Quick Release Bench Vice Problem

**Sterob** · 3rd March 2024, 11:07 PM

Hi Guys,
I bought this vice about 10 years ago and have only just got around to mounting it to my bench.......and there is something wrong with!
Fancy own something for that long and no knowing it was a ticking time bomb all that time....lol

Anyway, I can't even remember where I bought it from....but I think it was Carbatec on Perth. Cannot see a brand on it. Google didn't help.
I can't find a similar exploded parts diagram.

Anybody recognise it?

The problem is that the radial spring that keeps tension on the half nut...doesn't. The lever shaft can move back and forth about 10mm and when it does, the spring dislodges.
If one is careful tp not pull the lever out, all would be fine.

There is a castellated nut that engages the 'blade' and the spring hooks into the nut and is tensioned by rotaqting the spring and latching on a casting.

That is how *I* put tension on the spring and it worked ok. In theory one could do it the othe way round , but I fail to see how one could grip the nut, deisengage it, twist it and re-engage the nut......
The other problem is that there is about 10mm 'space' behind the castellated nut and nothing to keep it engaged with the blade.

It seems that a part may be missing, but I don't know what. If it was a spring, it has less than 10mm to compress, but it would allow the tension to be 'tuned' to the users delight, and adjusted over time, if required.
If it was a 10mm spacer, my method would work, abiet clumsily....The tension would need to be set , the vice assembled and then tested, if wrong, pull the split pit, adjust the tension , resfit split pin and try again.

Steve

Vice (1).jpg Vice (2).jpg Vice (3).jpg Vice (4).jpg

**Sterob** · 4th March 2024, 01:20 PM

From Googling, It looks like all the decent quality vices use Flat Spiral springs for the clamping mechanism, instead of the wire spriral spring mine has.
It makes sense and a much better solution.
Mine won't take a flat spiral spring without significant modification. It obviously wasn't meant to have one.

flat sprial spring.jpg

**orraloon** · 4th March 2024, 01:36 PM

Steve,
I had the same problem with a carbatec QR vice I got about 20 years ago. It was green and looked a bit different to that however. Got it home and found it would not tighten up but just sprang open. They replaced it and the replacement went ok for about a year then started the same old game. I could tighten the vice if I held the leaver tight at the same time but very irksome. Nursed it along like that for some years and found swearing at it did no good either. In the end I decided QR was not worth the bother so got one like this.
https://www.timbecon.com.au/baladoni...yABEgLrHvD_BwE
Been happy with it for over 10 years and pretty confident nothing can go wrong with it.
Regards
John

**droog** · 4th March 2024, 06:47 PM

Originally Posted by Sterob

From Googling, It looks like all the decent quality vices use Flat Spiral springs for the clamping mechanism, instead of the wire spriral spring mine has.
It makes sense and a much better solution.
Mine won't take a flat spiral spring without significant modification. It obviously wasn't meant to have one.

flat sprial spring.jpg

Yours appears to be a close copy of a Record No.52
It uses the spiral spring but no sign of the castellated device.

IMG_0867.jpg IMG_0868.jpg

A spacer should work fine, with that spring there is no way to fine tune tension its not as if you would get an extra turn of wrap once installed. The spiral spring in the Record also has no adjustment for tension, just installed or not installed.

**Sterob** · 4th March 2024, 08:01 PM

Thanks Guys,

I had another look at it today.
I decided to try fitting a spacer to keep the castellated nut engaged to the blade. It works fine. The nut is not able to disengage now.
I guessed the possition of the castellated nut to determine the tension and its spot on. On the heavy side but that ensures the half nut engages positively
and ensures the vice can be closed tight every time.

Not a particularly good design and I assume the spacer was left out at the factory, as it was easy to dislodge the spring without it.
I would much prefer the flat spiral spring design. Oh well. This will do.

Steve

**Mobyturns** · 4th March 2024, 10:19 PM

A tip if / when you get it serviceable - don't disengage the quick release mechanism while the vice is under load - it very quickly destroys the half nuts. Also keep the mechanism well lubed.

I have a Dawn QR and have never had an issue because I always take the load off the mechanism and only use the QR feature to quickly position the jaws. Though others have destroyed their Dawn QR vices.

**Sterob** · 4th March 2024, 10:36 PM

Thanks Its working fine as far.
Good tip on the QR. I hope I'never do that!

**Treecycle** · 5th March 2024, 05:01 PM

Just to back up your thoughts I took a couple of photos of one of these vices at my wood club today (sorry about the dust). It has no end play in the QR lever like yours originally had so it seems like there may have been a manufacturing error.

QR vice_1.jpg QR vice_2.jpg

**Sterob** · 5th March 2024, 05:45 PM

Originally Posted by Treecycle

Just to back up your thoughts I took a couple of photos of one of these vices at my wood club today (sorry about the dust). It has no end play in the QR lever like yours originally had so it seems like there may have been a manufacturing error.

QR vice_1.jpg QR vice_2.jpg

Thanks! Yes, thats exactly the same as mine( without the endplay....lol).

There doesn't appear to be a spacer behind that castellated nut. I wonder if the shaft on my lever was made too long? ( How would that happen?)
Wierd.....anyway, its working properly now.

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