The VISES of Garage Journal

[Evergreentree]

Awesome rotating Parker km!

 

[bagged89s10]

Here is a nice Parker 439 on a interesting stand.

I saw that somewhere. Did Joestriper post that a while back? Either way, the setup looks awesome and that's one clean Parker!

Edit: I just looked at some pictures joe sent me and I have that Parker in the bunch. The guy who restored that Parker has a bunch of beautiful tools.

 

[CRSINMICH]

GETRIDAONE, CwazyWabbit, bluebolt, Evergreentree, Outlaw: I was only mildly curious about the dingus before but now I have to figure it out. Unfortunately the vise is outside in an unheated garage. I'll have a thorough look at it tomorrow and try out all our theories. I have to drop off a Simplex and pick up some Emmert parts in the morning so I won't get to play until after lunch and then it may be Honeydew time. We'll see how it goes. Whenever I think I've figured it out I'll let you know. Thanks for your ideas.

 

[Outlawmws]

According to the Mohs hardness scale:
Aluminum: 2 - 2.9
Copper: 2.5 - 3
Brass: 2 - 4

The Mohs scale is one that rates scratch resistance. IMO: The copper jaws are more aesthetically pleasing, especially the polished, vintage ones. However, I use aluminum because I have a lot of raw stock in my shop. Also, it's a lot cheaper than copper. Looks like if you want a harder material than aluminum, brass is the way to go.


Here's a link to the Mohs hardness scale:
https://www.tedpella.com/company_html/hardness.htm

Mark, Wouldn't the hardness of aluminum on that scale be very dependent on the grade and tempering? 6061-T6 should be far more resilient than say 5052-H32...

 

[Outlawmws]

Guys, you were right... I have not even touched the 180lb McAvity vise yet and voilà!... another vise finds a new home in my shop. -- A Prentiss No. 2.

Except for a 2" long crack in the slide where it seems nails were being straightened, it is in great condition.

I did not find any other Prentiss no. 2 in the forum; is this guy alone in the world?

Here's a picture after coming home from the auction house, and I could not resist even if the temperature is freezing here to take it apart and give it a quick clean.

What would have been the original finish on these old vises? I would assume they were sold bare metal, but I could be wrong.

Maybe if I get some heat in the shop I may tackle these vises this winter, otherwise it will have to wait till summer. I'll post the finished product in the 101 thread.

Dave, many were painted flat to satin black, but it wasn't
universal back then. Parker had an "economy" line that was painted green...

 

[Outlawmws]

CW: I actually thought of something similar. As it turns out this vise has a feature that would take care of most of that. The spindle bar has resistance built into it so that it will stay where you put it whether it's all the way to one side, all the way to the other, or somewhere between. Now I'm thinking that screw was either for putting resistance on the slide or that it was for some kind of a jig (do you call them jigs?) and it only incidentally went in far enough to hit the slide. I haven't done much tapping but I think it's easier to tap a through hole than a blind hole. That's my working theory as of now. And you thought that you were rambling.

CRS, Parkers almost universally had a setscrew, spring and possibly a slug (I can't remember...) for tension on the handle so it could be centered, but it also made it so you were less likely to get the infamous "dropped handle pinch" and blood blister... tapered heads adn rubber washers were the usual solution. (I use big O-Rings...)

 

[Outlawmws]

Here is a nice Parker 439 on a interesting stand.

KMS that is awesome!

I do hope that it is bolted down to the floor however!

 

[Outlawmws]

Outlaw-So then would the doohickey in question (crs's Parker)make that kick up sease and cause the leverage to pinpoint onto the jaws to tighten harder with more even jaw pressure? (and put more uniform pressure on the lead nut)?

Would the doohickey act to halt the slide kick in the gap within the slide cavity for completely even jaw pressure?

Newbie here in this world of vises...

Well it would certainly take out he backlash of that lifting motion, but how much that affected the jaw angles is the question. Maybe that vise had a lot and/or it belonged to a machinist that needed the jaws not to shift angles?

I know that issue is a significant concern for mill vises. a lot of older designs had issues with jaw slop...

 

[CRSINMICH]

Outlaw et al: I knew I had just read about this recently. On 12/16/15 KMScott posted some Parker information. It's p. 1964 post #39264. Here are some excerpts.

 

[Evergreentree]

Outlaw-my p 2300 has a touch of green on it. I thought it was original paint. So I guess it was economy line? I obviously repainted the lettering. Any info on it?

That was my guess on the doohickey. Machinist, or someone who knew someone who did it to their vise, who worked needed/expected precision.

 

[bagged89s10]

So Jostriper met a guy that was selling a bunch of equipment and vises and shared his info with me. I couldn't go to his place without buying at least one vise, so I bought a 68lb 4" Parker 804 for $60.

