Parkinson Perfect Vice

[Crispym]

O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay! I just drilled out the 5/16 BSW screw, used a tap of the same size and saved the internal thread! I is a happy bunny.

Having a closer look at the undercarriage, I've found a stamped number. Can't quite read it yet but wonder what it might be - a casting number perhaps? That would be interesting.

Here's a pic of the qr bar and the screw. Nice big divot out of the screw and I wonder if the bar is a retrofit with that yellow paint(?) on it.

And here are a couple of pics of the whole beastie.

Stay tuned for the next instalment folks!

 

[Garden Shed Projects]

Well done on the screw removal .
Tha damage to the screw is curious, looking at the width of it I don’t suppose it will have any affect on the qr mechanism. It would be interesting to know how it happened, that steel is pretty hard.

 

[TominDales]

O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay! I just drilled out the 5/16 BSW screw, used a tap of the same size and saved the internal thread! I is a happy bunny.

Having a closer look at the undercarriage, I've found a stamped number. Can't quite read it yet but wonder what it might be - a casting number perhaps? That would be interesting.

View attachment 121645
Here's a pic of the qr bar and the screw. Nice big divot out of the screw and I wonder if the bar is a retrofit with that yellow paint(?) on it.
View attachment 121646
And here are a couple of pics of the whole beastie.
View attachment 121647 View attachment 121648
Stay tuned for the next instalment folks!

Good progress. The bar is not that mechanically critical. I've replaced a bar on the one I found in our house cellar, for some reason the bar and QR mechanism was missing. However the paint could indicated that the vice had some pretty rough uses, ie spilt or dripping paint from a job where the part was held in the vice. The divot indicates something pretty hairy happened, the bars are the most vulnerable part to being fractured, worth looking to see if they have been welded. I wonder if the divot was cased by a slip with an angle grinder, that would be the most benign explanation. a blunt instrument at high speed would have caused more widespread damage to the bars etc. Unless the screw and the bar are salvage from another vice. It is 100 years old after all.
on my MkII i find the mechanism is prone to slip when loosening but fine on tightening. Its not an issue as it can loosed with the QR after a few turns. You may find a similar effect. How is the large half nut? does that have a divot cut out.

 

[Crispym]

I've done some drill wire brushing today to remove the worst of the corrosion. Here are some pics of the bars and the junction with the face plate. Difficult to tell if welding has taken place but, if not, that's some ugly looking casting in the second pic (like I'm an expert ).

Top of slides	Underside
Inner & outer	Inner & outer other side
Full length

There is a wee bit of slight damage to the threads in the half-nut but not enough to affect the function I'm sure.

 

[Crispym]

Hello peeps, time for an update after a bit of gap as it's been a while since I've been able to do any work on the beast.
The degreasing has been done and a final rub down.

Remember the stamping I found on the fixed chassis? Here it is cleaned up: 'No 10 BB'

Found another stamp on the half-nut. Looks like '10 8 12 B'. Would be fab if that's the casting date!

I've treated the hidden parts like the qr bar and nut, spring and half-nut with shellac.
Now getting ready to paint the rest with smooth Hammerite in ruby red. Looking forward to that but need to work out what not to paint. Won't be doing the screw - that'll get greased - but I guess the sliding surfaces on the arms should be clean too.
Any other pointers?

 

[toolsntat]

I take that as 10 &12 BB
As in, it fits both.
Cheers
Andy

 

[TRITON]

Tha damage to the screw is curious

It's probably from pushing it shut without using the lever. And maybe its only that section as for most of the time in its life it only ever got opened that far.
When I push mine shut it makes a dr dr dr dr dr dr sound which it the spring on the QR jumping as the mechanism moves. I'd say its that.

 

[Crispym]

I take that as 10 &12 BB
As in, it fits both.
Cheers
Andy

Ah yes, looking at it in that context, it does look more like an ampersand - so it fits my No. 10 BB . Did think it a little strange that a date would be put on that individual piece! Thanks Andy.

