Help Only jUnK cast iron vises available?

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ahohen1

BFL
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I ordered a set of four 4" cast iron vises from company #1 but had to return them, I ordered the same from company #2 and had to return them, i ordered the same from company #3 and had to return them. Imported junk (China) and the surfaces you rest the mouldings on and clamp are all un-level :soapbox: . When i have a frame clamped in all four corners with these, it puts a great bind on mouldings, especially narrow ones. Only one left to try, but nobody there knows what i am talking about. This is the picture of the vises. Does anyone have them and how is the quality and, ARE THE LEVEL with a LEVEL worktop and not twisted? Thanks for any info....
http://www.framingsupplies.com/Castironmitervise.htm
 
Your best bet: Look on eBay for old Stanley or Barton vises.
:kaffeetrinker_2: Rick

"They just don't make 'em like they used to."
 
For the price, I have been happy with framingsupplies.com vises. Better quality than some others (you probably know) I have tried. The old Stanley 400 is the best though - expect to pay 75-125 or so for these when you can find them -
 
a guy outside of atalanta(with whom I have prev done biz) has 1(or more?) and will probably give you an honest opinion of them....wnet

you spend a week on google=vices????? Do a history search on TG????
an 'outside' possibility----appeal to the guys in UK about Lions's(or anyone elses) vices--descriptions/experiences with 'new' ones, etc, then order thru them(probably have the same junk stuff we do!)? more expensive but you may like the product?
 
Find you some of these expensive Masterpiece Clamps and you won't be sorry. I picked up these two for a steal and they are absolutely the best clamps I have ever used.

!BPpkqogCGk~$(KGrHgoH-DgEjlLl1CLoBJ0pZFGQvQ~~_12.JPG


I think JRB said he had a new pair he has never used. Make him a real offer and he might let them go.
 
Bill I would have suggested that AHohen start a thread and ask if any grumblers have any vices for sale. OK any vises.

I have 4 here that I rarely use any more and while not actively looking to sell them I could be coerced to get rid of one or 2 ;)
 
j Paul said:
Find you some of these expensive Masterpiece Clamps and you won't be sorry. I picked up these two for a steal and they are absolutely the best clamps I have ever used.

!BPpkqogCGk~$(KGrHgoH-DgEjlLl1CLoBJ0pZFGQvQ~~_12.JPG


I think JRB said he had a new pair he has never used. Make him a real offer and he might let them go.
Click to expand...

Where can i buy these? Where is the website? Thanks.

Bob Doyle: What vises do you have and how much would you sell them? Thanks.

jPaul: who is JRB? Thanks.
 
ahohen1 said:
Bob Doyle: What vises do you have and how much would you sell them? Thanks.
Click to expand...

Umm, don't know! 1 pair, really old, says made in USA, and United. Has bearing end and a cotter pin to hold in place. The other pair I got at WoodWorkers. Solid, but uses lock washers to hold in place. Feels like I was always tightening the lock washers. Bought them so I could have 4, so I could double my working speed.

They're heavy, the expensive part would be shipping them!

$50 for a pair, plus shipping? Is that fair? The one on EBay looks solid BTW.
 
You know J Paul I was just starting to forgive you for stealing those right under my nose and you rub my face in how great they are!! Oh well to the victor go the spoils!!! :beer:

Tom
 
ahohen1 said:
Where can i buy these? Where is the website? Thanks.

Bob Doyle: What vises do you have and how much would you sell them? Thanks.

jPaul: who is JRB? Thanks.
Click to expand...


JRB he is a grumbler. Click on the link and you can leave him a PM. He is the one that has a masterpiece clamp and might want to sell it.

The Masterpiece clamps are avail. at M & M http://www.mmdistributors.com/category-s/136.htm
I warn you they are expensive, but IMO worth it.


That Stanley 400 on eBay even used will be a better vise than the new cheap ones.
 
Bob Doyle said:
Umm, don't know! 1 pair, really old, says made in USA, and United. Has bearing end and a cotter pin to hold in place. The other pair I got at WoodWorkers. Solid, but uses lock washers to hold in place. Feels like I was always tightening the lock washers. Bought them so I could have 4, so I could double my working speed.

They're heavy, the expensive part would be shipping them!

$50 for a pair, plus shipping? Is that fair? The one on EBay looks solid BTW.
Click to expand...

Excellent deal. Which pair would you sell? Can you put a picture of each? Thanks. :)
 
Masterpiece Clamps..........

We bought a set in Las Vegas a year ago, and they are the best I have used, especially for shadow box items that need more support.

Rob :thumbsup:
 
Send me a PM with your address and I'll mail them out. I'll look them over and send the better pair, probably the older United model. I liked the bushings and cotter pins better than the lock washers. Felt sturdier.

Nothing was "wrong" with the older pair, i just wanted to have 2 pair. Now that I rarely use them, due to the vnailer I'll send them to a "good home"!
 
Stanley Vises - When were they retired?

