Vise Repair

In this video, I show how I repaired my Rockler 7” Quick Release Workbench Vise which was slipping. It turns out that it was not broken, but the threads in the lead screw were filled with grease and sawdust. I took the vise apart, cleaned it, and got it working again. This seems to be a common problem with some varieties of Quick Release vises, so hopefully someone else will be able to see what I did and get theirs working again as well. (Since I posted this video, I’ve gotten feedback that this does indeed seem to be a common problem.)

Overall Impressions

Pros

Overall, this Rockler quick release vise been a useful tool for woodworking and I would recommend it. It is holding up well and other than having to maintain it, it continues to work as it should. The vise holds the work-pieces well and it’s easy to use due to the quick release mechanism. Also, it doesn’t seem to rack from side-to-side when you grip pieces. But it’s only a 7″ vise, so it’s not really suited for wide, uneven parts.

Cons

The one thing that could be a bit better is the pop-up dog on the vise face.  It works when it’s in position, but it’s awkward to raise and lower. The thumb screw is small, and the threads are a little rough, which makes it hard to loosen and tighten the screw. Also, the gap tends to accumulate dust, which also makes the dog stick when you try to raise or lower it. I’m probably going to replace the screw with something that is easier to grip. It would be nice if there was an opening in the bottom for dust to fall out, but for now I’ll just take a moment from time-to-time to clean out the dust.

Mounting

You will need to mount it to the underside of your workbench. It came with good instructions, but it was pretty straightforward. (hint: use some clamps to hold it in place while you mark the position of the screw holes and while you tighten them). You’ll also need to make some sort of pads for the inside of the vise. I made mine with some scrap hardwood and use a hand plane to get it to mate evenly.

Value

If you find it on sale like I did, then it’s a good one to buy. The regular price is fair for the quality that it offers, but catching it on sale makes it an even better value.

Visit the page at Rockler to see the current pricing.