• Scam Alert. Members are reminded to NOT send money to buy anything. Don't buy things remote and have it shipped - go get it yourself, pay in person, and take your equipment with you. Scammers have burned people on this forum. Urgency, secrecy, excuses, selling for friend, newish members, FUD, are RED FLAGS. A video conference call is not adequate assurance. Face to face interactions are required. Please report suspicions to the forum admins. Stay Safe - anyone can get scammed.

Quality swivel bench vise?

GummyMonster

GummyMonster

Ken
Good day all,
I'm looking for a decent bench vise like this one . I tried 2 of this brand, and the casting was so poor I broke one bending a 1/4" brass rod with my hand, and the other one just broke when I clamped something in the jaws.
It was an extremely useful design , if only it had held up at all.
I've searched numerous times, and simply cannot find one . Maybe I'm just using the wrong search terms, I don't know. I'm specifically looking for one with two flat clamping surfaces, not one for pipe.
Hoping someone is familiar with the style and knows where to buy.
Maybe it's a unicorn....
Thanks,
Ken
 

Attachments

  • 262AEF98-A3B5-40C3-856A-CA81AF9069BB.webp
    262AEF98-A3B5-40C3-856A-CA81AF9069BB.webp
    138 KB · Views: 14
Tom Kitta said:
Could be soft jaws.
Click to expand...
Yes I guess they could be but I don't see the advantage of another set on the other end of the vise as opposed to having some sort of soft protective (copper, aluminum, rubber, etc) for the one set of jaws. Maybe just different.
 
One set of jaws was bigger than the other, it was handy for working on smaller parts of different sizes.
And I was planning to put soft jaws on the small side, having either at a quick twist.
Ken
 
look at industrial tool suppliers catalogs. Thomas skinner. Source Atlantic. Kbc tools. Kms tools possibly. Autowell is a Taiwanese brand I have one and it’s good. Grainger maybe. Have to look around as prices vary. A good vise is expensive.
 
The two sets are keyed and stay aligned via a slotted shaft. They are easily flipped to provide to two different sizes as needed.

I had one like this a long time ago and gave it away. The vise itself was nice, but it always came loose from the bench under load and it was almost impossible to keep the body from swiveling.

There are much better versions available today.

Palmgren

Screenshot_20211216-194427_Chrome.jpg


Wilton

Screenshot_20211216-194220_Chrome.jpg


Titan

Screenshot_20211216-194109_Chrome.jpg


Although the Wilton in the photo above lacks the second set of jaws, it is a very nice bench vise.

Bench vises are like mill vises. Generally, you get what you paid for it.
 
I should add that the better vises of this type usually do provide a set of pipe jaws. I know you did not want that but usually they don't sacrifice the second set of jaws. In other words you get three sets of jaws. That can't be a bad thing. You never know when you might want to secure something round.
 
I have one of the Palmgren ones, been using it in pipe fabrication for 15 years. Pretty bulletproof. I often remove the pipe jaws when I need the narrower jaws to clear obstructions, like clamping a piece of square tubing by the inside. The rotating jaw can be annoying. I pulled the vise apart, milled a flat along the cylinder, and drilled and tapped the anvil for a lock bolt, sort of like the Titan design.

As for the bench clamp, why not buy the Palmgren and make a clamp to bolt to the swivel base? A chunk of maybe 3x3x1/4 or 4x4x1/4 square tube. Cut off one face to make a U, grab a 1/2” or 5/8” UNC threaded flange (Anvil model 128 oval or 153 round from any company that sells pipe fitting). Make a mating clamp bolt.
 

Attachments

  • 05F05217-7B08-4343-9677-6614C9BC0B52.jpeg
    05F05217-7B08-4343-9677-6614C9BC0B52.jpeg
    67.6 KB · Views: 3
  • 332798F6-DF4D-44CB-98A4-FF6B633CD11F.webp
    332798F6-DF4D-44CB-98A4-FF6B633CD11F.webp
    8.2 KB · Views: 3
  • 9BBC7385-47AE-462B-BA1B-D953459909B1.webp
    9BBC7385-47AE-462B-BA1B-D953459909B1.webp
    11.2 KB · Views: 3
Thanks for the direction guys.
I didn't realize that many come with the pipe and second flat jaws. That'd be perfect actually.
I'll start searching.
Ken
 
For what it's worth the Irwin vise I linked to above should not be considered a high quality item, read the reviews. As others have said a good vise is not cheap. I have a Yost vise, bought about 5 years ago and I'm very happy with it. They make lots of models in light duty and heavy duty versions. If you want a high quality vise look for a forged, not cast body. When I bought mine Yost was still, doing their casting in the States. Looks like it's all done in China now.

 
Last edited:
I picked up a monster swivel vise about 20 yrs ago, Taiwanese made, but I never use it. I seem to always use my 4" Record, and it serves me well.
 
You guys aren't kidding when you said good ones are pricey. I've found a number of vises over $1000.

At the other end of the scale, I bought one like this a number of years ago. I took it apart and smoothed and lubed contact points and it's been excellent for little jobs. Came across a picture so I thought I'd pass it on.
 

Attachments

  • DA5C84B1-3336-4F5A-99DA-52342CA136CD.webp
    DA5C84B1-3336-4F5A-99DA-52342CA136CD.webp
    136.1 KB · Views: 4
This vise abuse video makes me cringe, but shows some of the models/features up close. Many of the brands are less common/unobtanium in the Peoples Republic of Kanukistan. Yes, prepare yourself for price induced heart palpitations. Some people claim that meditation techniques help, control your breathing, feel the toes inside your work boots, and just repeat the phrase: 'its an investment... its an Investment....

 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top