Wilson vice identification/info

UKworkshop.co.uk

Help Support UKworkshop.co.uk:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
D2BC20B8-F872-4655-9A2D-B125885CF639.jpeg
 
Hi all!
Im Mark, i am wondering if anybody can help me with information on a wilson style vice please?

I buy and sell vices and I've never had one of these myself but i have seen them. I don't know much about them but they seem to be for fine metalwork and jewellery?
I will attach some pictures to help.
Im sure it says wilson on it and most that I've seen are kind of right handed? This one, the jaws are more to the left?
Lastly the nut for the main screw is made of brass.

Thanks for any help 😊
View attachment 91083View attachment 91084View attachment 91085View attachment 91086View attachment 91087View attachment 91088View attachment 91089

Very interesting.

I'm guessing this is a very early Wilson, before the Colt and DOHM names (all from London, I believe) and maybe Hale USA. It's really surprising that so many variants were made: many sizes and at least three styles ---

I'd guess yours is the earliest, then the most usual right offset version, also castings, in several sizes, which was also made in quick release versions, then later also the big versions were made by fabrication from steel plate (like your second version on a dustbin).

Obviously this Wilson 'multi-jaw' style vice had some sales, but it doesn't seem to be a recipe for commercial success to keep changing the design. Still, makes it interesting for us vice enthusiasts.

I have a small version 2, as in the leaflets above, and a large steel fab type, but I'd say yours although more basic, looks very interesting to me.
 
Last edited:
And, Mark, the 'nut' of the the main screw seems to be made of brass/bronze (good choice, I'd say) but also seems to have a kind of largish 'cup' built in -- what's that? for greasing?
 
I have a few Dohm,Colt smaller vices , which look identical externally, but the Colt has a threaded brass boss that the threaded rod goes into, whereas the Dohm’s are threaded through the cast body.
 
Got a new one off EBay…..
it’s much bigger..06255107-1DA5-4BC1-BD1D-BBA9B326CF0D.jpeg
 

Attachments

  • 2B7C9B7C-8A6E-45EB-B3DD-E3DEFCCAEDCF.jpeg
    2B7C9B7C-8A6E-45EB-B3DD-E3DEFCCAEDCF.jpeg
    126.3 KB · Views: 5
  • 46B3BDFB-03FB-4898-9A3E-15D49CECAD83.jpeg
    46B3BDFB-03FB-4898-9A3E-15D49CECAD83.jpeg
    134.1 KB · Views: 6
  • 3BDE6239-D3AE-45D1-8661-127DB52D3C0B.jpeg
    3BDE6239-D3AE-45D1-8661-127DB52D3C0B.jpeg
    138 KB · Views: 6
  • BA226CF5-64E8-4F3A-9796-7D25A8F554F1.jpeg
    BA226CF5-64E8-4F3A-9796-7D25A8F554F1.jpeg
    123.7 KB · Views: 5
  • 6CB898D0-9966-41F0-8AEC-F21E8E0A0743.jpeg
    6CB898D0-9966-41F0-8AEC-F21E8E0A0743.jpeg
    146.1 KB · Views: 5
Last edited:
I’ll have look tomorrow and get back to you..👍
Thanks, appreciate it, far better than bodging a repair that will kind of work, or giving up, if I see and try and find or make missing parts, to restore the vice to how it should be.
 
I wish these were more common here in the U.S., although we have our share of oddball vises (or vices, but that word has another meaning in American English). Not that I need it, but...

2f36c55dee4b34955288806ee863dc46.jpg


Groan! "D-vice?"
 
I’ll have look tomorrow and get back to you..👍
Perhaps not best photos but just about finished the DOHM 3+1/2" quick release vice. Turret rotating and locking now as smooth as when new. And new main screw cover. Quick release for main screw function restored and a new brass soft jaw insert. Only spiral spring dust cover was slightly beyond my refurb. Thanks very much John, the photos helped show what was previously lost.
 

Attachments

  • IMG_20230623_210626_1.jpg
    IMG_20230623_210626_1.jpg
    2.6 MB · Views: 0
  • IMG_20230623_211008.jpg
    IMG_20230623_211008.jpg
    4 MB · Views: 0
I wish these were more common here in the U.S., although we have our share of oddball vises (or vices, but that word has another meaning in American English). Not that I need it, but...

2f36c55dee4b34955288806ee863dc46.jpg


Groan! "D-vice?"
Is that the one with the swivelling vee block on the end of the dynamic jaw? I have one and also a set of accessory jaws of the same design for a normal 6" bench vice.
 
Perhaps not best photos but just about finished the DOHM 3+1/2" quick release vice. Turret rotating and locking now as smooth as when new. And new main screw cover. Quick release for main screw function restored and a new brass soft jaw insert. Only spiral spring dust cover was slightly beyond my refurb. Thanks very much John, the photos helped show what was previously lost.
Nice work..the spring is a difficult one…I’ve seen similar ones used as a return spring on gardening secateurs which could maybe be modified to fit the vice…
the original colour is a light grey/green..
 

Latest posts

Back
Top