Andy

Score! A Record vice is a good addition to a woodworking shop. Though I
use mine mostly as a fixed base for powered hand tools. Put a wood
lining in the jaws and you can hold a belt sander, drill, pad sander
etc. upside down and use it as a small fixed tool. Very handy when
finishing small parts (a pad sander with 320 grit paper does a great job
of putting a matte finish on the edges of parts and rounding sharp edges).

The sticking is probably glue in the threads. Take a scraper (blade
style screwdriver is traditional) and carefully clean out the corners of
the threads. You may also need to clean the nut out. Run the vise all
the way out, take the lead screw out and clean the inside of the nut.

If you're planning to use the vise for woodworking ever, don't use
grease on the lead screw, it gets on the wood, soaks in and you'll never
get it out. Bees wax works nearly as well and doesn't make a dark stain
if it transfers to the wood. There are also some high tech spray on
lubes that they use on commercial woodworking tools. If you know a
professional, ask if they'll shoot a bit on the lead screw.

Jim