Very unsound looking geometry there. Can't see it ever working reliably with a conventional screw as the short moving jaw has very poor anti tip geometry. There are good reasons why the standard vice configuration has a long moving jaw despite the inherent space inefficiency. Best option if you don't scrap it would be a rebuild to incorporate pull down / anti tip geometry into the nut. Kurt are the well known exponents but most of the quality CNC vices have their own versions.

Somewhere on the net there is a good description of how the Kurt style system works with how to do a DIY equivalent details. Pretty sure I down loaded it but darned if I can recall where, or even if, I filed it. I rather fancy a smaller version of the Orange vice which uses a very similar base section and has an on-line parts list that appears to be well enough illustrated to permit successful "inspired-by" re-engineering and replication into a variant more suited to that size.

Clive

Chris,

Send it back!

If you have to correct a new item yourself it is clearly not up to the required standard as defined in the Sale of Goods Act. I am sure the supplier will replace it of refund your money without any quibble as this is the way that most importers of Far Eastern products conduct their quality control. They supply items without any pre-sale checks and hope the customer puts up any faults or if they complain very quickly offer a replacement or refund. When this happens innocent purchasers who have parted with their hard earned cash are persuaded that the supplier has treated them very well and are very conscientious.

If enough people send faulty products back rather than put them right themselves hopefully these suppliers will eventually get the message and carry out proper quality control.

Send it back every time.

Hi Chris.

Fine ground jaws in fact a nice finish all over. Is this a case of all that glitters? Something to watch out these days equipment that is tricked up, but not accurate.

Apart from on tiny toolmakers vices I would prefer a flattened diamond patterned grip face on the jaws, like on my old Abwood. Two of my machine vices have this the other has small v grooves about 3mm deep about 8mm apart. A shiny face has very little friction to hold the part. If I want to protect the work a box of assorted aluminium and brass strips of the right length is always to hand to slip in between the work and the jaws, sometimes I use paper.

The movable back jaw? Is it really necessary? I noticed the V in the back of the jaw after you turn it around for holding vertical work. that can be replaced by a slip in piece with a V milled in it, a couple of those live in the same box as the strips.

The diagonally disposed set screws that hold the back jaw in place are intriguing? there must be an uneven resistance to the clamping pressure of the opposing jaw, at a guess the jaw would be more inclined to lift on the side where the screw is towards the back.?

I also would be inclined to credit it.

Your work moving reminds me of a nasty accident that happened in a shop nearby, a person who should have known better was in a hurry and set a 3 jaw chuck on a rather large Dean Smith and Grace lathe. No not on the spindle register, clamped in the jaws of the 4 jaw already there, it was a big one and had to be craned off. I guess you know what came next. hard steel on hard steel = very little grip as soon as he started up a hundred pounds of spinning iron flew across the room doing considerable damage including injuring the operator.

Cheers

John

If you think the shiny jaws arent helping have you tried a slip if paper around the work?

Paul

Just because something is patented doesn't mean it will work as promised. And that won't. The screw arrangement is fundamentally pro tilt and the thin sheet guides under the square guide ways are grossly inadequate to hold the jaw down.

I have a pair of Vertex 4" jaw width vices with similar, albeit much more robust, guide arrangements with the moving jaw something over 6" long. Mine have a pin and through hole arrangement to locate the feed nut enabling 3 opening ranges to be selected with a maximum of 8". The wide range is handy but its essential to keep an eye on the relative positions of moving jaw and base being prepared to deal with lift and/or tilt issues in the out third or so of the opening range as the moving jaw extends beyond the base by some 3" at maximum opening. Its never been a big problem for me and certainly up to around 6 inches or so of opening jaw lift / tilt is no more an issue than with any well made vice. On the rare occasions when I need the maximum opening I'm prepared to work a bit harder simply for the convenience of a wide opening vice that I can actually lift!

If there is sufficient metal in the body to put a second set of grooves inside it could be made to work reliably by adopting a system similar to that used by Orange Vice Company. They arrange the feed screw to operate in tension and drive the moving jaw from a sliding block running in a slot beneath the top surface of the vice. The drive block and jaw connect via a pair of interlocking wedged teeth acting to pull them together as the vice is tightened up thus actively preventing jaw lift and tilt. When tight the top jaw and block sandwich part of the vice body between them so things shouldn't move. The Orange Vice website is here, look at the specification section and parts diagram A will show you how they do it. Some pretty subtle engineering involved.

Clive

As others have said its a flawed design. I would certainly try and get a refund or exchanged for something that is usable.

To me, the diagonal positioning of the fixed jaw bolts is plain illogical. Two bolts and two dowels are fine, but what sort of reasoning decides that one of the bolts should be in a less effective position. If the bolts were only subject to shear loads only, or the jaw had to resist loading from the rear then I could accept it, but in this case it make no sense.

I have just seen what looks like a small step on the back of the fixed jaw, which make me think it reversible. If it is, then using dowels is a bit suspect. I thought the whole idea of dowels is to drill and ream in one position, for this vice they must do all the dowel holes by dead reckoning, or just fudge them.

Ian P

The Orange Vise site has a nice Speed/Feed calculator and a Drill/Tap chart the page is at

**LINK**

Brian

Why make compromises with a brand new expensive bit of kit send it back and say not up to standard and not suitable for purpose intended. End of story want my money back…

Bob

Neil

You cant have a very high opinion of society if you think 'most people' get lead by stealing it!

IanP

You can buy a product called PLASTIGAUGE that is intended to be used to check clearances in engine crankshaft bearings. Such clearances cannot be measured directly very easily.

It is very simple to use and consists of deformable precision plastic rods that flatten when clamped between two surfaces. The width of the flattened part is compared with a chart provided with the product and the clearance is then read off directly. No measuring instruments are required.

I have used it for its intended purpose and for checking all sorts of other small gaps that are normally difficult to measure. It is ideal for checking such a machine vice.

Plastigauge can be purchased in small lots from RS Components. Also try a Google search.

Not fit for purpose!

Reject it. Bad bad design as already stated, so DON'T be tempted to rectify it as you won't know what else is thrown up afterwards.

Something at that price should perform as advertised.

No wonder you have lost confidence in it, I would as well.

Geoff – Ready to make Boxford shaper tools.