End Vise Tune Up

[John Morris]

Tonight I pulled my end vise from my new bench. When I picked up my bench over a month ago, I noticed the vise was very stiff. Beyond stiff, actually the tube holes swelled around the tubes to the point of zero clearance, as a matter of fact the wood was tight around the tubes. I don't know when the last time was that the previous owner used his vise, it could have been years, judging by how his shop appeared to have not been worked in for a long time, he may have not known that his vise was nearly in-operable. at 95 years old, he may not have even been able to spin the handle, maybe, maybe not. I was able to turn the handle, it was tight but functioned.

 

 

I removed the end vise from the bench top, I had to remove 4 bolts and unscrew the tube supports from under the top, the straight slot screws were a joy to spin out.

Image below, end vise removed.

 

 

Once it was unbolted and unscrewed, I had to wiggle it off the hard wood spline you see in the first image. I quickly set it on the floor, it was heavy. It is as wide as the bench, and takes up about a half of the real estate under the bench. Jim, the previous owner, all his work was and is so precise, I have viewed his metal working, leather work, and woodworking, and all his work was done with careful precision, I am only surmising here, but with his machinist background I am wagering he made this vise to operate with very close tolerances, regarding the tube holes, possibly not taking wood movement or swelling into consideration. But then as I type this, I am telling myself, he was a highly experienced woodworker, he must of known about wood movement, so the fact that his home is only blocks from the ocean, may have more to do with the swelling around the vise tube holes than the manufacturing process.

 

Top of the vise, note the dog holes in the top face.

 

I had to remove the pins that held the sliding block in place on the operating tubes. The two inside tubes are fixed, the two outside tubes slide.

 

The tubes were so tight, I had to use a combination of pounding, and letting the vise do its own work against it self. I inserted two blocks of wood between the end tubes, and the stationary block, then screwed the vise closed, and pushed the end stationary block off the tubes.

 

Vise is flipped over and viewing bottom of vise.

 

Finally, after much persuasion and heavy thinking, I got the entire assembly separated.

 

 

I had to carefully beat and push the blocks off the tubes, imagine how stiff the vise was to actually operate.

 

Now the work begins to create some daylight between the tube holes, and the tubes themselves. I am being creative right now on how to do this, so any suggestions are greatly appreciated. My first thought is to spend some time with a sanding drum on a drill, and just sand the inside of the holes till I have about 1/32nd all around the tubes.

 

I love this old vise, I hope to breath new life into it, and have a fully functional end vise, I know I will, just takes a little elbow grease.

[Cal]

Any chance that where you live would be enough drier that the wood might dry back out?  I am thinking that it was operating at one time.  Perhaps a little emery cloth action to the tubes and wax would bring it back around.  Or do the sanding drum on a drill...

Looking forward to see what some others might suggest.

[John Morris]

2 minutes ago, Cal said:

Any chance that where you live would be enough drier that the wood might dry back out?

It may have if I let it sit longer Cal, no telling. It was sitting for a month in my shop. Probably not enough time for something to dry out from the coastal environment it's been sitting in for decades.

Thanks Cal!

[HandyDan]

Get them over to the drill press/SS and run the drill size they are supposed to be through them.  I remember the SS owners saying using the SS as a horizontal drill is a doable deal too.

[schnewj]

Did you check the moisture content of the blocks? If you have a meter, see what it is and that should give you an idea if the environment is the problem. Another solution, since you have it apart, move the blocks into the house. I'll make an assumption that your space is air conditioned. This would help dry the blocks out.

 

Retry the fitment after a couple of days and see if the blocks shrank any. If they swell back up in the shop you will then know how much to relieve the holes to free up the movement.

[Gerald]

Waxing or oiling the wood also may work

[Gene Howe]

Could you enlarge the holes and sleeve them? 

[p_toad]

I would open them up a bit (your choice of how) and then slather some SLIP-IT in there before i put it all back together.

[John Morris]

Just pulled the screw, it was very tight as well.

 

 

Just as I've done with the other tight fitting parts, I'm cleaning up the holes and taking off a hair or two to allow parts to move freely. 

 

 

 

[Dadio]

I think enlarging the holes by 1/32' is too much, just go for a few .001th's, until you get a nice smooth fit. I like the emery cloth and Slipit idea.

Herb

Edited September 21, 2018 by Dadio

[John Morris]

Just basically cleaned up the holes with a couple passes with the OSS, and it was just enough. Still a tight fit, but everything moves freely. Thank you all for your suggestions!

 

[Grandpadave52]

Use a little mineral oil in the holes and wipe some on the on the tubes and the screw shaft. For the actual screw threads, I'd lube with paraffin.  

[Dadio]

Vaseline?

Herb

[John Morris]

I did not treat the holes themselves other than creating a little more micro room, yet I waxed the tubes and the screw, and everything moves beautifully.

[Kevin Beitz]

i would have used a small sanding drum on a drill....

[FlGatorwood]

For that screw mechanism, I would put just a bit of heavy grease and let it distribute itself.  I would especially put some around the screw head where it feeds through the head.  (Don't know what you call that piece )

[Gerald]

On 3/28/2020 at 3:28 PM, FlGatorwood said:

For that screw mechanism, I would put just a bit of heavy grease and let it distribute itself.  I would especially put some around the screw head where it feeds through the head.  (Don't know what you call that piece )

Grease will attract dirt and make the situation bad for the screw. Wax or dry lube will do the job.