Finest Fabric said:
....The old Stanley 400 is the best though - expect to pay 75-125 or so for these when you can find them -
Click to expand...

Rick Granick said:
Your best bet: Look on eBay for old Stanley or Barton vises.
"They just don't make 'em like they used to."
Click to expand...

j Paul said:
...That Stanley 400 on eBay even used will be a better vise than the new cheap ones.
Click to expand...

How amazing that this thread would surface in July 2009!

Although I'm now the owner of my second CMC and wouldn't run a frame shop without one, the majority of our frames for the past 31 years have been joined in Stanley Vises! :icon19: Might sound a little like a contradiction in embracing modern tools.

Although I own a wonderful pneumatic underpinner (Fletcher/Pilm F-5700), saying that we use these vises has everything to do with getting a quality join. When dealing with torqued moulding, poorly mitred moulding, mismatched moulding from two different sticks -- Nothing will create a better looking corner than a traditional Stanley Vise! :thumbsup: We have 7 and use 5 of them currently.

As a consultant to The Fletcher-Terry Company for the past 22 years, I encouraged and recommended that FTCO pick up the casting and remake the old Stanley 400 Mitre Vise years ago (in fact I suggested this a couple of times). I can't remember when Stanley stopped making them, but I would guess sometime in the late 1980's?? Anyone know? Remember?

This whole conversation is such a strong commentary on "You get what you pay for", and how so many business decisions are based on PRICE. "People won't pay that much for this product anymore - that's why it's made offshore these days!

I'm hanging on to every one of our old vises, in case you're going to ask. ;)

John

P.S. I have heard very good things about the Masterpiece Clamps.
 
I don't know if they were retired John, but the ones that are being sold to us, because they are cheaper to buy and resell by the wholesalers are ####. Real cheap and i know that I had twisted them apart.

Oops, not the ones I just sold, those were really good, umm, yeah, they're good ones. That's why I want to get rid of them, because they're so good ;)

No, don't worry! they're good. I got a spare pair of vises to be more productive. Then bought a vnailer to be even more productive. Then got onto the Grumble and am no longer all that productive ;) If you opt to get a vnailer instead of these vises I'll understand, and recommend that route over o=more vices!
 
Another thing Stanley don't make no more are their neat little strap clamps. Simple to use. Just a length of webbing and a little rachet mechanism. Great for joining big frames, especially if you biscuit the corners. Put a bit of tension on and fine tune the corner alignment, then cinch the whole thing up and take to the pinner. They are nice because the webbing is soft enough not to mark the moulding and strong enough to allow a heck of a lot of tension. It moulds itself to the moulding profile so you can get pressure in the right places.

I wish I had got some more when they were gettable. Good thing is, the webbing is easily replaceable and the mechanism itself is virtually unwearoutable.;) If you ever see any - grab 'em.
 
j Paul said:
The Masterpiece clamps are avail. at M & M http://www.mmdistributors.com/category-s/136.htm
I warn you they are expensive, but IMO worth it.
CORRECTION: I keep referring to these as Masterpiece Clamps and that is
wrong, the correct name is Master Clamp. You might have a better chance
of finding some with the correct name.

I posted a link in the for sale forum for three different listing for Stanley 400 Vises that are currently on eBay.
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
 
j Paul said:
CORRECTION: I keep referring to these as Masterpiece Clamps and that is
wrong, the correct name is Master Clamp.
Click to expand...

Ahhh, the MasterPiece clamps must be the cheap ones at the expensive price. Now, who is that makes those? TruClamp?

Sorry - just couldn't resist!

:smiley:
 
I have 4 of the vises from framing supplies and 2 of them are still in the box. I tighten them up and the outside corner of the frame opens up. i have tried them with several different styles and its the same thing all the time. I plan on contacting them next week to see what they say. Otherwise i have ordered a lot of things from them and never had a problem.
 
Get some extra cotter pins! I used a set like that and the pins were really chap and I twisted too hard and pulled them right through! Easy enough fix. I think I actually used a 18 guage brad and twisted it in place ;)
 
Baer, when I went into a woodworkers for that very vise I got a set that had lock washers instead of a bearing and cotter pin. The lockwasher would come oose and every once in a while I had to tighten the lockwasher back into place.

I preferred the bearing and cotter pin vices.
 
Bob Doyle said:
Baer, when I went into a woodworkers for that very vise I got a set that had lock washers instead of a bearing and cotter pin. The lockwasher would come oose and every once in a while I had to tighten the lockwasher back into place.

I preferred the bearing and cotter pin vices.
Click to expand...

Same problem I have with my adjustable angle vise I bought, forget where...
I have bought the aluminum vice, off EBay and it works fine, no problems, right up there with my old Stanley vices. The old Stanley used to sell for around a hundred on EBay a few years ago. The last time I purchased a vise from Woodcraft they where only $45 a great deal. I don't care for the little dog eared tighteners they have.
 
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