I bought a Record Quick-Release Vice from a flea market some months ago. Recently it has developed a little problem. When I start to loosen a tightly held piece of wood the release lever moves in the release direction and then flips back as I continue turning.
The result is a click-click-click and no loosening. I have to hold the lever to loosen the screw.
Am I overtightening? Is there some adjustment I can make?
Replies
I have not had this problem but I find a bit 'O the right lube in the right place helps most everything. Try rubbing a candle or canning wax (not bees wax) on the long rods and slide them in and out a bunch to to get some into the castings. (Yah I know cast iron is supposed to be self lubricating etc. etc.) Also scrub some wax onto the big screw. Then a drop or two of motor oil on the pivot for the trigger.
This may help the jaws release easier. When there is nothing in the vise and the jaws are almost to touch closed does the top most part of the jaws look like they will touch there first? Are the top most edges parallel in both planes?
My thing I cannot get used to with this vise is I squeeze the trigger to slid the vise open etc. then go to clamp the work and the split nut/trigger seats. As it seats the jaws suddenly jump open a notch and my work drops onto the rails. To prevent this jolting nonsense I must always remember to turn the screw back a half turn or forward to seat the split nut before clamping my work. Because I use machinist's vises so much on a daily basis (do not have split nut) I always have to relearn this when I start a wood working project again.
I bought my big record brand new and in perfect condition. I used it for years and years before building my tail vise front vise combo. It is still one of my prize possessions but it is not a vise that is as friendly in use as the standard cabinet maker's vises.
Edited 10/12/2008 4:30 pm by roc
The wax did the trick!Thanks
Yaaaa ! See why the price of oil is going up ! Don't tell any body. It's the mechanics secret.I tell the guys at work "lube the control cables". A few weeks latter they call me over. " Can you make this work" "I tried every thing". I pull the cable out. It is dry and corroded. I clean it and lube it. It begins to work " What did you do?" they ask.It's a secret I say. They hate me. Oh well what can you do.
Why not beeswax for this application?
Probably because beeswax is sticky, and the OP needed slippery.Bill
not beeswax for this applicationIt is gummy and causes stiction when the parts have not been moved for a while. (might have a minute amount of honey in it I don't know) For example I learned this the hard way on some shop drawers. I rubbed a chunk of bees wax on the drawer bottom friction surfaces and you had to yank them to get them to slide the first one of the day. After that they glide but the next day ya gotta yank em again. The candle wax is flakier and some how does not stick.
I had a similar problem with my vice after many years of use. In my case it was caused by the bearing in which the end of the screw runs (actually just a hole drilled in the plate supporting the end of the screw). This hole was worn and allowed the end of the screw to move downwards a little, affecting the seat of the screw in the split nut. My problem was solved by drilling the hole slightly larger so that it became round again and wrapping a piece of copper shim stock (approx 20 thou / or 0.5 mm) around the end of the screw.
Pieter
Edited 10/16/2008 4:36 pm ET by pieterdp
Edited 10/16/2008 4:47 pm ET by pieterdp
The problem is that your purchased a vice and those cheeky bastards are good for nothing troublemakers of the highest order. Now if you had purchased a vise, well your world would be filled with nothing but goodness and sunshine and the smooth sensation of work pieces being snugged into the loving arms of your trusty workmate.
Not only that! I put PETROL in my fuel tank, walk on the PAVEMENT, find the CENTRE of a circle and love tomaaaaaahtoes. :-)
And I bet you go to the THEATRE as well, and Bob's your uncle.
This could go on for a long time so I will exert some self control and stop here. Somebody once described England and the USA as "Two countries, separated by a common language."
Why? The difference may be that we can go off at half-cock, but are never gung-ho, whilst the safety catch has yet to reach that side of the pond.
Just kidding!
That somebody was none other than George Bernard Shaw, who of course was Irish.
This thread should be renamed GROANERS
Better life through Zoodles and poutine...
"Somebody once described England and the USA as "Two countries, separated by a common language."Sir Winston said that. Don't know if he was the first.We found it to be true when in London riding in a friend's car as he showed us the sights. The street was narrow and there were lots of pedestrians on the sidewalk and my wife was in the front passenger seat with the window open. Our friend gestured in her direction and said "Pinch me a fag, will you?"Well, how were we to know that he wanted her to get a cigarette out of the glove box for him?
BruceT
What else could he possibly have meant? :-)Moreover, to contribute to international understanding, at some public schools, new boys must run errands for older ones and they are known as fags.There was an amusing scene in a movie which exploited this. (As usual, can't remember the title).
I think the movie was called Tom Brown's School Days
As I pointed out in an earlier reply on this thread, George Bernard Shaw is credited with this quote.
