Quick adjusting vise worn out?

[Anthony Whitesell]

Do quick adjusting vises wear out? I am unable to get any clamping pressure between the jaws of the vise.

This is what the screw on my (old) vise looks like.

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Are they supposed to look like that? If so, how to fix?

The new vise I picked up from Harbor Freight.

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Is there any hope for the old vise?

[Jim Morgan]

When you push the quick-adjust lever on the front of the vise, that raises the half-nut at the rear of the vise that engages the screw threads. When you release the lever, a spring should pull the half-nut back into engagement. Perhaps the spring is worn or has gone altogether missing. Or gunk has worked its way in so the nut no longer pivots freely. Either way, shouldn't be a difficult fix.

[Mel Fulks]

Yes. They usually just need some adjustment, often from an unneeded adjustment. Looks like it might be missing a nut that might be hard to find. Allowing someone to use a vise who is not competent and careful is a bad idea.

[Anthony Whitesell]

When you push the quick-adjust lever on the front of the vise, that raises the half-nut at the rear of the vise that engages the screw threads. When you release the lever, a spring should pull the half-nut back into engagement. Perhaps the spring is worn or has gone altogether missing. Or gunk has worked its way in so the nut no longer pivots freely. Either way, shouldn't be a difficult fix.
I am aware of how the quick release mechanism works. The nut is clean. The threads on the vise are clean. The spring has tension to engage the nut. When a load is applied to the vise jaws, the nut pops out of the threads. What are you suggesting should be fixed or adjusted?

[Anthony Whitesell]

Allowing someone to use a vise who is not competent and careful is a bad idea.
Not sure to what that comment applies. That you should not be using a quick release vise?

Looks like it might be missing a nut that might be hard to find.
Are you referring to the nut that is on the back bottom of the vise? A section of the vise that is not in the picture frame, but has been removed for inspection and can be seen in the top of the picture?

Yes. They usually just need some adjustment, often from an unneeded adjustment.
I have not been able to find anything that is adjustable on the vise, hence my question about if the threads on a quick release vise are known to wear out. Please let me know if you have any specific information on how to address the issue.

[Robert Hayward]

Can you post pictures of your locking nut? Showing it in place and off the vise so the threads are visible?

The threads on the shaft look normal to me. A guess is something is worn on the locking nut or the locking mechanism needs adjustment.

Does your vise locking assembly look similar to the pictures of my vise?

[Mel Fulks]

Anthony , It looked like a pattern makers vise . Maybe it’s not. That’s all I got.
Pretty sure someone on Sawmill will have the answer. You might look on line at heavy duty vises new and old.

[Anthony Whitesell]

Can you post pictures of your locking nut? Showing it in place and off the vise so the threads are visible?

The threads on the shaft look normal to me.
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the locking mechanism needs adjustment.
Adjustment? Where and what would be adjusted?


Does your vise locking assembly look similar to the pictures of my vise?
Similar, yes.

[Anthony Whitesell]

Anthony , It looked like a pattern makers vise . Maybe it’s not. That’s all I got.
Pretty sure someone on Sawmill will have the answer. You might look on line at heavy duty vises new and old.
Until I got annoyed enough to break down and purchase a new one at Harbor Freight, I had nothing to compare it to. I had no idea what the workings should look like. They didn't look any different than the pictures I found online. Other than the sharpness of the threads of the screw, there is no difference between the old one and the new one from Harbor Freight. Hence why I was wondering if the threads wear out. Still leaves not understanding why the jaws of old vise won't supply any pressure. Everything between them appears identical. So I am hoping to find someone with some insight or thoughts. Thank you for your input.

[Robert Hayward]

The vise will need to be assembled for this test. Put finger pressure on the end of the shaft that protrudes out the bottom of the nut while you are closing the vise jaws hard enough to make the jaws slip. See if you feel the nut shaft moving, jumping. That will tell you the nut is is slipping if the nut shaft moves. The teeth, or threads, on the nut look worn in the picture you posted. Also might jut be the nut is not getting enough pressure to hold it tight against the vise shaft screw.

[Robert Hayward]

How much pressure does it take to move the thumb lever that allows the quick vise adjustment? Mine takes enough pressure to move the lever that is has annoyed me since I bought the vise several years ago.

[Anthony Whitesell]

The vise will need to be assembled for this test. Put finger pressure on the end of the shaft that protrudes out the bottom of the nut while you are closing the vise jaws hard enough to make the jaws slip. See if you feel the nut shaft moving, jumping. That will tell you the nut is is slipping if the nut shaft moves. The teeth, or threads, on the nut look worn in the picture you posted. Also might jut be the nut is not getting enough pressure to hold it tight against the vise shaft screw.

I cannot apply enough pressure to the nut stem (point as pictured) to get any "real" amount of clamping pressure on the jaws.

