Wilton Bullet Vise vs Angle Grinder deathmatch

[Fugio]

A cautionary tale. If you have a weak stomach, stop reading now!

Let this be a lesson to all. Never give an angle grinder to someone who is flagrantly incompetent. And if you do, stick around to supervise!

I'm not too worried though. I mean, Schiller Park Wilton Bullets are a dime a dozen, right? Maybe this will be a good opportunity to upgrade to a brand new Irwin!
And I'm sure the damage will buff right out. A little paint, some new jaws (although I'm not sure where I'd install them now), and she'll be good as new, right? And look on the bright side! No more rust!

 

[Karl_B]

I'm not sure I even understand how someone could do that and not know it. Heads would roll in my shop. I'm not even sure I mean that figuratively.

A good vise is not cheap to replace in a hurry. It took me four years of looking to come up with one good deal.

 

[Inabox85]

Looks like pastel artwork done on meth

 

[ganymede]

Gaaaah !! Were they grinding a workpiece that was being held in the vise or were they grinding the vise itself ?

 

[ZRX61]

How is this even possible? Explanation is due....

 

[Murphy4570]

How in the hell is that possible?

Best way to fix that would be to break out the brazing rod, and a LOT of it! Could machine it flat with a square slot, drill and tap, and bolt in new jaw pieces. Would be best to make the slot an interference fit.

 

[1950mercury]

There is no way that was done in accident. It looks like it was done along time ago

 

[AceofSpad3s]

I'll be right back, I think some one is chopping onions near by.

 

[Lassen Forge]

That'll rub out.

I'd ask what the grinder operator was thinking, but apparently, he wasn't.

Were it my shop... My next words to Mr. Vise-modifier Powergrinder Operator would be...

 

[iScream]

Looks like it was done long ago by someone more concerned about getting a job done than the condition of a vise that probably wasn't seen as anything special then.

Do I win a cookie?

Edit: Or do you mean those fresh little nicks in that beat up looking old vise?

 

[Fordman7795]

Poor ol' guy. We will call him stubby now.

 

[Fugio]

Looks like it was done long ago by someone more concerned about getting a job done than the condition of a vise that probably wasn't seen as anything special then.

Do I win a cookie?

Edit: Or do mean those fresh little nicks in that beat up looking old vise?

No, it was mostly done recently. But it was done over time, for sure. Now that I have a minute to type, here's the REAL story, just in time for Halloween!


I usually do all my fabrication at my own shop. But I had a somewhat difficult weld to make and took it to an expert to advise me. In this shop there are quite a lot of vises. There's a few 6.5" USA Wilton Bullets (newer models), and 6-7" China made Wilton, a few big Ridge Co., and others.

So normally I do my prep work at home. But since I was not sure how to do this weld, I went ahead and waited to do the prep work at his shop. He showed me where to clean and grind and handed me an angle grinder.

Normally I'd use the Ridge in one corner of the grinding room (it's a HUGE shop with many rooms). But I needed a different outlet and went into a little booth in another area where I'd never been. I saw this little 3.5" bullet and was shocked at it's poor condition. So I had to take some pics and share my grief.

The shop boss said people still use it all the time like that. Amazing. You ever seen somebody, with their arms amputated up to the elbows, picking stuff up and doing normal things? It's like that.

I really wanted to buy the vise from him. I don't know why since it's FAR beyond repair or restoration. I just hate to see the the little guy abused any further.

The funny thing is that every other vise in the place, as far as I can tell, is in really good condition.

 

[JZiggy]

"Call me flat-top!"

 

[racinfarmer]

No, it was mostly done recently. But it was done over time, for sure. Now that I have a minute to type, here's the REAL story, just in time for Halloween!


I usually do all my fabrication at my own shop. But I had a somewhat difficult weld to make and took it to an expert to advise me. In this shop there are quite a lot of vises. There's a few 6.5" USA Wilton Bullets (newer models), and 6-7" China made Wilton, a few big Ridge Co., and others.

So normally I do my prep work at home. But since I was not sure how to do this weld, I went ahead and waited to do the prep work at his shop. He showed me where to clean and grind and handed me an angle grinder.

Normally I'd use the Ridge in one corner of the grinding room (it's a HUGE shop with many rooms). But I needed a different outlet and went into a little booth in another area where I'd never been. I saw this little 3.5" bullet and was shocked at it's poor condition. So I had to take some pics and share my grief.

The shop boss said people still use it all the time like that. Amazing. You ever seen somebody, with their arms amputated up to the elbows, picking stuff up and doing normal things? It's like that.

I really wanted to buy the vise from him. I don't know why since it's FAR beyond repair or restoration. I just hate to see the the little guy abused any further.

The funny thing is that every other vise in the place, as far as I can tell, is in really good condition.

If you need a vice to make specialty holders for and the like, it would be a good candidate. Mill the faces parallel, pop some holes on it to mount any custom holders to, and enjoy.

 

[langss]

When I was still working, we had a really old Rockwell Bench Drill Press. It had to be 40-50 years old. Outside of a little surface rust(Lax is right off the ocean)it was as the day it was delivered not a mark on its drill table. Used by hundreds of individuals over the years. I went on Vacation and when I came back someone had drill starts going from one end of the table to the other in varying depths. Simply No Respect.

 

[Vantastic]

I will buy the swivel base from you.

 

[zkling]

Realize to many production places, tools are a disposable item; second to getting the job done.

 

[Fugio]

Realize to many production places, tools are a disposable item; second to getting the job done.

The general rule is that people don't take care of things they don't personally own. You can go to Africa right now and find endangered elephants hunted to near extinction in places where they aren't allowed to be owned. But drive over the boarder and the same elephants are abundant because those governments realize that people will protect their own property by any means necessary. This is capitalism vs Socialism 101.

I would bet a year's salary that if you found the people who did this and went to their homes, their own vises would be in near perfect condition.

 

[Fugio]

If you need a vice to make specialty holders for and the like, it would be a good candidate. Mill the faces parallel, pop some holes on it to mount any custom holders to, and enjoy.

I thought about this. I might offer to trade one of my new $30 Irwins or something just for this.