Vise help

[melk]

Hi all,
I have tried to figure out this vise. My uncle used it for years, I have it and would like to see if I can use it, at least a little. What i need is a squence, how to open the jaws correctly, how to tighen the jaws. The "button" on the top moves freely. The thumbscrew moves not as freely. The lever on the bottom moves in response to pushing the button. The vise head turns freely, rotating, and the thumbscrew on the top by the "wheel" moves freely. Any help is great!
Thanks,
Mike

Attachment 11424

[ducksterman]

Hi Mike,
Others are better at this than I am but no one has stepped up yet....sooo.

"the thumbscrew on the top by the "wheel" moves freely." by that I take it you mean screws freely...it likely when tightened stops the shaft from rotating and gradually loosening should allow the shaft varying degrees of rotating....I try and find one with a plastic shaft so that the jaw shaft isn't gowered when rotating.

"The "button" on the top moves freely".... does it have threads? To me it looks like it would be used to adjust the width of the jaw slit to just accept the hook and then the final gripping would be done with what you are calling the "thumbscrew".
But it seems odd to me that what you call the "button" is pushed and not screwed so it holds in one spot????

It'll be interesting to hear from others.

[popperfly]

Melk,

It's basically like a Norvise style from what I can see; I would try this in the following order.
1. Open the tension lever first.
2. Insert your hook in the end.
3. Slightly tighten the first screw until snug
4. Adjust tension lever until snug while lever is in the down position and then lock in place.

It also looks like it has a rotary knob on the backside

[Uncle Jesse]

Mike, Is the button not a cap nut on a threaded rod from the lever? I could guess you would tighten the button to a snug hold on a hook and then move the free end of the lever out from the main shaft to lock the hook in place. That appears to be an early version of a rotary vise. Is there a shoulder on the shaft to prevent it from sliding right and left in the housing? I cannot figure what the purpose of what appears to be a machine screw to the left of the button is.

[Fred H]

First unlock the cam lever by movining it vertical to the vise jaws.The set screw by the vise jaws should be loosened if needed to accept the hook. Tighten this set scew with the hook in the jaws until it is snug. Then close the cam lever to the horozontal position.With the hook secure you can rotate it's positional aspect by losening the thumb screw by the wheel . By frreing the shaft you can use the vise as a full rotary or you may tighten the thumb screw to hold the hook in a desired angle.
Hope this helps, Fred

[melk]

Thanks all. Keep those thoughts coming. I've got the vise right by the computer so I can try things immediately! Looking like there are the right steps here. I'll putz at this and let you all know what happens, but looks like I may be able to get it to work. Always wanted a rotary vise!! The wheel. 90 degrees to the vise shaft does turn and can be "set" with the thumbscrew.
Again, my thanks!
Mike

[Allan]

It's a 'Universal' vise. Was one of the first Rotary vises made. The one I have works great. Maybe there's a 'User Manual' somewhere on the net. I think I saw that a very similar model came out about 3-4 years ago. Not sure who made it but when I saw that model, I only caught a quick glimpse, I thought it was the same as mine.
The thumbscrew on top enables rotation. There's a screw below it that adjusts the angle. Open the lever and the round screw on top, close to the head of the jaws, adjusts the opening width. Leave opening just a smidge larger then the width of hook wire. Put hook in and close the lever. To remove hook, simply press the button on the top next to the adjusting screw. Oh, and the adjusting screw should not rotate easily. Not a 'full' rotary but an excellent vise.

Allan

[melk]

Aha! Thanks Alan. I googled universal fly tying vise and found this neat video.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sjrsI4A0Uac
Even I can follow it!
Again my thanks to all!
Mike