Fretters
Well-known member
Why paint? Just polish it with Mother's
I'm with Outlaw'. Always a shame to hide a nice bit of brass.
Polish it with mothers what though?

Why paint? Just polish it with Mother's

No pics... but I simply sat the freeze plug in the open end of the socket on the bench (cup facing up) and tapped on the carriage bolt double nut with a hammer. Not a perfect way as the freeze plug wants to move around and I had to re-center the carriage bolt head each time before tapping it. A machined convex piece of stock and slightly larger carriage bolt head or equivalent would make this real easy... especially for these brass plugs.
I'm with Outlaw'. Always a shame to hide a nice bit of brass.
Polish it with mothers what though?![]()

FR: I doubt your key was flipped and more likely the date stamp wore off. a lot of Wilton bullet vises were sold to government and used in public school's shops so they had a lot of use. if you want to confirm and take it off and flip it to see I won't stop you, but just saying usually the ones without a date are the old Patent or Chicago stamped ones.
Tool: if your Wilton doesn't have a date stamp i'd guess it was because it was well used like I mentioned in the above post to FR. if more pop up without dates in our date stamping thread that I started, but Bluebolt took a lot of time compiling the data then we'll maybe rethink the no date. for now i'd say just well used at some shop probably in a school.
After further thought and the great "recommendations" from this thread, mine will get a good polish and no paint!
I looked into one of those bags. But they seemed a bit pricey for limited use. Then again, I have many tools like that in the garage
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I finally got around to modifying a brass freeze plug to replace the missing dust cap on my 3.5 inch. So I scrounged around the garage for some way to put a dome into the flat plug and I found a large cap screw with a 1.25 inch head. After smoothing the head a bit on the cap screw, I started slowly tapping the inside of the plug with it resting in a large socket (36mm to be exact). Although a 1.5 inch head cap screw would have worked better, I went with what was available.
I plan to paint it later, but another fun little project complete.
Great minds think alike. !! Nice job
Here's an idea...
For a one time or experimental use, why not fill an old sock with sand? I need an end cap for my 3 inch bullet... if I try it, I will take pics. Dont be surprised to see sand all over my workbench!
Here's an idea...
For a one time or experimental use, why not fill an old sock with sand? I need an end cap for my 3 inch bullet... if I try it, I will take pics. Dont be surprised to see sand all over my workbench!
Why? What did you think I meant?![]()
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After further thought and the great "recommendations" from this thread, mine will get a good polish and no paint!
I have a lead blanket that works for me.
I use a piece of wood instead of the socket.
It is one solid piece instead of a swivel pin hinge like Parker. I think the top mounting plate has been replaced or modified because none of the holes align like they should and it is a strange shape. There are extra bolts just to keep it locked down and from swiveling.Parkinson 3C swivel base. It looks like a copy of Parker's brake shoes. The bad is its broken and someone tried to fix it with solderIt is one solid piece instead of a swivel pin hinge like Parker. I think the top mounting plate has been replaced or modified because none of the holes align like they should and it is a strange shape. There are extra bolts just to keep it locked down and from swiveling.
Fretters, I like the spring over the screw to keep the backlash at "0". The slide & housing are machined c!ose to keep everything tight. The housing is as stout as any US vise, the cast in nut is not what we are use to seeing. The weight difference may be in slide as it is not as thick as a 6" US vise typically is. I already put the housing in the E Tank to loosen up the paint for stripping. The jaw screws will be drilled out as the slots are almost flat![]()
After media blasting (I know what your thinking right now) the brake shoes and base I found a previous attempt at arc welding the shoe back together. I now have a larger oxy-acet torch so I will try brazing it together.
McBrownie, Interesting, I haven't seen a one piece shoe on a Parker before. I have two older ones with swivel bases that I never took apart. I will have to check them out.
As promised, here is the restoration of the Parker 973 ½ I recently acquired. Here it is in the condition that I got it.
I began by taking the swivel bolt and wrench out, then flipped it over and removed the 1 ¼ bolt from the bottom of the vise.
I shot some PB Blaster down in the swivel part to help loosen it up to get it to separate. It finally came apart and then I unscrewed the lead screw all the way out and removed the dynamic jaw from the base.
The screw holding the front collar was the next thing to be removed. Made sure to remove the lock washer from the collar as it was stuck in there.
Then pulled the lead screw out of the dynamic jaw.
Next up was using a punch to get the jaw pins out. Having another vise to hold the Parker was extremely useful. Wound up destroying the cheap punch I was using. I bought a Mayhew set this morning to replace it. Did manage to get the pins out using some other punches and a small rod I used as a punch.
Like last time, I was working alone, so don’t have any pictures of me using the wire wheel, but I used a combination of the wire wheel on my bench grinder, one on a angle grinder, as well as one on a dremel.
More painters tape and paper towels to keep paint off of contact areas. Used a plastic shopping bag on the slide this time to save some of the painters tape thanks to some tips posted by other members who saw my last restoration.
Didn’t get any pictures of me spray bombing it with Rust-Oleum gloss black, but instead of going with the usual white lettering over black, I went with lime green to be a little different. I have always liked green accents on black. Tried the brush method for the lettering this time instead of the paper towel dabbing I’ve used in the past.
Assembly is the reverse of disassembly. Here is the finished product. . The lettering came out really well for a guy who can screw up a stick figure pretty regularly.
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That paint job no longer exists.Got a delivery from the Good Reverend today for my Wilton 9300. I decided a new handle was needed and also sent Kevin the spindle to get a Parker-style "speed handle" set screw installed. Here is the before with my Browns helmet paint job. That was supposed to bring a winning season to Cleveland, but seems to have resulted in a Broncos Super Bowl win.That paint job no longer exists.
Here is the before with the standard 9/16" dia 8" handle. Pretty dinged up and kind of a pain to use on a vise with almost no backlash.
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Here it is with a new 5/8" dia 10" handle with the speed handle option. A really nice job by Kevin and gives me the precision of a Wilton with the easier use of a Parker.
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The new set screw. There was not room for a spring and ball bearing, so Kevin made up a nylon plug that works just fine.
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The spindle knob was mushroomed, so boring it out to 5/8" made for a nicer fit.
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Ready for another 50 years.![]()
McB: Amazing and looking even better now. i like the speed handle option too.
Slotard: i bought this Morgan 88 that has a bolt that is sort of an option like you are talking about that snugs in the handle in any position for quick turns of the handle.

