Neglected Wilton Vice Restoration
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 6 ก.พ. 2025
- This video is about restoring an old Wilton Mechanics vise. My best restoration video with amazing techniques of restoration. Enjoy the video !
More about the vise :
I won this vise at an Ebay auction. The seller claimed it was from 1964, so I did my best to win the auction. I thought it was quite a valuable piece and I thought that will be a nice restoration , so I paid $380 plus another $400 shipping and taxes from United States to my place. In the end it was just a beautiful restoration because the vise is not what I thought. During disassembly, I removed the keychain, where the year of manufacture is usually stamped, and that's how I found out that this vise was made in 1989.
This only matters in the evaluation of the price, because in the end it will still be an antique piece with a high value. In general, vices are the most abused tools and often end up as scrap metal. That's why there are so few Wilton vices on the antique markets and they have very high prices. I don't care that it cost an extraordinary amount, having a Wilton vise in the workshop is a fulfillment. After the restoration, my big dilemma is whether to use it or keep it in good condition, because it has a beautiful outcome.
More about the restoration :
I started the restoration by disassembling the vise , after that I cleaned all the parts that has grease on it. I restored all the parts that were in almost good condition. I nickel plated most of them and I choose brushed finishing . I made some metal works to the main parts and I powder coating them in green hammertone. First time when I used this colour and I was amazed with the outcome. I made new handles because they were needed or were missing. I had to make a new jaw pipe because were missing too. The jaws of the vise could have been kept and restored but I'm not a fan of the rough surface so I made other jaws with flat surface. Here needed to show how I hardened them.
I think you have what to see in this video, it may be one of my most complex restoration video, with many techniques, presented very well in the video.
I hope you will enjoy the video and the restoration as much as I enjoyed working on this beautiful Wilton vise. Cheers and stay safe until next time !
#wiltonvise #viserestoration #wiltonviserestoration
Better and much more beautiful than new!! Good job
You know you did a good job when you have the "my mechanics" seal of approval.
Yeah, that is true. He make my day when comment on my video 😊
@my mechanics thank you very much. I wait your video to came out. Cheers mate 🍻
This crossover would be more ambitious than the Avengers!
I came here to say "your work reminds me of my mechanics, and that is the highest praise I know"
In our fast paced world these video’s are extremely relaxing to me. I’m sitting at the kitchen bar, drinking coffee and watching mesmerizing machinery create beauty!
Thanks a lot TC and glad you enjoy my video. I know what means drinking a coffee. That time is precious and need to be spent well. Thanks for this opportunity 👍 cheers
ETas
Me too
Idk why but this one is particularly satisfying. The hammered green powdercoat is especially great.
Thanks and glad you enjoyed 😊
I hope you like this restoration as much as I liked working on it. If you have questions, comment them and I will answer you as soon as possible. Cheers and stay safe until next time !!!
You are amazing. Your workmanship is on another level.
You are awesome at what you do! Do you sell you finished products? If so how much for this vise?
Thanks guys! Unfortunately is not for sale yet. To have a Wilton vise in the workshop is a thing. Not I have a dilemma, to use or not to use 😅
As always, the restoration was excellent, David. A big hug friend. Looking forward to the next one. ☕☕
Thank you very much Alvaro 😊
Sanding, milling, chamfering, straighthening, neutralizing, hardening,
tempering, filing, cutting, painting, hot bluing, nickel plating, re-engraving...
MAAAN ! How many techniques did you appy!?
This is beyond perfect! Thank you so much.
Trust me, it is hard to do all of them but in this case, the vise needed all of them 😎😀
I thought I was restoring several old USA made vises until I saw this video. I guess I'll just call it a clean and paint from now on. Outstanding work.
Thank you very much and glad you enjoyed 😊 wish you all the best
My grandpa told me long time ago. Every man needs a good vise.
That's nice
Thanks a lot Vince 😊
You, and My Mechanics are the 2 BEST restoration channels on TH-cam!! PERIOD!!!!
Oh, you are so kind! Thanks for that 😊
So much attention to detail and taking pride in your work really makes the difference in making just a common tool into something beautiful. And I loved the bug eyed ducky squeeze test!
Thank you very much Ray and glad you liked it so much 😊 cheers mate
Never expected to that kind of test 🤣🤣🤣🤣
Who else finds it so incredibly relaxing to watch sandblasting?
