Bench vice?

T

Tin.Man

Joined
Sep 5, 2010
Messages
876
not huge, something made in the USA. Cost isn't the main motivator if it's quality made. Looking hard at wilton and yost vices. I'd kill for an orange vice but $1300 yeah. Anyways thanks for the help guys
 
Craigslist or eBay. Apart from Wilton machinist bullets, and Morgan's there are no good vises left on common north American market. And prices on those start at $600 for a 3"

Vises don't go bad if not abused, all of mine (well over a dozen) are 50-150 years old.

Reed, rock island, Athol, Starrett, Prentiss, Morgan, Yost, Columbian, Parker, American scale, and simplex are all brands to look for. Just make sure you get a machinist's vise and not an open screw or a mechanics vise. If you can find it, swivel jaws are ideal.

I had posted a vise buying guide not too long ago, it would probably be worth looking at that.
 
I agree that a vise is like an anvil. The old well used ones are probably better, and often lots cheaper than a new shiny one. If not abused or broken, 50 years of regular use doesn't do much to a vise.

Craig's list, the local trader papers, and flea markets are good places to look. Also keep an eye out for auctions of defunct machine shops and factories. Good vises are big and heavy, so they rarely get moved from where they were first installed, and even less likely to get shipped. Estate sales are also great places to find them. Whatever you get, make or purchase a set of copper jaw liners.
 
Copper jaws are good, personally I like lead ones even more. They tend to grip a bit better, and are even less likely to scratch.
 
If you are scratching steel blades with copper, something else is going on :)

Actually, I would think that lead is more likely to pick up contamination, as it is much easier to have stray grits and grinding dust get pressed into the surface.
 
You have to keep lead jaws clean for sure. And the scratching issues are more with polished brass and other soft things.
The main thing I like about them is they'll deform slightly and hold a part incredibly solid.
If you go over to England, every gunsmith from an independent guy up to the Holland and Holland factory will have lead jaws on their vises.

I'm sure it's a preference thing. I've got both for my vises, but I started off with lead and just always preferred them.
 
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