vise fixed......

I got a late start today mostly because the peepers didn't slam open at oh dark thirty as usual. It was more like oh light-ish 25. And even then I laid in bed for a while trying to have a conversation with my cats. I managed to get my butt into the shop at 0700. I know I was dragging because of the upcoming vise fix. That went well and if I didn't fix it, I certainly made a 100% improvement in it.

The plan of attack was to remove both vises. Take both vises apart as much as I could, and compare the two of them side by side. I should have done this the last time I 'fixed' my workbench vise but at the time I didn't want to. Since I don't want to do this dance step again, I submitted to the PITA it is going to be taking both vises off.

I found it

The last time I fixed this vise someone left this handy jig as a comment (sorry I can't remember your name). This has to be one of top 3 greatest jigs in the woodworking world.

put it in the vise and tighten it down

remove the screws

The jig holds the vise in this position.  You don't have to wish you had an extra set of arms with hands.  It really pays off when it comes time to put it back on.

first idea went south

I took off both vises and I looked over the first one for a while. Looking at it with a goofy face did nothing. Maybe I should have tried the butt scratching Ken writes about. Nothing obvious from my visual inspection jumped out at me - with either vise side by side. One just looked bigger than the other.

My first thought was to change out the QR (quick release) nuts and be done with it. I wouldn't care if the sharpening bench vise was stiff. That idea may have sounded good but the QR nuts are different sizes. The sharpening bench vise QR nut is on the left and the workbench QR nut is on the right. The threaded shafts are the same size but not the nuts. On to plan #2.

nuts side by side

There is a big difference in the size of the nuts. The sharpening bench QR nut on the left has it's 'button' flush with the top and the spring applying pressure to keep it that way. The workbench nut on the right has it's 'button' slightly proud and the spring is fairly loose.

I took the sharpening bench QR nut apart and it had some oil on it. I'm not sure if it was for lubrication or left over from the milling operation. The button on the sharpening bench QR moved freely in the hole. I could push it up and down against the spring without it hanging up or stalling. I could also turn it in the hole 360°.

The QR nut in the workbench vise was the total opposite. The button in that one would only fully seat in one spot. It would not turn freely 360° and it grabbed and stalled when I tried to push it up or down. The spring pressure on the nut didn't make much difference because the button fit was so crappy.

hiccup #1

I put the sharpening bench vise back together and I was going to put it back on but I had to deal with a hiccup. I had checked the action of the vise before I was going to do that and found out that I had put the QR nut in backwards. I took it back apart and installed it the right way. The screw on the QR nut has to be against the rear jaw.

hiccup #2

I lost this E-ring. I was installing it and I tapped it with my mallet to seat it and it went south. I didn't hit it squarely and it sprung up and off into the black hole of the shop somewhere.

I swept the floor but no luck

I felt the E-ring bounce off of me but I had no luck finding it. I shifted through this pile a couple of times but it wasn't there.

fixing the button

I could feel some burrs on the rim of the button. There were burrs on/in the hole that it goes into on the QR nut. I used my needle files to file off all the burrs on the button. I filed the burrs off the hole too and filed a slight chamfer on the top. I kept doing with this until the button turned freely 360° and also moved up and down in the hole freely 360°. The last step I did was to adjust the spring pressure so it was like the one on the sharpening bench QR nut.

adding a another shim

The vise on the workbench is only about a 16th below the top of the bench. I didn't have a warm and fuzzy about that. I am concerned that I may tilt a plane and maybe hit it. I'm adding a 1/8" piece of plywood to bring it down a bit more. I glued the two of them together and I let it set up for a while.

finishing work on the saw donkeys

I knocked off the four edges on the top to make it feel better when I pick it up. I planed them first and ran 80 grit sandpaper on the edges after that.

filling a oops while the glue cooks

I drilled this hole on the wrong side yesterday. It was the first one I did and as I was drilling it I was saying to myself that this didn't look right. Turns out I was right on that. I drilled the hole out and used the 9th dowel I made from yesterday to fill it.

hiccup #1 on the workbench vise

I got the QR nut installed right but I put the rear jaw on backwards. The score so far is 2 - 1.

another inspection point

I went over the two guide rods with a fine tooth comb. I analyzed every bit of them from end to end. Other than a bit of rust bloom on one,  all the vise rods were clean. There was no evidence of galling, rubbing or scratches on any of the rods. All four were straight too. I checked them with my straight edge. The holes in the vise jaws show absolutely no wear at all. No evidence of galling, scratches, or wear spots anywhere on the circumference.