Thank you for your great work 🖤
Thank you very much Vio and glad you liked it 😊
In one of your first video i told you that Your way of restoration would have taken you to the levels of my mechanics. Glad to see that I was not mistaken
Thanks for your support and confidence 😊
Прекрасный результат! Вещь получилась хоть сейчас на выставку! Браво, мастер!
Spasibo brother 😊
The thing I love about these videos is that the sheer artistry in restoring the item, and fabricating missing parts is so mesmerizing that I find myself watching and loving videos like this. Before, if you were to ask me, "Would you like to watch 20 minutes of someone restoring a vice" I would have said no thanks, but having seen this I have found that it doesn't matter what is being restored, it is still completely satisfying to watch.
And thank you very much for this Sarah! You are so kind and thanks for understanding me about the f bomb in the other video 😇
My neighbor was a tool and die maker for Wilton in the 60"s. he lived in Schiller Park IL. A German. He had a part in this process. So proud to see this video. Danke
Bitte schon 😊
That is by far the most beautiful vise I have ever seen. Fantastic job!
Thank you very much Kevin! Yeah, I saw so many vise restored too but no one like mine. I like that I kept the casting marks and the transitions between colour and bare metal came out perfectly. I’m proud of this job. I think is my best and complex video 😎
I got a similar Wilton from my buddies uncle, 1986 . He said it was junk, he used it 30 plus years and it was packed full of metal shavings and dust. I did the same thing and use it In my garage. I had to replace the jaws but it works great, he can't believe that I was able to restore it. Beautiful restoration!
Thank you very much. Keep it safe 😎
Absolutely sterling work with infinite attention to detail. That vice is magnificent and better than when first produced.
Thank you very much mate 😊 glad you liked it
That was sweet! 🥳
Thanks :)
I haven’t been on in a while, and had forgotten how good you actually are. This is a thing of beauty. I love it
Thank you very much Amanda . Stay safe 😊
This is a really talented artist. I really admire you
Great restoration! You did this vice a great justice.
Thanks Aaron and glad you liked it 😊
Perfect finishes are evidence to the many hours that you must have invested. really impressive work my friend.
Thanks bro 😎 cheers 🍻
That is one of the best vise restorations I have ever seen! I love the color!
Thank you very much and glad you liked it 😊
Masterwork as always. I really liked the paint job. Very spectacular.
Thanks bro 😎
I like seeing your talents at work. I had to watch this again 🎉
Thank you very much Kelly for your support 😊 wish you all the best
Always worth the wait for your videos. Beautiful craftsmanship. Thank you for taking the time to film, edit, and share with us.
Thank you very much Greg and glad you liked it 😊 I try my best every time
Wow, this is one of the most perfect things I've seen, second best restoration of someone who embodies the use of a lathe
Thank you very much, you are so kind 😊
Absolutely outstanding restoration! This is the one vice I wish I had! Superb workmanship! Thank you for a wonderful video!
Thank you very much J T 😊 glad you liked it
Excellent 👌
Absolutely beautiful! It was a joy watching you restore this vice. Best wishes.
Thanks 😊
Wonderful work and a beautiful colour. I love your attention to detail. Bravo!
Thank you very much Gerry and glad you liked it 😊
Beautiful work Sir!
Thanks a lot Shannon 😊
@@CoolAgainRestoration Sir, I have an Enterprise Sausage Stuff like the one you did a video on. Do you fabricate parts for people?
I need the same parts for mine as in the video. I need the shaft for the handle and screw and the pin for the locking lever.
I would be glad to pay you for your time and materials.
Please let me know,
thank you,
Hi Shannon! I think you sent me an email too! I noted to reply but it is on my to do list. So , usually I don’t make parts for people at the lathe machine because is not my job this. But this is not the issue . The issue is because I live in Romania and I think you are in the USA 🇺🇸. The shipping will be so much and the parts are not the same every time , don’t matter if we talk about the same item ( sausage stuffer ) you can have a longer wooden handle than mine and if I make a part for you, that’s probably will be shorter in your case. The best way for you is : 1. You can find parts you need on eBay on your area and if they don’t fit , you can send them back like a return . A simply “ enterprise press” in eBay search bar will give you a lot of results. 2. You can go with the stuffer to a local machinist and he will make the parts you need exactly to the sizes you need and 100% these ones will fit to your item because they are made custom. I don’t want to pay me for some parts that probably you will not use them. If you have any questions, I gladly help you .
