Tail vise binding - need help


wojo2

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  I am installing the tail vise, but am running into a problem with the nut binding.

 

Initially, the nut moves very freely, but about ¾ of the way towards the end cap, the nut binds. 

 

I have tried the following:

 

Run nut without any rails install, nut runs freely.

Run nut with only one rail dry fit(not screwed) nut runs freely, with single rail on either side

 

Run nut, with both rails dry fit, and the nut binds. 

 

I drilled the hole through the end cap on a drill press with a fostner bit, so I am confident that the hole is true.

 

I have used small levels across the rails, level,

Level over the length of the rail

Circle level on nut plate, remains level as it travels

 

Any help greatly appreciated.

 

Earl

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==>Run nut without any rails install, nut runs freely.

==>Run nut with only one rail dry fit(not screwed) nut runs freely, with single rail on either side

==>Run nut, with both rails dry fit, and the nut binds.

 

It's been a while...

 

My tail vice went first time, so didn’t have to troubleshoot anything -- caveats apply…

 

Most likely reason for binding: mounting rails are not parallel and/or co-planer…

 

Next most likely: end-cap acme screw hole not 90* and/or not aligned parallel and/or co-planer with mounting rails... Checked quill/arbor assembly to table alignment recently?

 

Third most likely, end-cap alignment... The center-point of the acme screw is not the correct position relative to the rails -- too high, too low, not co-planer, not parallel... I suspect this is an easy one to get wrong...

 

==>I have used small levels across the rails, level,

==> Level over the length of the rail

==> Circle level on nut plate, remains level as it travels

I’d start with rails parallel… BTW: I've had levels that were not level...

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This above post is unfortunately true. Benchcrafted creates very high quality mechanisms, so it´s more likely not the hardware. So let´s assume you have done everything right thus far, and this is that final pesky problem keeping you from enjoying your $XXXX dollar workbench and vises! It happenend to me too...but a simple way to see where the bind is happening is to run pencil lines along the inside of your groove, to see where the block is binding. You will quickly see where the main issue is. As long as the pencil lines are as you scribed them, there is no binding. But where you see a smudge, you may want to file or gently pare down the sides. Keep in mind this assumes that you have already done the above detective work and you have eliminated down to the fact you have very tight tolerances. I would not recommend this method if you are simply loose and then binding, as that indicates more that you are out of square, etc.

 

Good luck!

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Another thing to check is the depth of the rail mortises.  The directions call for the mortises to be 1/4" deep.  However, that assumes that the bench top is exactly 4" thick.  If the mortises are too shallow, or too deep, then the nut will bind as it approaches the end cap.  As a test, you could loosen the screws that attach the rails and insert shims on each end of each rail.  If that works, then you can insert permanent shims and proceed. If the shims make the binding worse or the binding occurs earlier then you may need to deepen the mortises.

 

Prior to deepening the mortises, there are some additional things to check.  You should remove the screw, install the plate/nut and the rails, then make sure the plate/nut slides freely the entire length of the rails. If there is any binding, then the rails are not parallel, co-planar, or both, or possibly defective (which I seriously doubt - Benchcraft products are fabulous).  Once you have the plate/nut sliding freely, you can visually check the alignment of the nut with the end cap hole.  This should help confirm if the mortises are too deep or too shallow.

 

Proceed with caution...especially if you decide to deepen the mortises.

 

Hope this helps, and let us know how you resolve the problem.

 

Regards,

Randy

FtrPilot

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