Wow, super work! Where do you suggest finding good, rebuilt Wilton vises? I live in the Northeast but will be crossing the country in my 60 when I pick it up from Falgstaff, AZ in the Spring. I’d love a USA made Wilton 500.
Any Vise Collectors Here?
- Thread starter FARMAN33
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So here’s something new to me.
When the spindle nut for the swivel base is tightened down, there’s a sizable gap on the opposite side of the static. Pulled it apart to check and sure enough the bottom of the static has some convexity. Apparently machining flat wasn’t a huge priority.
I’m thinking about seeing if my machinist can mill this flat. Anyone think it’s worth doing or is there some reason anyone can think of as to why it wouldn’t be flat?
When the spindle nut for the swivel base is tightened down, there’s a sizable gap on the opposite side of the static. Pulled it apart to check and sure enough the bottom of the static has some convexity. Apparently machining flat wasn’t a huge priority.
I’m thinking about seeing if my machinist can mill this flat. Anyone think it’s worth doing or is there some reason anyone can think of as to why it wouldn’t be flat?
- Thread starter
- #963
@DrRock Texas and Loisianna are good locals for big Wiltons. They are precision vises and prized for engineering tasks. Refineries often have a need for the bigger ones and the workers bought smaller ones for home use. Aerospace industry favors them as well. I have already sold out the entire truckload. Took me a month of work and two weeks to sell 6 vises and 4 swivel bases.
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- #964
@RUSH55 Never seen one that warped. Just some one sided wear (usually on single lockdown vises) although yours doesn't appear to be on the lockdown side of static jaw. WEIRD!
Yes I used one for years in several machine shops I worked in back in the late 80’s, thus the desire to get one for my current shop.
Inching towards a plan to get a little bit of machine work done to the Rock Island 571.
Besides getting the bottom of the base planed flat, I’d like to get the meatball turned a little bit on a lathe and clean it up, get rid of the cast appearance. This of course requires the removal of the handle, and instead of fussing with the original, I opted for a new one from a guy on eBay. It showed up today, so I cut the old handle and removed it. What I found explains why the handle holds so tight to the meatball.
There is a small piece of spring steel inside the handle bore that keeps a little bit of pressure against the handle to keep it in place.
First time I’ve seen this.
Besides getting the bottom of the base planed flat, I’d like to get the meatball turned a little bit on a lathe and clean it up, get rid of the cast appearance. This of course requires the removal of the handle, and instead of fussing with the original, I opted for a new one from a guy on eBay. It showed up today, so I cut the old handle and removed it. What I found explains why the handle holds so tight to the meatball.
There is a small piece of spring steel inside the handle bore that keeps a little bit of pressure against the handle to keep it in place.
First time I’ve seen this.
I guess that helped not smashing a finger when the handle comes down fast on it. Been there. 
I’m sure it does help with that. It’s really bad with the bigger ones.I guess that helped not smashing a finger when the handle comes down fast on it. Been there.
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- #970
WOW! Have not seen that before. That would certainly explain the near pristine handle bore. Usually thos are wallowed out by all the smashing against the meatball. Thanks for posting this @RUSH55 !
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- #971
Got ahold of another big boy! Reed 108. 265 pounds. This thing had more Bondo on it than my first 40! Was a bit of a sloppy casting but no real damage to speak of. Fun little project.
There was a slight difference between the mounting bolt pattern of the Parker 924 and the Starrett 624. Across manufacturers there’s probably differences. Within a manufacturer, they probably stick to their own specs within a given model, but we’d need a lot more vises to verify that.
There’s a 1/2” difference in width on the two widest set holes on the bases of these two vises here. One of my favorite features on these models is the solid triangulated webbing on the mount holes instead of the “ears” or “tabs” or whatever you want to call them that the earlier models had.
Athol’s are great. Have one. It will hand down many timesNew addition
Late Athol/Early Starrett 624-1/2
Big brother to the 624 I picked up awhile back.
A substantial jump in size for an additional 1/2” of jaw width.
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- Thread starter
- #976
Athols are a different breed for sure. Aside from maybe Rock Island, they are the most overbuilt for size. My 618 weighed in at a hair under 300!
Here's probably your only chance for one of these ultra rare vises.
Surely it’s made in China?
Erectrifried too