My $30 Chas Parker vise project

[Brad54]

Picked this up yesterday on a junkyard crawl with my buddies.

The Chas. Parker Co, Meridian, CT USA
Model number looks like 383 1/2, but the first two numbers are very poorly cast.
3.5-inch jaws.

It'd been inside their shop building forever. At some point, one of the jaw inserts was removed--looks like the pins broke.
It wasn't abused after that, though--the jaw area is perfect.
The other jaw is smooth--doesn't look like it ever had serrations. There isn't enough ware and abuse on this vise to indicate it was used until the jaws were smooth.

The jaws aren't seized up--it's just tight from dirt.

The swivel pin is unmovable though... I'll have to work on that for a while.

Missing the wrench, too.

I've got my grandfather's Parker, and its served three generations very well.
I've also got a huge Wilton in my shop, and a Studebaker hydraulic vise on my welding table.

I'll find a replacement jaw, and keep an eye open for an original wrench (still have the one on my Grandfather's).

No hammer marks, no cracks, no cuts, no grinder marks, no signs of abuse--just missing a jaw insert and the wrench.

I'll probably mount it on the butcher-block work bench I'm building for my apartment's living room.

-Brad

 

[Lookin4'67Galaxieconv]

Nice find, Brad! Looks good.

Apartment?!

 

[Brad54]

Apartment?!

Yeah... for a while.
Moved in with my girlfriend, rented my house out for six months.
Rented it to another family on July 1, and on July 5 realized my GF was totally bat-**** crazy and I couldn't deal with it anymore.

Got a cheap apartment in Athens.
It needs a shop.
It has a big living room.
I see a perfect solution.

House is turning a profit with the renters, so I'll probably let it ride for a while until I find a piece of property and put up a warehouse house to move to.

But for now, I need some shop space for little projects... like the Ducati 250 narrow case race bike I'm trying to talk my buddy out of...

-Brad

 

[Maui]

The more time you spend with the GF, the more likely you are to see the crazy come to the surface.

 

[Brad54]

The more time you spend with the GF, the more likely you are to see the crazy come to the surface.

Yeah.
A heads-up from someone that I should go down to the courthouse and look up her MAIDEN name, not divorced name or current name, and read the criminal case about her freaking out when she was 35 and breaking into an ex-boyfriend's house and smacking his girlfriend around, throwing something through her windshield, kicking him, breaking a jar over his head, and ripping his right nut out of the sack, would have expedited that discovery process.



That little bit of information sure did bring a lot of things into focus! The last six weeks of our three year relationship just didn't make any sense... until I read that report.

I have a puppy now.
And no matter how many other ******* I look at, I know it won't turn into a fight!

-Brad

 

[Packard V8]

smacking his girlfriend around, throwing something through her windshield, kicking him, breaking a jar over his head, and ripping his right nut out of the sack,

But there's a reason you and he were there with her. Way back when, I'd have gone with it when she'd say, "Ya know what would be fun to try?" Crazy was like Viet Nam; some of the best of times and the worst of times.

jack vines

 

[Fretters]

You definitely know how to pick them mate, and I ain't referring to the vice. Nice vice, btw.

 

[Brad54]

You definitely know how to pick them mate, and I ain't referring to the vice.

Hence... the puppy.

 

[Lookin4'67Galaxieconv]

Yeah.
A heads-up from someone that I should go down to the courthouse and look up her MAIDEN name, not divorced name or current name, and read the criminal case about her freaking out when she was 35 and breaking into an ex-boyfriend's house and smacking his girlfriend around, throwing something through her windshield, kicking him, breaking a jar over his head, and ripping his right nut out of the sack, would have expedited that discovery process.



That little bit of information sure did bring a lot of things into focus! The last six weeks of our three year relationship just didn't make any sense... until I read that report.

-Brad

Yikes! What happened the last six weeks?

 

[Brad54]

Yikes! What happened the last six weeks?

She accused me of flirting with the 60 year old woman wearing a moo-moo at Harbor Freight when the woman gave me a 25-percent off coupon for the parts washer.