Bagged,
Here are a couple of spares. A little under 5/16" in diameter and about an 1/8" thick and made out of nylon.
Slo,
No need for a thumb screw. Just snug up the set screw and the handle stays wherever you slide it to.
Ahh it's the size of the little piece of steel Parker used behind the spring. Is it just a piece of nylon or some special material, and did you buy them in those diameters? Where do I get them? I'm going to use those from now on on all my Parker restorations.
KMScott made them. I think it's just nylon rod. Nothing fancy.
I machined them round in my CNC, I had a block of Nylon 6/6. There is several types of Nylon but this stuff holds its shape. McBrownie will be the test pilot on this one.
There was only 3/8 of space to work in. I have 1/4 balls I like to use but did not have the room on this one. The other spindles I reworked had more room to work with (7/16 minimum)and we decided to try a piece of Teflon but it was way to soft and would not stay tight. The Nylon worked. It is the same stuff they use for hammer heads. The spud was machined at .245 diameter and .150 thick and the 5/16:18 set screw was shortened to a 1/4 inch. The tap drill size for a 5/16:18 thread is .257. McB came up with this idea and took the risk.

McB: nice upgrade. did you ship the Wilton's screw with hub on it to KM? or did you cut off the handle first to ship it and how did you ship if you did? nice idea with the speed handle and do you or KM have a picture of that piece of nylon you are mentioning? who cut the hole to 5/8 or did you just dremel it a little bigger? how hard was it to drill and tap the hole in the end of the hub? giving up on the Browns by changing color?

I machined them round in my CNC, I had a block of Nylon 6/6. There is several types of Nylon but this stuff holds its shape. McBrownie will be the test pilot on this one.
There was only 3/8 of space to work in. I have 1/4 balls I like to use but did not have the room on this one. The other spindles I reworked had more room to work with (7/16 minimum)and we decided to try a piece of Teflon but it was way to soft and would not stay tight. The Nylon worked. It is the same stuff they use for hammer heads. The spud was machined at .245 diameter and .150 thick and the 5/16:18 set screw was shortened to a 1/4 inch. The tap drill size for a 5/16:18 thread is .257. McB came up with this idea and took the risk.
Could you not have carried on drilling through to the back and placed a spring and ball in there where there is more meat?