What makes a good vice?

[cuemaker]

I am looking for a new bench vise. I have a loose little 3" that is ok, but just not heavy duty enough.

I found this one on ebay, see here

http://cgi.ebay.com/NEW-6-BENCH-ANVIL-VISE-64-5-BALLPEEN-HAMMER-SET_W0QQitemZ7546959396QQcategoryZ25297QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

I like that fact its big and heavy. For a $25 buy it now price, I get 5 ball peen hammers and pay $50 to have it shipped. So $75 for a 64lbs vice.

I found some old Wiltons, but they are already pricey.

I am equating size and weight to quality, which i know is incorrect. But it does count for something.

[This message has been edited by cuemaker (edited 09-23-2005).]

[This message has been edited by cuemaker (edited 09-24-2005).]

[zman92020]

What makes a good vice ? Anything that is fun, inexpensive and wont get you thrown in jail . .
OR
Did you mean "What makes a good vise ?" If so, then the answer to that is 'Kurt' . . .

[cuemaker]

LOL. I better edit that post. Plus I ment BENCH vise

[CCWKen]

Why not just go to Harbor Freight and get the same vise on sale. I've seen them for $39 and no shipping. Take a coupon with you and get an additional 10-20% off.

Here's the catalog version:

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/Displayitem.taf?itemnumber=43588

[Joel]

I bought one similar to this one many years ago:

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/Displayitem.taf?itemnumber=3796

Despite serious abuse and using it as a press for 10 years, it is still quite tight. Big and heavy seems to work for me. They also offer an 8" monster.

[Your Old Dog]

With a moniker like Cuemaker I gotta think you are working on lighter projects as I do. I got one at Home Depot that has a round column and allows you to rotate the jaws around 360 degrees. It's very big and beefy but won't hold a truck frame like a Wilton will. Wilton by the way as been the big name in bench vises for a good many years. I don't want one because it cost 10 times what you can get a cheap one for to do "about" the same damn thing.

I have to confess this is my second such vise. I ruined the first with a 3 foot piece of cheater bar slipped over the handle in trying to compress a die. Bent the screw but then I way 250lbs. (A Wilton might have laughed that off !)

Here's the url for the one I bought at Home Depot that's exactly like this one only the new ones have a tension screw setup to prevent the jaws from spinning around when no tension is on them. Much nicer then my first one.

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/Displayitem.taf?itemnumber=5655

BTW !! Don't mount your new vise like the guy did in the ebay ad you posted! Looks like he used DeckScrews (rustproof of course) Mine is mounted with large bolts, near the edge of the bench so I can swivel the jaws vertical and clamp a vertical piece of work that reaches to the floor and rotates around the corner of the bench more than 80 degrees. That's proven very handy.



[This message has been edited by Your Old Dog (edited 09-24-2005).]

[hoffman]

Check out the shipping cost. $50!

I have the same vise and I got it for about $30 at HF. It works fine for what I do with it.

[cuemaker]

Ok, HF it is. Havent been in that place for a long time and it kinda slipped my memory.

Also, I checked my email, I have a coupon for 20%off 1 item, it expire on the 28th.

Perhaps I should read my junk email more often.

Thanks guys!

And YOD, I am rebuilding to get back into cuebuilding, and I am choosing to make most of my equiment and all the little dodads that i need. So I would rather pay the money for the tool to make somethign than the money on the something i need.

[egpace]

Got a Home Depot near by? Their stuff is probably as good as Harbor Frieght, if not better. You can check out their vises first hand. If you find one you like, grab it and go over to the hardware isle and pick up what you need to bolt it down and be good to go and no shipping will save you some $$$.
Have fun,
Ed

http://www.homedepot.com/prel80/HDUS...D=cccfaddfkiie ehicgelceffdfgidgkk.0&MID=9876


[This message has been edited by egpace (edited 09-24-2005).]

[This message has been edited by egpace (edited 09-24-2005).]

[Rustybolt]

<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by cuemaker:
I am looking for a new bench vise. I have a loose little 3" that is ok, but just not heavy duty enough.

I found this one on ebay, see here

http://cgi.ebay.com/NEW-6-BENCH-ANVIL-VISE-64-5-BAL LPEEN-HAMMER-SET_W0QQitemZ7546959396QQcategoryZ25297QQrdZ1QQcmd ZViewItem

I like that fact its big and heavy. For a $25 buy it now price, I get 5 ball peen hammers and pay $50 to have it shipped. So $75 for a 64lbs vice.

I found some old Wiltons, but they are already pricey.

I am equating size and weight to quality, which i know is incorrect. But it does count for something.

[This message has been edited by cuemaker (edited 09-23-2005).]

[This message has been edited by cuemaker (edited 09-24-2005).]</font>

I have broken every imported vise made, except for an old Yuasa I found that must have been imported in the 60s. I have even broke a low end Starret bench vise.
If I added up all I spent I could of had two top of the line Wiltons. Which is eventually what I did.
Pay for good iron and you won't regret it. Hell. Your kids will be using it after you're gone.

[Bruce Griffing]

Record recently went out of production of hand planes and vises. I bought a very nice Record bench vise on e-bay where the inventory seems to be in the process of being liquidated. The vise was about $25. Shipping about equal, but still a great deal.
Search on the bay for Record vise.

[Artpro]

Those swiveling import vises are the worlds best knuckle busters. They'll do i tto you time after time. I'd recommend them only to folks that I don't care for.

[Mcgyver]

the best ones are cast steel instead of cast iron - just about impossible to bust, don't know what you have to pay but i bet its not $25

[Your Old Dog]

Artpro, they must have addressed the problem with an "improved" model My first one was a knuckle buster, the second one has a screw to stop the revolveing action if you don't want or need it. With the $500.00 I saved on it over the Wilton I bought myself a 3hp Bosch Softstart 1/2 inch Take-It-To-The-Limit router and some bits