If you look at the the carefully. The right most thread looks more worn than the others. If you look even more carefully you can make out a wear spot in the lower right. If this is the cause, is there any saving or replacing the half nut?

[Anthony Whitesell]

How much pressure does it take to move the thumb lever that allows the quick vise adjustment? Mine takes enough pressure to move the lever that is has annoyed me since I bought the vise several years ago.
No difference than to the new vise from Harbor Freight. I would say a comfortable amount. It doesn't flop around. It wouldn't get triggered by accident. But also doesn't take a lead pipe or pair of pliers to make it move.

[Robert Hayward]

The right thread being worn and not the others tells me the nut is not staying flat against the vise shaft when the vise if being tightened. The worn thread is riding up on the vise threads causing the entire nut to move away from the vise shaft causing the slippage. Difficult to say without having the assembly in my hands but the nut shaft may be too loose in the slot it slides in. That may have caused the wear on the nut thread.

[Rob Luter]

There looks to be a fair bit of debris in the thread of both the screw and the nut. The first thing I'd do is clean all that up so the nut can fully engage.

https://sawmillcreek.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=501952&d=1685294568

https://sawmillcreek.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=501967&d=1685309025

[Randy Heinemann]

In my limited experience (one quick release vise) it’s the quick release nut which is the part that wears out. The real answer is to spend a lot more money and buy a Lie Nielsen or Veritas. I believe they will last infinitely longer. Also an online producer of tools, Andrew Klein makes a great vise; more expensive and more work to install but better. Having said all of that I ended up replacing mine with the Rockler end vise; not the best but it appears better than is had and not as expensive as the others I mentioned. I buy tools from Harbor Freight but I doubt a vise from them will last.

[Anthony Whitesell]

There looks to be a fair bit of debris in the thread of both the screw and the nut. The first thing I'd do is clean all that up so the nut can fully engage.
All clean.

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No change. Same problem. No surprise. If that little amount of sawdust on the threads fouls up the workings, then it will never work.

[Cameron Wood]

The tang that pushes the half nut looks rough- maybe it's catching and preventing full engagement.

[Bill Dufour]

Compare the main screw at both ends and the middle. I would guess any wear will be nearer the fixed jaw end.
Bill D

[Anthony Whitesell]

The tang that pushes the half nut looks rough- maybe it's catching and preventing full engagement.
As Robert Hayward suggested, and I had previously tried, pressing on the half nut with my hand or with a clamp does not appreciably change the amount of pressure the jaws will apply before the nut/threads slip. Pressing on the half nut with my hand or a clamp rules out any issue with how the tang looks.

[Anthony Whitesell]

Compare the main screw at both ends and the middle. I would guess any wear will be nearer the fixed jaw end.
Bill D
I tried placing a straigt edge against the screw and could see any difference. I did not check with a feeler guage. I have tried clamping with jaws open at different widths, but could find any spot that was tighter than another.

[Robert Hayward]

Something for you to try. See how much free space the locking nut shaft has in picture 1? Assemble the vise and put something in the free space to limit the amount of lateral movement the shaft has. Not so tight that the nut/shaft cannot move up and down but enough to limit the amount of lateral movement. You could temporarily epoxy or CA glue a washer on the metal piece the nut shaft goes through. Tighten the vise jaw and see if that makes a difference.

There is a lot of wear showing on the locking nut shaft which to me indicates the shaft is moving sideways and allowing the nut to rock on the vise shaft screw.

[Tom M King]

I agree with Robert. I would run a weld bead on that part that the lobe of the cam on the shaft needs to rub against, and file it flat to close up that space some so the cam has something to push against. The nut is just not being pushed against the screw with enough pressure. There only needs to be enough space for it to release.

[Anthony Whitesell]

I agree with Robert. I would run a weld bead on that part that the lobe of the cam on the shaft needs to rub against, and file it flat to close up that space some so the cam has something to push against. The nut is just not being pushed against the screw with enough pressure. There only needs to be enough space for it to release.
Don't forget to increase pressure applied, I have previously tried (at Robert's suggestion), to hold the nut in place with my hand. I could not apply enough pressure to keep it from slipping. I then tried clamping it in down with a quick clamp to the workbench. That could not apply enough pressure. I will try this suggestion, but don't think it will have any affect.

I don't think the "wear" is wear. I think the previous owner may have tried to solve this problem, and failed. This marks look more like grinder marks than wear marks. Notice how they run perpendicular to the direction of travel, instead of with the direction of travel.

[Tom M King]

What brand is it? I have several of them, but they're all different. It would help if I could look at one of the same brand.

