Rotary Seized Up!

[Brinx 0]

Hey everyone,

 

I have a really old Renzetti Traveler. I think I got it back in 1994. Been tying on it all this time. Yesterday I was tying at the Expo and late in the day the rotary seized up on me and it would not spin inside the hole through the post. Today I sprayed some WD-40 at both ends of the rotary rod both at the threaded end and on the jaws end as well as I took the little screw out that the post screws onto and sprayed some up in there. After applying the WD-40, with some EXTREME effort, I was able to manhandle about a 1/2 turn of rotary. Anyone else have this happen to them? Anyone have any advice. I believe there's supposed to be a lifetime warranty on all Renzetti's, right? Do you think I'm just gonna have to send it in to them and have them take care of it?

 

Thanks,

 

Brinx

 

[flyline64 0]

I have had a Renzetti Traveler nearly as long--probably 10 years. Never had this problem.

 

(However, the horizontal knurled screw knobs hodling the rotary assembly together do come loose often. The current version seems to be constructed to eliminate this problem.)

[longears 0]

Better call them before you go mailing off that vise. Good luck on tryting to collect on That "lifetime " warranty too. They'll probably tell you that you're tying to big of fly's on their vise like they did me. My problem was it was a matter of time before I puy someone's eye out because after inserting a hook in the jaws of my Saltwater Master (it's suppose to tye down to a 28 and up to a 10/0 as they advertise) they would fly out accross the room into no mans land. I quit using it at exhibitions because I was afraid of being sued for blinding somebody. they charge you to look at your vise to determine whether or not it's a warraty issue. I've since tye on a Nor-Vise. At least Norm stands behind his product. When I asked Renzetti about their lifetime warranty , I was told that "nothing lasts forever"...

[JSzymczyk 0]

When I asked Renzetti about their lifetime warranty , I was told that "nothing lasts forever"...

 

Hearing a story like the above really disgusts me. I'd love to know what they mean by "lifetime" then... If a company won't honor their stated warranty, then why do they even include it in their literature? I'm going to put it on my "to do" list, call them and ask exactly what their warranty covers and for how long. I would like to think that if someone drops several hundred dollars on a clamp, it should do a good job for a very long time.

 

We're not talking rocket science when it comes to fly tying vises. From the description of the problem with the (non) rotary, it sounds as if something got in between the shaft and the collar. Did you notice it getting tighter over time, or did it all of a sudden just seize up? If the tolerances are very close, a few wraps of thread or whatever could have bound up the bearing surfaces.

 

Can't you disassemble the vice?

[conehead 0]

One word,

 

DYNA-KING

[Hardyhead 0]

I have not seen a traveller that old, but I would assume that it has the delrin style plastic bearing that the rotary arm runs through? If it has that plastic bearing, it should not seize on you, if anything it should get looser over time (we are talking millions of revolutions here for loosening). The only realistic thing that could have happned here is something caught inside.

 

I have a presentation 4000, and had to warranty a part on it, had no trouble with them at all. People's vices are their personal preference, I love my Renzetti, and I would really like the Dyna Kings in feel, but I cannot stand the grooved jaws, so I am going to pass on those. Never tried a Norvise, but I tie on 4/0-6/0 all the time on my presentation, and never had a hook come loose.

 

Good luck fixing your problem, do you have a shop nearby you can take the vise to? My local shop would help with an issue like this, hopefully you have a nearby resource for assistance.

 

Edited to add:

I just read through Renzetti's warranty info, the lifetime warranty says the vise will be free of defects from manufacturing and machining, not wear and tear. So if you wore out something on your vice, you are probably out of luck

[purolohi kalastaja 0]

I'd love to know what they mean by "lifetime" then...

 

The life of the vise?? :dunno: i.e. until it breaks.

[utyer 0]

I have a Renzetti that is that old or older, but haven't had any problems with it. As far a "lifetime" warrantys go, I learned from a different manufacturer, what they mean by 'lifetime." I had a backpack that I had used for over 25 years, and eventually, the stitching along the back came undone. I sent it in to Jansport for repair. They resewed the entire thing back up for me, no problem, but they also told me that my pack had reached the end of ITS lifetime. I guess manufacturers a looking at what they consider the usefull lifetime of a product, not the user of the product.

 

I think I would start by taking the vise appart and looking for any rust or foriegn matter in the bearings.

[day5 0]

One word,

 

DYNA-KING

 

 

One acronym,

 

 

HMH!

 

 

I'm sure that renzetti will take care of you. If not let us all know cause if they will not fix that my opinion of them will be even lesser. I had a tension screw and the cam lever on my hmh wear out. I sent them a email asking about replacement parts they replied wanting to know what model and year in 3 days I had new parts. I suspect Renzetti is the same way. If not Dyna king is probably the best vise under 500 and HMH is the best vice for under 200. If you want a vice under 125 look at the peek. If you do decide to replace it and are interested in a peak hmh griffin etc shoot me a pm I can help.

[fcflyguy 0]

that is turly sad that they would say something like that to you

FC

[RDL 0]

 

I was considering buying a Renzetti, Watching this thread to see the outcome, please keep us posted..

 

 

[jdmidwest 0]

Renzetti makes some of the finest vices on the market. That said, I have a Traveller that I have tied on since 1991 and have not had any problems other than the plastic screws cracking. I contacted them, as they are covered under the lifetime warranty, and they said they are $7 plus shipping. I guess the screws are not covered.... I have been using a Traveller Cam for the last year and I love it, faster lockup verses turning the screw. Once again, High Quality product. I will have a Master Vise one of these days....

 

As far as the first thread, take it apart and clean it good. Something has probably gummed it up. Or contact Renzetti and see what they say.

[TerryLee 0]

To combine ideas already stated, perhaps you could call them and see if they have any recommendations as to how to take it apart correctly so as to prevent further damage :dunno: .

[JSzymczyk 0]

please do keep this thread updated.

 

FWIW, I have a Reed Tackle "master" vise that I've tied on for well over 20-some years. The jaws are a little sprung, but talk about simple and bombproof. Last year, because I decided I could afford it, I went with a Peak rotary. Also simple, bombproof, and with an alleged "lifetime" warranty. So far I love it.

 

A while ago, there was a thread about super-expensive fly rods. Vises can be parallel... $500 for a fly tying vise? That's what my son would call "the S-word, Dad!"

 

[longears 0]

They charged me the shipping to send the jaws back to them, They charged me (I'll have to dig out the receipt) to look at the jaws to tell me that it was not a tempering problem, then they said that I was tying too big of hooks in it. I asked how big was too big? They said 6/0. I said that thety advertise the salt water master up to 10/0 and the largest hook that I tye is a 4/0. They they gave me some other line of bullshit. Then I asked about the "lifetime warranty" , That's when Lily told me that "nothing lasts forever". Thats pretty piss poor customer relations for a vise that costs $900 with all of the attachments.Then they carged for each 1/2 of the vise jaws,Ground my old jaws down when I told them that I would post them on the net for all to see the shitty tempering job that was done on them. Like I said, customer appreaciation goes along ways. Norm and the Griffin company treat their customers right just like a lot of other vise manufacturers out there. I'm sure that I wasn't the first or the last to be treated by them this way... I believe the new jaws set me back $87.00 plus the other money that I sent them. When you spend that kind of money; Lifetime" should mean "lifetime" or until it blowsup or melts. besides, bad tempering is a manufacturing defect. Ok, I vented....

And BTW, I do like they're product, I just hate the way they treated me. So, Therefore I won't endorse their product anymore.