 

[Evergreentree]

Nice bagged. Good candidate for the electrolysis tank!

 

[Shiftless]

Not vise of the year

Does anybody think this one can be saved? Parker 288 1/2

Seller asking $100 but that is clearly "optimistic"

http://sfbay.craigslist.org/nby/tls/5366249901.html

 

[bagged89s10]

Not vise of the year

Does anybody think this one can be saved? Parker 288 1/2

Seller asking $100 but that is clearly "optimistic"

http://sfbay.craigslist.org/nby/tls/5366249901.html

I would personally pass unless I had a lead on another one with a dynamic slide that was not broken.

 

[bagged89s10]

Nice bagged. Good candidate for the electrolysis tank!

Absolutely! Almost all my vises get dunked in my etank.

 

[bagged89s10]

Dave, many were painted flat to satin black, but it wasn't

universal back then. Parker had an "economy" line that was painted green...

I've seen a lot of 1930+ Parkers with dark bluish gray paint underneath.

 

[Evergreentree]

Bagged-what do you do to clean the piece off after it comes out of your e-tank?

 

[yossarian19]

Nothing **** by GJ standards but here's the vise I rescued from the local junkyard. Previous owner had started and botched a salvage effort. I bought it for $20, got new Irwin vise inserts for $15, paid a welder $40 to fill in the old jaw lugs (whereupon he hardened the jaws beyond all belief) and the machinist then spent WAY more time than estimated getting the inserts mounted. I think I paid the machinist about $160. Anyway, it's a 5" wide jaw with a 7" spread, unsure throat depth, weighs 62 lbs with a fixed base.
Paramo was spun off from Record during WW II, it's (I hear) an identical vise to a same-year Record. I may have overpaid for what it is but it's so nice to have a "real" bench vise, finally, that I don't mind at all.

 

[bagged89s10]

Bagged-what do you do to clean the piece off after it comes out of your e-tank?

I use simple green, and a heavy duty paint stripping scotch brite pad, and a wire brush and scrub it down. Then usually Lightly coat with BLO. I didn't have time to coat the last few I removed so they got some flash rust in them. I might dip them again then BLO them, or I'll wire wheel them. I used to coat my vises lightly with motor oil, but I like BLO as I can just paint over it.

 

[Evergreentree]

What is blo?

 

[Mark in Indiana]

What is blo?

I believe Boiled Linseed Oil.

 

[Evergreentree]

Ahhh, I have a bunch of that! I'll have to try it

 

[bagged89s10]

What is blo?

I believe Boiled Linseed Oil.

Yes sorry. Boiled linseed oil. I wipe it on with a rag, and after 10 min, wipe it down so it had just a very light coat.

 

[zkling]

Not vise of the year

Does anybody think this one can be saved? Parker 288 1/2

Seller asking $100 but that is clearly "optimistic"

Possible, yes, practical no.

 

[Big Pete]

I managed to pick up these two recently

Nubo 4", looks like it might be late 30's vintage



and a 4" Swindens to go with my 6", these vises cost an absolute fortune new, the 4" is something like $1200, so I was pretty pleased with 60



The paint looks like it was put on with a stick, but I'll strip and clean it up when I get some time, ditto the Nubo

The Nubo came as part of a deal from my local scrap dealer, I was mainly collecting steel stock, , less than 40 bucks all in, including 100lbs or so of steel.

 

[jakemac]

Uh-Oh ! Someone's using Fretters proprietary color !
I expect that that someone is going to get done in.

 

[drivesitfar]

Pete: Very nice couple of vices. Welcome to the vise thread

Jake: I think you mis spelled Fretters?

 

[jakemac]

Pete: Very nice couple of vices. Welcome to the vise thread

Jake: I think you mis spelled Fretters?

Oops, your right. Fixed it.
I got my F members confused in my old age. Sorry guys.

 

[CRSINMICH]

Okay vise fans: The mystery deepens. I checked the Parker 239X and the dingus. First, I took the dingus out. (No off color jokes please.) The only thing unusual about it is that it has been filed flat at the tip. Next, I examined the vise. There is no play in the slide. None! Up or down or side to side – no play. I looked at the top of the slide where the dingus hits it and there is only one circular spot. I expected to find a scratch pattern along the slide as wide as the dingus or a series of circular spots. One spot only. Next, I looked at the jaws and jaw inserts. Here is where it gets interesting. With or without the dingus they fit together perfectly across the top and on either side. The faces of the inserts are even more amazing. They are smooth and dead flat. I mean bagged smooth. With no attempt at clean up, I could see reflections in the faces. When the jaws come together the faces meet without the slightest gap anywhere. No gap!

