Hello all,
I have a Woden X130 vice, bought from Ebay some time back. It is an unusual device I believe, in that the quick-release mechanism relies on a friction-driven half-nut which engages when the handle is turned clockwise turns but disengages as the handle is turned anticlockwise. This is very convenient, but unfortunately it tends to suddenly “let go” under high load during tightening, leading to the utterance of many expletives. I have cleaned and oiled it but the situation has not improved much; I think the half-nut may be wearing, or perhaps it was never meant to provide a very high clamping force.
I rather like the old thing and at 7″ it is a good size for my small workbench, so I’m thinking of trying to fix it by converting it to a non-quick release vice, replacing the half-nut with a conventional nut. I understand that the acme threads on vices come in many different sizes – does anyone know of a good source of information and/or replacement parts?
Many thanks.