BENCH VISE JABBER..........

chief38 · Jun 21, 2024

I do my own gun smithing, plumbing, electrical, carpentry and automotive repairs as well as general maintenance around the house and have for almost 50 years now. I have always had a pretty good quality bench vise and the Wilton 5" #745 vise has been on my workbenches since the very early 1980's. It was one of the last Wilton Mechanic's vises that were actually made in USA. It continues to serve me well and I have made a bunch of soft and specialty sets of jaws for it. It is also still in excellent condition and I do not beat on it. For work that requires an anvil for pounding, I use a dedicated railroad track scrap that I picked up many years ago.

Ok - all that said, I have always been intrigued by the Wilton Bullet line of vises, particularly the 5" Combination Pipe and Machinists vise. I really do not need anymore than my 5" Mechanic's vise offers but like I said, I have always been drawn to the Bullet style. Every time I look at them they go up a few hundred bucks! The 5" model now sells for just under $1,900.00 new and believe it or not they are still made in the USA. Wilton still makes their top two models here but the rest of the line is now imported from overseas - China more than likely but I don't know exactly where.

I highly doubt I'd ever spend that much coin at this stage of my life (70 now) and just can't see the practicality of getting a new one, but it is just something I have always been drawn too. My kids have little to no interest in tools so passing it down is not a reality. Like I said, what I currently have is more than enough vise, but I keep looking anyway! LOL!!

Anyone here actually own a Combination Bullet vise from Wilton? Are they all that they are cracked up to be? Will it do anything better than their 5" Mechanic's vise will? Just curious I suppose......

All my home made vise jaws. There are strong magnets in the wooden ones so they stick to the meta lvise jaws without falling off.

Truckman · Jun 21, 2024

My old Wilton Bullet has served me well over the years...

...Ben

Green Frog · Jun 21, 2024

I’m a philistine and admit it. My grand uncle rescued a 5” swivel vise out of the scrap and bolted it to his bench in about 1956 or so. It came home with Dad abut 50 or so years ago and got bolted to the end of his work bench that I later inherited. It’s had soft jaws store-bought rubber and some of sheet lead.
What was broken? The swivel, so it just sits bolted down in one position. And yes, I’m sure it was American made!

Froggie

austintexas · Jun 21, 2024

vice

You made me go out in my garage and check on my vise. Yep, 4" Wilton with long square body. I wonder what it's worth now, have to look it up. I got mine in 1977, I Was NCOIC of the fuels maintenance shop. They moved us out of the cubby hole we had been in for about 2 years. We loaded up and when we got tho the new shop we found out we didn't need anything we brought. The new shop had all new stuff, filing cabinets, chairs, tables , tools and new vises. So a used Wilton found its way in to my trunk. Everything else found its way to salvage.
SWCA 892

NYlakesider · Jun 21, 2024

You made me look in my garage also!

I bought a reasonably decent vise when i was about 15 years old.(circa 1959) It looks like it says Cleveland on one side and Colombian on the other!, its a 4'' with pipe jaws. Still using the original jaws!

It had a hard life but still works as good as it did on day bought, just not as pretty.

I know I got my moneys worth out of that vise.

I can still read where it had the price written on it with a marker. $18.95. Best bet I paid a little less as I /my family did a lot with this neighborhood hardware store.

Added a bit!

Frailer · Jun 21, 2024

I do not own the Wilton you mention, but I’ve spent a lot of quality time with one.

They are excellent vises, as is the one you currently own. If I were outfitting a brand new shop and money were no object, I’d have Wilton Bullets for the cool factor alone. But when it comes to bang-for-your-buck, it simply isn’t there. At least in my opinion.

If I were in your shoes I would happily stick with what I currently have.

mikerjf · Jun 21, 2024

Ok, I went out to the garage too. My vise is sitting on a shelf ( no bench). No name, ancient, heavy, says “V17” on the front part and “V18” on the main part. Back end looks like a little anvil.
Jaws are about 3.5” wide.

dfariswheel · Jun 21, 2024

I could kick myself for not buying the tiny Wilton bullet jewelers vise back in the 1970's.
I was too poor to afford it, but it was the top of the line.

My nephew has his dad's Wilton that he rescued from an old out of business shop.
That thing weighs at least 100 pounds and is HUGE.

You can never have enough vises, and on the subject of small vises a great buy is a small vise from Harbor Freight.
I bought one years ago, and only the color has changed.
The quality of mine is almost shockingly good for a Chinese small vise.
Usually there's always a jaw insert screw stripped or something off, but not on this one.

All I needed to do is rework a large screw that holds the jaws to the round shaft. The screws have a thick gum-like thread locker and I just removed the locker and shortened the screw.
For small gun work this is probably the best small vise I ever had, including dedicated jewelers vises.

Access to this page has been denied

Green Frog · Jun 21, 2024

Insert joke here - “As long as that’s your only vice...”

Sorry, I just could hold it back any longer!
Froggiei

Truckman · Jun 21, 2024

Green Frog said:
Insert joke here - “As long as that’s your only vice...”
Sorry, I just could hold it back any longer!
Froggiei

Boooo...Hisssss...

...Ben

chief38 · Jun 21, 2024

BTW, even the used Bullet Vises in good shape are going for some Big Bucks! Maybe one day I'll stumble onto one real reasonable at a tag sale or garage sale. As long as it is in very good shape mechanically and physically, I can always refinish the paint and minor blemishes.

Shotguncoach · Jun 22, 2024

Is this what you're looking for Chief? Mine is only a 3.5" but yes, it is everything they say it is. I've got the pipe inserts around here somewhere....I pulled them out with the intention of making a set of barrel vice inserts to take their place and haven't gotten around to making them yet.

