The VISES of Garage Journal

[JZiggy]

Picked this big boy up for less than $0.50 per pound yesterday.

 

[chrisnazzy]

I picked up my first Parker while Christmas shopping in Vegas over the weekend. Its a combo 433 1/2. Obviously 3 1/2" jaws. Opens 4 3/4" and weighs about 50lbs.

The seller had it listed for awhile on CL and Ebay w/ local pickup. Not sure why someone didn't swoop it up. The jaws are virtually new and all 3 pipe jaws are there. No major damage or repairs. He sandblasted and lubed it after picking it and some other vises up at an estate sale.

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[Shiftless]

Picked this big boy up for less than $0.50 per pound yesterday.

Ziggy scored another great deal

chris:
Yeah, even though eBay is so universally known and followed, once in a while a deal emerges. I picked up 4 vises listed on ebay from the same seller a few months ago for a total price of $18
Two were junky Alltrade and HF units (each with a winning bid of 99 cents) but I sold them off as found quickly to happy buyers for $20 each.
So I got a decent Yost AND a very nice Morgan free and put $22 in my pocket!

 

[Fretters]

Picked this big boy up for less than $0.50 per pound yesterday.

Nice Woden. Looks in good nick. I see you've got a swivel base too.

 

[jrobb316]

Chris: very nice parker, looks almost new and desert clean.

KMScott: thanks for the explanation. There is no way however with the mill setup I have access to that I could cut tool steel with it. Unless I spent a ton on bits which would defeat the purpose anyways. But like I said it was a fun project and the dimensions are dialed in for a future set.

 

[Outlawmws]

Robb, unhardened tool steel shouldn't be any more difficult than regular steel. or is your mill ultra light weight?

 

[BeardedOne]

For sale on C/L in Belmont CA. asking $50

https://sfbay.craigslist.org/pen/tls/d/5-inch-bench-vise/6421484892.html

Has anybody seen a shop vise? I mean literally one labeled S H O P ?

I am by no means an expert here, but I would not spend $50 on that.

I've picked up several vises that are very similar to that one in the $15-20 range and in much better condition.

 

[BeardedOne]

Here's a few from my recent trip to Texas, and back through Nashville.

My GFIL's vise he's had in at least 2 homes in his retirement.

It's not clear, but it is marked made in USA.

When we got to Nashville, we visited Antique Archaeology (American Pickers) and the Marathon building there.

This. Was. Cool.

Some goofy looking guy standing at the door getting his picture taken.

A Parker vise in one of the departments they tell you that you're in when you are walking the long hall.

A few presses

And like an idiot, I forgot to photograph my FIL's Wilton Bullet.

Next time we're there I will.

 

[jrobb316]

Robb, unhardened tool steel shouldn't be any more difficult than regular steel. or is your mill ultra light weight?

The bits leave much to be desired. The mill is fine. I would have to make an investment in bits and then I might just as well have them made.

 

[Shiftless]

I am by no means an expert here, but I would not spend $50 on that.

I've picked up several vises that are very similar to that one in the $15-20 range and in much better condition.

I agree with your assessment of the value. $50 is VERY optimistic. I only posted the pic because I thought the S H O P labeling was unique.

 

[slothfryk]

BeardedOne, that Wilton of your grand father in law was one of the 645 mechanics series before they were numbered, right? If my research is right, it's mid to late 70's era? Could you find a date somewhere?

I like it because the dynamic jaw is the only one I've seen built with enough meat clamping the rail to properly resist rotational failure.

Anyways, this vise was kind of my first love, but couldn't find one. Glad you have one in the family.

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[BeardedOne]

BeardedOne, that Wilton of your grand father in law was one of the 645 mechanics series before they were numbered, right? If my research is right, it's mid to late 70's era? Could you find a date somewhere?

I like it because the dynamic jaw is the only one I've seen built with enough meat clamping the rail to properly resist rotational failure.

Anyways, this vise was kind of my first love, but couldn't find one. Glad you have one in the family.

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Thank you.
I don't remember seeing a date code on it anywhere but we were leaving his house at that point and I wasn't looking to closely for it. He did tell me that he bought it brand new in the 1990s. He was a civil engineer for Exxon and retired many years ago.

I showed him the Sears vise I did the 'resto' on and he jokingly asked me if I'd restore his. Naturally I said sure but it's the only on there and it's about 1000 miles one way from home so we'll have to do that another time

 

[slothfryk]

Thank you.
I don't remember seeing a date code on it anywhere but we were leaving his house at that point and I wasn't looking to closely for it. He did tell me that he bought it brand new in the 1990s. He was a civil engineer for Exxon and retired many years ago.

