Snowbee flymate vice problems help!!

[desmondo]

I am having real problems with this vice particularly tightening the ball joint. No matter what I try to tighten this remains flexible and as such I have no stability when tying a fly. Having big regrets about this vice so anybody who has one who can help please do so before I toss it in the river, very frustrating.

[Lochan_load]

Alrighty, I nearly bought one of these a while back but while researching it the problem with the ball joint (which I originally thought would be a good feature) kept cropping up so went for the anvil atlas which is really solid.
Seem to remember you can replace it somehow but think the best thing to do is get in touch with snowbee, see if you can get a replacement/refund. If not them see if they will fix it free of charge, should really last you longer than that! 

[east wind]

hi Desmondo, don't have one of these. If you don't have any joy with the manufacturer, being a mechanical device I'm sure something could be engineered to sort it out.

Looking at images I'd imagine the ball joint tightens by screwing down the sleeve? Perhaps the thread has stretched and the sleeve is bottoming out. Taking a smidge from the underside of the sleeve or adding a washer behind a thread might beef up the joints

[desmondo]

Thanks for the advice, but as I am the village idiot when it comes to hands on DIY best I don't dismantle it!! My son is coming home soon and he can take things apart so will let him look, just hoped someone on forum might have had similar issue.
Still plenty of flies in boxes to be getting on when season starts.
Tight lines.

[Highlander]

Afraid this is a common "fault" with this vice. Mine was the exact same when I had one. I put a dab of Lochtite on the thread locked it as tight as I could with the wee Allen Key. It worked for a while but worked loose eventually. I just compensated by holding the vice by my left hand. Got used to it.

Tight Lines

[east wind]

Looking at the image again.
As a last resort, before binning, if you know someone with some engineering background it would be simple enough to drill and tap three holes equally around the sleeve just below the centre line of where the ball joint sits. 6mm would do.
Inserting three cap screws should solve the problem.

[desmondo]

Thanks for the other tips, hopefully son will be able to do something.
Ta