angellonewolf
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The_Yellow_Ardvark
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angellonewolf
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id weigh it in now
The_Yellow_Ardvark
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None of the above.
Holy grail of a a Parkinson 38a J swivel base is still eluding me, but will carry on the search, would make my bench needs more flexible. but think they are very rare, even in finding images - that size of vice on a swivel was probably never popular..
During searches, came across the little brother 37 on swivel & QR. Bit impulse as a bit small at 4 1/2" jaw versus current 38a at 6" and hoofing nigh on 8" opening which is great for working on mower engines!.
Anyroad, offer accepted so picking this up Friday for £55. Will be making ali and other jaws as you do... but the originals look damn find under that surface rust!
Also saw this porn star of the same model starting at £130, nice job but don't think it will happen
Not sure mine will be getting that level of makeup - but you never know
During searches, came across the little brother 37 on swivel & QR. Bit impulse as a bit small at 4 1/2" jaw versus current 38a at 6" and hoofing nigh on 8" opening which is great for working on mower engines!.
Anyroad, offer accepted so picking this up Friday for £55. Will be making ali and other jaws as you do... but the originals look damn find under that surface rust!
Also saw this porn star of the same model starting at £130, nice job but don't think it will happen
Not sure mine will be getting that level of makeup - but you never know
dannysheff
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Holy grail of a a Parkinson 38a J swivel base is still eluding me, but will carry on the search, would make my bench needs more flexible. but think they are very rare, even in finding images - that size of vice on a swivel was probably never popular..
During searches, came across the littl-e brother 37 on swivel & QR. Bit impulse as a bit small at 4 1/2" jaw versus current 38a at 6" and hoofing nigh on 8" opening which is great for working on mower engines!.
Anyroad, offer accepted so picking this up Friday for £55. Will be making ali and other jaws as you do... but the originals look damn find under that surface rust!
View attachment 253357 View attachment 253358
Also saw this porn star of the same model starting at £130, nice job but don't think it will happen
Not sure mine will be getting that level of makeup - but you never know
View attachment 253359
'yours' is prob in better condition apart from a couple of whacks to the jaw, it looks little used over its 60-110 years (?) - interesting also as it looks like it must be original colour - Parkys standard colour was red, but other colours are not scarce.
Keep looking, but it may take a while to find a bigger one on a swivel base.
Why do so many old USA vises have swivel bases (and quite a few swivel jaws - often seized up) but no quick release? Whereas English vices have QR but rarely swivel bases (apart from the popular Record auto vice 74 and 75) and very rarely swivel jaws (Fortis?), but commonly QR.
And in Germany (arguably the third major centre of vice innovation and manufacture 'back in the day') neither type of swivel is usual, nor QR.
anyway --- nice find
SteveB58
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Looks great, wouldn't do anything with it except clean off the rust with 000 wire wool and a wipe with an oily rag. Hate it when you see vids of 'renovations' which consist of paint stripping with a rotary wire brush, and painting with Hammerite. You wouldn't do that to an antique, you'd leave it as original as possible.Holy grail of a a Parkinson 38a J swivel base is still eluding me, but will carry on the search, would make my bench needs more flexible. but think they are very rare, even in finding images - that size of vice on a swivel was probably never popular..
During searches, came across the little brother 37 on swivel & QR. Bit impulse as a bit small at 4 1/2" jaw versus current 38a at 6" and hoofing nigh on 8" opening which is great for working on mower engines!.
Anyroad, offer accepted so picking this up Friday for £55. Will be making ali and other jaws as you do... but the originals look damn find under that surface rust!
View attachment 253357 View attachment 253358
Also saw this porn star of the same model starting at £130, nice job but don't think it will happen
Not sure mine will be getting that level of makeup - but you never know
View attachment 253359
Steve
MattF
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QR never caught on over there, & we were smart enough to realise that swivel bases have their uses, but when pure grunt's needed, fixed base is best.
MattF
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Arc Tourist
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Over the years I've acquired many vises / vices, not because I collect them, but because I had an opportunity to buy something different I thought would be useful, and at the right price. I've refurbished almost every one of them, as I enjoy working with nice tools. Just because something is old doesn't really make it an antique, or I would be considered an antique, lol.
I think videos showing restorations, even those using Hammerite are great, as they inspire many who watch them to save and bring new life into what might previously have been considered a hopeless endeavour; that included me, when I chanced upon a little vice at a flea market which was rusted solid and after contemplating it for awhile, I thought what the hell, and went back and picked it up for the price of a few coins in my pocket.
