The VISES of Garage Journal

[autopts]

Maybe someone noticed the cheap Bullet that Wilton will be pushing. Its's sooo Chinese looking. Wilton,since they sold out have raised the small parts prices 25% this year alone. 90% of their parts are coming from China and the tariffs are hurting them bad.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/WILTON-Mec...618839?hash=item3fadd8fe17:g:gLUAAOSw18Jbu8OW

 

[Outlawmws]

Funny how you assumed that...

No assumption; you recently graduated High school and I understand went into or are going into the military. Good for you on that if true, but you are not what you try so hard to portray...

 

[Polilrichkid]

https://grandrapids.craigslist.org/tls/d/vintage-77-rock-island-vice/6721059337.html[/IMG]
If interested, this vise is for sale. Nice piece. Contact Rich at 616-4zero6-83zero8
# 77 Rock Island, Cleaned, Repainted, Swivels, 6" Wide Jaws, Opens to a Working 12"

Other vises for sale:

2-Pole Vises, came out of a 100 yr old blacksmith shop

I haven't figured out how to upload pic's yet here...Call me provide an email address and I can send them. I am a little slow, but I do catch on.

 

[Outlawmws]

Just so there is no question about my "assumption"

Which ties into the "99" in your username.

 

[kwoswalt99]

No assumption; you recently graduated High school and I understand went into or are going into the military. Good for you on that if true, but you are not what you try so hard to portray...

I don’t try to portray anything. I’m always just an *******.

 

[jaguar01]

I have a Parker Vise Div Mfg Co. about 8” jaw. It is on a stand that seems like it came with it, but not sure. The stand is height adjustable. All together probably 300 lbs. Does anyone know anything about these vises? Approximate year or value?

uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20181108/6c2594632b21c777fb0ce26fb41ee15f.jpg[/IMG]

 

[Asport]

Someone on this forum wanted info to update his list of vises I saw earlier but I can not find the post now...So maybe some one could send this info to the correct member for me. He has a very nice list with vise info and he was asking if anyone had an addition the list to let him know, well I have a Chas parker 25X , weight 139 pounds. 26" long 5 1/2" jaws Model 25X

Nice vise! The X series are one of my favorites.

 

[gman007]

I have a Parker Vise Div Mfg Co. about 8” jaw. It is on a stand that seems like it came with it, but not sure. The stand is height adjustable. All together probably 300 lbs. Does anyone know anything about these vises? Approximate year or value?

Jaguar
To me this looks like a Union Parker. Union Tool Mfg bought the Parker vise division (if memory serves me right) in early 50s. So that might give you an idea of the age.

Now as for the 8" and total (vise+stand) weight of 300 lb, well that is a bit confusing to me. personally I know of three 8" CPs:

model 208 @285lb
model 260X @350 lb
model 978 @289lb

As you can see each of these already weigh around 300 lb or more. The base looks pretty hefty and should be pretty heavy on its own. Are you sure this is an 8" vise? Also personally I am not sure if Union Parker even made 8" vises.

 

[gman007]

Someone on this forum wanted info to update his list of vises I saw earlier but I can not find the post now...So maybe some one could send this info to the correct member for me. He has a very nice list with vise info and he was asking if anyone had an addition the list to let him know, well I have a Chas parker 25X , weight 139 pounds. 26" long 5 1/2" jaws Model 25X

Weld
That is a very nice specimen

My guess is that your mystery person is in fact Dr Scott (KMScott). Which probably will see your post here. You might also want to post your vise on the Vise Info thread (where Dr. Scott and others post newly discovered vises there)

https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=355753

 

[KMScott]

I added the 25X to the spreadsheet. Thanks Weldstuff.

 

[jaguar01]

Jaguar

To me this looks like a Union Parker. Union Tool Mfg bought the Parker vise division (if memory serves me right) in early 50s. So that might give you an idea of the age.



Now as for the 8" and total (vise+stand) weight of 300 lb, well that is a bit confusing to me. personally I know of three 8" CPs:



model 208 @285lb

model 260X @350 lb

model 978 @289lb



As you can see each of these already weigh around 300 lb or more. The base looks pretty hefty and should be pretty heavy on its own. Are you sure this is an 8" vise? Also personally I am not sure if Union Parker even made 8" vises.

