Refreshing a Wilton 450 Vise

[Catalyze]

Hello to everyone...especially those of you who have caused me to start down the path of refreshing American vises. I started out reading the Everything You Need to Know About Vises and realized that I didn't know anything except how to turn the handle. I heard the Siren's call and had to find a vise. This is where it turned into a situation like finding a prom date years ago. The really interesting ones were pricey (dinner....movie...flowers) and the cheap ones were not worth having (hey big boy....want some company?) Then an epiphany hit me....more vises are not out West where we have only cows and corn in our history. They are back east and upper midwest where manufacturing was in full swing for over a century. So like I usually do, I whined to my wife "I want a vise and can't find one to play with me." My wife did what she always does...."Sure, I will look for one" and basically told me to calm down. Saturday she called me at work and told me she had found a vise I might want to look at. I thought "Oh boy....a cheap Oriental vise from HF....this is not good." She then told me that she took a picture of it on her phone. She said it had.......wait for it.......Wilton on the side. Now I sat up. After work, we headed over to the fellow's shop behind his house. I am thinking...."It's probably a Chinese Wilton" and sure enough on his work bench was a Chinese Wilton vise. I tried to be nice and told him that it was a great vise, but I was looking for an American vise. "Well then, look at your feet." There on the floor under a bunch of "stuff" was a Wilton 450S vise in all its faded glory! He asked $85.00 for it and that was that. I looked up Disassemble Wilton Vise on Google and found a nice photo tour of what was involved. After a few hours scrubbing in the parts washer, I began to see that this vise is in fantastic condition. 4 1/2" jaws and swivel base all in great shape....only one hold down nut missing (ordered from Wilton today....$35.00..ouch). I will post the photos as it gets 'refreshed". I won't even call it restored since most of the vise threads are nothing like this endevour. This is the perfect first vise to work with....my perfect prom date.
Craig

 

[Catalyze]

The vise after a rag wipe down.
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And the jaw condition.
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Apart for wire brushing with the cup brush and angle grinder.
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And fully cleaned for painting.
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[mikevango]

Looks good. I like to paint them when they are still apart.

 

[airbuff101]

Very Nice Find Cat!

Could you just rub it down with oil and keep that manly industrial look? Wouldn't be too prone to rust in New Mexico would it?

Rob

 

[autopts]

Thats a great find and a nice cleanup! Personally, if your going to turn it for money, repaint it. If its for your own use, spray it down with penetrating rust preventive oil and leave it.

 

[gilbo]

great job with the cleanup, i have a wilton 9350 waiting in line to get cleaned up

davidb, is doing a family tree on wilton vises so make sure u add your vise info it, here is the link

Wilton Bullet Vise Info

and to make it official add to the Vises of Garage Journal

 

[Ign]

Nice. I gave $200 for an identical model, but it was in excellent condition and hardly even needed to be wiped clean.

 

[jon619]

Apart for wire brushing with the cup brush and angle grinder.
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The lizard in the background is fantastic. I want one. Did you make it? Great job on the vise also.

 

[SweetD]

Thats a great find and a nice cleanup! Personally, if your going to turn it for money, repaint it. If its for your own use, spray it down with penetrating rust preventive oil and leave it.

That would be my take as well. NICE VISE!

 

[Lookin4'67Galaxieconv]

Vise looks good!

 

[MaximRecoil]

Very Nice Find Cat!

Could you just rub it down with oil and keep that manly industrial look? Wouldn't be too prone to rust in New Mexico would it?

Rob

Or car wax. It would protect from rust yet be dry rather than oily.

 

[slip knot]

I'd give it a good coating with boiled linseed oil and let it cure for a couple of days. It'll harden up and have a nice semi gloss protecive covering. I've used it for years on hammer heads and it works great. Be careful with soiled rag disposal tho as it can be pretty volatile stuff until it dries.

BTW, nice vice score.

 

[trout]

very nice vise.

 

[Catalyze]

Thanks for all the thoughts and ideas!
1. I didn't make the lizard in the back yard, but in NM lots of landscape folks have them
2. Nothing rusts where I live....it's not uncommon to go 6 months with no precipitation and have days with 5% humidity
3. If I had common sense, I would put a clear type of finish on the vise, but I am an idiot...so it will be painted in a totally foolish manner......and it won't be sold until my estate goes to auction (after all, my wife found this vise....it's sort of Tool Romance)
I am going to use a graphite coating on the dynamic jaw "slide" which I have used on exhaust manifolds/headers several times (for looks and protection) and have used it on my hedge trimmers to keep a nice slick finish. I am changing the retention pin that holds the lead screw nut in the vise to something a bit more secure (1 pin holding 1 side) that can be removed easily. I do hobby pinstriping for fun so I am going to try and add a tiny "touch" that makes the vise fun. I have been around shop vises for most of my life, but until I started reading the posts on this forum, I never really appreciated a vise for it's attributes. Those of you who work on them and understand why they have certain designs, are like keepers of a portion of our history. Too many historical items are only for books and museums. It's nice to be able to look at something designed to do a job 100 years ago and then go out and let it still do that same job today. More photos and foolish thoughts tomorrow.
Craig

 

[autopts]

After a few hours scrubbing in the parts washer, I began to see that this vise is in fantastic condition. 4 1/2" jaws and swivel base all in great shape....only one hold down nut missing (ordered from Wilton today....$35.00..ouch).


Were you able to order that hold down directly from WMH? Its too bad some of us didn't know you just needed the carriage bolt. I've probably got a few of them myself.