There is one vice that I acquired not long ago, an old Record 74 Auto Vice, which I will not be refurbishing. It has a pleasing character of its own with years of patina and is smooth and undamaged. To strip and repaint it would be to lose its life story, which to me, indicates it was owned by an old school craftsman who treated his tools with care.
Unfortunately, the quality vices of yesteryear are becoming harder to find, but they are just tools, not museum pieces, so even an unsympathetic refurbishment can be better than none.
SteveB58
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Over the years I've acquired many vises / vices, not because I collect them, but because I had an opportunity to buy something different I thought would be useful, and at the right price. I've refurbished almost every one of them, as I enjoy working with nice tools. Just because something is old doesn't really make it an antique, or I would be considered an antique, lol.
I think videos showing restorations, even those using Hammerite are great, as they inspire many who watch them to save and bring new life into what might previously have been considered a hopeless endeavour; that included me, when I chanced upon a little vice at a flea market which was rusted solid and after contemplating it for awhile, I thought what the hell, and went back and picked it up for the price of a few coins in my pocket.
There is one vice that I acquired not long ago, an old Record 74 Auto Vice, which I will not be refurbishing. It has a pleasing character of its own with years of patina and is smooth and undamaged. To strip and repaint it would be to lose its life story, which to me, indicates it was owned by an old school craftsman who treated his tools with care.
Unfortunately, the quality vices of yesteryear are becoming harder to find, but they are just tools, not museum pieces, so even an unsympathetic refurbishment can be better than none.
To a point I agree, the article is yours it has use and function, we paint, oil polish, augment, repair, alter our tools to suit our needs, and the car boots are full of cheap old tools. However it is that word 'restoration' that jars, a windy brush and a paint pot does not make you a restorer. To take an item like the 37 Perfect vice, strip its paint, polish it, replace the original bolts with something from B&Q then paint it in some soul less colour robs it of its history and individuality As you very rightly say to take something once owned by a craftsman, something with patina and character is a a joy to use, and in its use you add to that patina and character adding to the history. A wire brush removes all that.
My Record 75 has some original paint left and all the time it is mine that is how it will be, the 74 however gets a coat of whatever is lying around when it needs it as it is outside 24/7, so I'm no purist. But to claim that cleaning and painting is restoring is IMO disingenuous.
In the great scheme of things it doesn't matter very much, its all down to personal preference and fashions come and go even in tool conservation.
Steve
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People often seem to use the word restore or refurbish interchangeably, so I see your point; and I agree, in the great scheme of things as long as one is happy with the results of their efforts, it's all that matters.
MattF
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It depends, IMHO. The condition of each item tends to denote what it requires. Personal preference also plays a large part. The only thing I don't like, personally, seeing on old equipment is shined up or polished surfaces, where there were none before, especially when polishing rounds the edges. However, each to their own.
dannysheff
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Maybe what's needed is a website or database with a record of the key/historic vices before their refurbishment -- I'd be happy to contribute any pre-refurbishment pictures/measurements etc --- anyone bold enough?
This thread is a good source thanks to weldequip but is vulnerable to any change of commercial policy etc.
eg my last two interesting finds have almost the opposite prob - they have been too 'enthusiastically' over-painted -- I intend to strip them back and give a gentle refurb/minor fettle
dannysheff
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In addition to the above -- just thought -- there's a good start to a historical vices website in smallworkshop.co.uk (owner sometimes contributes to this thread?), there also was very good Woden vices history website which is 'off-air' but, I hear, could reappear via a museum site (??).
Anyone needing a good winter lock-down and/or retirement project?
Anyone needing a good winter lock-down and/or retirement project?
Fancy swapping a 8/38 swivel base for the Samsonia?
Now then.....are we talking about the 17s & 6d swivel base underlined?
To fit this perfect 38a model J jobbie?
I am very tempted....why don't you just sell me it, will give you the full asking 17s&6d
Today I scooped it up and TBH it is very good and all original, all works, nothing bent, bit gummed up, usual surface rust, bit of biffery to the jaw sides, the tops are perfect, base works great with OE hardware - can you tell I'm falling for it....
I had to collect from a garden shed with no one in, went tool unarmed so could not take the bloody block of wood off!
MattF
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I believe so. It was you who asked a year or two ago regarding it? It's the one I took off the 8A swivel jaw. I'm not a swiveller.
dannysheff
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avid swivellers may want to note that a Record No7 with 7in wide jaws and swivel base has just appeared on UK ebay
it's not a Parky or Samsonia, but it is Sheffield made
it's not a Parky or Samsonia, but it is Sheffield made
