Steel for a vise handle

[7milesup]

That's actually not my website...that's my buddy Kevin's site. He used to own wiltonviseparts.net but retired and sold the site to a new machinist. My site is www.mivise.com it's more of a blog than anything else. The article about Wilton history is here:

Wilton Vise Date Stamping • MIVise

***Note: If you’re reading this post so you can cut and paste portions for your eBay listing please be kind enough to cite the source. There were a lot of people before me who put time into collecting this information and they should at least be given credit.*** One of the most common questions...

mivise.com

Thank you for the correction.

 

[NC Rick]

"Thompson Rod" or linear shafting is case hardened and ground for the intended purpose. It's expensive and really good for many uses. To waste it on a vise handle seems nearly criminal to me not to mention that it won't provide the "fuse" feature originally intended. I'm not in agreement with this thread. I'll sign out, sorry, don't want to poop on the party.

 

[7milesup]

Man, I'm being difficult today! To me, the worst thing to ever happen to a beautiful vise is to not be used. Broken in a desperate attempt to fix something is a far better fait

Bahaha.
Well. Not sure I could do that. I have two of these Wilton's. Maybe I will keep one in the shop and another on the fireplace mantel. Yeah no, not going to happen.

Look at my nuts. Polished from some rusty looking things.

 

[7milesup]

"Thompson Rod" or linear shafting is case hardened and ground for the intended purpose. It's expensive and really good for many uses. To waste it on a vise handle seems nearly criminal to me not to mention that it won't provide the "fuse" feature originally intended. I'm not in agreement with this thread. I'll sign out, sorry, don't want to poop on the party.

No worries Rick. A lot of guys have cool things in their shop that are remembrances of yesteryear. I have none. I figured restoring at least one of these Wilton vises to better than new condition would be fun. I still have another vice that I use.

I should have separated This Thread into two separate threads. The question about what is apparently Thompson rod was supposedto be separate from my Vise handle question. I'm sorry for that confusion. The only thing I would use the Thompson rod for would maybe be the locks for the swivel base handles.

 

[NC Rick]

Bahaha.
Well. Not sure I could do that. I have two of these Wilton's. Maybe I will keep one in the shop and another on the fireplace mantel. Yeah no, not going to happen.

Look at my nuts. Polished from some rusty looking things.

Nice nuts!
my oldest Wilton (1946). I have personally been using it for more than 50 years. Original handle. My dad painted it orange.

more recent acquisition of my 1920's Reed, this one I "restored" but it's honest and I use the heck out of it and really enjoy it. We get to enjoy these in anyway we want so I'm not really "busting your nuts" about not using them