Beautiful restoration AND the editing was perfect
Thanks and glad you liked it so much 😊
It's too nice to use! Beautiful work. Thank you for filming it and sharing it with us.
Thank you very much Kim 😊
Since the vice was not in “terrible” before condition, I thought the restoration was going to be a bit underwhelming, I stand corrected. What a great transformation! I would love to have that vice in my shop (or one like it) oh and thanks for not adding dirt and fake rust in an attempt to make it appear more dramatic, which I’ve started to notice in other cheeper restoration vids. Enjoyed your talent, skill and creativity. Subscribed for more.
Thank you very much Oleo and glad you subscribed to a legit channel. Thanks again 😊
Yeah, because this was in no way a restoration. He made it into something almost completely different than original. I don’t understand how the word restoration got so perverted.
@j p I agree on technicality but not tone or spirit.
Yes, technically, the finished vise is in different condition from factory. It has nickel plating on hardware that very well could have been left in the white, it is more than likely not the exact same tone of paint, and many of the original casting defects that would have been "good enough" had this gone to market from Wilton's factory. I might even go so far as to say the replacement of many likely forged components (handles) with machined equivalents would bring this from out of the realm of a pure 1:1 'restoration'. This vise was partially functional, if battered, and so an argument could also be made that this wasn't a 'restoration of function' either.
HOWEVER: this vise retained almost all of it's original parts. The only parts that were replaced (aside from the jaws) were done so because they were no longer serviceable, and with great care to replicate the form of their counterparts. There is an obvious care given in this (and other content of theirs) to return the item to the original or higher quality condition.
Also, this is art. These restorations take inordinate amounts of time and well over the cost of the original item (even retail), and provide no better, and in many cases worst, utility to the user. This is done for their own enjoyment first, and our edification as viewers second. Please, kindly, blow that snarky gatekeep-y 'not real restoration' bullcrap out of your overtightened rear.
Thanks Eric 🙏
What Eric said.
Bravo! The world's most beautiful vise!
Thanks again and glad you like it 😊
Amazing results. Well done sir, you have great skill and i really enjoy watching a master. Keep up the good work.
Thank you very much mate ! Glad you liked it 😊
One of the best vise restorations that I've seen.......Excellent job....
Thank you very much Peter 😊
Excellent Job Sailor Cool, your Restoration was a Success and deserve A Gold Medal for your Hard Work 🏅👈🏼
Thank you very much Captain Alex 😊 cheers 👍😎
Understood.....I was just reminded of when I over restored a 1969 Camaro SS.....I used have a lot of un driving it but after 30K of restoration I was afraid to drive it. I sold it and never restored another vehicle.....glad you use the Wilton....you certainly are a craftsman.
Thanks a lot mate 😊
Stunning. Excellent work.
Thank you very much Peter 😊
Again, Eeee, well done again, it's a great honor for me to see another person with precise attention to detail and his wonderful work, well done and respect from old BG.
Хорошо сделал !
Spasibo 😊
Holy crap dude that's 100% perfection!
Thank you very much and glad you liked it 😊
O melhor segundo canal de restauração, o My Mechanics que se cuide!
😅😅 thanks buddy
😂😂😂
My Mechanics it's out of the world!
Seeing one of these videos pop up in my recommendations always makes me happy.
Thanks for support
It’s definitely a fact that you made this much nicer then Wilton did, both in appearance and in quality. Your finishing and improvements of strength in the components make this a very polished vice and I like how you didn’t get silly and go crazy with bondo lol!
Thank you very much buddy! Glad you liked it 😊 cheers
That green color was gorgeous!
Thanks a lot and glad you like it 😊
That green tone with powder paint is stunning! Lovely vintage industrial look 😊
Thank you very much R R B 😊
I find your videos so relaxing, also I love the level of detail and enjoy every part of the restoration! Keep it up!!
This is the kind of work I would love to make a living off of, and would love to learn from people like you how to do it. I wouldn't hate going to work every day, and would be doing something I could take pride in!
