Outlawmws
Well-known member
(Big Sigh) USUCK USUCK USUCK
The VISES of Garage Journal
- Thread starter mjozefow
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(Big Sigh) USUCK USUCK USUCK
gman007
Well-known member
Get, that is th first time I have heard of a Parker bear! Were these bears some kind of promotional items ? Any idea of history/story behind them?
drivesitfar
Well-known member
CA: is your finish BLO or maybe shoe polish or wax? WELL DONE!! (and you deserve a cold beer and some rest after spiffing up that one)
007: boy o boy if you want to start going down the HUGE RABBIT HOLE of ACCESSORIES for vises you are in for a treat and a very expensive trip. I'm not a huge fan of Parkers as you've heard and not because they were not made with QUALITY OR LOOK GOOD and maybe more cause I don't get many over here on our side of the country and the ones i see have been beat to an inch from death.
there are a few of the guys that own these little bears so keep your lookout for one. there probably could be an entire thread in Vintage section just on ACCESSORIES like Salesman samples (very cool BTW), tie clips, stands (also some are very cool) and the list goes on. here's a couple pics of some that i had handy and i don't own either.
best of luck in your searching and hope you find a gem today!!
57: I can't see your pics so ask if you need help or edit your post and post them up.
007: boy o boy if you want to start going down the HUGE RABBIT HOLE of ACCESSORIES for vises you are in for a treat and a very expensive trip. I'm not a huge fan of Parkers as you've heard and not because they were not made with QUALITY OR LOOK GOOD and maybe more cause I don't get many over here on our side of the country and the ones i see have been beat to an inch from death.
there are a few of the guys that own these little bears so keep your lookout for one. there probably could be an entire thread in Vintage section just on ACCESSORIES like Salesman samples (very cool BTW), tie clips, stands (also some are very cool) and the list goes on. here's a couple pics of some that i had handy and i don't own either.
best of luck in your searching and hope you find a gem today!!
57: I can't see your pics so ask if you need help or edit your post and post them up.
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Sorry I posted twice, still learning how to edit and post pictures.Now with the picture.
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drivesitfar
Well-known member
57: NICE PICS OF YOUR VISE FAMILY and I bet you've got a few more working on your benches. i might be speaking just for myself, but having a few more pics of those big 6 and 8 inch Wiltons, the Dawn and let us know what the others are would probably be appreciated by the others too.
thanks for sharing.
thanks for sharing.
Thanks, here are a few more, as soon as i can remove some things in the way I cam get better pics. I have a rock island sheetmetal vise on the bench and sold off two six inch columbians, 3 wilton 600s and one wilton tradesman. Had to draw the line somewhere
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drivesitfar
Well-known member
57: yep i sell the Wiltons, Columbians and Parkers (or don't buy them as often anymore) cause as you say the line has to be drawn or the RABBIT HOLE becomes too damn big. those are still good old vises and just trying to keep from going BANKRUPT..
nice looking group and loving the offset DAWN. is the Starrett a 6 inch or do tell? NICE!!
more pics as you have time and thanks again!!!
nice looking group and loving the offset DAWN. is the Starrett a 6 inch or do tell? NICE!!
more pics as you have time and thanks again!!!
Haha, well i dont know what would happen if I get a bigger garage!
The Starretts are model numbers 926, yes, 6 inch. One is NOS fixed base the other is a 926 swivel in fantastic shape. The rest are one C3 fixed, one C3 swivel, one 800s NOS, one 800n NOS and another 800n that came from boeing. The small wilton is a 3 inch cadet, with vintage blue point label and the rock island is a 4 inch sheetmetal vise.
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drivesitfar
Well-known member
57: great stuff. not sure if you live near Boeing, but my dad and sister both spent over 30 years there. love the ROCK ISLAND COACHMAKER and you are peaking more than my interests with the other names and numbers you are just throwing out there like candy to a diabetic.
CHEERS and keep them coming as you have time!!
CHEERS and keep them coming as you have time!!
chrisnazzy
Well-known member
The big Starrett and Wiltons are cool but am I weird that my favorite might just be that Rock Island?Haha, well i dont know what would happen if I get a bigger garage!