Very interesting. The Record vise I've had for 6 years just started doing the exact same thing. Thanks for asking the question, and thanks to those that provided suggestions.
The candle wax fix didn't last :-(This weekend I will examine the vice, tinker as necessary and post back.
Just my opinion... Been wrong all my life Never stopped me!
Molly Coat White... The link is just someplace to start looking. As in the old Moly Coat Black that could get sort of nasty! WORKED wonderfully!
http://www.johnnorrellarms.com/molyresin_about.asp
The rods that guide your vise need to be cleaned and lubricated.
The clicking is just the release slipping past and going to the next thread. I bet you can't pull it out like you are supposed to either.
Mike
You lose and owe me a beer :-)Yes the release is slipping and therefore turning the handle has no effect as the jaw does not move out.I can slide the jaw in and out using the quick release and if I put a little pressure on the release lever I can unscrew the jaw.It seems that this happens when I have tightened the vice very hard. I'm suspecting a combination of wear and lubrication.
My trigger has a fair amount of spring force holding it in the engaged position. Is yours this way or is it laking spring pressure? It almost sounds like the trigger has become separated from the spring on yours.As far as the copper shim at the end of the rod you may even be able to get an "oil lite" bearing ring that would fit in place to take up the wear. See a hardware store or lawn mower shop. Mite even want to get the thing machined to accept one of these rings. They are porous metal that hold lubricant well.
Any luck resolving the problem? I'm hoping you can save me some head-scratching and tinkering.Thanks.John
I haven't yet removed the vice for inspection. [I am not in control of my life. My wife and children are :-( ]However it seems to me that the problem is related to:
1. How tight the clamping is.
2. Racking.ie if I clamp a piece of wood far off centre and tightly then the problem is more likely to happen.Which leads me to believe that it is a wear and lubrication problem.I may have the chance to dismantle the vice this evening as I cannot do woodwork 'cos middle daughter, whose room shares a wall with the shop, is ill.
Ok, job done.
I removed and dismantled the vice. The half-nut was very heavily greased. It must have been the previous owner as I do not grease like that in a dusty environment!The problem seems to have been sawdust in the grease. I wiped down everything and reassembled. Seems OK but I've only run a quick test.There are a couple of little gotchas in the job. Hopefully the attached photos will help.Vice1s.jpg shows the vice as removed. Note that there does not seem to be a dust problem. To dismantle you need to undo the bolts "1". The flat bar is pushing this plate up via spring "3". When you remove the plate note how the flat bar runs under the little tongue and in the notch of the pin which is attached to the half nut.Note the position of the spring. It is a coil with a "tail" which rests against the outside edge of the casting. (Gotcha 1! Had to work it out)Vice2s.jpg shows the plate (4) and half-nut (5). I cleaned them up by simply wiping them well. This should leave enough grease to lubricate.Assuming you left the spring undisturbed you should simply be able to reassemble. I didn't.(Gotcha 2!) To disassemble this lot remove the screw (2) and pull out the bar. You can then get at the spring.To replace the bar slide the quick-release lever out until the shaft is hidden in the spring. Push the flat-bar against the retchet wheel in the spring, rotate it to tension it and then push it into the slot in the shaft. Centre the holes by pushing a centre-punch into them and re-insert the screw.Refit the half-nut and plate, ensuring that the flat-bar is between the tongue and plate and locates correctly in the notch.(Gotcha 3! I missed it) Check spring tension and refit the vice.Hope this helps.
One small anal comment here if I may. The round rods are rusty. I would recommend cleaning with solvent to get old wax off so next step goes easier, scrubbing off the rust starting with green pad or steel wool and if that is not cutting it escalate to 600 wet or dry. From reading your most excellent description of what you have done so far I am sure you know what I am trying to write here.Then perhaps warm up the candle wax or if your shop is ventilated mix up some paint thinner and candle wax and try and work some into the cast iron by sliding back and forth. I suppose some floor wax with carnauba would be the same. I am just stuck on the candle wax thing.Sending prayers your daughter feels better.roc
Thanks for that. The vice will get a complete service soon when I transfer it to the new workbench I'm building (far too slowly!).It will be joined by two smaller versions of itself which will act as tail vices. I'm probably going to have to buy these new as I haven't been able to track down any "real" tail vices. The reaction I get when I ask for them (Shops and flea markets) is "Oh yes, I remember those. Grandpa / Daddy had one. Haven't seen any for years."If I buy a tail vice from abroad by mail order the shipping will just about bankrupt me.
>building bench (far too slowly!).I can relate. My bench is quite usable but still not complete. But man I am liking what I have so far. Maybe after the dinning table is done, and I make another tool chest, and the bed stead and Lisa's writing desk and . . .and . . . and . . etc. . etc. . .
Edited 10/21/2008 4:36 pm by roc
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