[asp87]

What is the best vise you've ever used? I don't have one, I need one, and I don't want to buy a POS. I found a Charles Parker vise (link) with a patent date of 1930 on craigslist. I will probably be picking it up tomorrow night, but I'm interested to see what other makes exist.

[PAUL]

wow. Nice find. That thing will serve you and your great grandchildren well. :banghead:

I hear a lot about Wilton, but I'm not a vise s1ut, some day I would like to be however.

[HEEPJEEP]

Big fan of Wiltons.

[mike_belben]

thats not a "machinist" vice by any means as the guy advertises, but im pretty sure we have a very similar one about the same size and the acme screw thread is strong enough to put a 5 foot pipe and hang on to use the jaws as a press.. which ive done many times. new vices with chinese steel just snap the screw. as for machinist vices, kurt makes the absolute top of the line. for work vices, wilton is the largest name i know of.

just remember that any old american vice will be made of better steel and will be fine if the screw and nut arent totally worn or bent.

[CJKarl]

Mine is just like this one. Been beat on hard since 1830.
http://www.blackiron.us/viking/viking10.jpg

This post has been edited by CJKarl: 13 July 2010 - 06:21 PM

[asp87]

thanks for the replies guys.

Paul, Thanks. I've heard of and I think I've used a Wilton before. I can't afford to buy a brand new one of those though haha.

Mike, We have Kurt vises here at the machine shop at work and I can tell that they're awesome. Unfortunately both Kurt and Wilton are too rich for my blood. I don't see much of a point of buying a new vise when an old one will work just fine. I was pretty sure that he was incorrect in calling it a machinist vise, but I wasn't sure. (I don't know if you remember me but I'm a friend of Ned and Eric's and I was at the UMass show with them... I don't think we've crossed paths till now, though.)

Karl, I've seen those for sale and had to wonder how strong it would be compared to the style that I am looking at getting. I can't imagine the jaws open very far, though.

I forgot to mention that this vise has got to be enormous. He said the mounting holes are 8.5" eye to eye.

edit: just found this http://www.practicalmachinist.com/vb/antiq...ch-vise-158956/

what's of most interest is this:
http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t296/bczygan/GL320012.jpg

i think the number on the one i'm going to be buying is 974: 4" wide jaws, opens 6.5", weighs 59 lbs. sweet deal.

[mike_belben]

asp87, on Jul 14 2010, 08:06 AM, said:

I don't know if you remember me but I'm a friend of Ned and Eric's and I was at the UMass show with them... I don't think we've crossed paths till now, though

cool, ill probably run into ya again sooner or later then :maine:

[Juiceman]

Wilton is the brand to get. They're spendy, like $500 for a good sized unit. But you'll never, ever have to replace it.

[asp87]

If I were to buy one new, I'd most certainly get a Wilton... but I bought the CP vise last night. I will take some pictures and post them up. The slide is in awesome condition (not even rusty) and the rest of the casting is scaly. I think I'm going to do electrolytic rust removal then give it a good coat of durable paint. any suggestions on what type of paint?

[supazuk]

I have a 5 inch wilton, love it! you can rotate the head and it has a tube clamp
http://www.homedepot...catalogId=10053
 wilton.jpg (15.18K)
Number of downloads: 6

This post has been edited by supazuk: 28 July 2010 - 02:00 PM

[smokinsilverrt]

i like the wilton, but i have a chinese crapper that i have been abusing for 10 years and it loves it pipe clamp swivel head and base but hey it was free next will be a wilton.

[JesseA]

Get the biggest vice you can afford. You can often find Blacksmith's post vices like CJKarl posted at those neverending barn sales that every little rural town seems to have.

[Yard Bird]

I have that one too. It works very well.

supazuk, on 28 July 2010 - 01:57 PM, said:

I have a 5 inch wilton, love it! you can rotate the head and it has a tube clamp
http://www.homedepot...catalogId=10053
wilton.jpg

[artyart]

I have a 6" Wilton (not the rotating head version) in my shop, and an older Craftsman 5" that I mounted on a stand , so I can move it to the driveway, if I have something I am doing there that I need it for. Both seem to take a beating pretty well.

[TJ]

CJKarl, on 13 July 2010 - 06:21 PM, said:

Mine is just like this one. Been beat on hard since 1830.
http://www.blackiron.us/viking/viking10.jpg

I have many vices most involve WINE WIMMINS AND JEEPS, But I own one of these forge vises it's in the shed part of my barn where the forge use to be set up, I need to move it to where it will get used, I once bought a parker witch was almost immediately claimed by someone who thought he deserved it, just because, those big parkers are decent, but I'm on the hunt for a big kurt.