It's probably from pushing it shut without using the lever. And maybe its only that section as for most of the time in its life it only ever got opened that far.

I did wonder that too but then thought it's too localised - I would expect years of pushing shut without the lever would spread the wear around the screw. @TominDales suggestion above of the angle grinder slip seems quite likely to me: previous user was holding something with vise wide open to cut with the grinder and it went through too quickly or just slipped off the workpiece and into the screw. Hope the worker was wearing their brown corduroys.

As an aside, I'm pleased to find a use (i.e. protecting my bench) for the kilometres of packing paper that Amazon so kindly supply when I order a pack of toothpicks.

 

[Crispym]

At long last, it's complete! Took a while...

Used Hammerite Ultima Smooth Metal Paint in Ruby Red which looks lovely but I'm not massively happy with the durability of the finish. It seems to transfer from the vise to other surfaces too easily but I wonder if a bit of warm weather will help to cure it (at some point this year).
Here's the fitting

You'll see that the qr bar in the pic below looks to be at a bit of a funny angle and it was interfering with the smooth operation of the moving jaw.

Then I worked out that I had the qr fulcrum saddle the wrong way up:

A bit of fiddly under-the-bench removal and refitting of screws and moves perfectly now!
And here's the finished article with cherry cheeks.

Works beautifully

Thanks to everyone who gave their advice, especially on the screws!

 

[TRITON]

Its better if the inner plate is set in flush with the bench, this way its easier to clamp long sections further along from the vice without there being a gap behind.
As you've already fitted it, and moving the bolts would be a proverbial, I would take a piece the same thickness as the plate and the plate facing piece and face the front of the bench with that.

Other than that it's lovely, its even an interesting colour

 

[Jameshow]

Stunning

I'm going to have to buy a couple of Parkinson vices as I live a stone's throw from the old factory in Shipley.

Sadly recently demolished and replaced with a retirement home.

 

[dannyr]

Crispy, that's a beaut. well done.

James - you live in old vise/vice heartland - Parky in Shipley was the big one but also Entwhistle and Kenyon, also Wilson Riley both Keighley, and in Bradford itself Woodhead Cramp -- all from 1800s -- I also think some of the unnamed heavy duty nonQR woodworking vices come from your region.

Don't think you'll regret it if you equip with old local vices.

Someone needs to write a history - you'd get a good start from smallworkshop.co.uk.

 

[dannyr]

Ps like the colour - like an aged Parky red - I think the original bright red used by them, Rededa and others is a bit garish.

 

[Crispym]

Its better if the inner plate is set in flush with the bench, this way its easier to clamp long sections further along from the vice without there being a gap behind.

Hmm, didn't think of that. Mind you, as this bench was my attempt at an MFT (from when I thought machines were the only way you could do woodwork ), I intend to make a proper one, probably à la Sellers, so I'll think about it then.

 

[Crispym]

Ps like the colour - like an aged Parky red - I think the original bright red used by them, Rededa and others is a bit garish.

Yes, thought the slightly subdued shade was better than pillar box red or something. Also thought it a good match for the remnants of the original paint on the thing but, like you said, could be aged anyway.

I really enjoyed this project and it's made such a difference having a proper holding device rather than pfaffing all the time with clamps, dogs and wedges.

 

[Inspector]

The vice turned out very nice.

I had some spray cans of paint that were slow to dry and soft when they got there, even on warm sunny days. I found that heating the cleaned metal parts in the oven until just a little too hot to hold, taking them outside and then spraying light coats resulted in paint that dried as it went on and when cooled was hard and durable as all get out. It is what I do now when painting any metal that fits in the oven.

Pete

 

[TominDales]

Hmm, didn't think of that. Mind you, as this bench was my attempt at an MFT (from when I thought machines were the only way you could do woodwork ), I intend to make a proper one, probably à la Sellers, so I'll think about it then.

Very nice. Looks great , like the paintwork and you seem to have overcome the old screws etc. laughed at the wonky bar.

