I have a decent workbench in my garage that needs a vice. I know nothing about vices, nor do I know where to research them. What can you lovely people teach me about what vice to get and where to get it?
I have a decent workbench in my garage that needs a vice. I know nothing about vices, nor do I know where to research them. What can you lovely people teach me about what vice to get and where to get it?
Well, some folks are into hookers and blow, but I mostly just eat too much.
The thing about vices, is at some point you have to come to grips with them.
Luckily facebook will show you the same results for vice as Vise. Old american brands are great, heavier the better. Colombian, Wilton (commands a price premium but I believe have bearings and are actually better?), Reed, Chas Parker (no replacement jaws available), etc. Lots of brands. I waited/watched a few months to find a 3.5" Chas Parker for $40, most at that size will be double that or more.
I recently bought a Wilton to replace a Lowes version the bent the first time I used it and snapped in half soon there after.
I will admit that I'm hard on them.
Fire something tools on YouTube tested a bunch of them to destruction, you might see if you can find that video. I don't remember the exact channel name.
Buy once, cry once.
Fireball Tool. Search vice test.
Toyman01 (Moderately Supportive Dude) said:Fireball Tool. Search vice test.
Or watch him make a ridiculous version.
Or buy plans to make your own?
https://fireballtool.com/diy-vise-plans/
Record. Even though they are no longer built in England, they are still the best ones, Chinese castings or not.
I bought a Wilton once, and threw it away not very long after. The threads piled up.
Record, made in England. Buy one at a flea market.
I have a 4 inch Charles Parker that was probably made in the 50's. It is really stout and works very smooth. This is probably a true case of "they don't make them like they used to". I bought mine off ebay. Unfortunately the shipping is almost the price of the vise. I would definitely look for an used version rather then buy a new one. Do a ebay search for vise not vice and look for a deal you won't regret it. I gave mine a good wire brushing and cleaned with acetone and then a coat of paint and good as new.
Also, don't get your hootus in it
Last place I worked at had a nice old made-in-England Record vise.
The day I left, I bought the company a brand new not-made-in-England Record vise and even installed it for them.
The old hunk of junk went home in the box for the new one.
I have a few of them now. Buy a good old used one and never worry about it.
Or find a nice old bullet vise, those things are the business:
I've had this dirt cheap thing for a little over 5 years according to my amazon purchase history: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000VJLY00/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1 Other than the rotating base not clamping super well, I haven't had any real complaints about it. Pin or weld that connection and I don't think there's anything I've asked of it that it couldn't have handled. I don't use it a ton and haven't been super hard on it, but I've definitely gotten plenty of use out of it. I was fully prepared for it to be a pile of crap and I'd learn the lesson and buy a nice one, but five years later and it's still doing just fine for what I need out of it.
minivan_racer said:Toyman01 (Moderately Supportive Dude) said:Fireball Tool. Search vice test.
Or watch him make a ridiculous version.
Or buy plans to make your own?
https://fireballtool.com/diy-vise-plans/
Yes, his shop. Give it to me, please.
Edit: Jesus wept, that wheel he makes for that vice is damn beautiful.
Edit the second: AND THEN HE PINSTRIPES IT HIMSELF!?!?!
I kinda hatelove this guy.
Another vote here for an old Wilton bullet nose. That’s all we have at work.
In reply to Mr_Asa :
His cast iron squares are on my fab equipment shopping list. He's carving out a niche for himself for sure.
I actually have a craftsman that my dad bought me in 97 or 98. It's held up fine for all these years. I have an anvil also so I don't use it to beat on like some people do
Chas Parker from Ebay here. I think I paid $100 and its one of the best purchases I have ever made. Its probably 50 years old and well made. Mine is No. 973 1/2.
Whichever brand you get, make sure it has a swivel base.
I have an old columbian that came out of a factory. It's a fantastic piece. I will echo what everyone else is saying. An old heavy duty vise is a much better deal than a new vise for the same money. Figure around $100, that seems to be the going rate for good ones, but you can find them cheaper if you are patient. Also, you will need a very stout and solid work bench to attach it to to make it worthwhile. The best vise in the world isn't worth a hill of beans if its moving and flopping around when you want to use it.
Thanks y'all. A cursory check of craigslist here showed a couple of the brands mentioned. Seems like american and old is the way to go.
The bench slated for vice installation is 4x4s, 2x4s, with some 1/2" gussets. Seems solid when I stand on it. I'll bolt it down if things start moving.
Maybe you can only do this in nice climates... just saying.
I mounted my vise on a 6x6 (3/8 wall) steel tube in 3' feet of concrete about 4 feet outside my shop door.
I can walk all the way around it. I can put 20' pieces in it without hitting stuff in the shop. I can weld and grind, etc without dirtying up the inside of the shop.
YMMV
In reply to Purple Frog (Forum Supporter) :
Ooh, I have an antique stump/blacksmith's vice I've been trying to figure out what to do with. That might be the perfect solution!
All I can say is having a Chinese vise explode on you when pressing out u-joints isn't fun.
Purple Frog (Forum Supporter) said:Maybe you can only do this in nice climates... just saying.
I mounted my vise on a 6x6 (3/8 wall) steel tube in 3' feet of concrete about 4 feet outside my shop door.
I can walk all the way around it. I can put 20' pieces in it without hitting stuff in the shop. I can weld and grind, etc without dirtying up the inside of the shop.
YMMV
That would be really nice for like 3 months here, and pretty cold and/or wet for the rest of the time.
There are a number of people over on the Garage Journal board who are really into collecting vises - there's a 4000 page (!) discussion about them. It's worth reading through to find out more about favored brands. https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=44782
Older Craftsman vises that were made in the US are often pretty good. Another brand to look for is Athol; they were bought out at some point by Starrett, so look for them, too. The Wilton 'bullet' vises mentioned above are very good but command a price premium since they're highly desirable, but if you can find one for a good price grab it.
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