I showed him the Sears vise I did the 'resto' on and he jokingly asked me if I'd restore his. Naturally I said sure but it's the only on there and it's about 1000 miles one way from home so we'll have to do that another time [emoji481]

Ah, then perhaps I do have my timing wrong.

Good luck with the restoration, when you get around to it.

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[GETRIDAONE]

I picked up my first Parker while Christmas shopping in Vegas over the weekend. Its a combo 433 1/2. Obviously 3 1/2" jaws. Opens 4 3/4" and weighs about 50lbs.

"The jaws are virtually new"
I think the jaws are new and made by a skilled machinist. The top of the jaw tower has been milled flat and the jaw to fit. It dosen't curve down and back into a pocket as originals do.

 

[gman007]

Ziggy scored another great deal

chris:
Yeah, even though eBay is so universally known and followed, once in a while a deal emerges. I picked up 4 vises listed on ebay from the same seller a few months ago for a total price of $18
Two were junky Alltrade and HF units (each with a winning bid of 99 cents) but I sold them off as found quickly to happy buyers for $20 each.
So I got a decent Yost AND a very nice Morgan free and put $22 in my pocket!

What I have observed is that on eBay the Local Pickup is generally a show stopper. Many times personally I have found vises which were offered at a reasonable price but were listed for local pickup, so I could not get them.

 

[gman007]

When we got to Nashville, we visited Antique Archaeology (American Pickers) and the Marathon building there.

A Parker vise in one of the departments they tell you that you're in when you are walking the long hall.

BeardedOne
Thanks for posting the nice photos from your trip. By the way the "goofy looking guy" has for sure a righteous beard

I have watched a lot of the American Pickers episodes but have never seen them buy a vise even when there was a nice vise or two in the background as they are picking through items! Which has been kind of disappointing to me. In few of these episodes where there was a nice old vise among the items, I told my wife, wait for it, this time they are going to pick that nice vise and say something about old US made vises and new interest in such vises etc but it never happened.

The closest thing that I have seen to the vise was an anvil that they picked up (there was no close up shot or mention of the possible brand) and said something about the revival of interest in old skills such as blade making etc. The odd thing was if I remember correctly the anvil was like 120 lb and they only paid $90 or something for it which kind of made me wonder is this another "storage war" type staged setup.
007

 

[meatsis]

I picked up my first Parker while Christmas shopping in Vegas over the weekend. Its a combo 433 1/2. Obviously 3 1/2" jaws. Opens 4 3/4" and weighs about 50lbs.

"The jaws are virtually new"
I think the jaws are new and made by a skilled machinist. The top of the jaw tower has been milled flat and the jaw to fit. It dosen't curve down and back into a pocket as originals do.

GET I don’t think those are new jaws. Here’s a 434 1/2 that I have. I removed the original jaws and installed these nylon jaws that I bought off eBay.

 

[GETRIDAONE]

I haven't seen jaws like that before. It looks like Parker must have made two types.
Check out the picture. You learn something every day.

 

[meatsis]

I haven't seen jaws like that before. It looks like Parker must have made two types.
Check out the picture. You learn something every day.

I think yours is older. I’ve seen a lot of the newer union parkers with that style of jaws. I have two 6” versions that also have that newer style jaw setup.

 

[GETRIDAONE]

I have been wearing blinders
I see them everywhere looking at Google images.

 

[BMR24]

Parker must have decided that it was not worth the extra machining and fittment to continue making them the original way

 

[BeardedOne]

BeardedOne
Thanks for posting the nice photos from your trip. By the way the "goofy looking guy" has for sure a righteous beard

I have watched a lot of the American Pickers episodes but have never seen them buy a vise even when there was a nice vise or two in the background as they are picking through items! Which has been kind of disappointing to me. In few of these episodes where there was a nice old vise among the items, I told my wife, wait for it, this time they are going to pick that nice vise and say something about old US made vises and new interest in such vises etc but it never happened.

The closest thing that I have seen to the vise was an anvil that they picked up (there was no close up shot or mention of the possible brand) and said something about the revival of interest in old skills such as blade making etc. The odd thing was if I remember correctly the anvil was like 120 lb and they only paid $90 or something for it which kind of made me wonder is this another "storage war" type staged setup.
007

Thanks 007-
The "righteous beard" is 2 years in the making come April 2018.

I asked one of the people who worked at the AA store in Nashville if they ever came to bring vises for sale and they said it never happened there. We thought it would be cool to run into them during the trip, as we also went through Dallas and ate at the Gas Monkey Bar and Grill and did see Richard Rawlings (Fast and Loud-Discovery) mingling with other people in the crowd. That was a really good restaurant to visit. I got the smoked half-chicken there and it was very tasty.

The AA store in Nashville did have a drill press that stood about 6' tall and was $325 and looked cool, but they had so much motorcycle stuff that it would be difficult to have much other stuff. I think the shop was probably about 900SF and with it's popularity on TV, there were many people coming through most of the time.