I would not worry about not being flush with the bench. There are two schools of thought on this. Flush or proturding, both have advantages.
My Parky was flush with the bench apron for 40 years as my teacher at school did it that way 45 years ago and most old vice are fitted flush, its good for when clamping long thin boards against the bench. But you can easily keep a board with your clamps or hold fasts and the vice will hold wide boards upto 6 ft long steady as a rock, its only narrow stock that you need an additional clamp, just use a 11/2 spacer. My recent jaw liner is thicker and protrudes so I've had experience of both.
Sellers benches don't have recessed vices, he puts strait on the bench like yours with a 1 1/2 gap. There are advantages, its easyer to put boards in without trapping your hands against the bench. So don't worry it will work fine.

 

[Lons]

Mine is a younger model though was in a similar state of rust however I decided not to paint and just used oil and wax which still looks good and is esy to maintain, the other thing I did was cut a length of copper pipe in half lengthwise, can't remember if that was 22 or 28mm and used one half to form a cover for the screw mechanism to shield it from sawdust. It was surprisingly easy as there was a lip under the back casting and it just lies in place and doesn't interfere with the quick release.

 

[Distinterior]

Reading this thread has prompted me to dig out my old Parkinson Perfect 15 Vise. It has been stuck in a corner of my home workshop for a good few years now, waiting to be cleaned etc. A customer of mine gave it to me many years ago at which time , I'd never heard of Parkinson's Vise's.....!!

I had a quick read of the reference page someone posted up earlier in the thread to try and work out which model I'd actually got......I'm still not certain which Mark ( Mk1, Mk2 or Mk3) mine is or how old it is...?

It is 9" wide jaws, it opens to about 12" depth, has cast iron runners and 3 holes in the front and rear jaws. The mounting part is much longer than @Crispym model.
I "think" mine may be a 651 model, as listed in one of the catalogue pages in the previously mentioned link.

As to its age, I cant be sure as there seems to be a production overlap between Mk1 & Mk2 and Mk2 & Mark3 models...? Mine may possibly be a Mk2 from between 1905 to the1920's..? When was the changeover from 3 hole to 2 hole jaws...?

It still appears to work perfectly well and just needs a bit of TLC before putting it into service.

The other vice is my Record 52 1/2 and I need to decide which one to keep & use....

 

[TominDales]

Reading this thread has prompted me to dig out my old Parkinson Perfect 15 Vise. It has been stuck in a corner of my home workshop for a good few years now, waiting to be cleaned etc. A customer of mine gave it to me many years ago at which time , I'd never heard of Parkinson's Vise's.....!!

I had a quick read of the reference page someone posted up earlier in the thread to try and work out which model I'd actually got......I'm still not certain which Mark ( Mk1, Mk2 or Mk3) mine is or how old it is...?

It is 9" wide jaws, it opens to about 12" depth, has cast iron runners and 3 holes in the front and rear jaws. The mounting part is much longer than @Crispym model.
I "think" mine may be a 651 model, as listed in one of the catalogue pages in the previously mentioned link.

As to its age, I cant be sure as there seems to be a production overlap between Mk1 & Mk2 and Mk2 & Mark3 models...? Mine may possibly be mid 1920's..?

					View attachment 130458

View attachment 130459View attachment 130460

The other vice is my Record 52 1/2 and I need to decide which one to keep & use....

Yours is identical to mine. As you say its hard to exactly date it, I tend to agree its somewhere between 1915 and 1930, so 1920s seems right.

Of the two vices, both good and will work well, sad to say it, but the Record is superior in terms of performance, Record copied Parkinson and then bettered them by replacing the cast ion bars. However I like using my old parky it works well for everything I've thrown at it and just as good as it was 100 years ago, I like the thought of using something that has seen a lot of wood over the years.

You could consider using both, one for the end of the bench (tail) and one on the face, although having said that tail vices are not used anything like a face vice, its an excuse to not sell the other one.