Taking apart a Kurt vise can allow you to repair it if there are any problems with its holding abilities. By removing a few large bolts and unscrewing the main moving jaw, you can access areas of the vise that you cannot reach while it is assembled. This not only will allow you to clean it thoroughly, but you may also be able to exchange damaged or worn parts to allow the vise to work as if new.

Clean the outside of the Kurt vise of debris and metal chips. Small metal chips can severely injure skin and cause cuts. Use compressed air and eye protection when cleaning your vise to assure that no metal chips enter your eyes.

Remove the replaceable jaws. These are the blocks attached to the larger jaws of the Kurt vise. They are interchangeable blocks about 6 inches long and 1-inch wide. They can be removed with an Allen wrench.

Turn the Kurt vise on its side to access the bottom. Loosen the two bolts under the fixed block on the back of the vise. Loosening these bolts will allow you to remove the fixed block completely for rehabilitation or cleaning. Set the block and bolts off to the side so that nothing gets lost.

Turn the vise back to its normal position with the main screw facing you. This is the large hex bolt facing out of the front of the vise. Loosen the lock ring for this screw. This will allow you to completely back the screw out to remove the moving jaw.

Unscrew this large screw, and both the screw and the moving jaw will slide right off of the front of the base of your vise. Watch for accumulated metal chips in this area as blowing the vise off with compressed air will not remove chips that accumulate in this area.

Flip this moving jaw assembly upside down so that the flat surface of the moving jaw allows the assembly to sit flat. Remove the large bolt in the center of the moving jaw with an Allen wrench. This will allow you to remove the screw and casing from the moving jaw block.

Remove the large screw from its casing. At this point the Kurt vise is completely apart and all five pieces are separated for repair or potential cleaning. Many machine shops clean their vises because the metal chips that accumulate can make them difficult to tighten over time.