Doellemite Posted October 10, 2015 Share Posted October 10, 2015 Hi all. After a few years of doing all my home gunsmithing without a vise, I figured it's finally time to buy one. I just picked up my first Shadow and I'm about to Cajunize it. My question is what is the best price-friendly vise to buy? Are there any worth buying at Home Depot/Lowe's/etc. What features/size should I be looking for? Any input is appreciated, thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Can Posted October 10, 2015 Share Posted October 10, 2015 (edited) hi, OK so take my advice with a grain of salt because i don't really do much home gun smiting but this is what makes since to me. Unless you need a vice for a mill which requires the movable jaw to kind of lock down onto the vice bed so you can mill things flat, you wont need anything that crazy. buy a cheep bench vice from harbor tool and freight or something... more importantly I think is get some non marring jaws, or jaw inserts. like brass jaws, or rubber so you dont bash up things with nice finishes...vices are pretty simple tools...it's hard to mess them up...even cheep ones. In my view the table you mount the vice to is more important than the vice it's self..if your putting a fair amount of force on something which is why you need the vice in the first place, if the table is moving all over under you, or rocking or some crap...it's useless. get/build a nice beefy work bench so you can mount your reloading press's on the same bench....most annoying thing in the world to see some you tube video of a 1000$ press and it's wobbling all over the place every time the poor bastard yanks on the handle....awful. Edited October 10, 2015 by Can Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doellemite Posted October 10, 2015 Author Share Posted October 10, 2015 Thanks Can, I agree with you 100% about the table. I will most likely be attaching it to one end of my reloading table, which I built myself and would hide under it during an earthquake. As far as the vise goes, simple is what I had in mind. I was looking more for advice on jaw length and depth. I've come across a few posts recommending Parrot vices and hoped someone had some experience with those. They sell jaw blocks for them and I also have some scrap pieces of leather I could use. Thanks again! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glockinator Posted October 10, 2015 Share Posted October 10, 2015 (edited) You want to stay away from the cheap Chinese "crud" (would have preferred to use a different ending on that word). Without getting real serious a 4 inch might suit your fancy a 3 inch might be on the small side. Check out ebay occasionally you can find some nice ones there. research some decent American made brands like Wilton or Palmgren. When I was looking for a drill press vice I found a nice used Palmgren mill vice for a reasonable price there. Edited October 11, 2015 by Glockinator Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Can Posted October 10, 2015 Share Posted October 10, 2015 (edited) Well simple is good , it's a Vice ... It opens and closes that's it. at home I have a 4 inch cast iron pos that was the cheapest thing I could find. It was fine. At work one of my mills has 16, 1500$ Kurts on it. Although that's a 5 axis mill that can mill all the way around 2 full sheets of plywood set end to end on the table. the big 2 names for high end vices are Kurt and Walton. Edited October 10, 2015 by Can Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PatJones Posted October 11, 2015 Share Posted October 11, 2015 (edited) You do not want vise jaws wider than 4". Any wider and they start to get wider than the parts of the gun you're trying to hold on to. I'm a gunsmith and I live on my vise. We used to have a 6" vise at work and it drove me nuts. You don't likely need the vise to open as far as I do, so buy a 4" model if you can find it. When you mount it on your bench, try to set the height so the top of the jaw is at the same height as the tip of your elbow. It's much easier to file flat at that height. Look at the soft jaws from Brownells, part # 100-003-410. I built a set of aluminum jaws I really like from some aluminum angle iron I bought at the hardware store. For sight work on pistols, I line the aluminum jaws with business cards so I don't need to clean aluminum marks off the slide. Edited October 11, 2015 by PatJones Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caspian guy Posted October 11, 2015 Share Posted October 11, 2015 You do not want vise jaws wider than 4". Any wider and they start to get wider than the parts of the gun you're trying to hold on to. I'm a gunsmith and I live on my vise. We used to have a 6" vise at work and it drove me nuts. You don't likely need the vise to open as far as I do, so buy a 4" model if you can find it. When you mount it on your bench, try to set the height so the top of the jaw is at the same height as the tip of your elbow. It's much easier to file flat at that height. Look at the soft jaws from Brownells, part # 100-003-410. I built a set of aluminum jaws I really like from some aluminum angle iron I bought at the hardware store. For sight work on pistols, I line the aluminum jaws with business cards so I don't need to clean aluminum marks off the slide. +1 on the advice about the mounting height on the vise. I struggled trying to be able file things flat for a long time till one of my buddies who was a machinist clued me about the importance of that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doellemite Posted October 11, 2015 Author Share Posted October 11, 2015 I'm definitely leaning towards American made. I'm a rough carpenter so I see the quality of Chinese steel in the nails we use. It's a shame because it used to be a lot better. I'll probably be picking up a 4" Wilton tomorrow after a local match. Thanks again all! On a side note Mr. Jones, I've been looking into gunsmithing as more of a career than a hobby and was wondering if you have any insight into AGI. That's who I was planning on taking my courses through. