Paramo Vice Slipping

[hog&bodge]

Hi all.
I am looking for some help with my old paramo vice, it has been slipping for over a year.
The drag bar had a crack in it, so I have just replaced it, well that was not the problem.

If I hold down the release lever it sort of stops it from slipping, but it will
slip if I just tighten the vice.
Have posted some images of the release mechanism.
Is this the problem.?

I have a good record vice sitting underneath my bench but I'm kind of
sentimental about the paramo, its been with me from day one
cutting my first half lap joint..lol
Any help is much appreciated.

 

[hog&bodge]

Bump...lol

 

[toolsntat]

Hi Alex, I'm assuming woodworking not engineers vice?
From the pictures and your description of what's happening I'd say your past the point of no return with this halfnut and screw.
Sometimes it can start to wear and jump if the bottom of the halfnut thread gets a bit gunked up and stops full engagement.
If, with the vice upside down, you
assemble it without the lever bar and halfnut carrier, you can then drop the halfnut onto the thread and try to tighten up against various thicknesses of timber.
If, at any point, it jumps out it's mullered.
The thread is designed with an undercut to make it lock in tighter the greater the pressure imparted upon it.

At a very long shot, will the workings out of the RECORD fit it?

Cheers Andy

 

[hog&bodge]

Thanks andy, I will give it a go, have to wait for a week or so have just had cataract surgery and was told not to do
any heavy lifting.
When I posted the pictures I noticed the carrier has some large ridges worn in.
You can see it in picture 3, it looks like it is made out of brass not cast iron, would this cause it to slip.?
The screw seems to be in good shape, no worn ridges or hollowing of the screw thread.

 

[Stevekane]

Ive just reassembled a neighbours Paramo engineers vice that fell apart, looks to be the same workings as yours and the Record type, not sure what he was doing but it was a small pile of bits when I saw it, anyway one thing I did notice was that the QR blade is under some tension when its reassembled which I assumed was to firmly press the half nut into the screw? Maybe you might want to check the QR spring tension which I think is adjustable?
I also understand that nearly all vices wear over the first few inches of movement, and you can test for wear in the screw by checking it at different openings, I suppose you know its the half nut if it slips at every point.

 

[hog&bodge]

Thanks Stevekane I tested it at diff openings like you said and it slips all of the time.
"Test for wear in the screw by checking it at different openings, I suppose you know its the half nut if it slips at every point."
I did not know the bracket that holds the half nut in place was made of brass. you can see how it is worn down in image 3.

I have looked at the Record vice but the fitting look different, the one I have is a Record 52E
Shame to scrap the vice thay have a nice 9" jaws, think I will have to be on the lookout for a new half nut.

 

[Stevekane]

Well it does sound as though its the half nut, but do bear in mind Ive got very limited experience of these things and Im just relating stuff Ive read. The Paramo engineers vice I put together had a cast steel bracket holding the half nut,,I wonder where you could pick up another halfnut??
Good luck with it.

 

[Stevekane]

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/294276074875There is a Paramo Half Nut and bracket on ebay,,,
Steve.

 

[dannyr]

Interesting that Paramo chose brass for these pieces (as above and confirmed by the ebay offering) - as far as I know the other makers used cast iron, and Paramo were a quality brand (as were Parkinson, Woden, Record --).

Brass would be expected to wear more quickly, but have less friction, be easier to file/fettle the raw casting and less of the cast iron brittleness. Both are easy to cast. Brass would tend to cost more, but unlikely to make much difference to overall vice cost. And there are many different brass/bronzes - some self lube or harder or tougher. (some of these are pricey).

 

[Stevekane]

Hello Danny, yes I thought the same, but I know for sure that the Engineers vice had a cast steel half nut too, my thinking was that perhaps they felt that carpentry vices would be subject to lighter loads and went for a material that would make for a smoother operation??,,I thought bronze?
Steve.