[Bill Dufour]

FYI: That looks like a buttress thread to me. I do not think the screw is worn, just the nut. A buttress thread is the best thread form for a vise screw, better then acme.
Bill D

[Anthony Whitesell]

Something for you to try. See how much free space the locking nut shaft has in picture 1? Assemble the vise and put something in the free space to limit the amount of lateral movement the shaft has. Not so tight that the nut/shaft cannot move up and down but enough to limit the amount of lateral movement. You could temporarily epoxy or CA glue a washer on the metal piece the nut shaft goes through. Tighten the vise jaw and see if that makes a difference.

There is a lot of wear showing on the locking nut shaft which to me indicates the shaft is moving sideways and allowing the nut to rock on the vise shaft screw.

I started looking to closing the clearance around the shaft

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and found that it is irrelevent.

The latching bar (or what ever it is called that moves the half nut) is wide enough
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that it pins the shaft to one side of the hole as seen.

It cannot slop front to back as the half nut is trapped by the features of the mount on the vise. (barely seen in the background here)

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Although the hole seems oversized, there is no way for the pin (half nut shaft?) of the half nut to slop around in the hole.

[Robert Hayward]

Unless the latching bar has a notch in it I believe the half nut shaft can still move sideways.

I wish I knew the proper names for these parts but I am guessing everyone knows what I am describing even with my home brewed names.

[Anthony Whitesell]

I wish I knew the proper names for these parts but I am guessing everyone knows what I am describing even with my home brewed names.
Ditto.



Unless the latching bar has a notch in it I believe the half nut shaft can still move sideways.
The half nut cannot move in the direction of the screw.

The half nut is here

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and is trapped in the pocket here.
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The half nut is held in position by the vise base, not the release bar. It cannot move left/right, in the same direction as the screw, more than a few thousandths of an inch. It is a free fit but not a loose fit. It cannot rock in the pocket either as it is a cube shape in a square pocket.

Believe me, I'm testing and checking everything suggested because I still don't understand why it does work, what is broken, or worn out. I'm beginning to wonder about the source of the marks on the side of the half nut shaft. Are they factory? Was someone playing with this already? Trying to fix the lack of clamping pressure? Is this half nut the original to this vise (see question 2)?

[Anthony Whitesell]

Is it possible to fix or replace the half nut? Seems to be a sturdy vise and hate to through it away. But it is not much use as it is, with a worn out halfnut.

[Randy Heinemann]

I don't know of a source for this part. I would also imagine that it's likely you may need to replace it with one from the company that originally manufactured it just in case the threads of the shaft were slightly different. In my case, I went cheap for my first quick release and bought the version from Woodcraft which was made in China. It didn't seem worth it to try to find out how to get that replacement part. What wore out for me was the little extension nipples on the ends of that piece. It kept falling out of my vise. A friend wrapped zip ties around each end where the nut fits into the vise frame. That actually worked for awhile. If that's what is wrong with yours that is worth a shot. The zip ties keep the nut in place. You just have to be careful that you don't restrict the movement of the nut when installing the zip ties; just catch the ends to keep them from falling out.

[Anthony Whitesell]

I get the vise second hand and I don't see any manufacturers markings. I think that getting one from the manufacturer is not going to be an option. Stinks to toss it, but that seems like where this is headed as the vise is completely unusable as it is.

[Mel Fulks]

I have an old pattern makers vise, but haven’t used it much in retirement. To quickly open , or close it by sliding ,instead of turning the
handle; you turn it to where it slides. I’m guessing that something is not aligning , and I know they can do that.

[Randy Heinemann]

If the vise worked when you got but doesn’t now then ignore what I say below. However if it never worked then it’s possible that the nut is on backwards. Disassemble and reassemble with the nut turned around and on the other side of the screw. Also it’s possible that the plate is installed under your bench with the wrong side toward the outside edge of your bench. Having just installed a Rockler quick release to replace my old vise a YouTube video made it clear that this was important since the nut references off a “lip” on this under bench plate. Just a thought. Sometimes it’s the things that aren’t obvious and aren’t clear from the instructions. May or may not apply to your vise.

[Anthony Whitesell]

If the vise worked when you got but doesn’t now then ignore what I say below.
It never worked. There were some washers in a odd place (some hack added by someone along the way). I removed them and it still doesn't work.


However if it never worked then it’s possible that the nut is on backwards. Disassemble and reassemble with the nut turned around and on the other side of the screw.
The nut only fits on the threads one way. It is impossible to be on backwards.


Also it’s possible that the plate is installed under your bench with the wrong side toward the outside edge of your bench. Having just installed a Rockler quick release to replace my old vise a YouTube video made it clear that this was important since the nut references off a “lip” on this under bench plate. Just a thought. Sometimes it’s the things that aren’t obvious and aren’t clear from the instructions. May or may not apply to your vise.
Plate? What plate? The HF vise doesn't have a plate.

The vise doesn't work whether mounted or bench tested. Curious about this "plate" you are referring to.