More correctly, "complaining about Wil-Burt because of" their excessive shipping fees and failure to reply to inquiries from the public... but, thanks for your opinion... 🙂

Thank you for the kind words. I hope there is now a functional vise in your shop. 🙂

Not too late... not as long as I'm sucking air! 😁 The spring is a very good idea, IMO. Novel. One would have to fit the right spring. I think capturing the nut with some type of pin is probably easier and cheaper. I am into the KISS principal. Keep it simple. I keep a lot of springs but fitting them can be tedious. I repaired a remote anchor lock for my boat recently. Didn't have the right spring. I spent 3 hours manufacturing a torsion spring with mediocre results! Regarding the vise repair, well, it held up just fine, but the casting broke where the movable jaw meets the arm surrounding the screw. I kept it for parts or perhaps welding it one day (would probably break again). I rarely throw anything away... like hoarding and dumpster-diving, it can be a curse! 😊

@@bentontool after a while i was thinkin the same about sourcing the right spring. sorry to hear the vise broke. i been thinking about getting one like it. in your opinion, is it worth it? or should i set my sights on something different?

@@pyropenguin Hello. In 2021, I replaced the Versa/Parrot vise with a different style of vise I bought on eBay for $60. It was described as "Multipurpose Vise Bench Vise 4" Heavy Duty with 360° Swivel Base". I bought a similar vise (but the 6" model) thirty years ago and it survived hard use out here on the homestead. They are all cheap chinesium products, so it is a gamble IMO. So far, I have been very happy with the 4" model. The Versa Vise is very flexible and general-purpose, but not heavy duty, again, IMO. The one I have now is no doubt tougher, and is also flexible. I still do general-purpose work & gunsmithing on it. It is still available from sellers on eBay & also on Amazon. Shop around for the best price. I suspect they are all sourced from the same place, as they all appear pretty much identical in the pics. Here is a link to one on Amazon (not an endorsement): www.amazon.com/Multipurpose-360-Degree-Rotation-Equipment-Industrial/dp/B0CKTRDHL2/ref=sr_1_46_sspa?crid=VMTTPIRW5IEV&keywords=4%22%2Bvise&qid=1704384549&s=hi&sprefix=4%2Bvi%2Ctools%2C494&sr=1-46-spons&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9idGY&th=1. CAVEAT: I took mine apart upon arrival, filed all the rough casting edges and inevitable burrs, cleaned-up the paint overspray, added a washer or two where I thought it appropriate, and greased the hell out of it. IMO, a little TLC & grease goes a long way to prolonging the life of these "cheap" products. Good luck & best wishes, A.

@@bentontool i did similar to a cheap harbor freight vise i got a few years ago. i let my brother borrow it and it didnt survive lol. the main appeal of the versa vise is being able to store it easily. unfortunately i dont have any space to permanent mount a vise currently, but that little post it sits on wouldnt be too big of an issue. i do like the looks of that chonky vise though. thanks for taking the time to respond with some good info and advise!

@@pyropenguin You are welcome. Understood. Here's one that I ran across that looked interesting, but too light for my needs. www.amazon.com/Wood-Metal-Working-Multi-Position-distinct/dp/B07V5N1CQP/ref=sr_1_31_sspa?crid=Y1ZGZLZIAO6T&keywords=clamp-on+360+Degree+vise&qid=1704474438&s=hi&sprefix=clamp-on+360+degree+vise%2Ctools%2C186&sr=1-31-spons&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9tdGY&psc=1

Thanks Angler... we share the same tastes in beards! 🙂

Thank you Greg. You definitely could make your own barrel nuts from rod stock if you have a lathe & some internal thread-cutting experience. I have found this process somewhat challenging in this small size, and think that a tap of the correct size/pitch would be much easier (but expensive). Good luck! I took the path of least resistance... 😄

Thanks! He was a great dog... smart, affectionate, tolerant... the best dog we ever had (out of twenty so far). Had Lyme vaccines, but died of Lyme Nephritis a few years ago. Sad... very sad...

Thanks for the kind words. Glad it helped. P.S. I have switched to another type of vise. I snapped the mobile vise jaw on my Parrot, probably due to over-torquing I suppose. Probably would have been OK if I had stuck to only gunsmithing with it, but I was using it for all manner of work, and it was not up to the task...

@@bentontool I have a really great old Wilton bench vise that is my primary, but the parrot sits right next to my work station and gets used for holding stoning fixtures and times I need a third hand. My wife bought me that vise, so I had to use it. Unfortunately, it was a "knockoff" of the original and recently failed. I've come up short in trying to find something to replace it. I've been staring at it for a week now trying to figure how it was put together. Now that I know, I need to get after it. Thanks much.