I didn't think that the rods were the problem because the workbench vise never felt like it was binding when I pulled it out or pushed it in. It had a stiff and hard action but I didn't feel like the rods were cocked or the holes were too tight. In fact the holes being so clean leads me to believe that they aren't or couldn't be a problem.

one last check

The underside of the bench is square to the face of the workbench. There was a small 2" area at the bottom that was slightly out of square that I planed. I only checked the area where the vise will be installed.

operational check

This is what is a real PITA with this vise. In order to check what I had 'fixed' I had to install it to do that. The saw donkey has just done it's first job. The clamps are holding the vise and I can operate it and check it out before I install it.

fully tight

one turn to the left - can't pull it out yet

second turn up coming

What I've been doing with this vise on getting the QR nut to release is on the second turn I drop the handle at the top.

there is much Joy in Mudville

This vise has never opened from a tightened and closed position without me using one hand to push against the workbench as I pulled the vise handle. Today was a first with me opening the vise with one hand and pulling it without straining. I had to repeat this 22 bazillion times just to prove to myself that it was finally working like it is supposed to.

it stuck here

With the vise open as far as it would go, it got stuck. I had to turn the handle to the left a couple of turns and I was then able to close the vise. I don't consider this a problem as I rarely, if ever would open the vise this far. Besides, it did close so QR nut is still working.

Harbor Freight

I'm sure that the E-ring I lost was metric but Harbor Freight only had imperial. If this doesn't have one that fits, I'll install my workbench vise and I'll buy an E-ring for the sharpening bench vise. I don't need/use that vise that much so that one could wait.

1/2" one fits

I doubt that I will ever use up this assortment of E-rings in my lifetime.

this jig is awesome

This is where this jig excels in my opinion. The hardest part of putting the vise back without this jig is holding it while you get the first screw in. I keep this jig on the edge of the black hole so I won't lose it.

awesome saw donkey

I just noticed that the saw donkey is rock solid with this vise fully extended. I don't think I'll have any problems with using these for sawing etc.

can't hurt

I put a few drops of oil on the button and the threaded shaft.

installing the workbench vise

2 screws installed

Before I went any further I cycled the vise through it's paces about 10 times. It worked flawlessly on every try. Is it as smooth of an action as the sharpening bench? Not quite, but it is a huge improvement over what it was. This vise is twice the size and weight of the sharpening vise so I didn't expect it to be as smooth and easy as that one. And the QR nut size and mass is twice the sharpening bench one. I did expect the QR nut release to work and now it does. I can open the vise with one hand which I couldn't do before. I still don't fully understand how the QR nut works, but it is working now and that is all I care about.

screw hole repair

I have taken this vise off several times now and one screw hole is wallowed out. I can't tighten the lag screw in it anymore and I need to fix that. I like using miller dowels for this and especially so on a big hole like this.

miller dowel

I am gluing long grain to long grain in the hole and I'm screwing into long grain. On small holes like #8 screws I like using unfinished golf tees.

got this tip from Bob @ Valley Woodworker

This is stair tread runner that I bought at Home Depot. I bought a 4 foot piece for pennies a foot. I don't remember the cost but it was less than $10. I'm going to put this on the feet of the saw donkeys. Not only will it keep the feet away from the concrete floor it will act like non skid too.

gappy joints

I am going to add a couple of miller dowels to each joint to help out the draw bore dowel. The miller dowel won't span the 4x4 but it will go into the opposite mortise wall. I'll put one miller dowel in from each side.

one done and one to go

I had no experience with contact cement other then using it for Formica counters and I did my last one of them over 25 years ago. Bob says that contact cement will work for this. I used this on the sharpening bench but I don't move that one. I'll keep an eye on this to see how it holds up with being moved around and abused in the shop.

upcoming project

Both of the heads on these panel gauges move when tightened down. The left beam is bowed slightly and the other one needs a new scribe pin. Both of these appear to be made of rosewood and I would like to fix these. I don't have a clue as to how I'll do it but I want to try to do something to make them functional again.

you can rout end grain

But you have to do it slowly. This slot is part of the sawing stop that I am putting on both of the saw donkeys. I was going to put it only on one but decided to do it on both. I may have a need for using a stop on both at the same time.

sawing out the slot wood

I found a piece of white oak that is the same thickness as the slot. I have to saw it to the right width.

This is where I called it a day. I got the threaded insert installed, the slot spacer sawed out, I just have to saw a slot in the stop for a 1/4-20 bolt. If this works out I'll repeat it for the other saw donkey.

I started making the list of projects for the start of 2016. I just have the list of them and I still have to prioritize them. Until I do that, I'll finish up the saw horses and road test them.

accidental woodworker

trivia corner
What is ergophobia?

answer - a fear of work

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