Wilton, Blue or Green?

[Rhunes29]

I finally got a 2.5” Wilton at a good price, but it’s bare metal & I plan to paint but not sure which color to use.

I went from having zero to too many Wiltons pretty quickly, and now I understand why there are so many posts with very strong opinions about which color is correct, closest to original, and/or looks good but is not even close.

I have a post about a 350SJ that I painted Verde Green & really like, but since then I got a baby that I think was painted with Hammerite Lite Blue, which is obviously very different.

On top of that, I recently got a great deal on a 9300 with no description & blurry pics that turned out to be barely used with part of the original sticker still attached. That paint seems to be darker than the original color due to years of dirt & rust that I don’t want to risk stripping & haven’t scrubbed.

In the end, neither color is anywhere close to original, so it just comes down to availability &/or preference.

I’m lucky or dumb enough to have bought both Hammerite Lite Blue and Rustoleum Verde Green.

So, can I please get the opinion or vote from anyone who cares to share theirs?

I’ll wait a week & just go with whichever color has the higher count, so hopefully there will be at least one vote/reply.

 

[Bulldog13]

I’m loving that green

 

[elmer]

I vote hammerite lite blue. Closest to original.

 

[RMERR]

I faced the same choice doing a resto on a Wilton 800. You're right, neither is a perfect match, but I thought the hammerite light blue was a tick closer. Personally I just don't care for the verde green, too green in my opinion.

 

[exmaxima1]

I don't think the Wilton Chicago vises look right with hammered finishes. I'd vote for Rustoleum Sage

 

[paulsomlo]

Confucious say - the best paint is no paint

 

[Rhunes29]

I don't think the Wilton Chicago vises look right with hammered finishes. I'd vote for Rustoleum Sage

Thanks for suggesting that!
I don’t think I’ve seen this recommendation before, but agree that it is closer than the hammered options.

The 925 is actually in great condition with almost no dings or gouges & the jaws look good too. It’s too bad it was stripped to metal because there are patches of the original paint and no sign of other primer or paint colors.

I’ll consider the sage & will search for others that used it. It looks good but a lot lighter shade of green than I’m used to seeing.

Thanks you again. The tally is a 4 way tie with 1 vote for each recommendation

 

[autopts]

I agree, Rust oleum Sage Green. Get Satin if available.

 

[Ilikeike]

I like them both.

I cleaned up a Columbian with the Hemmerite blue, looked good.

 

[AEAdam]

These things really have a googie style. Think Jetsons. Forget the cheap paint the manufacturer used. Paint it light blue, turquois, pale yellow, or salmon. The guys who bondo these are really fulfilling the original designers intent. Light olive green would be amazing.

 

[Shiftless]

Here on the right is mine in Rustoleum sage green satin.
On the left is a custom paint mix color matched to some original paint I uncovered on a Chicago era bullet. Pretty damn close if you ask me.

 

[Rhunes29]

Here on the right is mine in Rustoleum sage green satin.
On the left is a custom paint mix color matched to some original paint I uncovered on a Chicago era bullet. Pretty damn close if you ask me.

That’s one of the first pics that turned up in my search. That looks really good. I’m sure nobody cares about this thread’s results, but I did say I’d paint the color most suggested after a week. I might use the results to paint a baby 920S I have that’s already taped and primered.

 

[Jayman17]

Hammerite Light Blue all the way!

 

[fishwatcher]

Of the two paints in your pictures, I like Hammer light blue the best. Since you already have one painted that color.. why do a second one the same? Consider @Shiftless’ suggestion and do sage green to have various takes on Wilton’s “original” colors.

I’m really happy with the Rustoleum Universal Hammered gloss black that I used on my 9300. It’s more of a metallic dark grey than black. No primer was needed.

 

[exmaxima1]

I agree, Rust oleum Sage Green. Get Satin if available.

I used Sage Satin and post baked it at around 200 degrees. It got a bit glossy and very durable. It was actually darker in color than the pic.

 

[Shiftless]

Here is a pic of my extra C1 that I painted Hammerite light blue. (My user vise is another C1 painted Verde Green)
When I bought it from a guy it was beat up and had no swivel lock down handles so I painted it and screwed on some stainless steel cap nuts for the time being. It’s a display vise right now so it sits on a shelf with the cap nuts.

 

[kngelv]

I vote for the green. My plant has dozens of Wiltons and they are all gray or blue. Tired of those colors and the green looks badass.

James

 

[Shiftless]

I too vote green

 

[dnschmidt]

As Mick Jagger once sang: "Paint it Black." I actually like the Green.

