Really, Enco? Really?

[bluegrass-engineer]

In February I ordered this vise from Enco. After a nice discount the price was about $42.
http://www.use-enco.com/CGI/INSRIT?PMAKA=428-9020
http://www.use-enco.com/CGI/INSRIT?PMAKA=428-9020

I really liked the design of the vise and looked forward to using it with my mill for smaller items. My first job with it was to square up some half-inch aluminum stock. Nothing ended up square. Sides were not parallel either side-to-side or front-to-back.

I put a parallel bar across the ways. Even in this picture you can see the gaps between the bar and the ways.



Here is a closeup of one side. The other is about the same. I didn't try to measure the gap.


So, of course, I called Enco. The first thing they said was that I had waited too long to call, since more than 60 days had passed. After much discussion they agreed to take it back, but they may charge a restocking fee. After much more discussion they agreed that I wouldn't be charged a restocking fee.

OK, off to the shipper. The cheapest I can get this thing to Nevada is by FedEx ground for $27.

I guess I now have a very nice boat anchor, unless somebody here knows how to square this thing up. All suggestions will be appreciated.

 

[Groundhog]

I have a similar vise. Don't think I got it from Enco?? Anyway, it's not heavy enough for a boat anchor. I use it for a welding/sanding vise. And it isn't even too good for that.

 

[TomS]

In February I ordered this vise from Enco. After a nice discount the price was about $42.
http://www.use-enco.com/CGI/INSRIT?PMAKA=428-9020

I really liked the design of the vise and looked forward to using it with my mill for smaller items. My first job with it was to square up some half-inch aluminum stock. Nothing ended up square. Sides were not parallel either side-to-side or front-to-back.

I put a parallel bar across the ways. Even in this picture you can see the gaps between the bar and the ways.

View attachment 127952

Here is a closeup of one side. The other is about the same. I didn't try to measure the gap.
View attachment 127953

So, of course, I called Enco. The first thing they said was that I had waited too long to call, since more than 60 days had passed. After much discussion they agreed to take it back, but they may charge a restocking fee. After much more discussion they agreed that I wouldn't be charged a restocking fee.

OK, off to the shipper. The cheapest I can get this thing to Nevada is by FedEx ground for $27.

I guess I now have a very nice boat anchor, unless somebody here knows how to square this thing up. All suggestions will be appreciated.

If you have, or know someone with, a surface grinder you can grind the base square and flat. Might have to mill it first to get most of the irregularities out to minimize grinding. I bought a cheapo 4" CNC vise off eBay a few months back that needs a little TLC. While for the most part it is reasonably accurate the base has some areas that did not clean up so I'm thinking about doing some milling to remove them. What have you got to lose?

Tom S.

 

[bluegrass-engineer]

Thanks, Tom. I don't know anyone with a surface grinder, but that's a good idea. Maybe I can figure something out.

What have I got to lose? An adjustable boat anchor, that's what!

 

[dlane]

Restocking fee , wonder how many times it's been resold.
I know I've got things from them that were returned because of poor quality, and resold
That being said, seems a lot of Chinese stuff needs reworking to get them close to rite.
There have been other threads here about reworking bad ouality vices.

 

[stupoty]

Might be a good thing to learn scrapeing on.

I hate it when the cost of shipping makes returning a rubbish or faulty tool un economical, bahhhhh.

Stuart

 

[tomh]

Hi
Do you by chance a trade school or community college nearby that has machine shop classes.

Today they call them machine tool technology MTT I think? Give them a call and see if they can do it for a student project, explain that if it doesn't work out that that's fine as its not much good as it is, it will not hurt to try

If that doesn't work out do as Stewart suggested, its a good project for a scraping lesson

 

[chips&more]

If you know its idiosyncrasies, I do not see why you cannot use it the way it is. Like, do not reference anything from the two rails. Instead lay a parallel or similar on the rails first for reference. I understand your discontent. I’m also a little surprised to see that kind of quality even from China in today’s marketplace. Maybe a decade or so ago, I thought they got the hint. That’s pretty bad and no excuse, especially if it was surface ground. Maybe the casting warped?

 

[bluegrass-engineer]

Laying a parallel bar on the rails won't help much. The pictures don't show it, but the tops of the rails are not parallel to the base. Thanks for the thought.

 

[compsurge]

Does it not fit in a flat rate box?