I warned my wife that if I found a cool vise there I'd probably pick up one but there was no such opportunity.

 

[Shiftless]

What I have observed is that on eBay the Local Pickup is generally a show stopper. Many times personally I have found vises which were offered at a reasonable price but were listed for local pickup, so I could not get them.

You got that right!
I too see good deals thousands of miles away with local pick up only. So the deal is to search for vises close to home. Use the eBay sort by distance. That is my tip of the day for newbies who haven't figured that out for themselves yet.

 

[va.grouseman]

I agree with your assessment of the value. $50 is VERY optimistic. I only posted the pic because I thought the S H O P labeling was unique.

Shift, I thought I had one for you but it had a Home logo on it instead.---Looks similar and might be made by the same Co..---I looked through the index and found nothing, but seems like I have seen one in the pages past but just can't dig it up.---That does make the SHOP logo kind of rare but I still question if that warrants the asking price.

Here's the HOME.


http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20150124/b354420061047404d31a22f738ac0d6b.jpg

 

[ptgarcia]

If anyone is interested in a hydraulic Wilton.....but its not cheap!

https://inlandempire.craigslist.org/tld/d/wilton-bullet-bench-vise-with/6409017040.html

 

[KMScott]

Those straight shelf Parker's are a bunch easier to fab. Like this 973B Union Parker, did not know they make the Combination vises. Building jaws for a 204 and a 205 right now. That 433-1/2 is pretty nice, look at those heavy serrations. I wonder if the jaws are hard. Most old Parker jaws are soft.

 

[chrisnazzy]

I haven't seen jaws like that before. It looks like Parker must have made two types.
Check out the picture. You learn something every day.

You got me thinking there for a minute. I was watching this vise fir a couple weeks before going out to buy it and I thought it was just a later Parker. I went back today and googled "Parker 433 1/2" and there are pics of 4 or 5 others and every one has the old curved style.

Glad some others have shown that they eventually had jaws that shape. If they had been made aftermarket I agree it would have to have been by a machinist of KMScott's caliber but I am happier they do seem to be original.

I'm sure the local pickup on Ebay was the deal killer. The starting bid was $105 and the auction ran at least twice with no bids. His CL price was $80 though and that's where we started.

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[Shiftless]

Shift, I thought I had one for you but it had a Home logo on it instead.---Looks similar and might be made by the same Co..---I looked through the index and found nothing, but seems like I have seen one in the pages past but just can't dig it up.---That does make the SHOP logo kind of rare but I still question if that warrants the asking price.

Here's the HOME.


http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20150124/b354420061047404d31a22f738ac0d6b.jpg

va:
We just need to find a member who is building a collection of low quality but oddly marked homeowner vises!

I'm glad I didn't see it at a garage sale for $10... I might have been inclined to buy it and spiff it up for display just to have another weird item on the shelf.
Good time and space waster to be sure.

 

[GETRIDAONE]

"Collection of low quality"
I like that description of the home owners shelf in my basement.

 

[va.grouseman]

GET, you need that SHOP vise to round out your collection.

 

[va.grouseman]

If anyone is interested in a hydraulic Wilton.....but its not cheap!

https://inlandempire.craigslist.org/tld/d/wilton-bullet-bench-vise-with/6409017040.html

I think that is the one that's been on EBay for $1999.00 in the recent past.---If it keeps coming on down like that, might get interesting in a year or two.

 

[AngryBeaver]

Seen a lot of tradesman posts lately.

Figured I’d give some size comparisons. The 1750/1755 is a tad small for my liking. It’s about the equivalent to a 4” regular wilton.

The 1760/1765 is much larger. More mass everywhere. More of the 450 sized body.

The only difference between the 1750 and 1755 is 1/2” jaw width. Same goes for the 1760/1765

 

[Outlawmws]

AB. you about put my eye out with that green vise in the maroon box!

 

[AngryBeaver]

Was only brought into work to show the size difference. Lol.

 

[KMScott]

AngryBeaver Isn't the 1750 and 1755 use 3/4 inch tall jaws and the 1760 and 1765 use 1" tall jaws.

 

[chrisnazzy]

Keizer, OR near Salem. Maybe one of you guys can capitalize on this early Wilton deal on FB marketplace.

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[twertsy]

Gents,
I've been spending a LOT of time on Trademarks lately. Anyone ever heard of this company or seen the mark? I only want to document companies that actually made products.

Thanks!

 

[SRU1436]

.

First Reed, just finished the restoration. Holy smokes this thing is heavy!

 

[SRU1436]

The before picture, please excuse the mess in the back.

 

[Bunk]

the5farrs - Great job on the resto. What if anything did you do to the machined slide surfaces? Just oiled?