The Shop Fox Parrot Vise
By Benjamen Johnson
The Parrot Vise swivels a full 360° like most bench vises, but you can also pull it from its base and replace it on its side to hold things vertically. Shop Fox designed the vise so you only need to tighten the jaws to stop the vice from swiveling.
The jaws on the Parrot Vise measure 3-1/2″ wide by 2-1/8″ high, and they open to 5″. Holes in the jaws allow you to mount custom faces, or you can buy the optional rubber-lined tilting jaws.
You can find a Parrot Vise for $40 to $50.
Parrot Vise [Woodstock International]
Street Pricing [Google]
Via Amazon [What’s This?]
June 16th, 2009 at 12:17 pm
What’s the wisdom of the crowd on this vice?
Given that I have to remove and re-mount it anyways due to a bench upgrade, is it worth replacing an old 4″ hobby vice with this one?
June 16th, 2009 at 1:17 pm
This is perfect, I’ve had this vise sitting in my bookmarks for a month now because I was considering getting it. Can’t wait to see what people think.
June 16th, 2009 at 2:20 pm
There are 3 reviews on the Amazon site, and all 3 like the product. I would be interested in hearing what folks here have to say, as well.
June 16th, 2009 at 2:58 pm
It certainly looks like it might be handy.
We have an old pattern maker’s vise (Emmert) in the corner of the woodworking shop that gets used for all sorts of oddball pieces.
I know that they make some reproductions like this one at Woodcraft:
http://www.woodcraft.com/family.aspx?FamilyID=3516&refcode=05INFROO
but I don’t know how they compare.
June 16th, 2009 at 5:53 pm
I have a vice that I picked up at a garage sale that is exactly the same design at this vice. I would guess it to be from the 1950’s. Mine is green instead of blue. I’ve never gotten around to mounting it on a bench yet.
June 16th, 2009 at 10:36 pm
Usually having everything tighten down at once with a single knob is a bad thing, and you spend much time fighting the object as it flops around on multiple axes. Still waiting for someone who actually used it to chime in.
June 17th, 2009 at 9:21 am
A vise is not a vice, unless one of your vices is vises.
June 17th, 2009 at 1:15 pm
anyone know if this is U.S. made?
June 17th, 2009 at 4:43 pm
I’m with blitzcat on the flopping thing. I had a rotating head vice that would tilt to one side as I was tightening unless the weight was balanced, which it almost never is. This might be handy for soldering, or something really small like that.
June 17th, 2009 at 11:11 pm
This is a handy vise, but I would not use it as my sole vise for very heavy work. The moving jaw has some up-and-down play (when upright) due to the locking mechanism for the base. Tightening the jaws presses down on the lever and bolt arrangement underneath the slide, in turn locking the swivel in place. The bolt will need periodic adjustment in order for the jaws to close perfectly parallel.
This vise (or at least the one I use) is made in Taiwan. It can be purchased from Grizzly as well.