@@Taj369 Mike, my old Parrot vise was on my home basement workbench, which is very small. If I had room for two vises, I definitely would mount both. I often miss the Parrot. My video was filmed in my shop, which is not attached to the house. More room there, but I have managed to fill it nevertheless! 😄 Are you a metalworker? Or more woodworker like me? I have a spare nut if you don't want to make one. I don't know if it is allowed, but my email is: [email protected].

Thank you young Padawan learner... I will make a machinist out of you yet...

Thank you... my replacement nut has not yet failed as is... case-hardening would be your only option... easy to do if you want to try it... KZbin videos available on the topic. I suspect the original nuts are very soft steel...

Update: I recently had to buy another vise. The Parrot vise casting snapped on the mobile jaw (near jaw) arms, at the area that I was filing on the video. The nuts were stronger than the cast iron of the vise could tolerate. I probably over-torqued it. Someone else below commented on how it is possible that the vise nut was PURPOSELY designed to strip-out before enough torque was reached to break the casting... that may be a valid assumption. Lesson learned: don't over-torque.

Oh no! Thats surprising. So sorry you had to learn that lesson for the rest of us. I hope you were able to replace it reasonably. Thank you for the update.

Glad that the video helped and that you were able to source a replacement nut.

Thank you...

Thanks Mark. Perhaps wire brushing will remove the burrs on your screw... probably will. I just put a lot of lube on mine and it has yet to fail post my repair. (My screw is plated. Poor plating does tend to flake off and cause wear.) In fact, I was just using it today for some gunsmithing. Nevertheless, I made a few extra nuts just in case.

Super Lube Multi-Purpose Synthetic Grease with Syncolon® (PTFE). Interesting that you noticed... this is the best grease I have ever used. Shop around for a good price. Available in all sizes from one ml tubes to 55 gal drums on their website. I found the tub convenient. The 400 gram cartridges may be cheaper and available at auto-parts stores. Thanks for watching... www.ebay.com/itm/Super-Lube-Multi-Purpose-Synthetic-Grease-PTFE-41160-400g-/183493170925 AND www.super-lube.com/multi-purpose-synthetic-grease-with-syncolon-ptfe

Thanks...

Thanks. I looked on the website & can't find specs on the nut... for this vise?

bentontool Yes, for the Shopfox parrot vise. The price is actually $3.50 + $9.95 shipping, but I ordered another $50 worth of stuff to make it worthwhile. The item # is PXD3125003 LEADSCREW CAPTURE NUT. Hope this helps someone out! I really did like your video; ingenuity at its finest!

@@gcarson19 Thanks for the info and the kind words...

Hello Bob... yes, I suppose that it is possible. However, I can report that there have been no failures in the two years since my repair. I do not know if the nuts I used for the repair are stronger than the OEM. Thanks.

@@bentontool That's good to hear. I wasn't implying you did anything wrong with your repair. It's pretty ingenious given that a 5/8-8 acme thread barrel nut is not a standard item. I searched for a long time and didn't find a source for this size nut.

@@bobd. Thanks. I could not find one either...

Bob... well... your words were perhaps prophetic... a few weeks ago, my vise casting snapped were the guide bar meets the mobile jaw... I over-torqued it for sure. I replaced it with a heavier-duty product... the cast iron has a very coarse grain... perhaps not the best material?

Hello Tom, I suppose you could braze or weld the nut to the pin, but then you would have to turn it round in order to get it back into the casting thru the side hole. Thanks... hope the video was helpful...

Thank you very much...

Square would be better in this application IMO. Thanks.

You got a "thumbs up" from me, and Mr. Pete complimented your work! I think a lot of foolish people give videos a "thumbs down" just because they find that the content is of no personal interest to themselves. Not because of any fault of the video production or presentation. I suppose it's more of the selfish mindset of "how dare you take up space with a subject that I am not interested in..." While I respect you asking them for clarification, I suspect they can't think deep enough to give a productive answer. Please keep doing things the same way. Those of us who understand appreciate it!

@@merlesgarage Thanks Merle... 🙂

Thanks very much...

Thank you...

Thanks! Are you going to fix yours? If so, please post pics.

bentontool : I haven’t used mine yet, it is still in the box. If I have to do anything I will get in touch.

