bench vise problem?

larry merlau

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Location
Delton, Michigan
on a 10" jorgenson bench vise, just as i finishing up jointing a long stile for one of the dressers, it let loose:eek: took and tried to tighten it back up and it acts like a stripped thread just when you think its tight it loosens up,, took it apart and the brass insert looks to be fine not worn out by no means,.. any ideas what i need to do to get this back to working i just put some leather on the face this am and was set to enjoy the better grip i was gonna have, well so much for thinking i should know better:)
VICE.jpg
 
yes it has that ken and i took it out and looked insed and saw nothing out of the ordinary.. its a brass insert that is still connected tot he cast iron hub.. can take it out and look again??
 
What I was wondering, is if the QR mechanism is backwards or upside down, something like that. Might be worth taking it out and putting it back in a different way.
 
I think Ken has it ....i had some similar issue when i cleaned up mine way back when.

However that would not have been the issue in the beginning unless you took it apart to put the leather on and accidently created the problem.

If not then i dont see how suddenly a working vise would go wrong without a part having an issue like being bent or worn.
 
i hadnt taken it apart before it gave way??? and the leather on the face didnt require it coming apart.. will take a picture of the part and see if i can show the condition of it.. its not been used that much, went without one for some time..
 
well went back took it apart again and got pics they look fine only part that has any signs of trouble is the main frame where a wear area shows up. just a point that positions the quick relaese part i think. and they casted the frnt on the casting so i got at least 50/50 chance of gettin that back in right:)
vice pics 003.jpgvice pics 001.jpgvice pics 002.jpg
 
Hi Lary, maybe I can help, maybe not.

I have an old Craftsman vise (shown in the attachment). It works as yours should but I am guessing you have a problem with the fit of that casting with the brass thread insert. As you can see in the photo, mine has a two piece quick release that engauges the screw when that tab hits the stop on the main body casting. When you reverse the screw that tab drops away from where you see it and opens up the bore to release the threads. It needs to have a close clearance to work right and I am thinking that if you have too much clearance when you turn the screw in to tighten the jaws, the threads may not be enguaging fully and it pushes the screw out and it slips.

Check to see what your total clearance is inside that bore with the screw in there. It should be pretty close to the brass insert and to oppositie side of the bore also, just enough for the screw to slide without hitting the insert. If more, than the pressure of tightening the screw may distort the casting bore enough to make the threads slip.

Hope this is as clear as mud, but you should be able to understand my ramblings.

Good luck resolving this.

Aloha, Tony


craftvise7.jpg
 
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Larry, I have not worked on one like yours but mine are made like the one Tony shows. I have one Columbia and don't remember the name on the other one. One is a fixed nut, not rapid action, the other is a half nut like Tony shows and is a rapid action rig. I've worked on quite a few of these over the years in the school workshops I was employeed in, never could afford new ones so had to work on what I had. Most of those with half nuts are troublesome, when the threads are slightly worn they will begin to slip loose when tightened. I learned that early on in another story, but don't try tightening it while looking under it cause you'll hit yourself in the head with the handle. LOL Your issue is likely a slightly worn 1/2 nut and a positioner spring that is not providing proper tension anymore. In short version the best thing for you to do is order the parts. Being brass they don't last all that well especially if they are tightened heavily.
 
yeah i have another that is hinged like tonys and what you are describing,, this half nut one is not what i really rather it is what came on it what about a nut that doesnt quick release after this slipped i think i could crank it undone easier.. and how did you quess i had tightened it down tighter in the past to get a piece to stay:) thanks for thehelp and if i can get a regular nut i am gonna or maybe i could get one of the hinged type one they look better than half threads any day..
 
Never actually having seen how these works... I am guessing that the tube with the threads rotates in a cam-like fashion to engage the acme threads? Might something have lodged somewhere around it keep it from rotating completely preventing full contact with the threads?


Cheers,
 
well, where there is a will there is a way!! i called the company where i got the vice from asked if they had a new part, no parts but gave me the number of the company that makes them, so i could call them and order one.. well today was dresser day again with dad after i got in my firewood for the next week or two.. anyway things were progressing well.. got threw the sanding and it was time for dad to leave, so he could do his chores.. anyway i was chatting with him on what i was going to do next and he asked what this black casting was i told him what happened and asked if he thought it looked worn out.. he said no it looks fine.. so i took and put it back on where it went and showed him what i did,, as i was holding the part in place it dawned on me that there was some space between the vice jaw and this piece making it have more room than it really needed to have.. so i took and put a piece of 1/4" ply wood in there and tried to tighten the vice ..it got tight:) yeah:) so now how do i get a steel washer this size??? well it dawned on me again that i had some 1/8" hmw plastic and so i made two washers stuck them in there and it works like a charm.. not sure if the quick release will work or not but it gets tight and that is a big plus:) so some yankee ingenuity paid off again:)
 
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