The Starretts are model numbers 926, yes, 6 inch. One is NOS fixed base the other is a 926 swivel in fantastic shape. The rest are one C3 fixed, one C3 swivel, one 800s NOS, one 800n NOS and another 800n that came from boeing. The small wilton is a 3 inch cadet, with vintage blue point label and the rock island is a 4 inch sheetmetal vise.
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drivesitfar
Well-known member
Chris: not weird cause it's COOL. if you like that one here's another that i own and i need to find time to pull it out and take a few more pictures of it so you'll know what to look for.
also thanks for the nice comments to me on the vise repair 101 thread.
cheers
57: yep still cleaning up the drool off my laptop's keyboard.
also thanks for the nice comments to me on the vise repair 101 thread.
cheers
57: yep still cleaning up the drool off my laptop's keyboard.
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va.grouseman
Well-known member
Swivel base and swivel jaw coach-makers, Drive that one is the total package.
chrisnazzy
Well-known member
Nice vise Drives!Chris: not weird cause it's COOL. if you like that one here's another that i own and i need to find time to pull it out and take a few more pictures of it so you'll know what to look for.
also thanks for the nice comments to me on the vise repair 101 thread.
cheers
57: yep still cleaning up the drool off my laptop's keyboard.
That's like "I'll see your Rock Island Stationary Coachmaker's Vise and raise you my Rock Island Swivel Base Swivel Jaw Coachmaker."
Well played sir, well played!
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drivesitfar
Well-known member
Chris and Va: i wasn't trying to OUT DO or show up 57 because i really do like his coachmaker. maybe i was showing him and you that there is also another Rock Island vise you need to add to your lists, but i have posted mine in the past when i picked it up a couple years ago. i know i gave the stand away to a friend cause he needed one for an outside vise and i was tired of moving it cause it cause the rim was full of cement.
Fire: nice!!
ALL: anybody know if Rock Island's vises swivel bases were interchangeable like say do all 4 inch wide jaw vises have the same one and is the 4.5 different?
thanks
Fire: nice!!
ALL: anybody know if Rock Island's vises swivel bases were interchangeable like say do all 4 inch wide jaw vises have the same one and is the 4.5 different?
thanks
GETRIDAONE
Well-known member
The bear has garage coveralls wore by mechanics back in the 30's & 40's. The vise was advertised as the Big Bear Service Vise. I guess a promotional bear was in order.
Sorry for the late reply but drives already covered it.
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gman007
Well-known member
Get, thanks so much for the info and specially the ad, it is super neat. I love the part that it states "TOOL STEEL-PINNED ON-THEY CAN NOT WORK LOOSE!" and I can personally attest to this, add 60-100 years of rust and the pins are a real pain in the rxxr end to remove!
It amazing how Parker and other great manufacturers (Athol, RI, etc) went out of business as they had a great product and do seem to have equally good advertising and marketing campaigns. I guess the falling demand -partly because these vises were hard to destroy and lasted for ever and partly because the changing nature of manufacturing and diminished need for vises is what drove them into ground but then again it raises the question how did Reed, Wilton etc survive?
I believe the swivel base do not interchange. They all have the models stamped on the bottom.
Took my Parker 973 1/2 to work and put it in the plastic blast cabinet. Stripped 4 layers of paint and looked basically nos even before. There are numbers under the static jaw and both inserts. Looks like it might be a date code. Anyone else ever seen this? Also what do you think the original color may have been? Battleship grey? It's not a patent 1930 so I was guessing it was made in the early 50s but maybe 1942?
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KMScott
Well-known member
jrobb, the numbers stamped are to keep the custom fit jaws with the vise during assembly. I have see the numbers on every Parker I have worked on. Building two sets of jaws today for a 204 and 205.
gman007
Well-known member
jrobb
Per one old GJ thread, supposedly and I quote "Parkers were black or a shade of green".