Hello Dan, be aware, I suspect the internal dimensions of the castings will be a bit different for each vise by brand, etc. That being said, I am off to work tonight & I will try to get this info to you tomorrow. See "TOS BOSS" comments all the way at the bottom (first commenter).

Nut measures 0.990 x 0.915". I suggest you measure the ID of your casting first. Good luck.

Will do. Thanks for the follow-up.

Thanks very much...

Thank you. I am grateful for your time and comments. You are, of course, the best... have loved your videos for years.

Thanks for the kind words. Hope it helped save a vise.

Thanks for watching my first video, and for the comments and compliments. Regarding making these nuts for sale, I have two reservations: first, I think not all of these vises are identical, therefore, I might sell a nut that won't fit properly and have a dissatisfied customer. Second, (I think for most guys out there) the process is so dirt simple that I would not really sell that many. If someone contacts me and requests some, and provides the internal dimensions of their castings, then yes, I would mill out as many as desired. I am now 60 y/o and have been metal & wood working most of my life, using all manner of vises. I have never stripped-out a vise screw nut before on any other vise, even the ones (most of them) I bought second-hand, and some in rough shape. Further, as I commented in the video, this problem seems to occur frequently and seems to be unique to the Versa-Vise design. Consider this: what other vise manufacturer out there prominently sells a replacement nut? No, this is unique to this style of vise. That being said, I would not hesitate to buy another, or recommend this style of vise. It is VERY versatile, and has engendered a following of sorts. People who own/use them like them. Get one... any brand. Mine (Shop Fox) was the cheapest I could find. I did not know if I would like it, so did not buy the best (whichever one that might be). But I did like it... a lot, enough to think on the topic of how to repair it extensively. Enough to research the topic and reach out to the Will-Burt Co. I emailed Larry at the Will-Burt Co. four times. He replied only to my first email, enough to tell me he did not know if his barrel nut would fit Shop Fox brand. No replies thereafter. My Sop Fox is cast iron, not aluminum (not cast steel either I believe). I really do not know who makes the best vise. Aside from the nut, the rest of my vise is good quality, and I expect it to hold-up to my use. The Will-Burt Co. does not show the back of their vise on the website, and he did not reply to my query about if their vises were American-made. I suspect they are all Chinese-made now, but do not know that for a fact. You may want to call the Will-Burt Co. again to ask. I got no reply to that question by email. In closing, if you want a USA-made Versa-Vise, just go on eBay and bid on one... there are many available. Best wishes, Alex Acle, Benton, PA.

Thank you for your Time D Adams

One more thing- regarding over-torquing the vise: look at the vise- I have used it often for years prior to failure- it still looks new, right? Does not look abused. I would not say I over-tightened it.

Fair enough .. thanks

After the last response ... I pulled up this vid again ... that vise in the video ... just looking at it looks new !! If you have used it for a while it don't show .... ( Side note ... I don't think you said it ...and for others that may come here .... the Acme Nut from Jon Mar Machine ... is for PRE 2001 models . So the question begs did he change the thread pitch on this newer model . I know that when I talked to him . People were pushing him to make them in red _ like the original AND he did not make the Swivel base . Said it was not useful . But people wanted it ? I don't think he understands and or wants to supply the retail public . ) FWIW ..... I emailed Larry ( tried to call I think he does not have a girl on staff for the office ...no answer - guess I got lucky getting him in the past . I asked about a warranty as there is non on his site . This is what I WANTED to do . Buy Versa from Larry at Jon-Mar Gear and Machine AND one from www.garrettwade.com/ultimate-versatile-vise.html . Larry's would have been about 15% more for the vise and the swivelbase adapter . ( when I talked to him before he said he would stand behind it if it broke . ) I was going to do a youtube comparison on them . Keep Larry's ( hoping that he might use a higher grade metal in the casting ) and send the Garriet back... they have 100% money AND shipping return policy . Since Jo Mar / Larry has no type of return policy or warranty on the website and to this point has not returned my email . At this point I am going to order the Garriet and pays your money and takes your chances . I called about replacement parts for it . They don't . I wonder if Larry is making them for them .. the site says differently , Well when I get it I will do a tube on it . there is very little on them on KZbin and the vid on Garriet is fair to lacking . I don't understand why people are in the business of selling stuff to people and then are mediocre about it . I guess I didn't learn anything with that 20 + years in retail grocery . Well thanks . Just wanted to post this for you and others . Be well .....

Grizz was the best dog we ever had... my wife and I have had 12 over the past 30 years of wedlock... we have 2 Rotties now...