She accused me of tipping waitresses to give her bad service.

She accused me of "Making a point of telling the ***** insurance agent that we weren't married so she would know you were available for ******!"... while she was sitting right next to me in the agent's office... for a meeting to see what we'd have to do to get a discount on our insurance for our three cars and two houses... BECAUSE WE AREN'T MARRIED.
Me: "I don't know how to tell someone we aren't married without using the words WE AREN'T MARRIED."
Her: "It wasn't what you said, it was the way you said it--you made it very clear you were available."
Me: "So while you were sitting 18 inches away from me, and we were talking about putting you on my truck titles, and me on your car title, and explaining I lived in your house, and had for the last six months... somehow, in all of that, I was able to convey that it didn't mean anything and that I was available for ******' using nothing more than the tone and inflection of my voice... You've got a LOT more faith in my abilities than I do!"

There was more before that, but those were the last week.
After the Insurance discussion, I commented that she was ******' nuts, immediately dodged a water bottle and a cell phone, packed a bag and that was that.

There was smaller stuff over the last couple years, but I figured the more she saw I was all-in, the more at-ease she'd be.
I didn't realize just exactly how deep that uneasiness went

-Brad

 

[turbowoodworker]

HolY ****. This is way more interesting than another vice restoration.

 

[Lookin4'67Galaxieconv]

HolY ****. This is way more interesting than another vice restoration.

Man, you ain't kidding. Brad, you need some help screening these women!

 

[orangeblood]

recovering from a bat-**** ex-GF and restoring a bike on a workbench in an apartment living room?....you sir, are an outstanding SOB

 

[Maui]

You dodged a bullet. Imagine if you HAD been married to her.

 

[Brad54]

recovering from a bat-**** ex-GF and restoring a bike on a workbench in an apartment living room?....you sir, are an outstanding SOB

I also bought a new shotgun, another rifle, a leather case from Saddleback Leather, and am working a whole bunch more on my nostalgia Altered over at my buddy's shop.

 

[Brad54]

You dodged a bullet. Imagine if you HAD been married to her.

We both agreed very early on that marriage wasn't in the cards---nothing official.
imagine my surprise when one of my buddies said he'd heard her introduce herself to someone at my swap meet as my fiancé, and someone else referred to her as my wife.

Absolutely AMAZING in the kitchen. :thumb:
Only place she was better was the bedroom.
Financially secure, wanted to build a shop on her property, was getting ready to put up a couple of deer stands on the property...
Her dad was going to take us to LeMans next year...

Pulled the 'chute, don't regret it for a second.

-Brad

 

[Fretters]

Her dad was going to take us to LeMans next year...

Pulled the 'chute, don't regret it for a second.

-Brad

Couldn't you have soldiered through until *after* Le Mans?

Good choice on getting out. The crazy never leaves. Once heard a saying:

Every bloke finds a nymphomaniac. Only problem being, after a while the ****** leaves, but the maniac never does.

Another one:

Choose a women for her personality. Easy to do, as they usually have several.


You're on much safer ground with the puppy. You know dogs are dependable.

 

[jdoe213]

Nice find, Brad! Looks good.

Apartment?!

When you are single you can have a workbench coffee table and a tool box TV stand.

 

[Hexen]

...
I'll probably mount it on the butcher-block work bench I'm building for my apartment's living room.

-Brad

I want to see an apartment workshop build thread.

 

[bubinga]

Yeah, l hate when they start the off the wall ****.
Then, you start to say something, then stop, cause you think "Oh, she'll think this or that" .
or you going to do something, same thing, think, "better not do that, cause" "Oh, she'll think this or that" .
Makes you crazy covering your A$$ when you're not doing anything wrong.
BTDT

 

[Brad54]

Yeah, l hate when they start the off the wall ****.
Then, you start to say something, then stop, cause you think "Oh, she'll think this or that" .
or you going to do something, same thing, think, "better not do that, cause" "Oh, she'll think this or that" .
Makes you crazy covering your A$$ when you're not doing anything wrong.
BTDT

Exactly.
My renters are AWESOME... about 15 years younger than me. She was pregnant when they moved in--like, weeks away from dropping the kid.
Obviously athletic and toned, when seen from behind, you'd NEVER guess she was pregnant.
I wasn't checking her out, it was just one of those things you notice--when a young woman swallowed a beach ball, but that's the only thing showing she's pregnant.
I was going to comment about it to the GF... then thought "No, better not, that'll cause a problem." Then thought "Ummmm... I'm now avoiding conversations or observations, because she'll make a huge deal of it... that's not good..."

