Hello and thanks for letting me join. I'm sorry if this has been discussed, but I have searched and haven't found the information I am looking for. I have been a Rock Island vice guy for years, but today I got an old Wilton number three. It looks to be in good condition for its age, but I would like to restore it . On the square key it is stamped what looks like the number 46. It has acorn nuts holding the swivel base tight. It does not have the sought after fish hooks. The paint on it appears to be the original and looks kinda gold. I have seen one article on the Internet calling this the "Golden Bullet" vice. My question is has anyone restored one of these, and did it originally have a gold hammered paint look? I would love to get feedback on a particular color gold that others have used and looks like the original. Thanks in advance Keith
Wilton #3 vice
- Thread starter X-77Keith
- Start date
Welcome aboard!,
While I'm no expert on these, that is a nice early made Bullet. From what I have read right here on GJ the Chicago make it early made but after the fish hook style I think. The experts will be chiming in to save me.
While I'm no expert on these, that is a nice early made Bullet. From what I have read right here on GJ the Chicago make it early made but after the fish hook style I think. The experts will be chiming in to save me.
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I have not removed any paint, but definitely doesn't have any fish hooks. Looks like 46 stamped on the inside square key.
That sounds right. A great find for sure.
Thank you. I look forward to restoring it.
I would suggest to leave the paint / condition like it is. I only do big repaints if they vise is beat and needs a lot of work.
It looks a lot worse in person. I will have to make an end cap as it's missing. Shouldn't be to hard to make.
Very true.I would wipe it down with some light oil to get the rust off and even wipe the painted areas before going full resto on it. It took almost 80 years for those battle marks.
Could of been military.Very true.
I'm new to Wilton's. I'm relying on y'all experts to educate me.
What I know I have learned from the fine folks here on GJ. Lots of reading.I'm new to Wilton's. I'm relying on y'all experts to educate me.
Your CO looks a lot better than my #3. A lot.
Shiftless
Well-known member
Nice old bullet you have there.
In my opinion, that vise has been painted at one time in its past. Also, it looks like the jaw plates are not original. One of your pictures shows a gap between the bottom of the jaw plate and the “shelf” in the jaw tower that supports the jaw plate insert. Original plates are sized to be supported by that shelf. Plus, the early Wilton jaws had simple horizontal grooves cut into the jaw plates rather than the cross hatching that all of us see on most all vises of many different brands.
In my opinion, that vise has been painted at one time in its past. Also, it looks like the jaw plates are not original. One of your pictures shows a gap between the bottom of the jaw plate and the “shelf” in the jaw tower that supports the jaw plate insert. Original plates are sized to be supported by that shelf. Plus, the early Wilton jaws had simple horizontal grooves cut into the jaw plates rather than the cross hatching that all of us see on most all vises of many different brands.
Yes. Only three feet.
I do remember reading about the horizontal cuts in the early plates. I'm not debating that the paint hasn't been touched up or painted over. I can't find any green or grey anywhere on it, so I assumed it was originally gold.
Shiftless
Well-known member
I have been actively involved in collecting and restoring vises for 10 years and have never seen or heard of a factory gold painted Wilton bullet. That doesn’t mean they don’t exist, but if so, it is quite interesting to learn about.
One bullet I bought long ago was painted some ugly color. Using acetone and a rag, I gently rubbed off the top layer in one area and exposed a different color. Using the same technique, I rubbed off that color and exposed the original hospital green kind of color that vises of the early era were painted from the factory.
I don’t have pics from that project but here is a pic of a similar exploratory paint removal using that technique.
This vise was frozen up solid so I arranged some hardware to try to break the slide free. As you can see, I was ultimately successful but it was a real struggle. This compression technique wasn’t the best idea and I later changed it around to pull instead of push.
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Shiftless
Well-known member
Here is a pic of the horizontal style jaw inserts. This is a 3 inch bullet in my collection dated 9-46
When I bought this vise, it had been painted white sometime in its past. I stripped off that paint and repainted it in the closest I could get to original hospital green.
