The VISES of Garage Journal
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Slowbuilder
Well-known member
I don't know much about this vise, but my old next door neighbor gave it to me as a going away gift when we moved.
It's a 4" Chas Parker vise, model number 974. Other than some rust clean up and painting, it looks pretty good. I've done no disassembly yet.
Any idea what it might be worth cleaned up and restored?
It's a 4" Chas Parker vise, model number 974. Other than some rust clean up and painting, it looks pretty good. I've done no disassembly yet.
Any idea what it might be worth cleaned up and restored?
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Unruh
Well-known member
I got really lucky on this one. It was listed as a workbench with vise for sale for $45 and this was the only picture I had to go on.
I showed up and got them to sell me just the vise without the bench [emoji16]
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We need some more pictures and details on that vise.
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I picked up a 203R for pocket change not too long ago, still has a lot of original paint. It's very overbuilt for it's size. The deals are out there!
equitiesguy
Banned
I appreciate the heads up on this. It's around the corner from me. I've been debating the merits of picking up a used vise like this and fixing it up versus just buying a new one in the $400 range off ebay with a coupon (wilton 400).
gman007
Well-known member
SB Parker 974 is a very nice vise and yours seems to be in condition. Now the question of price is a bit tricky and sometimes on this thread even contentious because there is no set standard. What many members here would pay is different from what general public would pay. But if one goes by what is selling on eBay, even an un-restored 4" American vise like an Eclipse series Parker are selling around $200 (and even more ). Keep in mind some buyers do not like restored vises as they suspect under the paint there might be hidden unpleasant surprises.
Having said this, if you do not have another American vise (honestly even if you already have one) , I would definitely recommend keeping it for your own use. This Parker is a quality machinist (machinist vises are highest quality vises) vise and this Parker has been around for 60-70 years and with proper usage and care will serve you and for that matter your children and grand children.
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gman007
Well-known member
RAG
Since you mentioned issues, I noticed a couple that matter to me and that might not matter to others.
I am NOT saying it is not worth the $250 but some might care and some might not that it has no swivel base. I like my vises in complete state and that is just a personal preference.
Also as the photos are crappy, it is hard to tell but it seems that that the handle end ball is missing and it seems someone has attached a nut to one end.
Slowbuilder
Well-known member
Thanks, GMan! As I thought it's like anything else, it's worth what a buyer and seller agree to at a point in time.
I do have a 5" CM vise that I've used for 30 years or so, but this Parker seems to be heavier, and definitely has a longer reach. I also have my dad's Wilton (also a 4" I think). I doubt I'll sell the Parker - I'd be more interested in the vintage of the vise.
gman007
Well-known member
SB
The Parker machinist 974 weighs about 60 lb and opens about 6 1/2 " and probably was made in 1950s before Parker was bought by Union.
I am guessing that your CM is a mechanics (not machinist which is higher quality and with more precise tolerances and much heftier) and probably made by Columbian which is not in the same class as Parker. Not that anything is wrong with a CM made by Columbian , but most would argue that Parker in general is superior to Columbian and a machinist vise is diffidently superior to a mechanics vise.
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Dennis Leigh Henry
Well-known member
Josh C
Well-known member
TTLLOGIC- very nice vise in amazing condition for a ridiculously low price!
As several have stated -overbuilt- which to me means it’s designed for folks like me!
MayerMR- Thanks for the kudos, although honestly I’m having a quandary as to which direction to go with this one now. The ACCO tag kinda throws a wrench into the usual direction I would go with it which would be to rattle can it whichever color jumped out to me and slap it into use. Will have to figure it out soon as I don’t like letting them sit around disassembled in the shop as I never have enough room, parts tend to get lost, etc..But a question for all with experience with a Reed 104- After cleaning I noticed the nut had some back and forth play in it and even though the vise seemed to work swell the one time I spun the handle it would feel wrong to me to reassemble and not tighten that up. But unlike my 206R there doesn’t seem to be any way to do so without bending the pin that is a stop for the nut even more or slipping a piece of metal in front of the nut. Any thoughts folks have I’d be interested in hearing and thanks in advance. -Josh
As several have stated -overbuilt- which to me means it’s designed for folks like me!MayerMR- Thanks for the kudos, although honestly I’m having a quandary as to which direction to go with this one now. The ACCO tag kinda throws a wrench into the usual direction I would go with it which would be to rattle can it whichever color jumped out to me and slap it into use. Will have to figure it out soon as I don’t like letting them sit around disassembled in the shop as I never have enough room, parts tend to get lost, etc..But a question for all with experience with a Reed 104- After cleaning I noticed the nut had some back and forth play in it and even though the vise seemed to work swell the one time I spun the handle it would feel wrong to me to reassemble and not tighten that up. But unlike my 206R there doesn’t seem to be any way to do so without bending the pin that is a stop for the nut even more or slipping a piece of metal in front of the nut. Any thoughts folks have I’d be interested in hearing and thanks in advance. -Josh
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TTLLOGIC
Well-known member
Got my Athol home today and boy is it a pig lol. 204 lbs actual scale weight. Makes my F-150 look like a Ranger with it sitting on the tailgate.
