Someone gave me a Record 3VS vice yesterday -- threw it in with some
woodworking tools that I was buying. That's the mini-gloat. Now here are the
questions:

1) What is one of these worth? This one is just a little beat up, but mostly
in very good condition.

2) When I run it in and out, it is very smooth except for the last 1/4" or
so. Suddenly it gets much stiffer. I can tighten it all the way up, but I'm
wondering what is causing that extra difficulty at the end. I haven't had a
chance to disassemble and inspect it yet, but does anybody have any ideas
what I should look for?

Thanks!

Andy

On Mon, 22 Aug 2005 11:45:16 -0400, the opaque "Andrew H. Wakefield"
clearly wrote:

Someone gave me a Record 3VS vice yesterday -- threw it in with some
woodworking tools that I was buying. That's the mini-gloat. Now here are the
questions:

1) What is one of these worth? This one is just a little beat up, but mostly
in very good condition.

More than you paid for it. What size? IAC, good gloat.

New, they're £102.68 to £151.75 Incl VAT (EU)
£87.39 Excl VAT (Outside EU)
$159.09USD
http://www.edirectory.co.uk/pf/pages/moreinfoa.asp?pe=BCHHDCHQ_+Record+No3vs+Mechanics+ Vice+Swivel&cid=880
Used, anywhere from half that on down.


2) When I run it in and out, it is very smooth except for the last 1/4" or
so. Suddenly it gets much stiffer. I can tighten it all the way up, but I'm
wondering what is causing that extra difficulty at the end. I haven't had a
chance to disassemble and inspect it yet, but does anybody have any ideas
what I should look for?

Dirty globs of gummed-up grease, of course. Secondary might be a bent
shaft and/or hammered threads. Flip it over and find out.

I use regular moly wheel bearing grease on my mechanic's vise (6" HFT)
every decade or so. That was a good $25 purchase 3 lubes ago.


--

If it weren't for jumping to conclusions, some of us wouldn't get any exercise.
www.diversify.com - Jump-free website programming

Hmm, I wondered if I should have specified the size. I thought maybe the
"3VS" would be specific to one particular size. This one has 4" wide jaws.
Actually, I was surprised that the jaws were only 4" wide -- the thing is so
massive, I expected the jaws to be a little wider. (It seems like it is
twice the height of the old/cheap 3-1/2" vice I've been using.) I haven't
measured its maximum opening, but I'm guessing at least 6", if not more.

I'll look for, and hope for, dirt or grease in the threads ...

Thanks,

Andy

"Larry Jaques" wrote in message
...
On Mon, 22 Aug 2005 11:45:16 -0400, the opaque "Andrew H. Wakefield"
clearly wrote:

Someone gave me a Record 3VS vice yesterday -- threw it in with some
woodworking tools that I was buying. That's the mini-gloat. Now here are
the
questions:

1) What is one of these worth? This one is just a little beat up, but
mostly
in very good condition.

More than you paid for it. What size? IAC, good gloat.

New, they're £102.68 to £151.75 Incl VAT (EU)
£87.39 Excl VAT (Outside EU)
$159.09USD
http://www.edirectory.co.uk/pf/pages/moreinfoa.asp?pe=BCHHDCHQ_+Record+No3vs+Mechanics+ Vice+Swivel&cid=880
Used, anywhere from half that on down.


2) When I run it in and out, it is very smooth except for the last 1/4" or
so. Suddenly it gets much stiffer. I can tighten it all the way up, but
I'm
wondering what is causing that extra difficulty at the end. I haven't had
a
chance to disassemble and inspect it yet, but does anybody have any ideas
what I should look for?

Dirty globs of gummed-up grease, of course. Secondary might be a bent
shaft and/or hammered threads. Flip it over and find out.

I use regular moly wheel bearing grease on my mechanic's vise (6" HFT)
every decade or so. That was a good $25 purchase 3 lubes ago.


--

If it weren't for jumping to conclusions, some of us wouldn't get any
exercise.
www.diversify.com - Jump-free website programming

Andrew H. Wakefield wrote:
Hmm, I wondered if I should have specified the size. I thought maybe
the "3VS" would be specific to one particular size. This one has 4"
wide jaws. Actually, I was surprised that the jaws were only 4" wide --
the
thing is so massive, I expected the jaws to be a little wider. (It seems
like it
is twice the height of the old/cheap 3-1/2" vice I've been using.) I
haven't measured its maximum opening, but I'm guessing at least 6", if not
more.
I'll look for, and hope for, dirt or grease in the threads ...

Thanks,

Andy

"Larry Jaques" wrote in message
...
On Mon, 22 Aug 2005 11:45:16 -0400, the opaque "Andrew H. Wakefield"
clearly wrote:

Someone gave me a Record 3VS vice yesterday -- threw it in with some
woodworking tools that I was buying. That's the mini-gloat. Now
here are the
questions:

1) What is one of these worth? This one is just a little beat up,
but mostly
in very good condition.

More than you paid for it. What size? IAC, good gloat.

New, they're £102.68 to £151.75 Incl VAT (EU)
£87.39 Excl VAT (Outside EU)
$159.09USD
http://www.edirectory.co.uk/pf/pages/moreinfoa.asp?pe=BCHHDCHQ_+Record+No3vs+Mechanics+ Vice+Swivel&cid=880
Used, anywhere from half that on down.


2) When I run it in and out, it is very smooth except for the last
1/4" or so. Suddenly it gets much stiffer. I can tighten it all the way
up,
but I'm
wondering what is causing that extra difficulty at the end. I
haven't had a
chance to disassemble and inspect it yet, but does anybody have any
ideas what I should look for?

Record makes a better bench vice than most.
As to the binding problem - I would suspect dirt - probably sawdust.

Ken.

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

Thanks, all, for the help. I haven't had a chance to turn it over and clean
it up, but hopefully this weekend ...

Andy

"Jim McGill" wrote in message
...
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