If you have questions about your PEAK Fishing products please feel free to call us at 970-622-9601 or e-mail
us at service@peakfishing.com. Your local dealer may be able to help with some questions as well. For your
convenience, and because it is sometimes difficult to describe certain answers over the phone, we have listed
some frequently asked questions below.
Do you sell direct? No, we don't sell direct. We rely on our dealer network to provide our product to the
end user and help customers with questions about vises and other aspects of tying. You may feel free to
contact us by phone 970-622-9601 or e-mail and we will be happy to answer any questions as well, but you
will need to make your purchase from one of our dealers.
Where can I buy PEAK Fishing products? Visit our "Where to Buy" page. Here you'll find a list of all
our dealers world wide and information to contact them.
How should my hook be placed in the jaws? Our jaws are pretty typical in how they grip a hook. Setting
the hook deeper into the jaws will provide more clamping force. However, the more of the hook that you
have in the jaws, the less there is exposed for you to tie on. Also, if you have a hook with an offset point,
placing the hook with the point inside the jaws could damage the tip. Setting the hook very near the tips of
the jaws will concentrate all the clamping force in a very small area near the edge of the jaw and could result
in premature wear of your jaws. We recommend having the midpoint of the hook bend exit the jaws at the
highest point of the jaws from the surface of your table. See the photos below for clarification.
This photo shows the hook too deep in the jaws. Notice how little room there is to mount a tail or other materials at the back of the fly.
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This photo shows the hook too near the tips of the jaws. This hook may move when tying because it is not clamped properly. Also, all the clamping force is concentrated at the tips of the jaws and may result in premature wear.
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This photo shows the hook properly gripped. It is deep enough in the jaw to be held securely, but there is plenty of space around the back of the hook to work on the fly.
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Can my Bobbin Cradle Pivot be snapped on and off the vise shaft? We recommend you DO NOT snap
the Bobbin Cradle Pivot on and off the Vise Shaft. It should actually be slid on or off the end of the Shaft.
To assemble the Bobbin Cradle Pivot place the Pivot on a hard flat surface. Push the end of the Vise Shaft
into the opening of the Pivot formed by the two curved fingers. Hold the Pivot close the Vise Shaft and slide
it into position. To remove the Pivot, hold it near the Vise Shaft and slide it off the end of the Shaft.
Place the Bobbin Pivot on a hard flat surface.
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Press the end of the Vise Shaft into the opening formed by the two ears on the Bobbin Pivot.
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Slide the Pivot into position by pushing it along the Shaft. Push at a point near the Vise Shaft. To remove, slide the Pivot off the end of the Shaft.
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Can my Wast Catcher Mount be snapped on and off the vise shaft? We recommend you DO NOT snap
the Waste Catcher Mount on and off the Vise Shaft. It should actually be slid on or off the end of the Shaft.
To assemble the Waste Catcher Mount place the Mount on a hard flat surface. Push the end of the Vise
Shaft into the opening of the Mount formed by the two curved fingers. Hold the Pivot close the Vise Shaft
and slide it into position. To remove the Mount, hold it near the Vise Shaft and slide it off the end of the
Shaft.
Place the Waste Catcher Mount on a hard flat surface.
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Press the end of the Vise Shaft into the opening formed by the two ears on the Waste Catcher Mount.
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Slide the Mount into position by pushing it along the Shaft. Push at a point near the Vise Shaft. To remove, slide the Mount off the end of the Shaft.
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How small a fly can I tie on the standard jaws? This really comes
down to each individual tyer and how they tie. The standard jaws will
hold as small as hook as we've been able to find. The answer doesn't
really come down to the hook size the jaw will hold, but rather how
much room do you need around the back of the hook to tie your fly.
The advantage of the midge jaws is not that they will hold smaller
hooks, but rather that the tips are sculpted (see photo right) to allow
more room to work close to the hook.
How large a fly can I tie on the standard jaws? What really determines this is the wire diameter used to
make the hook. You'll be able to tie larger flies on fine wire hooks than extra heavy wire hooks. Your
standard jaws should hold hooks of wire diameter up to about .044 inches.
