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Joined: May 2002
Posts: 10,663 Likes: 8
Campfire Outfitter
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Campfire Outfitter
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 10,663 Likes: 8 |
Thanks for the interesting and useful info.
Awhile back I bought a modest home workshop vise, and chose Wilton thinking it would be made in the USA. When it arrived, I noticed in very small print that is was made in China. Since it cost 2 to 3 times as much as its big box store counterparts, I could only hope that Wilton imposed reasonably high QC requirements on the manufacturer, before putting their name on it.
It should go without saying that everything made in the USA isn't top quality and made in China doesn't necessarily mean it's crap. Over my seven decades of living I've bought a fair amount of American made stuff that disappointed. I'm old enough to recall when Made in Japan had the same stigma that Made in China has now, and look what the Japanese taught us about quality, and China is a helluva lot bigger than Japan. The Chinese can produce quality if they want to.
Paul
Stupidity has its way, while its cousin, evil, runs rampant.
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Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 9,651 Likes: 3
Campfire Outfitter
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Campfire Outfitter
Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 9,651 Likes: 3 |
I purchased a 5" bench vise from Harbor Freight. One of there best.
It was all I could afford at the time.
20 years ago.
The base swivel dues not lock up properly , the swivel head dues not swivel to good and the handle dues not slide any more.
My next bench vise will be a Wilton.
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Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 53,303
Campfire Kahuna
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Campfire Kahuna
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 53,303 |
Paul, the Old school, "Pip Pip, time for a pink gin sundowner" Englishmen, that comprised the Wilton board if directors has been largely replaced with nose powdering phags and trannies,......they could give less of a chit about the quality of their castings, or how long they were allowed to age and season, prior to going into the machine shop. Blow and heroin, and a run down to Mick Jagger's latest concert are what counts in their life.
Chinese castings for the AMERICAN market ?
Hell, man,....they come right out of the foundry on a belt and into the CNC shop now,.....
.....the stuff going into other countries DOES get handled in the older, more conventional fashion,....treated with a bit more respect, as it were.
GTC
Member, Clan of the Border Rats
-- “Sometimes I wonder whether the world is being run by smart people who are putting us on or by imbeciles who really mean it.”- Mark Twain
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Joined: May 2002
Posts: 10,663 Likes: 8
Campfire Outfitter
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Campfire Outfitter
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 10,663 Likes: 8 |
GTC, you do have a way with words!
So, are you saying that the better Chinese products go to countries other than the US, and that's because US companies want or will accept lesser stuff? If so, that's more than a little disturbing.
On a side note, there is a local air museum that has a few vintage MiG aircraft, including a 1950s vintage ChiCom MiG-15. The aircraft aficionados who run the place say the Chinese fighter is the best made of the lot. FWIW.
Paul
Stupidity has its way, while its cousin, evil, runs rampant.
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Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 53,303
Campfire Kahuna
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Campfire Kahuna
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 53,303 |
There are "Iron Rooster" steam locomotives in service in China that were put together immediately following WW1,.....
'nother place you'll find some damn decent foundry, forge, and precision machine tooling is from what we called as kids, "The Eastern Bloc",
....man, some of the stuff I'mm getting out of Macedonia and Poland is just FIRST CLASS
The OLD tooling out of that region was by and large seized by Stalin and hauled off to USSR smelters,....there WERE successful OLD and well established shops supporting a largely agrarian society,....and the turn of the century tooling they sported was of enviable quality.