Great item for restoration,believe you made it better than new.great video,like the full detail on the restoration.just keep doing what your doing and carry on 👍👍👍😎😎😎
Thank you very much Tom and glad you liked it so much 😊
This is beautiful ....so many things are mass produced the finer details and pride in producing of a item are lost .But here you have done a wonderful job of bringing this Wilton Vise back to life with much higher standards of quality than before . Excellent work !! 👍👍
Thank you very much Robert and glad you liked it 😊 cheers
Sure, the date me be wrong but I am just glad to see it looking so beautiful again. Keep up restoring these forgotten tools, you did an amazing job 👏
Also, watching the fly cutter was extremely satisfying.
Thanks and glad you liked. The fly cutter in working is really satisfying, I liked too 😍
WILTON company should send you a thanks litter for what you do for this vise.
Your make it so cooooool and perfect.
Thank you sir for sharing us your work.
🎩 off
Thank you very much mate 😊 cheers
Best vice restoration I've watched in the past couple of years, and I watch a lot. Your metalworking skills are exceptional. I like your video editing whereby you do not linger on shots unnecessarily (do people still want to watch sandblasting in it's entirety?) Keep them coming and I hope you soon reach your millionth subscriber.
Thank you very much Costa and I appreciate your support. Yes, they still want to see more than one minute of sandblasting. I tried to sort the work and sandblasting footages to be more shorter but from time to time in the entire video. I try to please all the needs of every viewer . Thanks a lot again and be well 😊👍
@@CoolAgainRestoration The length of your sandblasting footage is in the sweetspot, not too short, not too long, I personally love more of it, maybe a timelaps would be a good compromise but this restoration is an absolute masterpiece! I have to compliment it even further with a second comment!
What a great job by a person who strives for perfection. A job really well done.
Thank you very much , wish you all the best 😊
Excellent work. This was a great refurb of the vice, seen so often on YT but rarely to this level. Personal preference, I like to see the original badge, label etc if its not too far gone. Gives a hint of the true age of the piece. If its completely destroyed however, recreate it, sure. But this one didnt seem too bad to be honest.
Yes , you have right. But I keep all of the left parts. For example I have the rough jaws and the sticker too. Also the metal parts that left from every thing I restore is kept in a bag together with the main thing 😇
Wonderful restoration. Great craftsmanship. Look forward to watching more videos
Thank you very much Edwin 😊
Insanely good, awesome job mate, This looks better than new!
Thank you very much mate 😊👍 cheers
Wow! What an incredible restoration! Amazing work! Thanks SO MUCH for sharing! Please keep it up!
Thanks Ted and glad you liked it so much 😊
How many total hours did this one take? Is there an average time you typically expect to spend on a restoration?
Hi Bryant ! I don’t have expectations, is very hard to see before restoration how the project will be. I worked 36 days, 4-5 hours per day .
By far, the best restorations on TH-cam.
Thanks a lot Sam 😊 cheers
Sorry, folks-this is not a “restoration”-it’s an “enhancement”. If you were to go out and buy this item with all the extra work and refinement put into it, you wouldn’t be able to afford it.
😂
Oh wow! I use my 1755 at work every day and have for years. It's in about the condition of yours before you started and it deserves a restoration too. Great work as always!
Thank you very much Bill! It is a nice vise to work with 😎
I love the time you take on these restorations, no half arsed fixes, if it's not right you make it right or make a new one, so very impressive and therapeutic, trust craftsmanship
Thanks a lot and glad you enjoyed 😊
A true joy to watch; I’ve recently restored a Rock Island vise in the Prentiss Bulldog pattern - I will now go back and improve several aspects based on your process. Here in the US, we can no longer get the high VOC Hammerite paints - the powder coated hammer tone turned out very nicely !
Thank you very much James and I wish you good luck with your project 😊
This red grease here is a blessing. Preventing more rust and stuck.
I was right, it does look better than new. You made it better than the manufacturers . Now that’s hard to do. You rock!
Thanks again Gayle 😊
There are SICK, SICKER and yours is the SICKEST restoration of a Wilton I have seen as of yet. These vises are highly sought after and you restoring it to better than brand new is worthy of high praise. JOB WELL DONE SIR !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thank you very much Carl 😊 glad you liked it so much
The Wilton Company would envy all that chrome plating! I have seen many of these vises restored; but never chrome plated. Very Well Done! TM who likes Wilton Tools
Thanks a lot Ted 😊 glad you enjoyed
Very cool. Took something from the junk box and made it useful again. Well done Sir 👏
Thanks again sir
Incredible restoration, that vise is way to nice to use, it is a center piece for the dinning room table.