To give you some ideas, I have attached a photo of my CP 955 which was repainted in the (supposedly) original black color. I have also attached a photo of CP 204 which is finished in rust-oleum hammered Bright red (which I believe has nothing to do with the original color). And a CP 974 which is not restored yet but has Battleship grey color (I am pretty sure someone had at some point repainted this and when I got it was already this color).
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Thanks! Interesting the static jaw had no stamp and it was possibly in the date range so I figured I would ask. As I was blasting the paint off it was a dark green, then blaze orange, then bright blue, then looked to be a primer or grey color. I heard maroon may have been an original color and I like that picture of the red you posted. Will be going on top of my tool box that i roll around at work on top of a section of maple bowling alley for the work surface. I am very impressed with the quality of Parker's casting and the shipping scale said 43 pounds even for a 3.5". And no one touched the slide on this one for a change!
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trijeff
Well-known member
va.grouseman
Well-known member
Looks like a school shop project.---Looks plenty solid.---I'd like to see the guts of that swivel mechanism.
Outlawmws
Well-known member
Just wanted to share this just because a brand new version is cheaper from harbor freight and comes intact (hopefully) https://m.harborfreight.com/6-in-swivel-vise-with-anvil-63189.html. Just makes you wonder how out of the loop you’d have to be to buy and or list such a turd bucket especially a (industrial salvage company).
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drivesitfar
Well-known member
TJ: it looks like you got your SIG LINE SNAFU figured out, but still don't know why you have to justify to anybody. your choice, but don't post up any more UGLY VISES or i'll get my old computer's pics and show some of the mods the old guys did to some high quality vises.
that one looks like it might not open very far either.
JR: Athol has my vote, but both nice vises. i'll let you know about the Rock Island swivel bases once i GET ORGANIZED and gather up my heard to see.
ALL: anybody else know if Rock Island vise's swivel bases are the same for their 4 and 4.5 inch vises?
that one looks like it might not open very far either.
JR: Athol has my vote, but both nice vises. i'll let you know about the Rock Island swivel bases once i GET ORGANIZED and gather up my heard to see.
ALL: anybody else know if Rock Island vise's swivel bases are the same for their 4 and 4.5 inch vises?
You're just anti-Parker
I think I'll see if anyone bites on the Athol for sale. If not I'll probably use it since a stationary base wont matter in this application. I really like the Parker better though.
BMR24
Well-known member
jrobb you might consider using the Athol on your tool cart because the stationary base won't effect virsitility much in that application, then you can save your Parker for in your garage or shop or whatever your work place is. And you don't have to worry so much about coworkers abusing that nice Parker that way.
There are still Columbians out there in the supply system but Wilton stopped making them a few years ago. Only vises still being made in the USA I am aware of are the higher end Yost, Morgan and Wilton vises.
eddieK
Well-known member
sixleaker; that Yost is a MONSTER!! Both vises turned out great!!
rusty65; there is a lot of irony in that fact you are criticizing someone for being "out of the loop" for asking too much for a HF vise. If there is a clear sign of someone being "out of the loop", it would be a person who posts a HF vise in this thread.
rusty65; there is a lot of irony in that fact you are criticizing someone for being "out of the loop" for asking too much for a HF vise. If there is a clear sign of someone being "out of the loop", it would be a person who posts a HF vise in this thread.
gman007
Well-known member
Jon
Personally the way I interpret it, rusty is making several valid points
1- There are much better choices than Asian made HF vises specially at those prices (namely the old American Irons)
2- Having made the above point, in general it is obviously ridiculous to try to sell a used vise or for that matter used anything else for close or more than what a new one costs.
I actually find the second point regarding the audacity of some people quite funny.
Finally and more importantly and again I speak for myself, members such as Rusty and many others who have greatly contributed to GJ in general and to this thread in particular have my utmost respect as I have learned and benefited greatly from their experience, wisdom and advice.
GETRIDAONE
Well-known member
I put together a base from a mini Brookstone anvil and a 3/4 - 3/8 pipe reducer for my little 1 3/8" offset vise. The reducer was sanded to remove the stamping and trimmed to fit the base top and bottom. It is held together with a piece of 1/4" threaded rod. The vise has no name on it but is built well.
