Ridged Vice 41 Feeder Screw

[LloydV]

I broke off the feeder screw in my Ridged #41 Bench Vice. It is 17” long from threads to handle. Does anyone know where I might find one or if there is an after market replacement. I love this vice and would like to keep it. Thx.

 

[B Halverson]

Is the screw one piece with the handle knob or was it put together with it in some way? I know you can buy ACME screw thread rods, maybe even by the foot from a supply house. If you can buy a new length of rod then you can either figure out how it was originally attached to the rest of the mechanism and replace it, or if that is all one piece which the acme threads were cut into, you may be able to cut the old broken acme thread rod off and install it onto what is left of the part by a welding process, or by some mechanical means. If your vice is the RIDGID brand, I think that company is still in business is it not? Maybe you can just order a new part, or find an NOS part that is laying around somewhere.

 

[LloydV]

Is the screw one piece with the handle knob or was it put together with it in some way? I know you can buy ACME screw thread rods, maybe even by the foot from a supply house. If you can buy a new length of rod then you can either figure out how it was originally attached to the rest of the mechanism and replace it, or if that is all one piece which the acme threads were cut into, you may be able to cut the old broken acme thread rod off and install it onto what is left of the part by a welding process, or by some mechanical means. If your vice is the RIDGID brand, I think that company is still in business is it not? Maybe you can just order a new part, or find an NOS part that is laying around somewhere.

Thank you for the reply. Yes, it is one assembly and the feeder screw broke in the middle of the threaded portion of the screw assembly. Can you please give me an idea of what type of supply house you are referencing for Acme threads?

 

[B Halverson]

Thank you for the reply. Yes, it is one assembly and the feeder screw broke in the middle of the threaded portion of the screw assembly. Can you please give me an idea of what type of supply house you are referencing for Acme threads?

If you punch "acme screw rod" into an internet search engine you will come up with enough links to businesses selling acme rod you will be able to spend days sifting through it. If you are going to learn to repair tools the first step is learning to see what they need and learning to find it, so let your education begin....

 

[Provincial]

That looks like square threads, not Acme threads. Take it to someone that does machine work and have the threads identified before you spend any money.

Building a new screw would be pretty straightforward for someone with a lathe and a drill press. Any welded repair would be problematic if you intend to use the vise very hard.

 

[SkyPuncher]

Ridge Tool Co. bought Desmond-Stephan Manufacturing Co. and continued making vise's. You might expand your search for a spare by looking for a Desmond-Stephan/Simplex model 41P or a 41S. Also, if I remember correctly these are Square thread and not Acme, but my memory isn't what it use to be!

 

[The Cobbler]

Keith Rucker @ Vintage Machinery.org on you tube does manufacturing jobs.something like that might be up his alley

 

[RTM]

Some educational materials on threads

Screw Thread Types And Their Benefits

Clamp screws come in many forms. There are Standard threads, ACME threads, Buttress threads, and Square threads. Each of these threads may be used in clamps and vises for different reasons.

dimide.com

 

[paulsomlo]

Pray that those threads are a standard Acme size and pitch - if so, a machinist would probably cut off the remaining length from the hub, bore the hub, and pin a new spindle into the old hub (or weld). If the spindle has to be turned on a lathe, you may as well look for a new vise or a donor, as the cost of having one machined will far exceed the cost of a replacement vise.