Thoughts on this vice

[foresterdj]

I saw this vise today at hardware store. Any thoughts on its use or price?

[bulljg]

Just got a Tipton "best gun vise 360" and it does a great job, for a decent price.
Check it out.https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1026654360?pid=842140

[rich pierce]

This is a favorite of many. I don’t often wish I had a swivel feature. But maybe if I did, I’d know what I’m missing. This vise goes on sale once in a while. https://www.woodcraft.com/products/woodriver-patternmakers-carving-vise

[Eric Krewson]

I would want to see where it was made, I broke 2 Chinese vices before I got off my wallet and paid three times as much for an American made vise, 22 years later with no problems, I am glad I bought it.

[Long Ears]

I have one of these and I'm not too impressed. I wanted it just for gun cleaning and it slips even with light force. Just my 2 cents. Bob

[foresterdj]

Thanks for comments. I like the one at woodcraft dot com better.

[Walt S]

There are a number of you tube videos about this vise. So someone must be buying them. I did not watch any of them.  I just do not need a new vice.

WS

[Steeltrap]

Thanks for comments. I like the one at woodcraft dot com better.

That's the one I have. It doesn't rotate 360, but it holds very well and adjust easy.

[Ian Pratt]

You can do much better for around that same price. I got one of these swiveling vise bases a couple years ago from my buddy Trey at TS Steel Works and mounted a versa vise on it, works great. You can get the base with a universal mounting plate for a bench vise for around $195, or the base with a new parrot vise mounted on it for $300. He also sells forged hammers and other good stuff -  https://tssteelworks.com/

[John Proud]

I got that swivel base from TSS that Ian mentioned and mounted my parrot vice on it. No problems what so ever. Can't imagine getting along without it now.

[David Rase]

Here is a vise company out of Montana.  Not the cheapest vise out there but it is made in the USA and they are stout.

https://totalvise.com

[Ky-Flinter]

I like mine real well.  Woodcraft and others sell the vise which rotates 360 degrees.  With the adapter my buddy made it also tilts about 270 degrees.







Ron

[David Rase]

That looks like a lot of money for a vise that does not look all that heavy duty or sturdy to me.  I could be wrong.  From the looks of it I would be afraid to whack on it too hard.
R/David

[Ky-Flinter]

Dave,

I guess "a lot of money" is relative.  About $70 on sale at Woodcraft seemed like a good deal to me.  I use this vise mainly to hold gunstocks for inletting, shaping, carving, etc. and holding pieces for engraving.  The ability to hold the work at odd angles and rotate it as needed works well for me, but it ain't designed for beating on.  I have a Columbian on the other bench and a big ol' old post vise out by the anvil when something needs whacking.

Ron

[Dphariss]

Dave,

I guess "a lot of money" is relative.  About $70 on sale at Woodcraft seemed like a good deal to me.  I use this vise mainly to hold gunstocks for inletting, shaping, carving, etc. and holding pieces for engraving.  The ability to hold the work at odd angles and rotate it as needed works well for me, but it ain't designed for beating on.  I have a Columbian on the other bench and a big ol' old post vise out by the anvil when something needs whacking.

Ron

Does it shake or vibrate when filing/rasping? I don’t need one but this is problem if it does. At least for me. I have two Wilton Powerarms and one is over 40 years old and has been in 3 shops and a factory over the years,  but I inherited a new one and mounted it on the new bench. It requires a little work to mount a vise but I would hesitate to buy anything else if I needed something that would do 360 degrees at any angle. For some things its really handy, irreplaceable?

[Ky-Flinter]

Does it shake or vibrate when filing/rasping? ......

Dan,

No, it's very stable for my uses.  The vise has a mechanism that is supposed to lock the pivot when the jaws are tightened, but mine didn't work very well, so I added the 2 thumb screw locks.

Ron

[David Rase]

Dave,

I guess "a lot of money" is relative.  About $70 on sale at Woodcraft seemed like a good deal to me.  I use this vise mainly to hold gunstocks for inletting, shaping, carving, etc. and holding pieces for engraving.  The ability to hold the work at odd angles and rotate it as needed works well for me, but it ain't designed for beating on.  I have a Columbian on the other bench and a big ol' old post vise out by the anvil when something needs whacking.

Ron

Ron, I was talking about the iq vise mentioned by the original poster for $249.99.  I have the vise you posted and it is a good one.
R/David

[Ky-Flinter]

Ooops!

Ron

[Scota4570]

For filing small parts those little articulated vices work fine for me.  I have broken a couple trying to use them for general stock work.  The vibration is a problem for me  too. 

https://www.harborfreight.com/hand-tools/clamps-vises/vises-anvils/5-in-multi-purpose-vise-with-anvil-58157.html

I pulled one of these out of a junk pile.  I think this one, they have two that are similar.  The original build quality was terrible.  IT is very heavy which dampens vibrations.   I took the knurling off the jaw inserts and trued up them to parallel.   The pipe side is useless to me so I machined it to accept swiveling wood blocks to hold the work.  The vice swivels on the base and on the jaws.  The center cylinder supports stocks. Overall it works good and I have not broken it yet. 

[scottmc]

To further back up what John Proud said, I also took advantage of Ian's advise and just bought and received the TSS base and pin for my Parrot vise.  What a difference it makes.

[Bob Roller]

A good vise is one that does the job it was bought for.I have three and two are conventional styles and one was on sale from MSC back in the "day"for $25.I is a 4",heavy and the rear jaw slides on a wide dovetail that is adjustable for wear.I think this was in 1974 and it was made in Poland.Every lock and trigger I made since then was at one time clamped in that vise during the processes used in the making.
  The new Muzzle Blasts arrived yesterday and the cover was different by placing the words "Muzzle Blasts"was in the lower right corner.
The "Last Relay"had the passing of Helmut Mohr in Germany.He was a big help to me with his lock orders for target pistols and rifles and
was willing to pay for the peculiar type of skilled labor involved in making a lock as opposed to assembling from cast parts.A belated thanks to Helmut Mohr and Guenter Stifter who told him about me.Lower back stenosis stopped my lock making in 2019 and I made some triggers afterward and now nothing.There is also what seems to be a start on a long article on Bill Large who made many barrels for a wide variety of muzzle loaders.This will be of interest to those of us who knew him and I probably was the first to know he passed away when a 5AM call from his 3rd daughter Jeanette McKenzie called me from the hospital in Columbus,Ohio.
    The new membership price increase is shown and the $75 does include the magazine.Sounds expensive but a dinner for four in a top of the line eatery is nearly that much.I think a $50 membership is still available but no magazine included.,OK,rant is over.
Bob Roller