How do you adjust the jaws for different hook sizes? Just
in front of the Cam Handle there is an Adjustment Nut to
adjust the Jaws for various hook sizes. Turning the Nut to
move it closer to the Jaw Tube will adjust the Jaws for larger
hooks. Turning the Nut to move it closer the Cam Handle
will adjust the Jaws for smaller hooks.
Turn the Adjustment Nut to move the Nut toward the Jaw Tube for larger hooks
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Turn the Adjustment Nut to move the Nut toward the Cam Handle for smaller hooks
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How large a fly can I tie on the midge jaws? This is really dependant on wire size, not hook size, as with
any question relating to what any of the jaws will hold. The jaws are intended to be used on size 16 or
smaller dry fly hooks. If you need to tie a few larger flies, put a hook in the vise and see if it holds the hook
tightly enough. Because of the reduced clamping area (due the scalloped shape of the jaws) you won't get as
much holding force so you won't be able to tie on hooks as large as the standard jaws will allow you to tie on.
We do not recommend you tie large numbers of flies larger than a 16 dry fly because the clamping force
required to hold larger hooks is concentrated in the small hooks and over time this can lead to wear or
damage to the jaws.
Are the Jaws interchangeable? There are two ways to answer this. Both the PEAK Rotary Vise and the
PEAK non-Rotary Vise have optional Midge and Saltwater Jaws available for them. These optional Jaws
are interchangeable with the Standard Jaws supplied with your Vise and require no modifications to your
Vise. However, Jaws intended for the PEAK Rotary Vise are not interchangeable with Jaws intended for the
PEAK non-Rotary Vise.
How tightly do the Jaws need to be adjusted to clamp my hook? Your Jaws should be adjusted for the
minimum clamping force required to solidly hold your hook. The first consideration when adjusting the
clamping force of the jaws is to make sure they hold tightly enough that your hook will not move while you
are tying. A secondary consideration is to adjust the jaws so they are not any tighter than is required. By
avoiding using excessive clamping force you will extend the life of your jaws and it will also be easier to lock
and un-lock the clamping cam lever.
What maintenance is required for my Vise? Very little maintenance is required for your PEAK Fishing
Vise.
- We recommend keeping your Pedestal Base clean so materials such as hooks, beads, etc that are stored
in the pocket of the Base can be seen more easily.
- The stainless steel components of your vise need no maintenance under normal circumstances.
- You may see tarnish build up over time on the brass components. This will not damage your Vise but if
desired it can be removed with any method appropriate for removing tarnish from brass or silver such
as tarnish remover applied with a soft rag.
- The Jaws, and Cam Handle of your PEAK Fishing Vise are hardened tool steel with a black oxide
finish. This is enough protection to prevent rust in most instances. If you are in a high humidity area,
or especially a coastal area where there may be a combination of high humidity and salt suspended in the
air you may need to take extra precautions. A light oil such as WD-40 can be sprayed on a rag and
wiped on the Jaws and Cam Handle for extra protection, especially if you will be storing the Vise for any
extended period of time. It may be necessary to disassemble the Cam Handle and remove the Jaws to
apply oil to portions of the Jaw inside the Jaw Tube.
- An oil like WD-40 will not harm any of the stainless steel or brass components. If you live in an area
where your vise could be exposed to salt suspended in the air, such as a coastal region, a light coating of
oil when your Vise is being stored will help protect the stainless steel and brass from corrosive salts.
- If your Jaws become sticky they may need to be lubricated. Disassemble the Cam Handle and remove
the Jaws. Clean the Jaws, WD-40 is a good option for cleaning as it will also provide a thin protective
oil coating over the black oxide finish after you re-assemble the Vise. Clean the inside of the Jaw Tube.
Apply a very light coating of light duty grease to the tapered portion of the inside of the Jaw Tube,
replace the Jaws and re-assemble the Cam Handle.