Gman

I am not 100% I rarely use it where it sits for now. I will measure it when I get home. And it is very heavy. I can only use a hand truck to move it. It is a Union Parker, it does say that on it. The No. on the opposite side is painted over, I cannot read it. I miss typed the name before, it is a ‘Parker Vise Div Union Mfg Co.’
Also do you know how long Union Parker was around?

 

[RBarnes]

Here is an example of what you can do when you have the skills and imagination like GJ member Royce, with some help from KMScott

I love this photo!!!

<B>GO BIG OR GO HOME</B>

I wouldn't want to be there when you try to take this vise up river in that boat though.

 

[MissileBear]

Also do you know how long Union Parker was around?

They were making vices until the early 1970's - the later models I've seen had stickers on the side instead of casting in the metal, like this 974 1/2B.

 

[jaguar01]

They were making vices until the early 1970's - the later models I've seen had stickers on the side instead of casting in the metal, like this 974 1/2B.

So it’s most likely 60s I guess. Thank you

 

[va.grouseman]

Jaguar, the stand looks like some sort of heavy industrial jacking system, not necessarily for a big vise, but an ideal vise stand it makes.---A very nice setup there.---And I agree with Gman, Union Parker.---Measure those jaws for sure.---There's usually a pretty good jump in weight from a 6 or 7'' to an 8'' vise.

 

[gman007]

They were making vices until the early 1970's - the later models I've seen had stickers on the side instead of casting in the metal, like this 974 1/2B.

I believe Union was wrapped up in 1975.

 

[jaguar01]

Jaguar, the stand looks like some sort of heavy industrial jacking system, not necessarily for a big vise, but an ideal vise stand it makes.---A very nice setup there.---And I agree with Gman, Union Parker.---Measure those jaws for sure.---There's usually a pretty good jump in weight from a 6 or 7'' to an 8'' vise.

Thanks. I will definitely measure when I get home.

 

[gman007]

Jaguar, the stand looks like some sort of heavy industrial jacking system, not necessarily for a big vise, but an ideal vise stand it makes.---A very nice setup there.---And I agree with Gman, Union Parker.---Measure those jaws for sure.---There's usually a pretty good jump in weight from a 6 or 7'' to an 8'' vise.

Even at 6" at least the Older Parkers (before Union) weigh in range of 160-185 lb. Add another 100 lb or so for the stand, there is your 300 lb.

A 7" Parker should weigh around 230 lb.

 

[Thistle2592]

Cleaned up pretty well, Father-in-Law gave it to me. Now I need to build a bench to hold the beast.

 

[gman007]

They were making vices until the early 1970's - the later models I've seen had stickers on the side instead of casting in the metal, like this 974 1/2B.

MB
Is that your 974 1/2B? If so is there any chance that you could measure the weight. The older pre-Union 974 1/2 weigh around 76 lb. I am just wondering if after Union take over they went cheap and the weight dropped (which might turn out to be true across all models that were still produced after take over).

 

[gman007]

Cleaned up pretty well, Father-in-Law gave it to me. Now I need to build a bench to hold the beast.

Thistle
Any man should be so lucky to have a nice FIL like yours. That is a very nice Big Bear and @90lb for a 4" vise, that is a lot of vise.

Great restoration job as well

 

[MissileBear]

Is that your 974 1/2B? If so is there any chance that you could measure the weight. The older pre-Union 974 1/2 weigh around 76 lb. I am just wondering if after Union take over they went cheap and the weight dropped (which might turn out to be true across all models that were still produced after take over).

No, it's not not mine (yet). I've been eyeballing it for a while but the seller wants more than I think it is worth considering its a late model. I'm very curious about it....seller says it is mint, but I don't see a retaining collar for the spindle? Not sure if Union changed their design late in the game and removed that collar. The Union Parkers I've owned/seen all still had the collar.

 

[gman007]

No, it's not not mine (yet). I've been eyeballing it for a while but the seller wants more than I think it is worth considering its a late model. I'm very curious about it....seller says it is mint, but I don't see a retaining collar for the spindle? Not sure if Union changed their design late in the game and removed that collar. The Union Parkers I've owned/seen all still had the collar.

Funny that you should mention the retaining collar as I noticed that Jaguar's yellow Parker seems to be missing the collar too. But in all the other photos that I have seen Union Parkers seem to have a pretty plain (nothing fancy like older CPS) collar.

PS
Do you still have any of the other Union Parkers that you mentioned? We can weigh those and compare them to the weight of the pre-Union equivalent models.