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doellemite Posted October 11, 2015 Author Share Posted October 11, 2015 You do not want vise jaws wider than 4". Any wider and they start to get wider than the parts of the gun you're trying to hold on to. I'm a gunsmith and I live on my vise. We used to have a 6" vise at work and it drove me nuts. You don't likely need the vise to open as far as I do, so buy a 4" model if you can find it. When you mount it on your bench, try to set the height so the top of the jaw is at the same height as the tip of your elbow. It's much easier to file flat at that height. Look at the soft jaws from Brownells, part # 100-003-410. I built a set of aluminum jaws I really like from some aluminum angle iron I bought at the hardware store. For sight work on pistols, I line the aluminum jaws with business cards so I don't need to clean aluminum marks off the slide. +1 on the advice about the mounting height on the vise. I struggled trying to be able file things flat for a long time till one of my buddies who was a machinist clued me about the importance of that.Good to know! I was wondering if I was gonna have to alter my bench at all. It sits just below my belly button, so that should put the jaws at perfect height. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PatJones Posted October 11, 2015 Share Posted October 11, 2015 Gunsmithing is a second (third really) career for me. I was a finish carpenter/ski bum who ended up managing ski town condominiums. There is no substitute for being in a classroom with your instructor. I went to school in Trinidad Colorado. Trinidad State Junior college offers a two year associates degree in gunsmithing. I recommend you skip the AGI videos. The NRA gunsmithing programs are summer schools for people looking to get their feet wet. Find a school close to you here: https://gunsmithing.nra.org/find-a-school/ I took a week long intro to gunsmithing class and I was back as a full time student a year later. The summer classes are often specialty classes offered by leading gunsmiths in their fields. Bill Laughridge has been teaching a 1911 class at Trinidad the last few years. At the very least, a class makes for a really fun weeks vacation. As far as the vise goes, I bought a used Wilton machinists vise on eBay for $175 shipped. The 4" bullet vise is the best for gunsmithing, mine's a 4.5 inch but in still looking for a 4". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PatJones Posted October 11, 2015 Share Posted October 11, 2015 Feel free to PM me with any questions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doellemite Posted October 11, 2015 Author Share Posted October 11, 2015 I'm looking at a few US made vises. Can anyone tell me how the Yost stacks up against Wilton or Palmgren? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toolguy Posted October 12, 2015 Share Posted October 12, 2015 I think Wilton is good but overpriced. Palmgren makes a lot of stuff that's marginal to junk and overpriced. I don't know the Yost brand. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jlo86cj Posted October 12, 2015 Share Posted October 12, 2015 Take a look at Columbian. They're owned by Wilton now, but older ones show up on eBay. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doellemite Posted October 12, 2015 Author Share Posted October 12, 2015 The Columbians look pretty solid and you can't beat the prices! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ltdmstr Posted October 12, 2015 Share Posted October 12, 2015 From what I've seen on the market these days, I'd search around for a decent used American made item. I had a friend give me a Wilton machinists vise with a clutch type mechanism that wasn't working properly. I took it completely apart, cleaned it up, fixed the problem and it's just plain awesome. It's going to be around still working fine long after I'm gone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rocice Posted October 12, 2015 Share Posted October 12, 2015 Whatever vise you choose make sure it’ll swivel 360 degrees. I’ve found two on crigslist in my area, both American made Wiltons Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yellowthunder Posted October 13, 2015 Share Posted October 13, 2015 If you can justify a Wilton, go for it. They are awesome and I would never say no to one. On the other hand, they are pricey and you can definitely work with something for less. I have a 4" craftsman I picked up and it works great. Grab a few different sets of soft jaws and mount the vise to a sturdy bench. You'll wonder how you went so long without one. In addition to a vise, make sure you have some good lighting. Makes a world of difference. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doellemite Posted October 13, 2015 Author Share Posted October 13, 2015 I have to agree with you thunder. I will most likely keep my eyes open for a great deal on a Wilton, but get a budget friendly US made vise to get by for now. My vise is going on one end of my reloading bench and I have a few fluorescent hoods over my head, so ample light is one thing I do have. Thanks for the advice! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frankly Posted November 18, 2015 Share Posted November 18, 2015 Vintage Records off eBay can be great. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doellemite Posted November 18, 2015 Author Share Posted November 18, 2015 Is Records the name of the manufacturer? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nebwake Posted November 18, 2015 Share Posted November 18, 2015 Big thing is to get a vise that is at least 4". I got a harborfreight 3" vise first and it sucks. Jaws don't line up right, and its not wide enough to hold an AR upper vise block. I have since got a Ridged brand 5" vise that is smooth as butter and the jaws mate up like a nice 1911!. I looked at the big name brands and this one is just as nice as the Wilton. Plus Ridged has a lifetime warranty. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EkuJustice Posted November 18, 2015 Share Posted November 18, 2015 Just use a 4 inch Harbor freight one here. are there better ones, yes but it gets the job done and isnt expensive especially with a coupon. For the home it works just fine Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doellemite Posted November 18, 2015 Author Share Posted November 18, 2015 I'm a rough carpenter and use Riged tools all the time. You can't beat them for the price. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doellemite Posted November 18, 2015 Author Share Posted November 18, 2015 I ended up buying a cheap 4" drill press vise to fit my type 3 disco and it got the job done. It will work for now until I come across a great deal on Craigslist or EBay. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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