Jaws are in great shape, no heavy wear or any cracks [emoji16]
Sorry for the dark pictures was a 4 hour drive, got home before sun down. Flash makes the coloring look weird. It has a really nice deep dark patina.
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Jaws are in great shape, no heavy wear or any cracks [emoji16]
Sorry for the dark pictures was a 4 hour drive, got home before sun down. Flash makes the coloring look weird. It has a really nice deep dark patina.
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Indeed
If you want to swing up to your neighbor to the north, I would be happy to own that! Nice!!
KMScott
Well-known member
Here is a few examples of how I tightened up the nut backlash. Bending the pin would be my last option. The pin hole is usually a reamed hole but if it is sloppy on a nominal pin then just ream the hole to the next nominal size and use it to locate a nut stop. Sometimes you just have to have a little imagination.
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Monday I bought a 1940's Atlas drill press, and the seller threw in this vise for free. Parker, #274. If I remember correctly, jaws spread to just over a foot. I haven't found another of that # online. What can you tell me about it? Any and all information appreciated. I'm planning to restore it and give it to my father.
TTLLOGIC
Well-known member
Monday I bought a 1940's Atlas drill press, and the seller threw in this vise for free. Parker, #274. If I remember correctly, jaws spread to just over a foot. I haven't found another of that # online. What can you tell me about it? Any and all information appreciated. I'm planning to restore it and give it to my father.
Sadly it's broken [emoji20]
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Josh C
Well-known member
KMScott- As always, absolutely stunning work you did on those examples of a nut retaining pin (although I’m not using the correct terms I’m sure). With my limited knowledge and tools I can guarantee my “fix” will pale greatly in comparison (compounded by the fact the pin on my 104 goes in on a pretty good angle) but I will come up with something I’m sure. Thank you for showing some interesting ways of correcting the problem. - Josh
kwoswalt99
Well-known member
The swivel jaw is also brazed.
The moveable jaw is also repaired. It was free so if the screw still works good beat it till it bleeds.
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gman007
Well-known member
WZR
As others have already pointed out this vise is in fairly sad condition and that is too bad as Parker 274 (Victor Series) is a magnificent beast and in good shape is worth a pretty penny (see photo below). Here are the original stats for it
Parker 274 (Victor Series)
Weight 110 lb,
Jaw width 5 1/2"
Opening 9"
Swivel Jaw
Swivel base
Yours appears to be an earlier model (1910-1930?) with swivel lever arm and probably with single ring swivel base shoe brake. The one in the attached photo is a latter model with swivel wrench and hinged ring swivel base shoe brake.
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Maui
Well-known member
WZRoberts, the ball end of the lead screw is also damaged on your Parker. You can see that a piece of it is missing. I'm not sure how that could even happen. Fixing it up to give to your dad as a gift would be great, but it will probably be more expensive and more trouble than it's worth. I'd suggest using this for a parts vise.
Maui
Maui
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454ragtop
Well-known member
Well, you could make a project of it, or you could just bend the pin, same as the factory did when it was made.
Muggzy
Well-known member
Picked this little 3 1/2" up at an estate sale this morning. It's been used, but fair to good shape. Markings on the first side say:
The Desmond Stephan Mfg Co
Urbana Ohio
Second side: (looks like)
Simplex Utility No 350
With all the knowledge on this thread, I'm hoping someone can tell me a little about it?
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The Desmond Stephan Mfg Co
Urbana Ohio
Second side: (looks like)
Simplex Utility No 350
With all the knowledge on this thread, I'm hoping someone can tell me a little about it?
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TTLLOGIC
Well-known member
Shiftless
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gman007
Well-known member
Muggzy
This is a typical home workshop light duty user vise which has 3 1/2" and 4 1/2" and weighs 18.5 lbs. If I had to guess its age, I would say made somewhere in 50s-70s.
gman007
Well-known member
Shift
Is this exceptionally low quality vise which appears to have been manufactured and painted by bunch of five year old child laborers sold as new???
As for the price, it is not bad! If they paid me $43.49 I will take it and depose of the "vise" for them (I have bi-weekly recycling service).
mgmlvks
Well-known member
Hmm - a quick look on A-zon for cheap 3" vises shows many choices that are less expensive, more attractive and more functional.
Outlawmws
Well-known member
Low grade even for MIC...
