Thread: Joplin Saw Vice

I don't think these guys were talking about a saw vice (?)

https://www.woodworkforums.com/f152/joplin-vice-23213/

Originally Posted by snafuspyramid

I am considering purchasing this old Joplin saw vice. The jaws are a bit bent out of shape, but it's nothing that lining with rubber won't cure....

Eddie, I would tread very carefully if the jaws are at all 'bent'. The one thing you want from a saw vise is for it to hold firmly & evenly along the blade. I'm not sure rubber liners would be a totally satisfactory solution, but may do the trick. Filing them straight would be a tedious, but better approach, IMO. If the mis-match is too severe, I reckon I would pass, and keep looking for a vise that has fitting jaws, but if you are getting it for next-to-nothing, it's no doubt worth a fiddlde to see what can be done.....

Cheers,

Following what Ian said - are the jaws distorted or is there just a gap in the middle that disappears when it it tightened? If so it might be part of the design.

I've got something similar, but it is a Wenthworth's brand.

The jaws close up tight by the cam closing action. The front lip is deeper than the rear one and it is grooved to take what appears to be the remnants of a plastic strip. I've always assumed this was to reduce chatter or screeching when filing, but I haven't played with it enough to form a proper opinion.

I picked it up for $20, which I think is pretty good for something I've had real trouble locating. I especially like the ball mechanism that allows the vice to be secured at any angle (not that I plan on doing any fancy stuff with angles just yet). I cleaned it up and it works well.

As for the uneven jaws, they were not manufactured this way. The gap is bigger in the centre than at the edges - as it should be - but this is not the issue. Although the jaws meet each other neatly (at the same height) they close at one side before they close on the other. When a saw is clamped in place, it is a tiny bit loose - and therefore subject to vibration - on one side.

I will try fixing this by using a compressible material like tube rubber and will then try filing. Should not be too much work with a 10" mill file on soft steel.

Is the pin it pivots on worn more on one side?

Good point, Jim. When I was talking about filing, I was thinking there must be obvious damage to one or both of the jaws, but if the jaws themselves seem to be ok, please ignore my ramblings & don't take a file to anything until you have ascertained the real cause of the problem!

I haven't used this particular vise, but they all seem to work on the same principle. The pivitong point and the two outer edges of the vise jaws make 3 pressure points, so in theory, it should not close firmly without all 3 points in contact. Is it easy to remove the axle pin & clean & lubricate it? You may have already done this, but it would certainly be my first crack at the problem. Then there is the locking cam, which could be worn or damaged, causing it to put uneven pressure on the jaws, but that seems less likely, since any pressure at that point should still transfer to the jaws pretty evenly. However, I've been wrong once or twice....

Cheers,

Jimbur, I have packed the vice away for now - Ill be flying it to my home in Melbourne tomorrow - but as far as I could tell the pin was even on both sides. Certainly warrants further investigation.

How might I remove the pin? Looks like it's in there pretty firmly. I might give it a whack with a mallet, see if it will come free. I mean to take it apart for the purposes of repainting it anyway.

I would think that any slop in the pin or pivot would make the top face of the jaws to come together askew. try putting a brass shim underneath the cam and see if that will bring the jaws together with better pressure.

you could always glue in some leather and sand/file that to improve the clamping faces meeting together.