on FBMP or Craigslist and put it to work. Put the remaining couple of hundred bucks in your pocket.

 

[thehorse13]

There are plenty of Wilton bullet collectors out there who would love to have this oddity. I second the Ebay path if you want to know what it's worth. I'd set the opening bid a little lower just to get a few bidders invested in your auction.

 

[Roberts210]

All joking aside, I think your Acme bullet is a rare example of a Wilton. Is there a date code stamped on the bottom of the slide? And how wide are the jaws?

 

[slowtwitch73]

It's value is in it's ability to hold stuff - clean it up and use it.

I could see that vise holding many Franklins.

 

[jond23]

All joking aside, I think your Acme bullet is a rare example of a Wilton. Is there a date code stamped on the bottom of the slide? And how wide are the jaws?

Thak you,
The jaws are 6". The date code is 11-49. Which I found to be either when it was made or the date the 5 year warranty expired which would mean it was made 11-44. If what someone said earlier in post that Acme was only in operation from 46-48 neither really makes sense unless, what another video I saw about Wilton where they said the date code was when it left the factory not when it was made. Anyway it's nice to have an idea.

All joking aside, I think your Acme bullet is a rare example of a Wilton. Is there a date code stamped on the bottom of the slide? And how wide are the jaws?

 

[exmaxima1]

I think you meant that the jaws OPEN 6". The WIDTH of the jaw inserts is probably 4"

If the date code reads 11-49, it was stamped in 1949. You don't subtract 5 years unless the words "GUAR EXP" are also stamped on the key.

 

[Maui]

If it were mine I would thoroughly restore it and paint it Rustoleum Verde Green. But that's me. You do you.

 

[jond23]

I think you meant that the jaws OPEN 6". The WIDTH of the jaw inserts is probably 4"

If the date code reads 11-49, it was stamped in 1949. You don't subtract 5 years unless the words "GUAR EXP" are also stamped on the key.

Yes my mistake the jaws are 4" wide. Thank you for the information about the date its hard to find any

 

[RTM]

If what someone said earlier in post that Acme was only in operation from 46-48 neither really makes sense u

That was me, and based on Google Books literature finds. They could have been in business longer, just not advertising, or getting talked about by others,

 

[Shiftless]

That was me, and based on Google Books literature finds. They could have been in business longer, just not advertising, or getting talked about by others,

What RTM said is true. Many of the references you find online are not absolutely accurate.

 

[exmaxima1]

If it were mine I would thoroughly restore it and paint it Rustoleum Verde Green. But that's me. You do you.

You must have a stash of Verde Green as it's near impossible to find anymore. I would paint it Sage Green as it looks the most like the original color.

 

[Shiftless]

Here is a pic of one of my 3 inch bullets painted sage green next to another painted with a professionally mixed color matching original paint on a very early Wilton that had enough original paint under several coats of rattle can blue and red.
Rustoleum sage green on the right.

 

[Shiftless]

Here is my user C1 painted with Rustoleum Verde Green. It leans toward blue to my eye.
Disclaimer… The C1 is sitting in sunshine and the old machinist bullets are indoors with LED floodlights. High CRI’s but not sunshine.

 

[Maui]

You must have a stash of Verde Green as it's near impossible to find anymore. I would paint it Sage Green as it looks the most like the original color.

Yes, I do.

 

[slowtwitch73]

You can get a good auto paint store to put whatever color you like in a rattle can.... including verde green.

 

[exmaxima1]

You can get a good auto paint store to put whatever color you like in a rattle can.... including verde green.

What does that cost? I wouldn't be surprised if it's over $50

 

[slowtwitch73]

It's been a while since I've done it. Was nowhere near 50.. but times change.

Point is you *can* get it for all the guys wringing their hands over Verde Green.

 

[Shiftless]

It’s a real hassle to properly ship aerosol paint cans via USPS, FedEx, or UPS.
Many years ago, I gave away a new can of it to a guy who bought a Wilton Tradesman vise from me. I had painted it snap on red and he liked green better.

 

[buckspooker]

I have an Acme bullet vise dated 12-50 with 4" jaws. Not finding too much info on it either.

 

[ALLFAST]

What does that cost? I wouldn't be surprised if it's over $50

My local NAPA does a 16oz aerosol can of Omni single stage , custom mixed , for about $30 out the door.