In Praise of the Parrot Vise

glenn bradley

Member
Messages
11,514
Location
SoCal
Ah, the lowly Parrot Vise. Often under-appreciated except by gunsmith's and maybe carvers. I bolted mine to a carriage that clamps in my bench vise:

Parrot Vise (1).jpg

I shaped some swivel jaws out of some scrap maple leftover from some from some old commercial furniture. I added a small magnet in each that makes the jaw open and close with the vise yet still allows them to pivot when required:

Parrot Vise (2).jpg . Parrot Vise (3).jpg . Parrot Vise (4).jpg

It works great for holding small odd-shaped parts like a "pull" idea that I am playing with for a box . . . the scale isn't quite right yet . . .

Parrot Vise (5).jpg

The carriage is long so I can have some clearance if I really need to hang things out there.

Parrot Vise (6).jpg . Parrot Vise (7).jpg

I just wanted to share since it is proving very useful for something I am playing with right now. You never know, this thread might help someone out there who is having a difficult "holding" problem.
 
I have a small vice (not as nice as yours) and a larger metal working vice both on carriages that fit into either of my woodworking vices on my workbench, they are really useful.
That being said, your set up is very slick, I like the wooden jaws with the rare earth magnet you added very nice.

Cheers!
 
Why is it called a Parrot Vise?

Good question. It only vaguely looks like a parrot's head/beak in the most abstract sense. Probably one of those names that is used some places and not others. Versa-Vise and Gyro-Vise are brand names and I have heard them referred to as a 'Universal Vise' as if it were a formal name as well.

VersaVise.JPG . Gyrovise.jpg

Mine is an inexpensive version and despite being called heavy duty, would not be suitable for crushing force applications. It does fine holding woodworking items for rasp work.
 
Last edited:
Glenn, I just noticed in your last pic - you seem to have the ability to tilt at quite a range of angles -- it appears there's a second head or something that goes onto the base's tube and provides the horizontal tube, is that right? I don't have that part but I'd sure love one... might have to make me one like that.
 
A mod included with the Garrett Wade version. For a luthier I could see this being a big jump in usefulness.

View attachment 92371
Yup! I can totally see how that could be super useful. I may have to make one of those for myself - it'd definitely come in handy for guitar stuff. Thanks for showing me that pic - it's got everything I need to turn my own. I think I have a big enough chunk of steel laying around here somewhere...
 
Top