Yeah but it is already in use in my workshop. Check my last video 🙈
Good work 👌
Thanks MM 👍
Patient, precise, determined, detailed, and accurate restoration - wow 😮😮😮
Thank you very much for these kind words , Cassandra 😊
Great job, I especially loved the beautiful color and cool texture of the powder coat!
Thank you very much Melissa 😊
SOooooo beautiful! Looks like it was built at the Rolls Royce factory. Anyone would be proud to own such a beautiful piece of equipment and maintain it for a very long time. Heirloom quality.
Thank you very much Sam 😊 glad you liked it so much
Lately i've been having a hard time trying to find what i want to watch, i usually rely on my FYP but i haven't been getting video's that i liked but whenever one of your video's show up it's always a sure click. Keep doing what you do and may the darkness of this world stay away from thee.
Thank you very much mate 😊
Great work! That vise went from too nasty to touch, to too nice to be used. Extremely satisfying end result!
Thank you very much and glad you liked it mate 😊
Excellent job. My wife makes pies that are too beautiful to cut. You restored a vise to a condition that it is too beautiful to use! Love it. Thanks very much.
Thanks Bruce , you are so kind. Glad you liked it 😊
Fantastic restoration! I love the trick of drilling holes in those metal pieces to hold that marble/ball bearing for the knobs
Glad you liked it!😊
Impressive work. Always love seeing a Wilton come back to the condition it deserves to be in.
Well done.
Thank you very much buddy 😊
Now this is a perfect restoration. MyMechanics has a worthy and tough competitor. Excellent job 👏🏻👏🏻.
Thanks a lot Abhay 😊
Looks amazing! Always love seeing the lathe and milling machine being used. Well done on another great restoration!!
Thank you very much mate 😊
Considering it’s the best that vise has ever looked, you did a super job well done.
Thank you very much John 😊
That sound at 12:13 is so satisfying. It happens a lot when I'm wet sanding a piece of wood with holes in it. I love it
Yes I know, that’s why I keep it 😊 I love that sound , I can hear that for minutes
Beautiful vise 😍😍
Merci beaucoup 😊
Saw your community post for the new video, can't wait to get into watching the restoration. Always love seeing that you have a new video up watching them bring me immense joy!
Thanks for that Braixie 😊 glad you enjoy my videos 😇
You made me a better day with this video . I'm so glad I found someone on same skill as my mechanics. Keep it like this and good luck in all that you do .
I like when people seen the hard work and they found my videos satisfying. I try my best every time . Cheers 🇷🇴
That was a beautiful restoration. Thanks for sharing it!
Thanks Jim and glad you liked it 😊
It looks like a brandnew vise. Perfect!
Thanks a lot 😊
Absolutely superb restoration. You really cover every aspect of the vise!
Thanks a lot and glad you enjoyed so much 😊
A beautiful, better than new restoration, turning a vice into a work of art. Superb job, David.
Thank you very much mate 😊
Excellent job. The vice turned out beautifully. Your attention to detail is, dare I say, at My Mechanics level.
Oh, you are so kind ! Thanks for that 😊
A masterful piece of work. Watching you work is a bit hypnotic. Regardless of skill level, from beginner to craftsman, anyone can gain by watching this video. I hope you have more vises.
Thank you very much Robert , glad you liked it so much 😊
I really love the green color you used. And how it enhances the casting marks and pits/holes.
Thanks Kayley and glad you liked it 😊
I really hope this vice is in use. Like a nice car, it needs to be "driven", not stored. Great and educational video. Thank you.
Thanks and glad you liked it, Steve! If you check my last video ( the one with the wrench ) , you’ll see the vice in the action 😎👍
Gorgeous job. Love to see old decrepit tools made new and useful again.
Thanks a lot Catherine 😊
Just perfect, might be the best restoration I’ve ever seen. I have watched quite a few videos of vices and anvils being brought back from the dead. Stupendous job.
Thank you very much Dave. I really appreciate ☺️
Beautiful result! Love that hammered look.
Thank you very much David 😊
The original maker will be astonished to see the new baby. GREAT WORK. I SAW THIS 3 TIMES.
Thanks a lot for your comment and glad you enjoyed so much. Wish you all the best 👍