Parker No. 3 vise

[formariz 11,987]

4 hours ago, ebinmaine said:

I'll get more pics in a day or three. There's a screw in this one at the end where the handle pivots. It appears to put more or less tension on the twist motion maybe?

It holds the screw retaining collar. There should be Parker cast on the collar also. 

[ebinmaine 67,472]

2 minutes ago, formariz said:

It holds the screw retaining collar. There should be Parker cast on the collar also. 

I don't recall seeing any information on that caller but I only took a very quick look at it.

The whole thing is still pretty dirty in a lot of places so I'll give it a wire brushing or a pressure washing and see what I can come up with.

 

 

[elcamino/wheelhorse 9,297]

I went out in shed today for something ( forgot what I was looking for ) looked at my vise. C. Parker Co. number 204 patent 1910 . Paid $40 for it 12 to 15 years ago at a flea market in PA. Love it , heavy sucker. 

[c-series don 8,705]

Here’s my Parker vise, it was given to me 25 years ago and was seized up solid. However with some patience and persistence I got it moving like new. If I remember correctly it took about a month. This thing is solid as a rock. Doesn’t swivel or flip over or anything fancy, just a basic vice and a love it. From the little bit of information I have found I believe it was made in 1939? Someone please correct me if I’m wrong. 

[Horse Newbie 7,069]

On 6/29/2022 at 5:24 AM, ebinmaine said:

Do we know what color or colors it would have been

Either IH Red, or Rustoleum Regal Red…

[Horse Newbie 7,069]

On 6/29/2022 at 2:08 PM, Jeff-C175 said:

 

And the guy that invented the word " lisp " was a masochist.

 

 

And funny that lisp means a problem with your lips…

[formariz 11,987]

On 7/6/2022 at 9:55 PM, c-series don said:

From the little bit of information I have found I believe it was made in 1939? Someone please correct me if I’m wrong. 

It’s kind of hard to date your vise to a precise date but I believe that yours is from around 1946. The reason for me dating it to around 1946 is because in 1940 they were still offered with the round handle post . Yours has the flat post. It is part of the Superior Machinists Vise Series which included the , 803, 803-1/2, 804, and 894-1/2. They were pricey vises already back then yours costing $93.75.  
 The patent date of 1930 is actually the last patent that Parker was awarded and it has actually nothing to do with any part of your vise. That was for a feature on the the ones with a rotating base. Many of their vises of that period have that date cast on them. 
 

[c-series don 8,705]

@formariz Thank you for that information, I appreciate it! 

[ebinmaine 67,472]

@formariz and others. 

I decided after setting up the E tank a few weeks ago this vise would be a great candidate for a clean up. 

 

I've soaked it with oil several times and yesterday dropped it in the drink.  

 

After a rinse and scrub with a plastic wire brush here's the current state. 

You can really get a good idea of the former rust coat color by looking at the outer ball which was above the water line. Also the bolts which didn't have a good ground so they stayed rusty.  

 

[ebinmaine 67,472]

On 6/29/2022 at 11:18 AM, formariz said:

As for color I believe they were black. I seen faint traces of that on several looking original but never any other color. It’s a matter of personal preference but for me a vise should be black or battleship gray if painting is to be done. However the best is to clean them oil them and leaving them with their dignified original patina

 

We've confirmed the color as black. After running through the E tank to remove the VERY Thick coat of rust there's a little paint left. 

I agree with the patina if practical and possible.

After being buried in a badly dilapidated building for decades this one has almost no paint left so it'll be recoated  for the long term preservation of the tool.  

 

[formariz 11,987]

8 hours ago, ebinmaine said:

 

We've confirmed the color as black. After running through the E tank to remove the VERY Thick coat of rust there's a little paint left. 

I agree with the patina if practical and possible.

After being buried in a badly dilapidated building for decades this one has almost no paint left so it'll be recoated  for the long term preservation of the tool.  

 

 Unless one wants to do an accurate historical restoration such as in the case of a serious collector, accurate color or even color at all is not that important. When painting a vise I have always been partial to machine gray or battleship gray. Leaving it however with the oxidized metal is my preferred choice. Simply wiping it with an oily rag once on a while it will keep it from rusting and lets the so called patina develop further keeping its originality. Many times a new shiny flawless paint job will rob it of its appeal for what it is. A very old vise. 

[ebinmaine 67,472]

7 minutes ago, formariz said:

 Unless one wants to do an accurate historical restoration such as in the case of a serious collector, accurate color or even color at all is not that important. When painting a vise I have always been partial to machine gray or battleship gray. Leaving it however with the oxidized metal is my preferred choice. Simply wiping it with an oily rag once on a while it will keep it from rusting and lets the so called patina develop further keeping its originality. Many times a new shiny flawless paint job will rob it of its appeal for what it is. A very old vise. 

 

I do like the thought process there. 

And it'll be well oiled for usage anyway. 

 

 

So...

Is there an oil that's very dark colored?

Or a metal preservative that can function as oil at least to an extent?

 

 

[formariz 11,987]

4 minutes ago, ebinmaine said:

So...

Is there an oil that's very dark colored?

Or a metal preservative that can function as oil at least to an extent?

Any oil will allow metal oxidation to take place. As it comes from the “bath “ metal is not shiny anyway so it already looks “natural“ oil adding to that.  I have always been partial to using “3 in one” oil to coat tools. 

[ebinmaine 67,472]

18 minutes ago, formariz said:

 I have always been partial to using “3 in one” oil to coat tools

 

Will the 3 in 1 leave a film that wipes off on hands or clothing while I'd be using the vise?

 

 

[formariz 11,987]

1 hour ago, ebinmaine said:

 

Will the 3 in 1 leave a film that wipes off on hands or clothing while I'd be using the vise?

 

 

One applies it to a cloth and wipes it wet on vise. Leave it on for about 15 minutes and wipe it dry. Believe it or not metal absorbs a slight amount. That is the desired effect. Areas where you hand is all the time such as handle need not be done in this manner since the use there is always cleaning metal. 
Within a month or so of the above method nothing really transfers to one’s hands. 
 

 On a side note, if I was not to have oily hands, clothes, along with dust and shavings and of course the ocasional black grease from walking too close to a tractor wheel, my wife would probably not recognize me. 

[oliver2-44 9,743]

11 hours ago, formariz said:

 On a side note, if I was not to have oily hands, clothes, along with dust and shavings and of course the ocasional black grease from walking too close to a tractor wheel, my wife would probably not recognize me. 

I suspect a lot of our wives would say that about most of us. I don’t have to touch things, grease just jumps onto me. 

[ebinmaine 67,472]

1 hour ago, oliver2-44 said:

I suspect a lot of our wives would say that about most of us. I don’t have to touch things, grease just jumps onto me.