PS PS
At a second glance at Jaguar's photo, the Union Parkers collar being essentially a flat plate and the photo being small, that the heavy yellow paint is obscuring the collar.

 

[va.grouseman]

Here's a 976B that's pulling time.---But I can't remember how much it weighs.

 

[MissileBear]

Do you still have any of the other Union Parkers that you mentioned? We can weigh those and compare them to the weight of the pre-Union equivalent models.

I gifted the Union Parker 973 1/2A to my little brother since he needed a nice vise with smooth jaws. It was right under 43 pounds, which is the same as the pre-Union versions.

You can see that it has a post with the snap ring holding the base on (instead of a bolt), also has no pin holding the nut, but a small piece of mild steel peened over the edge of the nut. The base also has the "973 1/2 A" designation cast into the base, which was post Union takeover as I'm told.

 

[davethorik]

Does anyone have any idea when Parker dropped the Prentiss vises?

 

[jaguar01]

I was looking at a 953 1/2 to pick up. 36 lbs 3 1/2” jaw. They’re asking $60

 

[GETRIDAONE]

" also has no pin holding the nut, but a small piece of mild steel peened over the edge of the nut"

I just learned something new today. I had never seen a picture of the nut retention clip. I have a lot of Parkers but no Union models.

 

[MissileBear]

I was looking at a 953 1/2 to pick up. 36 lbs 3 1/2” jaw. They’re asking $60

The back of the slide is broken. Personally I would pass

I just learned something new today. I had never seen a picture of the nut retention clip. I have a lot of Parkers but no Union models.

The pre-Union Parkers are superior for a lot of reasons...that being one of them.

 

[GETRIDAONE]

I was looking at a 953 1/2 to pick up. 36 lbs 3 1/2” jaw. They’re asking $60

There is a piece of the slide broken off the corner in the first picture. It won't effect operation but is an eye sore.

 

[Gothook65]

Hello, My name is Mike and I have a Vise problem.

 

[Mr. Wonderful]

Welcome Mike, FYI you are in the wrong place if you are looking to cure that particular problem. You will find this group of enablers to be the devil on your shoulder telling you one more vise wont hurt. I started with one vise last year, I now have eight. Im up to 12 craigslist searches a day!

 

[gman007]

Hello, My name is Mike and I have a Vise problem.

Welcome to the Hotel California
.......
You can check out any time you like,
But you can never leave!

 

[trijeff]

Hear that! With all of the other tools I sought I was able to turn off the automated searches no problem at all once I found one of what I needed. But with vises have never been able to do the same. The travel radius isn't quite as crazy today as when I started, but there is absolutely zero doubt that I have a problem.

Sent from my SM-G900T using Tapatalk

 

[Negen]

Hello, My name is Mike and I have a Vise problem.

The only problem with having a vise vice is that you can never find that perfect vise. You must collect them all.

Sent from my G8141 using The Garage Journal mobile app

 

[Smitty]

Hello, My name is Mike and I have a Vise problem.

Yeah, I hear what you’re saying. I started in February and my collection weighs well over a ton at this point.

 

[va.grouseman]

Hello, My name is Mike and I have a Vise problem.

Is your problem with addiction or do you have a conundrum with one particular vise.---And there is VA, but it's not for people with a vise problem.---Maybe there should be.

 

[RBarnes]

Hear that! With all of the other tools I sought I was able to turn off the automated searches no problem at all once I found one of what I needed. But with vises have never been able to do the same. The travel radius isn't quite as crazy today as when I started, but there is absolutely zero doubt that I have a problem.

I must confess I am a little disillusioned by your confession trijeff. Your Jessica Alba common sense statement has always helped me keep the vise "accumulating" in check. I really try to just keep vises I have a working use for. Getting tough though.

 

[rusty65]

Indeed to me a vise is a unique tool often for the average Workman 1 per bench. Also the different designs of the vises often have me wondering from which workshop they first originated in and what other machines or other unique tools may have been there as well.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[jaguar01]

So the Yellow Parker Union is a 6” jaw. So that stand must be heavier than thought. Also believe it is a later model, scraped off some paint where the model number would be and saw nothing. So probably had a sticker that fell off.

As for the broken Chas Parker 953 1/2, I let the seller know it was broken, and offered $20, and they did not accept. Oh well. Thanks for catching that MB