GTC
Member, Clan of the Border Rats
-- “Sometimes I wonder whether the world is being run by smart people who are putting us on or by imbeciles who really mean it.”- Mark Twain
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Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 24,676 Likes: 1
Campfire Ranger
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OP
Campfire Ranger
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 24,676 Likes: 1 |
How did you make the jaws? You have to make a mold. I got the design from Howe's The Modern Gunsmith. Start with this. Get you some steel and a welder and... ![[Linked Image]](http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i132/k3030ai/Lead%20Soft%20Jaws_zpsiftyvnep.jpg) Heat up the mold so it fills uniformly. Pour in molten lead. The top half is held to the bottom half with spring clips. After pouring lead, let it cool for about 30 seconds, then drop it out of the mold and pour the second half. ![[Linked Image]](http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i132/k3030ai/IMG_1675_zpswr6smkzz.jpg) I also made some Delrin replacement jaws. ![[Linked Image]](http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i132/k3030ai/IMG_1674_zpstt69fbtj.jpg)
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Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 24,676 Likes: 1
Campfire Ranger
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OP
Campfire Ranger
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 24,676 Likes: 1 |
This one's been rode hard and put away wet, it was old and beat up when I got it 18 years ago,.... ![[Linked Image]](http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x59/sharpsrifle/DSC_0043_zpszpkymfcp.jpg) Wilton's NEVER built anything to match the all steel RECORD's that were made by poor oppressed blackamoors in S. Africa, back before the boycott on those nasty Apartheid types,... Got mine in W. Canada in the '80s Wilton's DO break,....The all steel record DON'T .......God knows we've tried. Generally agree as regards Wilton quality,....but in all honesty and fairness have to say that some of the stuff that came out of India and China 30 years ago was damn GOOD. None of it ever landed on American shores, you had to go into the third world to find it,....there's a LOT of that gear just S. of the line in Mex., S. America too. The vice I pictured above is out of the "Iron Rooster" foundry in China,....HAS to be at least 40 50 years old. Came up outta' Mex. to a flea market,....I reckon the purveyor stole it outta' a mine,....dunno'. GTC ![[Linked Image]](http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i132/k3030ai/IMG_0826_zpsrb3ljhhc.jpg) This is the 25 year old Record that my new Wilton replaced. I"m sure this vise is much tougher than the Wilton that replaced it, but tough isn't what I need for gunsmithing. The 360 rotating head has proven to be a very winning feature on my bench. The Wilton sits on another bench these days. It has graduated to some tougher duty, in support of my motorcycle maintenance.
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Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 24,676 Likes: 1
Campfire Ranger
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OP
Campfire Ranger
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 24,676 Likes: 1 |
I agree with GTC when it comes to a really high quality vise; you want an OLD American made vise. Chas Parker, Athol etc... Look for them used on Craigslist. Typically you're going to pay $100-$175 for a 75 year old vise, but you're going to end up with a world class vise.
For gunsmithing, I don't need tough, I need versatile. So this lower quality vise ended up being more useful than my much higher quality vise due to it's versatility. Match the tool to the job.
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Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 3,523
Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 3,523 |
My bench vise collection has been slowly growing by searching "VICE" on Craigslist and getting deals from folks that can't spell. Got an entry level American made Wilton for $40 last year.
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Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 19,497
Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 19,497 |
My bench vise collection has been slowly growing by searching "VICE" on Craigslist and getting deals from folks that can't spell. Got an entry level American made Wilton for $40 last year. Funny!
Retired cat herder.
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Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 19,497
Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 19,497 |
And used US made 'bullet' Wilton vises are selling for $200-$350!
(Or more for the very large ones.) I just checked and those numbers are light, locally, for a decent Wilton.
Retired cat herder.
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Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 2,369
Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 2,369 |
I can get a 6.5" Wilton utility vise, with swivel base, 3-13/16 in. throat depth at the local Home Depot for about $133. I was gonna just drop $60 for the 4" Bessey but figured I better search the Campfire first for some real-user-savvy. This is for general harry homeowner use... clamping pvc pipe to cut, clamping mower blades to sharpen, etc... thoughts on the Wilton?
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Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 152,719 Likes: 55
Campfire Savant
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Campfire Savant
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 152,719 Likes: 55 |
There are a lot of them on EBay. I was surprised at the prices for the old ones. I have a couple of big ones. Glad I didn't give them away.
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