 

[Catalyze]

Thanks Autopts! I needed the nut with handle for my vise...somehow the original owner kept the bolt and lost the nut...LOL. Yes, I called up Wilton and dug through their phone tree and ordered directly from them.

 

[Catalyze]

I didn't really like the single pin holding the lead screw nut into the outer casting. I understand that you can take a pin punch and just tap it out from the other side but you have to have a long pin punch or use a nail/etc to span the gap. I took a socket head (header bolt) 1/4" bolt and cut it to the correct length. I wrapped a solid piece of copper wire around a few threads and just tapped it into the outer case. I really didn't want to drill and tap the outer case. Too much chance for someone like me to mess up since the body was already painted. I did the same for the other side and they work very nicely. The copper will deform and make a nice tight seal and you can always just take a pair of Vicegrips and pull them out if needed. They do stick out a touch, but I am not too worried about snagging anything on them.
Craig
View media item 8146View media item 8147More photos to follow after dinner.
Craig

 

[Catalyze]

I have used a graphite product in the past called Slip Plate. It is a spray on coating and has been on my El Camino exhaust manifolds for almost a year with no flaking or peeling. I also put it on my hedge trimmer blades for the friction reduction where they pass over each other. It lasts very well there, too. Here is the slide before coating and getting ready to mask the key in the slide. I didn't want to coat it and have it bind up due to increased thickness.
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And here is the slide coated. I waited overnight and the next morning (after my wife left for work) I put it in the oven on 250 degrees for an hour to bake it. Hopefully, it will help it to harden and last longer.
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Craig

 

[Catalyze]

Greetings again!
Here is the final product. I used a Rustoleum primer after a lacquer thinner wipe down. According to the instructions on the primer, it said to top coat within an hour or wait 48 hours. Having the control of a 9 year old in a toy store, I chose to top coat it right then. I used a Rustoleum Hammered Copper top coat. I wanted the vise to look different than a blue/gray/red but I really like the hammered appearance. It may not be the practical shop appearance, but this is just one of those personal appearance things. I still need to pinstripe the "Born 8 -93" into the inset where the Wilton decal was on the dynamic jaw.
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The slide coated.
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And every prom date has a Birthday.....here is mine:
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And the final weight of the vise.
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Thanks to all who helped me by writing previous threads about Vises!
Craig

 

[gilbo]

Greetings again!
Here is the final product. I used a Rustoleum primer after a lacquer thinner wipe down. According to the instructions on the primer, it said to top coat within an hour or wait 48 hours. Having the control of a 9 year old in a toy store, I chose to top coat it right then. I used a Rustoleum Hammered Copper top coat. I wanted the vise to look different than a blue/gray/red but I really like the hammered appearance. It may not be the practical shop appearance, but this is just one of those personal appearance things. I still need to pinstripe the "Born 8 -93" into the inset where the Wilton decal was on the dynamic jaw.
View media item 8151

that resto came out great, great color too

 

[autopts]

Very nice restore. A Little different and I'm liking it!

 

[5-0stank]

Looks good. Once I make enough room for a workbench, I'll be in the market for a quality vise. I just love the styling of these bullets.

 

[Steen27]

Awesome restoration - and I like the color too Different but cool at the same time.

Ummm you mentioned an El Camino back there - details/pics please... lol

Great job once again!

 

[kc-steve]

Normally, I'm an "original restorer" kind of guy, but your vise is ready for the custom auto show and looks GREAT. Howz about a hood scoop and side vents?

Thanks,
Steve

 

[asp]

Very nicely done. Again, not what I'd have picked or have done, but it's quite clean.

I end up beating on my vise(s) too much for a paint job like that to last.

 

[48James]

Nice restoration. Awesome color choice!

 

[Jeep Monkey RTR]

I know this is an old thread and I hate to revive but I had a question. I just picked up an identical 450 and am trying to break it down to refurbish. I can't seem to get the back cap or the pins out of the spindle side of the vise. I've read this thread and multiple others but have not found exactly what I'm looking for.

On the subject if the pins, I used a punch and hammered one side in but in doing so, I expected the other side to push out. Nothing. The opposite side is still flush. Is this correct?Not really sure what to do now. Any tips are appreciated.

Also, sweet vise. It looks amazing.

 

[autopts]

I know this is an old thread and I hate to revive but I had a question. I just picked up an identical 450 and am trying to break it down to refurbish. I can't seem to get the back cap or the pins out of the spindle side of the vise. I've read this thread and multiple others but have not found exactly what I'm looking for.

On the subject if the pins, I used a punch and hammered one side in but in doing so, I expected the other side to push out. Nothing. The opposite side is still flush. Is this correct?Not really sure what to do now. Any tips are appreciated.

Also, sweet vise. It looks amazing.

Omitt that part, its not worth the trouble and you run the risk of cracking that cast back housing that has been Obsoleted. for years now.

 

[Jeep Monkey RTR]

Omitt that part, its not worth the trouble and you run the risk of cracking that cast back housing that has been Obsoleted. for years now.

Omit the removal of the back cap and/ or the pins? No problem on the cap but I already pushed one of the pins into the casing? Need to at least get that back to where I began.

Thanks for the response. I'm new to this forum and vises

 

[alpinewhite]

[sarcasm] Thanks to GJ, I now own 3 vises [/sarcasm]. I was perfectly happy with my Wilton 4.5" vise from Costco from a few years ago. Now, I also own a Wilton 450 and an Athol.

 

[orchidlane]

Hi, Beautiful Monster Vise, like the highlights on the letters .. well done

 

[alpinewhite]

Hi, Beautiful Monster Vise, like the highlights on the letters .. well done

What's inside the gray Vidmar in the background?