Vintage Wilton No 4 Question

[GhostintheMachineShop]

So I passed on a chromed Columbian Vise and found this the next day. From what I can find it's an early version of the Patent Pending No 4. It has the acorn nuts on the swivel and not the "brake shoes". Also the Wilton is cast completely horizontal and not in an arc. Bottom says 2-945. I've found that means it was born in Sept of 45? Does the 2 signify anything and what if any are the additional differences between this one and the later model No 4's? What would be a good purchase price ya think?

 

[GhostintheMachineShop]

Well now I'm somewhat confused. Being stamped 2-945 and saying patent pending, is my vise from 40, 41 or 45?

 

[Shiftless]

That question has been a subject of off and on debate over in the main vise thread for many years. The only certainty in my mind is the markings on some vises that say Guar Exp and then the date.
If you could buy that vise for a couple of hundred, it would be an EXCELLENT score.
The right guy would pay at least $500 conservatively. If it was still in original paint, maybe double that.

 

[GhostintheMachineShop]

Thanks man. $250 was purchase price. Seemed like a deal, I offered $220 said there was a line of folks behind me ready to pay the $250 so I paid up.

 

[exmaxima1]

$250 is a very good price in today's market for Wilton vises. It looks like you have the very early style jaws with the straight grooves (not serrated) and they look in great condition. You did very well!

 

[GhostintheMachineShop]

Thanks. Figured at that price I couldn't get hurt. Not a big fan of the color whomever painted it. IRL it looks more aluminumy (say that 5x fast) than I'd like. Thinking on doing something about that.

 

[Shiftless]

Rustoleum Flat Soft Iron is a darker metallic paint that looks good if you are looking to keep it a gray but not so “aluminumy”.

 

[thehorse13]

You're a perfect example of a person who comes here asking for advice, follows the good advice received, and ends up with a significant win. You did well at $250, which is the very low end of retail pricing on an early Wilton in okay condition. Your vise is in great condition and will surely live several lifetimes beyond your own.

Well done.

 

[GhostintheMachineShop]

Ya thanks man. Worked out well. The only thing obviously not original are the hex heads holding the jaws on. Machine shop I worked in had those brass soft jaws that looked like fingers grabbing the jaw, always like those. Be a good 1st casting project.

I guess these vises we're smoothed out or blended on the top back of the fixed jaw to varying degrees. I think for the split line after the pin. (This vise only has 1 long pin btw) This one seems to have a lot of that. Thinking of smoothing it out all the way around before paint. Thanks for the tip Shiftless, I've gone through 3 or 4 versions of Dark Machine Grey colors on some akro mill hardware bins looking for the right shop machine color for me. I'll definitely check out that one. Any reason I shouldn't "enhance the surface finish" before I paint? She's all apart and soaking in a light Simple Green solution now.

Am I not the only one that has to pull a machine apart and go through it 100% after purchase? I just did a nut and bolt on a Seig x2d clone and I have a 6 and a 10" Atlas lathes in line. Also have a baby Sanford surface grinder and a Craftsman bandsaw that looks like a car from the 50's that will be next. Wanting to upgrade to a knee mill eventually but right now for a 1 car garage and partial basement (I feel like Mr. Pete with a split up shop) these small machines are perfect.

I also have a Kennedy tool box problem for better or worse. My Pop had a little guy when I was a kid (still have it) and when I came to machining of course I found how popular they are. I've gone through, cleaned and lubed 3 rollers and 4 top boxes now. I have 2 like my Father's and have redone his into a tackle box.

Been a long time in the works. Just installed a touch DRO on the little mill. Once I've gone through one of these lathes and she's up and running I'll should be ready to rock. Funny when the uninitiated see someone's shop. Rarely do they have an inkling of the time and effort involved (especially when the budget is all but non-existent). I'll definitely be throwing out questions and picking at my new brain trust frequently in the next year.

 

[GhostintheMachineShop]

Picked up Test Rite twins in the same month a while back. Guess I should go with a VHT paint for the oven.

 

[Shiftless]

Here is an old Athol vise I painted with that Rustoleum flat soft iron.

 

[NJ Marty]

That question has been a subject of off and on debate over in the main vise thread for many years. The only certainty in my mind is the markings on some vises that say Guar Exp and then the date.
If you could buy that vise for a couple of hundred, it would be an EXCELLENT score.
The right guy would pay at least $500 conservatively. If it was still in original paint, maybe double that.

You are spot on about value with original paint. Although it would be tough to pass up that Wilton with the extremely diminished value paint job.

 

[Shiftless]

You are spot on about value with original paint. Although it would be tough to pass up that Wilton with the extremely diminished value paint job.

I buy lots of vises without original paint, but always try to preserve it if enough is still present.

Many old vises look great just bare with some boiled linseed oil to retard rusting and add a bit of sheen and darkening of the cast iron color and patina of age. This patina is lost forever if you sand blast or get too aggressive with a wire wheel.
Paint Is good too. A favorite saying around here is “your vise, your color”.

 

[NJ Marty]

Yup, here are a few of the colors I like.

 

[GhostintheMachineShop]

Ya I kinda wish it were rusty (original) rather than painted. Any reason NOT to use a citrus paint stripper? Only think I wanna take is the kinda fugly blending the factory did at the split line. I think I'm gonna gun for stripping the paint, a slight smoothing over or what I seen someone called burnishing, and a flash rust preventive. So bare metal if I can.
That said, yes I did paint part of my mill Hot Pink. For my friends daughter. It's an import, c'mon. Overall however, I'm shooting for a darker than most machine grey on stuff I have to paint. Such as those Akro-mill organizers.
I must've only bought 1 can of it but my color would be of this organizer.
Pretty much the prevailing color of those vises NJ M.

 

[GhostintheMachineShop]

So I did the citrus stripping. All went well. There were a few major gouges in the anvil so I took about .015 off it. After the paint was gone, voila there was my color, so I left her raw. Cleaned the living **** out of it, lubed it up and put her back together. These pics don't do justice.

 

[GhostintheMachineShop]

My Columbian 504 wouldn't even look at me .