 

[SlotlessMan]

Gloss black

 

[pizza]

forget about what looks original since neither paint is original anyways. just use what you think looks coolest.

out of all the colors posted so far, the rustoleum verde green in the OP is my favorite. however, i think it would look much nicer if you had masked off the lettering or painted it another color. having that contrast would look a lot better.

i am not a fan of the hammerite light blue.

my second favorite is this:

Rustoleum Universal Hammered gloss black

and see what he did with the raised lettering? perfect

 

[dnschmidt]

All he did with the raised lettering was grind off the paint. It's very easy to do with a die grinder and a roloc Scotchbrite disc.

 

[fishwatcher]

All he did with the raised lettering was grind off the paint. It's very easy to do with a die grinder and a roloc Scotchbrite disc.

Actually.. I used a Sharpie Metallic silver marker. It is easy to do. The extent to which it’s durable? Not very. I’ve re-lettered once after about a year. Some of the paint came off while wiping it down with cleaner wax. I bet if I used a good clear coat to go over it, that might help. This isn’t a daily user. At least not for anything significant.

 

[dnschmidt]

If you've got a steady hand you can also use One-Shot pinstriping paint and an artist brush to paint the writing whatever color you so chose. If silver is what you really want then simply grind off the paint and the color of the cast iron becomes the color of the letters. If you're worried about rust hit these areas with clearcoat since you've got a glossy surface to begin with.

 

[RMERR]

I'm probably in the minority, but I've never cared for painted casting lettering on vise restorations. For one thing, very few manufacturers actually paint the raised letters. When I see it, It just says overcooked restoration to me. Lots of people do it though, so whatever floats your boat.

 

[autopts]

Hammerite Light Blue all the way!

Where can you buy that Hammered Blue?

 

[Jayman17]

Where can you buy that Hammered Blue?

Might want to check with the OP, the only Hammered paint colors I find near me are the colors I don't want.

 

[Rhunes29]

Where can you buy that Hammered Blue?

I overpaid for it on eBay.
over a year ago I found a listing for the Verde Green with 2 cans available for $20 each. Glad I saw it the same day it was posted and got both cans.

About a month ago, I found the hammerite blue cans for $50 each from a seller I follow who always has several other colors available but never blue. I already had several Wiltons that I wanted to paint, so I just bought it at the insane price.
I’m glad I have it now & don’t regret buying it but still can’t believe I paid that much.
But, if I ever decide to sell one of these vises, the new paint should hopefully get an extra $100 in the sale.

 

[pizza]

verde green is easily available now though, right?

 

[Maui]

I have several rattle cans of unused Rustoleum Hammered Light Blue spray paint left, still sitting on the shelf. I bought an entire case of it years ago and have several cans left. I don't think it's been available since even before the pandemic started. If anybody wants to buy a few cans of it, feel free to message me. No, it won't be cheap, but it won't be outrageous either.

 

[Maui]

I also have the better part of a case of unused Rustoleum Hammered Verde Green too. Good luck finding that as well - it is very difficult to source.

 

[02Xterra]

verde green is easily available now though, right?

I also have the better part of a case of unused Rustoleum Hammered Verde Green too. Good luck finding that as well - it is very difficult to source.

I was thinking I had seen somewhat recently that someone had e-mailed Rustoleum and got a response that it has been discontinued

 

[Maui]

That is certainly possible. I think I have 4 cans left on my shelf. And that might be all there is for me, so I'll have to choose carefully what to use it on.

 

[autopts]

verde green is easily available now though, right?

Sage Green Satin

 

[pizza]

i think that looks sharp.

also, for those that really care about the color... i'm surprised no one's tried to have this color matched before at a paint shop. can't you mix in 'long chain silicone paint additive' or something to give any paint a hammertone effect?

of course, i don't have to worry about that, myself. here's my wilton bullet vise. my pride and joy. 350lb of american iron in original paint:

 

[Rhunes29]

It was close but looks like the winner is Verde Green, which is kind of surprising.

A couple people voted for 2 colors, so I counted both and did not count posts only asking about where to find a color. There weren’t any rules and I’m not going to compare my tally sheet with different criteria, so Verde Green it is.


I’m only making this reply/post to end the count. I’ll plan to paint today & maybe have pics by tomorrow. I’ll be painting the baby on a swivel base because the 2.5” will likely be Sage Green.

Final count was 6 votes for Green, and 5 for both Blue & Sage. Black got 4 votes.

 

[Rhunes29]

Sorry about the lighting and shadows but the natural light looked a little better than whenI tried to use the flash on my phone.

I should have let it dry more than a day before assembling. I think thats why it cracked by the tailpiece cap thing.

Thank you to everyone who gave their suggestions and recommending sage green satin. I will post pics of the 2.5” in sage when I am done. The stripping & prep is taking longer than expected, but I’ll get it done.

 

[pizza]

well done. it's beautiful.

 

[Rhunes29]

Finally have it painted & assembled in Sage Green Satin. Iphone pics don’t reflect actual color IRL, and the flash completely changes how it appears. I’m happy with how it turned out though. Thanks you to everyone’s info, suggestions & advice.

 

[02Xterra]

Looks great!