Outlawmws
Well-known member
Picked this little 3 1/2" up at an estate sale this morning. It's been used, but fair to good shape. Markings on the first side say:
The Desmond Stephan Mfg Co
Urbana Ohio
Second side: (looks like)
Simplex Utility No 350
With all the knowledge on this thread, I'm hoping someone can tell me a little about it?
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I would not put it that low in the vise food chain
Generally the bench vise hierarchy is:
Machined slide enclosing the main screw = Machinist vise
Formed slide, also enclosing the main screw = Shop or garage vise (Muggzy's vise above)
Exposed screw, cast slide, and generally cast into the D jaw = Homeowners vise
Clamp on = Hobby Vise or sometimes jewelers/watchmakers vise (A major set upwards for clamp ons)
Certainly there are many exceptions and variants, but most bench fall into the above catagories.
Other classes:
Gunsmith
hand vise
Blacksmith post vise
mini post
drill press
mill vise
technician's vise
woodworkers Vise
Pipe Vise
workmate
Then you get into the cheap Asian made and IMO I don't think that those can make a claim to be more the a vise shaped object in most cases. (HF, the one Shift just posted etc...)
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gman007
Well-known member
I have hard time seeing how much a mechanic or metal/fabrication shop, etc can do with 18lb 3.5" vise except for may be very light duty stuff.
ganymede
Well-known member
They were prolifically advertised in Popular Science/Mechanics back in the 50's.
Shiftless
Well-known member
I agree with Outlaw
The Desmond Simplex vises are actually pretty good tools. It’s certainly not on a par with a 6 inch Reed but for its size and weight, I would recommend it for most work in the range for which it was designed.
That being said, if you have room for just one user vise, I would go a bit bigger and heavier. But the DS brand is a good one.
The Desmond Simplex vises are actually pretty good tools. It’s certainly not on a par with a 6 inch Reed but for its size and weight, I would recommend it for most work in the range for which it was designed.
That being said, if you have room for just one user vise, I would go a bit bigger and heavier. But the DS brand is a good one.
TTLLOGIC
Well-known member
Muggzy
Well-known member
Outlawmws, thank you for this list. It'll be very helpful as I learn more about this vice (spelling is intentional
. As for my intentions for its use, I'll restore it and give it to my other son who now wants one because I restored a Dunlap of the same size for my younger son. It'll be his first as well.
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I just picked up an Erie No. 70 vise yesterday and it has 7" jaws. People have been saying its made by the Erie Tool Works and or Hollands. It is a very large vise, its almost as big as my 8" reed. Im not sure who made it but I would love to find out. If you guys have any info that would be great. Also if you check out my profile, I have an album of my vises.
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Outlawmws
Well-known member
I don't disagree for part of you comment, but I didn't say metal/fabrication shop I said shop as in small work shop. many, if not most mechanics have this class vise on their tool box. - Sure if they do heavy suspensions work, or heavy equipment, they would want bigger, but back in the day, the average service station did fine with that vise. Most general auto mechanics today can do fine with that vise. for Joe average homeowner, that vise is fairly heavy duty, which is why the really light exposed screw vise is generally considered a homeowner's vise.
davethorik
Well-known member
Dang TTL, scooping em all up around here! Glad I snagged my 6" Prentiss out in Columbiana a couple weeks ago and not you! Lol!
Gman- I had a low opinion of those type vises. Never used a simplex, but Columbian made a similar offering- with the stamped steel slide- and I wound up getting one maybe 15 yrs ago as part of a trade (6" jaw and weighed like 40 lbs).
They are strong enough for what they are, the swivel base lockdowns were, I'd like to think, designed poorly, as a "fuse", on purpose so you most likely wouldn't even be able to break the vise.
They have a lot of slop in the slide. This can be a good or bad thing depending. However they will put up with some abuse. Like I said, things get too crazy and swivel base lockdowns will pop loose. They are nowhere near a quality, greased machinist vise in terms of...just about anything, but they don't really pretend to be.
I'd take one over about 95% of exposed screw vises (obviously I'd snag a large Reed or a Vanderman) but I mean the common homeowner grade.
Gman- I had a low opinion of those type vises. Never used a simplex, but Columbian made a similar offering- with the stamped steel slide- and I wound up getting one maybe 15 yrs ago as part of a trade (6" jaw and weighed like 40 lbs).
They are strong enough for what they are, the swivel base lockdowns were, I'd like to think, designed poorly, as a "fuse", on purpose so you most likely wouldn't even be able to break the vise.
They have a lot of slop in the slide. This can be a good or bad thing depending. However they will put up with some abuse. Like I said, things get too crazy and swivel base lockdowns will pop loose. They are nowhere near a quality, greased machinist vise in terms of...just about anything, but they don't really pretend to be.
I'd take one over about 95% of exposed screw vises (obviously I'd snag a large Reed or a Vanderman) but I mean the common homeowner grade.
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