When I bought this vise, it had been painted white sometime in its past. I stripped off that paint and repainted it in the closest I could get to original hospital green.
Like I said earlier. I appreciate any information as I'm definitely new to the Wilton brand. I started out restoring muscle cars " mostly gen one Camaros and Chevelle's" and then to 1960's Rupp go karts, and now early 1970's Honda mini trails. I figured a small vice like this one would be good for holding cycle parts. I did find an article on the Internet talking about a "golden bullet" three inch vice line that was produced. Of course now I can't find it. I may try the acetone method to see what else I can find.I have been actively involved in collecting and restoring vises for 10 years and have never seen or heard of a factory gold painted Wilton bullet. That doesn’t mean they don’t exist, but if so, it is quite interesting to learn about.
One bullet I bought long ago was painted some ugly color. Using acetone and a rag, I gently rubbed off the top layer in one area and exposed a different color. Using the same technique, I rubbed off that color and exposed the original hospital green kind of color that vises of the early era were painted from the factory.
I don’t have pics from that project but here is a pic of a similar exploratory paint removal using that technique.
This vise was frozen up solid so I arranged some hardware to make a puller. As you can see, I was ultimately successful but it was a real struggle.
Nice and thank you for the information and picture. I think I can make some of those jaw inserts. Shouldn't be too difficult.Here is a pic of the horizontal style jaw inserts. This is a 3 inch bullet in my collection dated 9-46
When I bought this vise, it had been painted white sometime in its past. I stripped off that paint and repainted it in the closest I could get to original hospital green.
Shiftless
Well-known member
That article would be VERY interesting. If your vise turns out to be some previously unknown one off production model, you might want to sell it and buy a user vise and pocket the extra few hundred bucks.Like I said earlier. I appreciate any information as I'm definitely new to the Wilton brand. I started out restoring muscle cars " mostly gen one Camaros and Chevelle's" and then to 1960's Rupp go karts, and now early 1970's Honda mini trails. I figured a small vice like this one would be good for holding cycle parts. I did find an article on the Internet talking about a "golden bullet" three inch vice line that was produced. Of course now I can't find it. I may try the acetone method to see what else I can find.
Shiftless
Well-known member
The jaw inserts you have should work fine for a user vise. But if you enjoy a challenge, go ahead and make some that better fit the jaws. Cutting the pattern and getting the steel heat hardened will be somewhat of a challenge.Nice and thank you for the information and picture. I think I can make some of those jaw inserts. Shouldn't be too difficult.
Do you plan to turn a new end cap on your lathe? Many guys just use an automotive freeze plug but a custom turned end cap will be SO much nicer.
Yes I do plan to turn my own end cap. Yes the jaw caps would work fine. I could mill them out on the Bridgeport and then have them hardened. I don't think the gold makes the vice any more valuable. I'm going to try and find the article again. I am learning here. My other vices are Rock Island, and they were just simple and don't really have as much value as the Wilton's seem to have.
Shiftless
Well-known member
Rock Islands are great vises. Do yours have the Birtman Electric metal tags on the side or are yours older than that?
No tags on my Rock Islands. The one I use almost every time I go in my shop has a meatball almost the size of my fist. It was all I could do to lift it up onto my workbench. It's dam heavy. I don't remember the number on it, but I can literally clamp a car rim in it.
Shiftless
Well-known member
Birtman Electric acquired Rock Island in 1930.
Sounds like yours is a beast and possibly a hundred years old.
Came from an old oil refinery when it shut down. The handle is I think 18" long. It's big.
Shiftless
Well-known member
That explains it. Oil refinery shop foremen know that they will need a beefy vise and have company money to spend.
Please post at least the model number and a picture if you can. There is a huge spreadsheet that a member here on GJ maintains attempting to list all models from all manufacturers. Yours might be missing.
Will do that tomorrow. I'm working a 24 hour shift today.
Shiftless
Well-known member
Understood
Here is a catalog page that might cover your vise.
Here is a catalog page that might cover your vise.
Pics. Pics. Pics.
I'm at work today. I'll try to get some tomorrow.