Salt Water Traveler up-grade

SW Traveler Up-grade

To update a change I made to my Renzetti Salt Water Traveler since my original post and this is only the first correction in function I have made, most of the others have been cosmetic. Ever since I purchased this vise it had one flaw that bugged me, maybe they are all made this way and maybe I am just too fussy but there is too much slop in the rotating shaft, mine had .0025 minimum. The main housing was the easiest piece to remake so I found a piece of stainless steel, turned, drilled and reamed the hole to a ½ thousands or less fit to the original shaft. In the process I drilled and taped a hole straight thru so I have a 10-32 threaded hole on top to affix accessories if needed then put the tension knob on the back side. This closer fit took the vertical slop out so the jaws stay in one place which now allowed me to loosen the lock nut so I can now use the rotary feature of this vise, the only other item would be a cam jaw assembly but I do not do any production tying so that can wait.

Now at this point one would ask why I didn’t just make my own vise and design it to my liking to that I would say I didn’t have the capability to do so until last year. If I were to build my own, it would be along the lines of Renzetti’s Master, I would have had one a long time ago if it wasn’t so dam expensive. To dig up a little history, back in the early 70’s I took some tying lessons at the Orvis shop in Ada Michigan from Carl Richards of whom you all should know. The vise he had was custom made and if I remember right it was one of only 4 or 5 made, from that day I had my sights set of making my own but work and life got in the way and now 40 years later it doesn’t seem as important but ya never know.