 

[Engine]

I've been with a few crazies in my day. You got out at the right time. Thumbs up on the vise and the puppy.

 

[bubinga]

Exactly.
My renters are AWESOME... about 15 years younger than me. She was pregnant when they moved in--like, weeks away from dropping the kid.
Obviously athletic and toned, when seen from behind, you'd NEVER guess she was pregnant.
I wasn't checking her out, it was just one of those things you notice--when a young woman swallowed a beach ball, but that's the only thing showing she's pregnant.
I was going to comment about it to the GF... then thought "No, better not, that'll cause a problem." Then thought "Ummmm... I'm now avoiding conversations or observations, because she'll make a huge deal of it... that's not good..."

That's what was happening to me.

Yep, was talking to one a few states away, dodged the bullet with her before even meeting her.
I'm willing to relocate for the right person,
but she put up a bunch of red flags before we even got to meet.
better off here with the cat.
And the Yoste vise in my kitchen.

 

[Brad54]

and the yoste vise in my kitchen.

awesome

 

[bubinga]

awesome

LOL..................

 

[Brad54]

Just got word from a buddy that my replacement jaws off Ebay arrived at his place today! $30 for the pair, and they are the right width.

-Brad

 

[Bcom]

Aren't parker jaws matched perfectly from the factory to fit certain vises? Are these jaws off ebay even gonna fit? I would've paid more to get a good set of new parker jaws from Kevin. Jmo

 

[MarylandDan]

Hey Brad54, I have come to enjoy vintage vises myself. I tried PMing you about the base for the Wilton Cadet you had advertised in the past. By any chance do you still have it? I also have a Parker 63 1/2 that needs a cosmetic restoration.

Thanks

 

[bubinga]

Just got word from a buddy that my replacement jaws off Ebay arrived at his place today! $30 for the pair, and they are the right width.

-Brad

Good deal, does he sell for all vises pretty much?
Who is/was the seller? Got a link, or sellers name?

 

[bubinga]

Yeah.
A heads-up from someone that I should go down to the courthouse and look up her MAIDEN name, not divorced name or current name, and read the criminal case about her freaking out when she was 35 and breaking into an ex-boyfriend's house and smacking his girlfriend around, throwing something through her windshield, kicking him, breaking a jar over his head, and ripping his right nut out of the sack, would have expedited that discovery process.



That little bit of information sure did bring a lot of things into focus! The last six weeks of our three year relationship just didn't make any sense... until I read that report.

I have a puppy now.
And no matter how many other ******* I look at, I know it won't turn into a fight!

-Brad

Yeah, l hate when they start the off the wall ****.
Then, you start to say something, then stop, cause you think "Oh, she'll think this or that" .
or you going to do something, same thing, think, "better not do that, cause" "Oh, she'll think this or that" .
Makes you crazy covering your A$$ when you're not doing anything wrong.
BTDT

LOL Blast from the (recent) past, reading this & LMAO for real here.
Years ago, things were not as tough, and I was still a dumb ***,
But "stole" my drink and glass two different times from the bar, and they ended up in my back seat.
("I had another girl with me, cause she found two glasses in the back of my car" ,Actually two different woman called me on that one................OMG!)
One of them too, another time, Two candy bar wrappers on my floor, again, from two different times. ("I had another girl with me, cause she found candy bar wrappers in the back of my car".)

 

[bubinga]

"Choose a women for her personality. Easy to do, as they usually have several".
LOL................That's funny!