Saturday I got the chance to complete the disassembly of my vise. I pulled the screw and thrust bearing our completely and cleaned everything with mineral spirits. The thrust bearing had no lubrication in it at all and was somewhat contaminated with the same gray-black grinding dust as the rest of the vise.
The threaded collar that holds the main screw in place is secured with two pointed set screws or grub screws. The points of the screws were starting to damage the fine threads on the main screw shank. When I reassembled the threaded I put a small lead ball into the hole first so the set screw pushed on a piece of lead which in turn presses on the threads and prevents damage.
The thrust bearing is a ball bearing style rather than a needle bearing style. It did not have any lubricant in it at all. It is a 51103 XC that is 30mm in diameter and 9mm thick. This is not a high dollar bearing and I found one on fleabay for $2.00 with free shipping.
I reassembled everything with a generous quantity of white lithium grease and 30W oil. The key and slots for the fixed jaw were reassembled with plenty of anti-seize.
The vise looks much better now and it operates very smoothly. I will tram it this week and check it for square, etc.
The threaded collar that holds the main screw in place is secured with two pointed set screws or grub screws. The points of the screws were starting to damage the fine threads on the main screw shank. When I reassembled the threaded I put a small lead ball into the hole first so the set screw pushed on a piece of lead which in turn presses on the threads and prevents damage.
The thrust bearing is a ball bearing style rather than a needle bearing style. It did not have any lubricant in it at all. It is a 51103 XC that is 30mm in diameter and 9mm thick. This is not a high dollar bearing and I found one on fleabay for $2.00 with free shipping.
I reassembled everything with a generous quantity of white lithium grease and 30W oil. The key and slots for the fixed jaw were reassembled with plenty of anti-seize.
The vise looks much better now and it operates very smoothly. I will tram it this week and check it for square, etc.
JScott, proud to be a member of MetalworkingFun Forum since Mar 2014.