Screwless Vise upgrade

[jdurand]

Most all of the low cost screwless vises and essentially all the tiny ones have a pretty poor method of letting the screw pivot. I have a medium sized one and a small one and they both needed an upgrade.

Both just had a socket head cap screw with a rounded base on the head, something like a flat head screw. With just a few uses the screw mangles itself turning in a slotted cavity.

The solution is to fabricate a hemispherical washer and use a regular socket head cap screw.

In the photo you can see my smallest vise with the original screw assembly (on bottom, black oxide) which had the additional problem of rotating when loose so it wouldn't lock in. Above the original screw assembly is my new assembly. The hemispherical washer was made from drill rod on my lathe with a ball turning attachment. The nut assembly was made on the mill and belt sander and is sized to just fit in the slot so it can't twist. The new pin is a through hardened dowel pin.

Yes, the picture doesn't show a socket head screw, I didn't have the right one when I took the picture. I've since put the correct screw in.

I've been using this for a while now and there are no more problems.

The holes in the workbench are NOT from me, I got this well used.

[mklotz]

Great minds think alike!

My tiny insert vise had a nut that would turn freely in the slot between the serrations for the pin. I machined a new nut with a square profile that closely fits the slot and, like you, used a hardened pin to engage the serrations. It's much more pleasant to use now.

[jdurand]

I made the threaded part long so I'd get more travel on the jaw without having to move the pin. I sized it by being just short enough to allow the jaw to be placed anywhere on the vise bed.

[DIYer]

Thanks jdurand! We've added your Screwless Vise Modification to our Vises category,
as well as to your builder page: jdurand's Homemade Tools. Your receipt:

Screwless Vise Modification by jdurand

tags: vise, modification

[DIYer]

Thanks mklotz! We've added your Insert Vise Modification to our Vises category,
as well as to your builder page: mklotz's Homemade Tools. Your receipt:

Insert Vise Modification by mklotz

tags: vise, modification