1/26/2024 0 Comments Vice tool 1765![]() The Tradesman uses a hollow type base with a notched perimeter that utilizes 2 clamps that work similar to brake pads. ![]() This usually means you have to really crank on it to hold it in place. Many swivel base vises rely on bolts pulling the body against the base to secure it in place. Under normal (and probably some abnormal) usage perimeters, the Tradesman is nearly indestructible. For comparison, many budget vises are constructed from 30,000 psi iron meaning the Tradesman is literally twice the vise. Unlike gray iron which offers superior stiffness, Wilton casts the Tradesman out of ductile iron which offers a much higher tensile strength and vibration absorption. Everything works in harmony and the lead screw turns about as smooth as it possibly can. Movement is guided by a keyway and being machined to incredibly tight tolerances (.002″), it’s virtually slop free. The enclosed design allows for a “lifetime lubrication” meaning that with normal use, the vise should be maintenance free. It does a couple of key things, it keeps debris, dust, and all the other crud out, while keeping lubrication in. The enclosed channel is one of the things that makes the bullet vises so great. I didn’t pull the spindle nut out, but I did tear it down far enough to give you a good look at the design. To demonstrate the Tradesman’s premium features, I decided to take it apart. ![]() With wide, reversible main jaws, replaceable pipe jaws, a 360 degree swivel base, and a nice sized work anvil, the Tradesman is up to a wide range of tasks. The Tradesman has all the features and performance that made Wilton famous. Until you have that higher level of quality at your disposal, you don’t realize just how bad you had it. Going from a budget vise to a Tradesman is like trading your Ford Escort in for a Porsche. Wilton offers the Tradesman in 4-1/2″, 5-1/2″, 6-1/2″, and 8″ wide versions, but the 5-1/2″ model 1755 was just what I was looking for. As I got older, my skills improved, and my tolerance for junk decreased, I knew it was time to upgrade to a high quality vise. My cheap 6″ Chinese bench vise got me by, but it was merely adequate and using it was by no means a fulfilling experience. Like most broke kids with a need for tools, I went cheap. When I started out in my first house I had nothing more than a twin bed, an obsolete TV, and an old night stand, so quality shop equipment just wasn’t in the cards. Even after 70+ years on the market, they’re still the best looking vises around. If you have an artistic bone in your body the bullets speak to you in a way other vises just don’t. Aside from superior clamping performance (which we’ll get into later), the real appeal to the bullet vises has always been their beauty. Featuring an “unbreakable” malleable nut that created an even, central pull, and a completely enclosed thread to keep it clear of contaminates, it offered some significant advantages over other designs. They were a solid design that differed from anything available at the time. To understand the appeal of the Tradesman vises we must first understand the bullet vise as a whole. Wilton applied for their first patent, the 4″ 40S Machinist vise, on August 1st, 1941 giving birth to the now famous “bullet” vises. On the budget of big industry, a couple grand (or 3) for a vise isn’t out of the realm of reason, but for most auto shops, indy repair and fabrication shops, or anybody else who needs a very high quality vise without the tool budget of Dupont, Halliburton, or a Class 1 Railroad, that’s a hard pill to swallow, but thanks to Wilton’s Tradesman line you too can bask in bullet vise glory. An upper echelon bullet vise will easily set you back $1,200 – $1,500 and their top model, the 8″ 800S, will run you an eye opening $3,100 on Amazon. Wilton’s bullet models command a premium. Starting out just before the United States entered WWII, Wilton grew to become what John Deere is to farm implements or Colt is to pistols, easily the most recognizable and sought after name in their industry. ![]() Like seemingly everyone else that makes anything worth owning has at some point, Wilton hails from Chicagoland. ![]() I’m not saying women are going to start throwing themselves on you because you have a Wilton bullet vise on your bench, but you’ll certainly feel like they should. If you’re setting up new bench, the right vise can really make or break the build and Wilton’s “bullet” vises are about as sexy as vises get. To me, a bench vise is easily the coolest piece of shop equipment there is. ![]()
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