By the way: that bench is way to clean.

While we're here I think Ben should talk a bit about that tool chest. My 3 are all the metal toolbox style....

oldbrownhat · Jun 22, 2024

chief38 said:
...My kids have little to no interest in tools so passing it down is not a reality...

Nor perhaps any possibility that they'll chip in together and buy you one

I have a very solid, heavy unnamed 5" machinist's vise that only says "Japan" on it that I picked up years ago at a 2nd hand store for about $50. I recently got a pair of 5" Wilton magnetic-backed aluminum jaw caps for it that cost me as much as I paid for the vise but they're good quality.

Every once in a while I see a sorry-looking old Columbia or other US-made vise and am tempted to give it a good home but really have nowhere to put it so pass them by.

Yikes! Just looking on our local Craigslist now there are a bunch of Wilton vises, including bullets! And a big Yost, Columbian, couple of UK-made Record, and a Reed, among others

(This Wilton is in Auburn, WA)

This one, too, and only $125 (!)

sophie · Jun 22, 2024

That bench is way too clean chief. You need some clutter.
This 5” Wilton bullet style was sold through the Snap-On brand in 1990-91 and the reason it looks so good still is I have a Craftsman vice that don’t look so good and took a lot of the abuse when I worked on a regular basis. I’ve actually used this vice a lot over the years.

Truckman · Jun 22, 2024

chief38 said:
Maybe one day I'll stumble onto one real reasonable at a tag sale or garage sale.

My 3 1/2" Wilton bullet was sitting in the garage of a friend, it had been his Dad's but had been unused for who knows how many years...A lot of penetrating oil, elbow grease and a rattle can of black Krylon brought it back to life...He was moving to Nebraska and wanted to make sure it found a good home...It did...

Shotguncoach said:
While we're here I think Ben should talk a bit about that tool chest. My 3 are all the metal toolbox style....

I've had many Kennedy boxes over the years, and always did my mechanic trade out of SnapOn and Mac boxes...They're all gone now...The one in the pic came from Sam's while I was grocery shopping several years ago...I expected cheaper quality from that source, but it's held up well for my purposes, no issues at all...

...Ben

chief38 · Jun 22, 2024

Believe me when I tell you my bench does get plenty dirty and messy - I just don't turn the shop lights off until it gets cleaned up. I find it virtually impossible to work in a mess. I use my workshop pretty much on a daily basis and am not one to enjoy spending time just looking for a tool or part on the bench and then a place to work on it.

I do have a few Kennedy boxes but they are standard type tool boxes and are kept under the bench - filled with electronic components and parts. My tool boxes of choice are the stackable slide out drawer type. I bought 5 Craftsman boxes back when I was young and they have served me well. The ones I bought were built in America and they are still working perfectly - hence the reason I never upgraded them. When I bought them, I did have the intention to upgrade one day when I had more scratch, but they never gave me reason too. They are sturdy, well made and never malfunction. They are not the Craftsman boxes built today. They are probably about 45-50 years old.

My dedicated Drill box is a Snap-on built in the 1937 era and was my Dads. When he passed 16 years ago I repaired some minor dents and scratches and then had it powder coated to match the original color. It was pretty scratched and worn and I wanted to stop it from rusting, keep it forever and have it look descent at he same time.

AJ · Jun 22, 2024

I did not need to go to the garage, just into my gun room. I have a Wilton with 3 1/2 inch jaws and is 16 inches long. It came from the squadron metalshop 50+ or so years ago. The had gotten a new one (read bigger) and this one was headed for the dumpster. I redirected it to the trunk of my car. As you can see they repainted probably yearly. I smaller clamp type vise I use on occasion, it has no name on it. It is stamped 1 164 8 on the bottom and MADE IN USA. The last one is a Pan Vise and I use it a lot for small stuff. All were free...........

Googled the markings on the clamp on vise and it is a Brink & Cotton...

oldbrownhat · Jun 22, 2024

AJ said:
... They had gotten a new one (read bigger) and this one was headed for the dumpster....

The wanton destruction of fine old tools should be a flogging offence.

chief38: Sadly, I can only gaze in admiration of the state of your workshop and the self-discipline required to keep it that way. As my geneticist gf might say, I am dominant for the clutterbug gene

chief38 · Jun 22, 2024

AJ said:
I did not need to go to the garage, just into my gun room. I have a Wilton with 3 1/2 inch jaws and is 16 inches long. It came from the squadron metalshop 50+ or so years ago. The had gotten a new one (read bigger) and this one was headed for the dumpster. I redirected it to the trunk of my car. As you can see they repainted probably yearly. I smaller clamp type vise I use on occasion, it has no name on it. It is stamped 1 164 8 on the bottom and MADE IN USA. The last one is a Pan Vise and I use it a lot for small stuff. All were free...........

Googled the markings on the clamp on vise and it is a Brink & Cotton...

That one looks to be in descent working shape but screaming for a possible restoration (cosmetically). I am aware I am probably the oddity here in that my tools and equipment (even if just an every day user) have to look good. Can't help it - just part of my OCD - lol

AJ · Jun 22, 2024

chief38 said:
That one looks to be in descent working shape but screaming for a possible restoration (cosmetically). I am aware I am probably the oddity here in that my tools and equipment (even if just an every day user) have to look good. Can't help it - just part of my OCD - lol

It in fact works fine. I am almost afraid to take off all the paint. It maybe all that is holding it together.

BENCH VISE JABBER..........

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