Pattern Maker's Vice Question

[Bryan Cramer]

I am being offered a pattern maker's vice on trade. Can any body give some insight on it's value? I am not sure I will use it to it's full capacity because I only build cabinets and fine furniture. In the future I might consider making string instruments. Would this vice be usefull for that work? A regular vice is all I have and need now. Am I looking a a deal I shouldn't pass up? I included the images on PDFs because I had to resize them. The owner says the vice is in good working shape.

Thanks

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[Matt Evans]

Emmerts Pattern makers vises like that are an exceptional style of vise. Whether you do furniture, cabinets or anything else, the ability to hold things in a variety of positions is invaluable. The monetary value is pretty good on the Emmerts, though I can't quote a specific number, but I would snatch a deal on an Emmerts up in a heartbeat myself.

Specific uses of the patternmakers vises that I can think of off the top of my head: cutting tenons, carving (particulartly ball and claw feet or finials) anything a face vise can do, saw filing(with a custom set of jaws inserted) cutting dovetails, holding jigs in place to use with machines. . . and the list goes on and on.

[Jim Matthews]

I have an Emmert K1 mounted on my bench. I echo Matt's sentiments about versatility of the vise.
I use my Moxxon far more than the Emmert, which may be down to my skill set.

I purchased mine for $350, and received no offers above that price when I attempted to sell it.

The cost of shipping these makes them less desirable than they may first appear.
It's worth noting, these are a PITA to mount, as it requires milling the underside of your bench surface.

http://www.mprime.com/Emmert/index.htm

[Myk Rian]

I included the images on PDFs because I had to resize them.
PDF is a terrible way to send pics.
DL and install Shrink Pic. It re-sizes as you upload them. Great program.
http://www.onthegosoft.com/shrink_pic.htm?referer=shrinkpic

[Bryan Cramer]

Thanks for the link. I had to resize my pics on Word, but I knew not everybody could view Word I made a PDF. I will try that program.

So from what I am hearing having a pattern maker's vice will be only a benifit. I was trading a tool worth about $400, but I will have to work out the shipping details. Thanks guys! I should add this question: I am considering buying without viewing the vice, would you take that risk?

[Larry Fox]

Thanks for the link. I had to resize my pics on Word, but I knew not everybody could view Word I made a PDF. I will try that program.

So from what I am hearing having a pattern maker's vice will be only a benifit. I was trading a tool worth about $400, but I will have to work out the shipping details. Thanks guys! I should add this question: I am considering buying without viewing the vice, would you take that risk?

Bryan, I have 2 Emmerts mounted on my bench (#1 and #2) and they are amazingly versitile gizmos. The one you show looks to be a #2 and, as others have said, the variety of stuff that you can hold with it is amazing. As to your question about buying it without viewing it I would say no if you can avoid it. These vises are very heavy and durable but some of them have seen some abuse and exhibit cracked / broken parts. The piece I would be most concerned with would be the one shown in the foreground in the 10th and 13th pictures on page I link to below (not my page). They are probably the weakest piece in the whole vise and they are hard to source. People are going to chime in and tell you that CS Machine in PA will have them but tale my word for it - they don't stock it. You might get lucky and he has one from a parts vise but I didn't. This part is made of cast so welding is hard to do correctly. Mine was broken when I got the vise and I sent it away to a company called Lock and Stitch who specialize in repairing cast. They charged me $100 + shipping. One the plus side, the one you are looking at appears to have the bench bracket which is something of a rarity. Typically when people remove them they leave this attached to the bench and you have to source one aftermarket. Hope it helps.

http://www.brasscityrecords.com/toolworks/emmert_vice/emmert_vice.html

[Mel Fulks]

Used prices are all over the place. I would say the 400$ is as low as recently seen. Look at the high prices of the modern copies, which are much smaller. In the early 1980s one of the pattern makers supply was selling a modern full size vise for 1200$ as a stock item. Don't know if they still sell them,if they do,they are more expensive now. I have the Yost vise which was the first knock off, it moves 1/2 inch with one turn,I think that Is same as Emmert. If all the brackets etc are there and unbroken you need to buy it.

[Mel Fulks]

As noted ,some of them are broken. That is not saying they are fragile.They are broken only by abuse ,know of one that was ruined by an office guy trying to use one to straighten a bent lawn mower shaft ! Pattern makers put heavy match plates in them for final adjustment , flash removal,etc. For any work requiring precise positioning they are superior.

[Jeff Duncan]

I couldn't tell from the pic if it was an Emmert, but if so they are worth a few bucks. Whether or not it's worth $400 is dependent on condition though, and even then is debatable. I've seen guys asking a LOT more....but you rarely know what they actually sell for so??? Then you also have to take into account whether or not your part of the trade is really worth $400 as well? I guess at the end of the day you need may want to forget about the dollar value and ask yourself do you value the vise as much as you would the machine your trading?

Now as fas as the usefulness of the vises themselves I think they're great. I bought mine years ago for next to nothing and had to have a buddy weld a broken part for me. I'm also still missing the bracket that locks the tilting part of the vise underneath the bench. I still use it all the time and would much rather have it than a basic bench vise.

good luck,
JeffD