Mounting a Parker 102-3 on the bench

[jimreed2160]

I was lucky enough to find this sweet little 3" Parker vise. It is a 102-3 from the 1920s and was in pretty good condition. It is just what I needed for my miscellaneous workbench. There are seven benches in the shop and all are pretty "vised-up" except for this one. Here is a picture of it on arrival. It had a few white paint splashes.

I cleaned and lubed it and made a base for it from some very old heart pine. This vise has a protruding shoulder in the front, so I adjusted the base to fit it.

I sawed the ends of the base cut and then hammered out the waste using a Japanese chisel. It took about ten minutes and came out pretty clean. It fit well.

Here is a look at the bottom.

Here is a shot of the cleaned up vise mounted to the workbench. I think it is quite fitting that the Japanese chisels helped out their neighbor.

This is my first Parker vise and I love it. The action is as smooth as silk. I am sure this little guy will start earning his keep immediately.

 

[paulm12]

looks good and great job on the mounting (gives me some ideas).

 

[shortykorte]

Is the wood base fastened to the bench or is the base stout enough for what you put in the vise?

Also what's the difference between a Japanese chisel and a chisel?

 

[drivesitfar]

Jim: great looking vise and nice work making the little Parker shine. i know you like making wood mounts for all your vises except your wood vises that you mount to a bench. don't you just screw the wood into the benches that your vises are bolted to?

 

[kwoswalt99]

Also what's the difference between a Japanese chisel and a chisel?

None. Just a different style chisel.

 

[jimreed2160]

Wow. This little guy has been on the job since August but it seems like he has been there forever. I did not realize how handy it would be. Most of my work at this bench is light work because it is where I repair woodworking tools.

Shorty--You need to come by for a shop tour. There is a Merc Marauder in the driveway and a crowded workshop inside.

Here is the short version on Japanese chisels. The bench chisel I used compares to western **** chisels. In fact, these are similar in feel and function to the Stanley #60 style. Japanese chisels are usually made of laminated steel and have wooden handles with an end hoop. These bench chisels are meant to be struck with a metal hammer. I guess it all came about because they developed very good blacksmithing skills and could laminate blades easily. The cutting edge is very hard and tough steel, while the rest of the chisel is lesser quality. I like them because they are hard and hold an edge a long time.

Drives--I have had a workshop for almost 50 years over many locations and flexibility is important to me. I mount vises on boards so I can relocate them easily as my shop configuration (or location) changes. Some of these boards are clamped to the workbench with C clamps for really quick changes. Mounting them on boards also means that I don't have to chop away on my benches (like with this Parker). More importantly, my shop work is woodworking, tool repair, and light metalworking so the vises get light work. If I did welding or smithing, this mounting strategy would probably not work so well.