more information about a Parkinsons Popular 45 Vice?

[steve b]

I Picked up a Parkinsons Popular 45 today for the princely sum of £25 which seemed good enough to me. Was advertised as quick release but im pretty sure it isnt as doesnt have the handle or any other obvious mechanism for it.

im interested to know what the 45 means? is it size or model number etc?

looking at a couple of other threads it seems the latest manufacture date was around 1930 which makes it around 80 years old which is pretty awesome!

what should i do with it now? how do i make sure it keeps working another 80 years? i thought i would try to clean it up but its still its original colour and seems a shame to mess with it now, the guides and runners have a dusting of rust but i dont really thing its mush to worry about?

Is missing a bolt and looking at the other photos I can see that the metal clip(?) would normally hold the centre... thingie in place. what is the centre thingie for? and how could i use the existing bolt to try to figure out what replacment to get for the missing one? the centre thingie still seems to do its job without being held in place but id rather have it right. the whole underneath looks like its been cut out, but again looking at other pics in other threads it seems to be the norm, perhaps from manufacture.

What wood should i use as the face of the vice, it has one piece currently, and should i have the screws on the inside as they are at the moment or from the outside? its missing two screws but has two so i might be able to get copies









these are the other threads ive found discussing this manufacturer for those interested

parkinson-woodwork-vice-t772.html
parkinson-wood-vice-no-15-t52764.html

 

[Mrwilson]

The centre thingy is the operate/release mechanism for the quick release. Usual way to test if it's working is to pick the vice up the wrong way and have it close on your fingers!

Guess how I found that out.

I used a couple of bits of 30mm oak I had lying around to make new cheeks, don't suppose it matters too much what you use as it can be changed easily later. Used countersunk machine screws from the inside of the vice, well recessed so they don't mark what you're working on.

Good luck fitting it.

Shug

 

[Phil Pascoe]

It's not the usual thread form for a quick release.

 

[steve b]

just had another play with it, but cant figure out how it would work as a quick release, pressed it in and such, how is it supposed to work?

 

[bugbear]

Is missing a bolt and looking at the other photos I can see that the metal clip(?) would normally hold the centre... thingie in place.... and how could i use the existing bolt to try to figure out what replacment to get for the missing one?

I'll answer this one, 'cos it's fairly easy.

Remove the remaining bolt, and confirm it fits the other hole. Assuming it does, your task is just to measure the bolt.

You need the outside diameter, which can be measured with normal calipers, and the TIP, which is harder to measure, best done with a thread gauge.

However, it's probably a Whitworth bolt, so it's actually possible to infer the pitch from the diameter. The only varied by 1/16" in the range we're looking at, so you don't even need to measure super-accurately.

If you don't have a thread gauge, just use a ruler; fix the bolt near the ruler using blu tack or similar, and simply count the number of threads in a decent length (say a whole inch). As long as you have decent length, this is accurate "enough".

My guess would be either 1/4 x 20 TPI or 5/16" x 18 TPI.

BugBear

 

[steve b]

Is missing a bolt and looking at the other photos I can see that the metal clip(?) would normally hold the centre... thingie in place.... and how could i use the existing bolt to try to figure out what replacment to get for the missing one?

I'll answer this one, 'cos it's fairly easy.

Remove the remaining bolt, and confirm it fits the other hole. Assuming it does, your task is just to measure the bolt.

You need the outside diameter, which can be measured with normal calipers, and the TIP, which is harder to measure, best done with a thread gauge.

However, it's probably a Whitworth bolt, so it's actually possible to infer the pitch from the diameter. The only varied by 1/16" in the range we're looking at, so you don't even need to measure super-accurately.

If you don't have a thread gauge, just use a ruler; fix the bolt near the ruler using blu tack or similar, and simply count the number of threads in a decent length (say a whole inch). As long as you have decent length, this is accurate "enough".

My guess would be either 1/4 x 20 TPI or 5/16" x 18 TPI.

BugBear

Ill measure it and reports back! although i don't have calipers doh! but i may have something else that will be accurate enough. thanks

 

[Phil Pascoe]

If you have to go somewhere to get a bolt - take the existing bolt with you. They will find a nut to fit, and sell you a corresponding bolt (set screw).

 

[steve b]

click the images to get these bigger and you should be able to zoom in with your browser

Bolt 1 - to hold the mech in place





Bolt 2 - to hold the wood in place

 

[xy mosian]

When I first arrived in Shipley, 1969, I came across what had been Parkinson's works. More details available here:-
http://www.northlincsweb.net/Parkinsons ... index.html
xy

 

[steve b]

interesting site, went to university in bradford and know shipley, nice to see the information documented.

would anyone know the best way to clean them up and oil / lubricate them?

I have a few different mops polishing and such would it be worth running these on any of the slightly rusty areas? i dont know how ebrasive i should go

 

[xy mosian]

Ah! studying Electrical Engineering under Doctor Patchet, I didn't realise how good life was back then. Early seventies.
xy

 

[bugbear]

click the images to get these bigger and you should be able to zoom in with your browser

Bolt 1 - to hold the mech in place

Bolt measures (via pixel counting) at 1/4", 18.4 TPI.

Odd. I'd definitely offer up a Whit 1/4" x 20 tpi though.

Edit; I can't count. The TPI seems to be 16.

Edit again; the two inches visible on the ruler in the photo have quite different pixel counts. This makes
using the photo as a scale a little "interesting". I suggest you acquire calipers and thread gauges.

BugBear

 

[steve b]

which one bolt 1 or bolt 2?

bolt 1 was definately less wide than bolt 2 and id say bolt 2 was a quarter inch wide id have said bolt 1 was 3/16?