Woden vise quick release slipping

[Chris152]

I didn't want to clog up the Veritas vise thread that's running in Buying Advice with my question -

I cleaned the half nut on the vise since this morning (it sometimes slips when opening with the handle) but that made no difference. Could it be the return spring on the lever that releases the nut? Here's a poorly made video that shows the problem from the front.

https://vimeo.com/239248534

Thanks, Chris

 

[Phil Pascoe]

You might find the end of the spring jumps off the vice - I drilled a small hole and tapped a screw very slightly larger into it to keep it in place. I had a panel pin before but it wasn't tight enough and fell out. You can just get a drill and bit in close enough to do it. Another thing to check is that the long flat bar must sit behind the lug in the cover of the half nut - it's easy to put it back in the wrong place - you need to engage it as you screw the cover down.

 

[Chris152]

Thanks Phil - with the help of my lovely assistant I made another (slightly clearer) film:
https://vimeo.com/239253506
It seems to be the nut slipping, the spring looks fine from here?

 

[Seiken]

Did you remove the half nut when cleaning? If so is it back the right way round?

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Check that the bar is engaged in the cover properly.

 

[Chris152]

I guess the nut's the right way round as it's engaging the bar and there's a notch in the U-shaped cover/ support that would get i the way if the nut were reversed?
Is that the cover you mean phil? How should it be engaged? Sorry to be so slow here...

 

[Phil Pascoe]

If yours is the same as a Record, there is a lug on one side (on the inside of the cover) which stops the bar twisting on its axis. If the bar is behind this, one side is stays static the other lifts the half nut, if it's not it just twists.

 

[Chris152]

It's very odd. I'm sure the half nut's the right way round and located properly in the cover - it does work as QR, and it opens with the handle but only to a point where the vice is about 1/3 open.Then it starts slipping. And if I remove the half nut and hold it to the thread inside the mouth of the vise (with the vise part open) the same happens, it opens further til about 1/3 open and then the thread kind of forces the half nut away (down) as if it was a different thread, but if I keep pressure on it it continues to stay in place and the mouth opens properly.

Either the spring is too weak to hold it in place, or there's a bigger problem with the thread? Either way, I think the best thing is to leave it and continue to close it as 'normal' with the handle to tighten (works all the way in) and using the quick release if opening wider than 1/3 way. Seems weird though!

Thanks for the suggestions, if I ever sort it I'll let you know!

 

[bugbear]

Apart from mis-assembly after cleaning, the classic cause of slipping is a worn thread on the screw. This occurs at opening of 1" and less, which normally accounts for the majority of a vice's usage, and hence wear.

To check, hold a (e.g.) 4 or 5 inch piece of wood, and tighten. If it doesn't slip, you've diagnosed a worn screw thread.

Other causes are:
* half nut full of congealed grease
* screw thread ditto
* very weak q/r spring not holding half nut in place properly

BugBear

 

[Seiken]

Just been looking at your second video again, the spring does not look anywhere near as tightly wound as on a record vise, if its not wound up enough it will behave just as a very weakened spring not holding the half nut onto the screw tight enough. Can you get another turn onto it?

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Yes - compare to mine. The lever appears to be too far out (first video) as well, which could be symptom of the spring not being properly loaded.

 

[Bod]

Just been looking at your second video again, the spring does not look anywhere near as tightly wound as on a record vise, if its not wound up enough it will behave just as a very weakened spring not holding the half nut onto the screw tight enough. Can you get another turn onto it?

+1
From Bod

 

[Chris152]

Yep, it was the spring! I took the cover and half nut off again and pushed the bar through what I think was 180 degrees (I tried for 360 but it slipped on the thing that holds it) and reconnected the nut and cover. It would have made a great photo - I held the qr bar in position against the force of the spring with one hand, and attached the cover with the other hand while holding the cover in place with my big toe.

Brilliant - it works perfectly now! Thank you all so much for your advice.

Chris