Eric's vise restoration thread

until recently I only had one little vise. A mini Chas. Parker no. 101 with 2 1/2" jaws, 12 pounds. I showed a few pictures of it in this thread:http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=156162
after glass bead blasting and a polish on the bench grinder with a fine wire wheel. About two weeks ago I bought 2 vises, one massive Chas. Parker no. 3X and one Desmond Simplex no. 400. I am starting to really like these things today I bought another! A Reed N2 403 1/2R, I paid $45 for it and it weighs 42lbs.. Did I do good or did I pay too much? I am going to be restoring / refurbishing all of these and probably more. I will post detailed pictures throughout the process.. Check back often. Below I'll write the specs for each one, if you have any info on these please let me know, I don't know anything about what time period these vises came from or what their value is. the space between the jaws will be measure when the slide is flush with the back of the stationary jaw.


Chas. Parker no. 101
stationary base (broken)
Jaw Width: 2 1/2"
weight: 12lbs
length between jaws: ?

Chas. Parker no. 3X
stationary base
Jaw Width: 4 3/4"
Weight: ?
length between jaws: ?

Desmond Simplex no. 400
Swivel base
Jaw Width: 4"
weight: ?
length between jaws: ?

Reed N2 4031/2R
Swivel Base
Jaw Width: 3 1/2"
Weight: 42lbs
length between jaws: ?

Parker no. 101 finished


Parker no. 3X HUGE.. I've spent a few hours grinding the rust off with a wire cup and a cordless drill. I may just do that a little more and leave it like this.. Or leave as is but glass bead the slide and screw.. maybe I'll end up glass beading the whole thing



Desmond Simplex no. 400 haven't touched it yet. Bought just like this.



New as of today, Reed N2 4031/2R .. untouched, purchased as is

I think you got a smoking deal on the reed, even get a you **** for that one.... I have the same reed I bought years ago, I paid more than you did and it is my favorite vise that I use.. Keep the pics coming, can't wait to see it look new agian..

3dkustoms said:

I think you got a smoking deal on the reed, even get a you **** for that one.... I have the same reed I bought years ago, I paid more than you did and it is my favorite vise that I use.. Keep the pics coming, can't wait to see it look new agian..

Click to expand...

woohooo thats my first "you ****"

I was looking at that same Reed! I am jealous but also glad that it went to somone on the board. I will add that you ****! Nice collcetion of vises though.

Very nice vises Eric. The 3X is a nice size and someone on this forum has its bigger brother the 4X gathering dust. I'm working on him to sell it...shhhhh. Great job on the 101...an unsual model that's good to see. Desmonds are always a well built vise and yours will make a nice all around vise. I have a soft spot for your No. 403 1/2 Reed since I just got done with a 404 1/2 model. I love Prentiss vises but if I had to be stranded on a desert island with one vise for company....it would be a Reed. Owning one is like buying a 2x4 and getting a 2x6 instead. They are just so freaking stout...
Craig

whelenfan said:

I was looking at that same Reed! I am jealous but also glad that it went to somone on the board. I will add that you ****! Nice collcetion of vises though.

Click to expand...

you should have got their faster I drove a little over an hour to get there haha. I also looked at some other tools but didn't buy anything because the guy wanted crazy money for his beat to **** SO tools.

Catalyze said:

Very nice vises Eric. The 3X is a nice size and someone on this forum has its bigger brother the 4X gathering dust. I'm working on him to sell it...shhhhh. Great job on the 101...an unsual model that's good to see. Desmonds are always a well built vise and yours will make a nice all around vise. I have a soft spot for your No. 403 1/2 Reed since I just got done with a 404 1/2 model. I love Prentiss vises but if I had to be stranded on a desert island with one vise for company....it would be a Reed. Owning one is like buying a 2x4 and getting a 2x6 instead. They are just so freaking stout...
Craig

Click to expand...

I like the 101, I just wish it wasn't broken. The Desmond's slide appears to be a bent piece of 3/16" or 1/4" steel?.. If you have info on any of these vices I'd love to know. And the Reed is very nice.. I see allot of vises in my future.

I worked a bit more on the Parker 3X today. I decided to just clean it up with a wire cut and scotch brite pads rather than abrasive blast.. After many hours of grinding off rust it looks pretty good. Once I was satisfied with how it looked I oiled it with 3in1 oil instead of motor oil which I used on its little brother, the 101. Then I greased the screw and inside the stationary jaw and put it together. I'm pretty happy with how it looks and functions. Very smooth thanks to my grease of choice, Molybdenum.. The grease used on here is CRC Moly-Graph, I also used this on the 101. would anti seize be better? Its allot more expensive, thats why I haven't used it yet. If so, the silver stuff or copper? Oh and the bad news, I think this vise had been repaired in three spots anyway, on to the pictures
the base/ bottom. razor blade for size reference.







Clean





Its been beat on a little, but its in relatively good shape









all the parts ready to assemble

greased

done

cracked and repaired?..



Cigarettes for reference

another repair

one more

I like the " original shop" look, I'm sure that you will put that to good use. Honestly, I am really waiting to see how the Reed turns out. How is the swivel jaw? Were you able to get it loose?

don`t lube a vise screw. put car wax on it. Then lightly buff....same goes for the turn tables on a front end machine...grease and oil collect dirt

I like grease though. lol I'll try it. I really need to get an air compressor and 54678 other things. So many tools, so little money I don't have access to a blast cab atm. Maybe I can take the vices to my uncle's and use his HUGE blast cab. snap on or mac, idr

Desmond Simplex no. 400

The piece from the anvil that fits in the hole, have you located one?