The mystery continues. The garage shop where we found this vise was a woodworker’s shop. He had a nice bench with a Columbian woodworker’s vise. One possible clue to the Parker may be that the owner had a large collection of wooden hand planes many of which were user made and of GOOD quality. I suspect that he needed to do fairly precision work to make the planes. However, that still doesn’t explain the dingus. Maybe it just served as a lock for when the vise was not in use. What do YOU think?

 

[zkling]

Maybe he was uisng it as a friction brake. Is there a wear streak on the top of the slide where the bolt was?

 

[Evergreentree]

And the plot thickens....

I really expected a slop stopper for the doohickey. If it's filed flat, it was ment to contact the slide...

Then it'd be slide "emergency" brake? Or maybe he just hung his glasses off it...ha

 

[bagged89s10]

Okay vise fans: The mystery deepens. I checked the Parker 239X and the dingus. First, I took the dingus out. (No off color jokes please.) The only thing unusual about it is that it has been filed flat at the tip. Next, I examined the vise. There is no play in the slide. None! Up or down or side to side – no play. I looked at the top of the slide where the dingus hits it and there is only one circular spot. I expected to find a scratch pattern along the slide as wide as the dingus or a series of circular spots. One spot only. Next, I looked at the jaws and jaw inserts. Here is where it gets interesting. With or without the dingus they fit together perfectly across the top and on either side. The faces of the inserts are even more amazing. They are smooth and dead flat. I mean bagged smooth. With no attempt at clean up, I could see reflections in the faces. When the jaws come together the faces meet without the slightest gap anywhere. No gap!



The mystery continues. The garage shop where we found this vise was a woodworker’s shop. He had a nice bench with a Columbian woodworker’s vise. One possible clue to the Parker may be that the owner had a large collection of wooden hand planes many of which were user made and of GOOD quality. I suspect that he needed to do fairly precision work to make the planes. However, that still doesn’t explain the dingus. Maybe it just served as a lock for when the vise was not in use. What do YOU think?

So there is one spot on the slide where the dingus, lol, tightened into the slide?

 

[CwazyWabbit]

I managed to pick up these two recently
.....
and a 4" Swindens to go with my 6", these vises cost an absolute fortune new, the 4" is something like $1200, so I was pretty pleased with 60

......
.

You did well there, especially getting the spanner as well.

 

[Evergreentree]

Are the jaws closed or nearly closed in the spot the dingus made the one mark on the slide?

 

[CRSINMICH]

So there is one spot on the slide where the dingus, lol, tightened into the slide?

Yes there is only one spot on top of the slide where the dingus touched the slide. Suspiciously, they will only line up with each other when the jaws are fully closed.

 

[Evergreentree]

Then sounds like it's just a lock when not in use...strange. What's that purpose? Keep the kids from using that vise?! Ha.

I have a bench of vises only I can use, and another everyone else can beat on!

 

[CRSINMICH]

I managed to pick up these two recently

Nubo 4", looks like it might be late 30's vintage



and a 4" Swindens to go with my 6", these vises cost an absolute fortune new, the 4" is something like $1200, so I was pretty pleased with 60



The paint looks like it was put on with a stick, but I'll strip and clean it up when I get some time, ditto the Nubo

The Nubo came as part of a deal from my local scrap dealer, I was mainly collecting steel stock, , less than 40 bucks all in, including 100lbs or so of steel.

Big Pete: I'm not very familiar with English vices but that Nubo looks like a real workhorse. I would like to see both of these when you finish redoing them. Please be sure to post them here. By the way, have you posted a vice on the Vise of the Year 2015 thread? Here's a link:
http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=313343

 

[bagged89s10]

Yes there is only one spot on top of the slide where the dingus touched the slide. Suspiciously, they will only line up with each other when the jaws are fully closed.

Then sounds like it's just a lock when not in use...strange. What's that purpose? Keep the kids from using that vise?! Ha.

I have a bench of vises only I can use, and another everyone else can beat on!

My guess was some other tool was bolted onto the vise. I don't see a reason for a lock like that?

 

[Fraggles]

Big Pete,

Nice vices!

Any full photos of your red Swindens?

As CW mentioned, it's good to see that the spanner is still present with your second Swindens.

 

[CRSINMICH]

My guess was some other tool was bolted onto the vise. I don't see a reason for a lock like that?

bagged: I'm stymied for now. I suppose it could just be there to keep the threads clean until something else was attached to the hole. I realized that there was one other clue as to how the vise may have been used. When I dusted it clean there were no filings only sawdust.

Evergreentree: I liked doohickey too. I just liked saying dingus better. For future reference: I'm not fond of whatchamacallit or whoozie whatzit.