berkeleying Craftsman

And they won't replace it because it's not a "hand tool". It was a gift from my father who still stubbornly swears by the brand, so I don't want to tell him and make him feel bad about his gift.

Does anyone sell a decent USA-made bench vise for less than the cost of my left nut? I would love to support a company still doing it, but used Craiglist looks like my best bet. Even Wilton is making their new stuff overseas. I'm only 25 but I feel like a crotchety old man over this. Get off my lawn while you're at it.

What model is that? I'd take it into a Sears. Because it is listed under "Hand Tools" on their website.

Otherwise I go to Estate Sales and garage sales for vices.

mtn wrote: Otherwise I go to Estate Sales and garage sales for vices.

Or swap meets. I found my ancient "Simplex" vise from some old guy for $10. It is way more beefy than the crap they were selling at Lowes and HF. I wish it had a swivel base, but at $10, I wasn't arguing!

I got an ooooold craftsman at an estate sale, with swivel base, for $8. Still on the lookout for another for my garage, as that one went in the basement.

Give up and buy a Record. My Chinese one is pretty close to as good as my old English ones.

And if anybody could explain the appeal of a swivel on a vice, I'll argue with you.

Streetwiseguy wrote: Give up and buy a Record. My Chinese one is pretty close to as good as my old English ones. And if anybody could explain the appeal of a swivel on a vice, I'll argue with you.

Regripping golf clubs in my basement "shop". Because of the layout of my basement, I need the clubs to be perpendicular to the bench. Just about everything else I want to be parallel. But I guess it doesn't matter.

Broken vises, BTDT.

Columbian vise bought from Sears back in the mid-80's for $275 then. 5" W jaws w/ swivel, it's a lump. Dunno if you'll ever see one on CL but if ya do snag it right now. I beat on this thing all the berkeleying time... priceless.

Mighta still been an apprentice when the seasoned welder in the shop gave sage advice: don't jerk yurself off kid, if yur serious buy a damn good vise. This will prolly be the last vise I'll ever need.

As far as swivel goes: it's priceless for cutting, OA heating/ bending and weld positioning... at least w/ this vise.

maschinenbau wrote: And they won't replace it because it's not a "hand tool".

Ask them for a replacement electric cord.

I wouldn't have a vise that didn't swivel. I use it ALL the time.

Swivel and non-swivel each have their place.

You know, I otherwise have the essential, basic tools pretty well covered and then some, but the one thing I've always lacked is a proper vice. Now that I have a real garage and good workbench finally, I need to rectify that. Off to Craigslist...

Furious_E wrote: ....but the one thing I've always lacked is a proper vice.....Off to Craigslist...

FTFY

I prefer non-swivel. I have a Chinese vice I bought at a Sam's club about 25 years ago now. It is the same as the double swivel large vice from HF. I never could get it locked down tight enough to not swivel when I was beating or torquing on something, but I fixed that with the welder. Doesn't swivel now. It is getting a bit worn after all the use and abuse for the last 25+ years. I am kinda on the look out for a replacement.

Stefan wrote:

Furious_E wrote: ....but the one thing I've always lacked is a proper vice.....Off to Craigslist...

FTFY

to add confusion, you'd be right on the other side of the pond. In Proper English a vice is a vice is a vice...

Dr. Hess wrote: I prefer non-swivel. I have a Chinese vice I bought at a Sam's club about 25 years ago now. It is the same as the double swivel large vice from HF. I never could get it locked down tight enough to not swivel when I was beating or torquing on something, but I fixed that with the welder. Doesn't swivel now. It is getting a bit worn after all the use and abuse for the last 25+ years. I am kinda on the look out for a replacement.

Yeah. The point of a vice is to hold things securely. A swivel removes that feature.

In reply to Streetwiseguy:

How big is the berkeleying hammer you are using?

I have this one. It is fine so far and not bad price. I would have to look at it for country but I bet China based on the price.

I have a swivel vice. I've put a LOT or torques on it. Only the bench itself gave me issues. If I'm working on a non-swiveling vice, it's guaranteed that I'll need the work piece 20* clockwise from where it is.

There is no way to say the following without sounding like a know-it-all-jerkwad, so I won't tip toe. I was always told to NEVER hammer on a vice. If you MUST hammer on a vice, get a blacksmith's vice. The type that stand waist tall, and have a floor mounted leg at the base of one jaw, and a long arm down on the other jaw. (Note, non-swiveling.)

What's the reason? Without good reason, it's just words. I've used the flat on my vise to do some SERIOUS hammering, and with the exception of said bench, all's well.

In reply to DrBoost:

As I said, it was bound to come across poorly, and I more meant to share knowledge I had garnered from some old school blacksmiths than act preachy. No nastiness intended.

As to the reason, it is two fold. First, Cast Iron is not meant to absorb impacts. Just the same as a glass gets tiny fractures every time it is dropped until someday, it shatters, it is the same with cast iron. The other bit is the leg mounted to the ground/floor transfers the force. Now, I'm off to google weather a blacksmith's vice is forged or not. Note: I hammer on my Crappy Chinese swivel vice as well.

Edit: Wrought Iron on the blacksmithing vice. As long as I'm being a know-it-all, two more things, then I'll STFU.

Vices can crack if the jaws are left clamped shut in extreme temperature changes. Always leave them open. Welding on cast is pretty specialized stuff (heat, stick weld with high nickel rod, control cooling). Thread jack over.

wheelsmithy wrote: In reply to DrBoost: As I said, it was bound to come across poorly, and I more meant to share knowledge I had garnered from some old school blacksmiths than act preachy. No nastiness intended. As to the reason, it is two fold. First, Cast Iron is not meant to absorb impacts. Just the same as a glass gets tiny fractures every time it is dropped until someday, it shatters, it is the same with cast iron. The other bit is the leg mounted to the ground/floor transfers the force. Now, I'm off to google weather a blacksmith's vice is forged or not. Note: I hammer on my Crappy Chinese swivel vice as well. Edit: Wrought Iron on the blacksmithing vice. As long as I'm being a know-it-all, two more things, then I'll STFU. Vices can crack if the jaws are left clamped shut in extreme temperature changes. Always leave them open. Welding on cast is pretty specialized stuff (heat, stick weld with high nickel rod, control cooling). Thread jack over.

Round here that's a stump vise. Saw off a tree mount er up and build yer shed close. I have many vices.

Well, I can't say there isn't a swivel base vice out there that will actually lock. All I can say is I've never encountered one. I've also always worked on a big enough bench the need to rotate has never presented itself.