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Kurt vise
- Thread starter Scruffy
- Start date
- Joined
- Jan 11, 2013
- Messages
- 1,838
That's pretty cheap, depending on it's condition. I just got a used one for more than that price, in pretty nice shape.
I personally don't care about "pretty" as much as function, so I would just check it out for that. Move the moveable jaw almost to the fixed one, and tighten the moveable jaw adjustment until it drags when you turn the handle. Now move the jaw way from the fixed jaw. This should show you if the ways are worn out.
There are a dew links online on rebuilding or tuning them up. Sweet vises!
Bernie
I personally don't care about "pretty" as much as function, so I would just check it out for that. Move the moveable jaw almost to the fixed one, and tighten the moveable jaw adjustment until it drags when you turn the handle. Now move the jaw way from the fixed jaw. This should show you if the ways are worn out.
There are a dew links online on rebuilding or tuning them up. Sweet vises!
Bernie
- Joined
- Jan 11, 2013
- Messages
- 1,838
Sure-
There are three holes in the back of the moveable jaw, looking toward the vise handle.
The middle one has a socket head screw that controls how close the jaw is to the ways when you are moving the jaw back and forth. If you bring the movable jaw almost closed, and tighten that socket head screw until the jaw "drags" a little as you open the vise, you can tell dips the vise ways are warn. This is the same as the "carriage lock drag test" for lathe beds.
If the jaws moves from open to closed with the same "drag" then the ways aren't very worn out. If the jaw moves and feels different as you approach totally open and totally closed, then the screw or ways are worn.
Bernie
There are three holes in the back of the moveable jaw, looking toward the vise handle.
The middle one has a socket head screw that controls how close the jaw is to the ways when you are moving the jaw back and forth. If you bring the movable jaw almost closed, and tighten that socket head screw until the jaw "drags" a little as you open the vise, you can tell dips the vise ways are warn. This is the same as the "carriage lock drag test" for lathe beds.
If the jaws moves from open to closed with the same "drag" then the ways aren't very worn out. If the jaw moves and feels different as you approach totally open and totally closed, then the screw or ways are worn.
Bernie
- Joined
- Jan 11, 2013
- Messages
- 1,838
I should repeat that $200 is cheap, and I wouldn't complain about that price even if it wasn't perfect!
Bernie
Bernie