- If your rotary movement becomes stiff you may need to lubricate the Rotary Shaft. First verify the
rotary adjustment resistance screw is not over tight. If that is not causing the resistance, remove the
Rotary Handle from the end of the Rotary Shaft (there is a set screw in the Handle that holds it to the
Shaft, loosen the set screw and slide the Handle off the Shaft). The Rotary Shaft will now slide out of
the Brass Head of the Vise. Clean the Shaft and the inside bore of the Brass Head. Apply a very light
coating of light duty grease to the portion of the Shaft that will be inside the Brass Head and reassemble
the Vise. Wipe down any extra grease after assembly is complete.
How do I adjust the rotary motion resistance of the Vise? You should have a brass or plastic screw in the
underside of the Brass Head of your Vise. If the screw is a brass screw it should have a plastic tip.
tightening this screw will increase resistance, loosening the screw allows the rotary shaft to turn more freely.
We recommend adjusting the resistance force just high enough so you can turn the vise almost upside down
and the head will not free fall when you let go of the Rotary Handle.
Midge Jaws with scalloped profile for increased working room when tying on small hooks
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What tools are needed to remove or change the Jaws? If you've purchased optional Jaws from PEAK
Fishing, the only tool required, a 3/32" Hex Key is included with the Jaws. This size is normally included
with hex key sets typically available at many hardware stores. Some tool outlets also sell individual hex keys.
What tools are needed to remove the Rotary Handle? The Rotary Handle Assembly of your PEAK Vise
does not normally need to be removed for any reason. If you feel you need to perform maintenance, such as
lubrication of the Rotary Shaft inside the Head of the Vise, the only tool required is a 5/64" Hex Key is
included with the Jaws. This size is normally included with hex key sets typically available at many
hardware stores. Some tool outlets also sell individual hex keys.
What tools are needed to assemble my Vise, Accessory Shaft, and /or Brass Riser? Only one tool
required to assembly your Vise or either the Accessory Shaft or Brass Riser, a 1/8" Hex Key. The same tool
is also used whether you have a Pedestal Base or a C-Clamp. A 1/8" Hex Key is included with your vise, if
you purchase a Brass Riser you will find a 1/8" Hex Key also included with that accessory. This size is
normally included with hex key sets typically available at many hardware stores. Some tool outlets also sell
individual hex keys.
What tools are needed to assemble or remove my D-Arm? The only tool required to assemble or remove
your D-Arm is a 5/32" Hex Key, and is included with your D-Arm. This size is normally included with hex
key sets typically available at many hardware stores. Some tool outlets also sell individual hex keys.
Will other manufacturers accessories fit a PEAK Vise? The majority of accessories are mounted to the
Vise Shaft. The PEAK Vise Shaft is 3/8" diameter and the PEAK Accessory Shaft is also 3/8" diameter so
any other manufacturer's accessory that will mount to a 3/8" diameter shaft will work with your PEAK Vise.
One accessory that does not mount to the 3/8" Vise Shaft is a material clip. The PEAK Rotary Shaft is 1/4"
Diameter so a material clip that will mount to a 1/4" rotary shaft will work with PEAK Vise.
Which PEAK accessories will work with my vise? PEAK's accessories (except our material clip) are
designed to fit a 3/8" diameter shaft so they will work with any vise that uses a 3/8" diameter shaft. This is
the most common size shaft of vises found in the US. Peak's Pedestal Base and C-Clamp both are both
valuable upgrades to add stability and versatility to you current vise. Changing your pedestal base or
C-Clamp to a PEAK Pedestal Base or C-Clamp will also allow you to add the PEAK Accessory Shaft. No
other vise mount we know of allows for the use of an accessory shaft.
PEAK Fishing
599 West 71st Street
Loveland, CO 80538
970-622-9601 (ph)
970-622-9602 (fax)
info@peakfishing.com
last updated 01/11/2010
Property of PEAK Engineering and Automation DBA PEAK Fishing Copyright 2009, 2010 All Rights Reserved
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