Dawn 250mm Quick Action vice - QA not disengaging

[Alkahestic]

Hi,

My first post... and I have a problem, and hopefully posting it in the right forum... it's a tool and it's hand powered .

I bought this vice secondhand and the quick action never seems to disengage. It was pretty easy to disassemble, 7 bolts and it comes apart.

It seems like the spring marked B doesn't hold down the half nut C tight enough to stop the 'quick action'. The entire assembly with the half nut has threads on half of the inside along the length of the sleeve. Apart from the bolts, these are all the parts (pivoting plate was missing from the seller, a known issue). The chrome piece supporting the sleeve assembly is just there to prop the assembly up for the photo.

The scrapes along the screw cover A make it seem like the spring was rubbing against it at some point. When I got the vice, the spring was pointing downwards, as in 180 degrees rotated from where the scrapes are. Turning the handle did nothing, the plates did not move.

Does anyone have this model or similar and can advise on any missing parts or if I am doing something wrong? As it stands, the vice is useless as a vice unless I weld or glue the half nut in place, I'd rather try and return it to the seller first if it is indeed broken (it wasn't a bargain!). I've tried googling till my eyes went googly but there seems to be no info (or even good photos) on this model of vice.

Attachment 321020
Attachment 321021
Attachment 321022

Manufactuer's link: Woodworking Vice, Vices

[Clinton1]

If its a current Dawn, then you may be able to get a replacement spring from Dawn Australia.
If its older and it is the spring that is the issue, then you'll need to go to a spring works and get a new one made.

[Loco1960]

I have two of them and can take some photos if you like. One is untouched and the other was disassembled and reconditioned; they go together easily but you can get it backwards and it locks the mechanism - I did this first time of course!

BR,
Fraser

Hi,

My first post... and I have a problem, and hopefully posting it in the right forum... it's a tool and it's hand powered .

I bought this vice secondhand and the quick action never seems to disengage. It was pretty easy to disassemble, 7 bolts and it comes apart.

It seems like the spring marked B doesn't hold down the half nut C tight enough to stop the 'quick action'. The entire assembly with the half nut has threads on half of the inside along the length of the sleeve. Apart from the bolts, these are all the parts (pivoting plate was missing from the seller, a known issue). The chrome piece supporting the sleeve assembly is just there to prop the assembly up for the photo.

The scrapes along the screw cover A make it seem like the spring was rubbing against it at some point. When I got the vice, the spring was pointing downwards, as in 180 degrees rotated from where the scrapes are. Turning the handle did nothing, the plates did not move.

Does anyone have this model or similar and can advise on any missing parts or if I am doing something wrong? As it stands, the vice is useless as a vice unless I weld or glue the half nut in place, I'd rather try and return it to the seller first if it is indeed broken (it wasn't a bargain!). I've tried googling till my eyes went googly but there seems to be no info (or even good photos) on this model of vice.

Attachment 321020
Attachment 321021
Attachment 321022

Manufactuer's link: Woodworking Vice, Vices

[Alkahestic]

I have two of them and can take some photos if you like. One is untouched and the other was disassembled and reconditioned; they go together easily but you can get it backwards and it locks the mechanism - I did this first time of course!

BR,
Fraser

Thanks Loco, I might bother you again after this weekend (tough to play with the vice when it's sitting on a table! I needs me a bench). I played around a bit more and I think I was screwing in the vice way more than I should have. Just a quarter turn or so and the vice locks. I guess I was thinking that the vice could be used either as QA or as a normal turn the handle kind of thing, but it seems that QA is the only mode of operation and turning the handle is just for locking once the depth is set. Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong!

[seanz]

If it has a flat bar to disengage the half-nut like a Record QR vise then the bar should have a range of slots that it can be mounted in (just behind the Qr lever) and this tightens up the spring.

Oh, and I can't see the pics. I get an invalid link message.

[Clinton1]

Agree, the pics aren't showing and it would be easier to help if we could see what you've got going on.

[Alkahestic]

Agree, the pics aren't showing and it would be easier to help if we could see what you've got going on.

I've added the pics to an imgur album. I must've made a hash of the original links.

Vice pictures: Dawn 250mm QA vice - Imgur

[Clinton1]

Sorry mate, thats not the one that I'm used to.
I'd see if Dawn can supply a new part if that what is needed.

[Alkahestic]

Sorry mate, thats not the one that I'm used to.
I'd see if Dawn can supply a new part if that what is needed.

All good. Thanks for looking. I think I have it figured out, once I've got it mounted (hopefully this weekend) on a bench I'll know for sure. The downside to the vice being so hefty is that a temporary mounting on sawhorses is pretty wonky!

[pmcgee]

I think you are saying that the vice doesn't just wind in and wind out as far as you want ...

that you push it to a point, or pull it out ... and then turning the handle a half-turn or whatever locks it at that point???

If so, there was an old vice like that at the sale of benches and other items at the Midland Railway Workshops - which is on these forums somewhere but that vice was very old - unlike yours.

Cheers,
Paul