Morgan 80 vise

[Nmhuntr]

I am looking at an old Morgan 80 vise. 8” no swivel in good shape. Does anyone know if they still make these? I see Zoro advertising them but no where else and I don’t know enough about Zoro to trust their price.

Any ideas on value would be appreciated

 

[ZRX61]

Anything over 6in is stupid money. No longer made, but some new parts available.

 

[Nmhuntr]

Anything over 6in is stupid money. No longer made, but some new parts available.

So is this a fake ad? That is my concern. If
I used that as an idea of what new one coast
I have an idea of what a fair price is for the one I found. Just don’t know

 

[ZRX61]

Well I wouldn't pay that, but it could be real based on what a new 8in Wilton lists for (About $3500).
How much is the one on your first post?

 

[Nmhuntr]

Well I wouldn't pay that, but it could be real based on what a new 8in Wilton lists for (About $3500).
How much is the one on your first post?

The Morgan 80 I found has no swivel base and is $600

 

[ZRX61]

Someone might pay that, I wouldn't go that high. I might haggle around $300 & get thrown out of the store...

 

[1982fxr]

When did they stop making the 80? They still were a couple years ago.

 

[Nmhuntr]

When did they stop making the 80? They still were a couple years ago.

I believe they still do make them. I don’t think $600 for one without a swivel base is a bad deal if the prices I found were correct

 

[Mintgrun]

I am looking at an old Morgan 80 vise. 8” no swivel in good shape.

Take a close look at where the dynamic jaw joins the slide. It looks like it may have broken off there and been welded back together.

 

[Nmhuntr]

Take a close look at where the dynamic jaw joins the slide. It looks like it may have broken off there and been welded back together.

Thanks a lot
You may be correct

 

[SweetD]

Take a close look at where the dynamic jaw joins the slide. It looks like it may have broken off there and been welded back together.

nice catch, 100% a repair...

 

[rocksnstumps]

Just to confirm what others mentioned, they still make the full line of Morgan vises in Milwaukee WI. Saw a few of 60s and 80s machinist vises along with a bunch of the combination ones on pallets today at the factory. Andy was helping me out with some replacement jaws. Super nice guy and after 51 yrs there still goes to work 4 days a week. He also confirmed their castings are still made in WI as well but no longer in Milwaukee.

FYI they have parts for practically everything even going back to the earlier Chicago made ones except for direct replacement jaws for their "Star" models. Edit: Mean the older Star ones before the T style jaw inserts. Stars are listed as regular duty instead of heavy duty. Basically they are one model size smaller for internals like the lead screw and nut are identical to model 35 but the jaws in the castings are 4" wide. They differ from the 4" model 40 having a bit more unsupported jaw from the center casting. To clarify, in addition to a star on one side of the casting they have 4A instead of 40 to differentiate

 

[gardinman]

First time posting here! I’m the nut job that bought this majorly repaired Chicago Morgan 80 posted in this thread. Looking for a good dynamic jaw if anyone happens to find one…

Also, this particular 80, while it does have what seems to be three mounting holes to be stationary, it is supposed to have a swivel base with a lock on each side. Why they designed it like that with one hole under the slide I’m not sure.

As of today I locked in a deal for a 3 bolt stationary base Chigago Morgan 80, looking forward to picking it up and having the two side by side to compare.

 

[Mike'smeatshop]

First time posting here! I’m the nut job that bought this majorly repaired Chicago Morgan 80 posted in this thread. Looking for a good dynamic jaw if anyone happens to find one…

Also, this particular 80, while it does have what seems to be three mounting holes to be stationary, it is supposed to have a swivel base with a lock on each side. Why they designed it like that with one hole under the slide I’m not sure.

As of today I locked in a deal for a 3 bolt stationary base Chigago Morgan 80, looking forward to picking it up and having the two side by side to compare.

Now that is a vise. Good score. But what kind of energy did it take to break that jaw? After watching the videos on vise comparisons, there had to have some porosity or flaw in the metal.

 

[Oregon rock crusher]

I am pretty sure the Morgan 80 vises were fixed base and the model 180 came with the swivel base. Doesn't mean someone couldn't figure out how to mount it on a swivel base though. Here is a pic of my model 80. Ed.

 

[Shiftless]

 

[gardinman]

I am pretty sure the Morgan 80 vises were fixed base and the model 180 came with the swivel base. Doesn't mean someone couldn't figure out how to mount it on a swivel base though. Here is a pic of my model 80. Ed.

Could be, but I believe this one I have has a centering mold in the bottom of it for a swivel base.

Here is another with the same style casting as ours but with a swivel base. They are quite blurry though.

Soon I’ll have both style Morgan 80s side by side. Quite excited to see that, I’ve been searching around on pages and forums and haven’t seen but maybe one other with this other 3 bolt casting.

 

[gardinman]

Happened a few weeks ago but I finally have the two together to compare! Quite a bit different between the size, weight and casting. Both Chicago Morgan 80s, does anyone know how to date these particular vises?

 

[1982fxr]

I think it went from Chicago to Milwaukee in 1970 or 71.

 

[Oregon rock crusher]

Happened a few weeks ago but I finally have the two together to compare! Quite a bit different between the size, weight and casting. Both Chicago Morgan 80s, does anyone know how to date these particular vises?

Here are a couple pics of cat pages showing Morgan vises. They show both styles of base casting which were sold as the model 80. The elongated flat bottom base and the eared base with the protrusion that locks it into the bench. The jaw towers on the eared base model, as in your newest vise, appear shorter and likely stronger. It has been used hard though. Taller jaw towers do put more stress at the connection with the slide where your first model 80 broke.

Also a pic of a model 80 sitting on a swivel base. It has Morgan Milwaukee cast in. For that reason I speculate that adding a swivel base to that otherwise standard model 80 probably occurred sometime close to when the move to Milwaukee occurred or even slightly after using older castings. The catalog weights do not match your scale. FWIW my model 80 shown above weighs about 192#. Ed.