Why do I keep breaking vises!!!!

[Dominecker 0]

All I can say, is that in over forty years of tying, I have never broken or stripped a vise, And I've never owned an expensive one like a Renzetti or such. I've been tying loads of flies for years on a Griffin Odyssey Spider with no issues. I still have a couple vises that still work fine that I bought when I was a teenager, and I'm now in my 50s. Sounds like you are doing something to them. Just how big of an ol' boy are you? 🙂

[skeet3t 0]

Hmmm.  I still use my cheap vise that I got in a $40 kit 25 years ago.

[vicente 0]

I think I broke the cheap kit vise my grandpa bought me when I was a kid just trying to clamp down way too hard, I think it was a Thompson. I have a wolf/ Indiana atlas now, I honestly can't imagine breaking it during anything resembling normal use.

[cphubert 0]

I broke a Thompson early in life (not adjusting the collar correctly for hook tension) at that time I was tying a lot of cod teasers on large 6/0 - 7/0 hooks with a lot of thread tension. It was an expensive mistake for me at the time. Ended up replacing it with a herter's #9, same type of collar adjusting cam lever, still have that one today but not using it anymore, more of a reminder to take the time to clean and adjust my vise's moving parts. 

[utyer 0]

I broke the pin on the lever of my first Thompson, which had been used by both my grand father and dad before I started.  I simply replaced the pin with a cut down 16 penny nail.  end of problem.  Since then, I have use about 12 other vises.  I got a Dyna-King and the adjusting collet nut was broken when I got it.  Called Dyna-King and had a replacement in a few days.  With all the Dyna-King vises, you have to be careful with over tightening the adjustment collet nut.  The lever has a detent that should pop in when you close it.  if it doesn't close to the right spot, you will be tempted to over tighten the nut, and that over will damage it. Only one other vise ever gave me problems,  Snapped the center adjusting ring bolt on my first Nor-Vise after about 3 years.  By then Nor-vises came with a lever adjustment cam.  Norm replace my broken part, AND upgraded my aluminum arbors to brass arbors.  I have been using those new jaws for over 28 years.  I think you should read the adjustment manuals on your Dyna-King.  Its a lifetime vise if you understand its use.

 

[Sandan 0]

12 hours ago, utyer said:

I broke the pin on the lever of my first Thompson, which had been used by both my grand father and dad before I started.  I simply replaced the pin with a cut down 16 penny nail.  end of problem.  Since then, I have use about 12 other vises.  I got a Dyna-King and the adjusting collet nut was broken when I got it.  Called Dyna-King and had a replacement in a few days.  With all the Dyna-King vises, you have to be careful with over tightening the adjustment collet nut.  The lever has a detent that should pop in when you close it.  if it doesn't close to the right spot, you will be tempted to over tighten the nut, and that over will damage it. Only one other vise ever gave me problems,  Snapped the center adjusting ring bolt on my first Nor-Vise after about 3 years.  By then Nor-vises came with a lever adjustment cam.  Norm replace my broken part, AND upgraded my aluminum arbors to brass arbors.  I have been using those new jaws for over 28 years.  I think you should read the adjustment manuals on your Dyna-King.  Its a lifetime vise if you understand its use.

 

I too tie on a Dyna-King. Charlie Craven gave me advice on adjusting it. He said, when the adjustment is right there should be a smooth hydraulic feel to the lever when you close the jaws. I know that's a very subjective statement, but when you close the jaws you can feel exactly what he means.