New Chick CNC Vise

Had it demoed at our shop last week.

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It's almost $900.

Despite the bad economy there doesn't seem to be any interest in getting any cheap Chinese Kurt knock off vises. ;>)

Jon Banquer San Diego, CA

Reply to
jon_banquer
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Jon:

Have you looked at the Quad-I?

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Our own Stan Dornfeld is associated in some manner.

Reply to
BottleBob

He use to be located very close to who I work for but I think he moved.

The Chick CNC vise has many advantages over a Quad-1 vise.

Jon Banquer San Diego, CA

Reply to
jon_banquer

Jon:

Can the Chick be put on its side to hold tall work like the Quad-I?

BTW We machined the bottom flanges off one of those Chinese Kurt knock offs to mount it on its side on top of some 2-3-6 blocks. Worked great, without having to chew up one of our good Kurt's. Yet ANOTHER reason to get a couple of those puppies. LOL

Reply to
BottleBob

An angle plate with tapped holes on its sides and Kant-Twist clamps works well for tall work.

Is there such a thing as a good Kurt vise?

Is there such a thing as a good job working for a Born Again Christian?

Is there such a thing as a powerful CAM system that isn't tied to a good CAD program?

How do you get powerful chaining or eliminate chaining without powerful CAD being a part of your CAM program?

Jon Banquer San Diego, CA

Reply to
jon_banquer

Can you have a decent CAM system if your CAM system doesn't have a robust and powerful Machining Operations Manager like Siemens NX has?

Is it worth staying with Surfcam, Gibbscam, Mastercam, Edgecam, Featurecam, Smartcam, etc. if UG NX CAM Express sells for about the same price?

Is it better to have one vendor handle your CAD and CAM needs or two separate vendors, one for CAD and one for CAM?

Does Delcam Powermill get a significant boost because of technology developed in Delcam PowerShape? Does this significant boost mean better chaining and better selection tools?

Should Delcam Powermill become a better-rounded product that is well suited for production machining and prototype 2 1/2 axis work as well as getting a lathe module?

Is Delcam Featurecam in danger of becoming a legacy code application that needs a total rewrite?

Should Delcam's Bart Simpson move to the USA and run Delcam USA because he has what it takes to lead Delcam forward in the U.S. market.

Jon Banquer San Diego, CA

Reply to
jon_banquer

Jon:

Sure, everyone does that. A vise on its side is faster & easier if you're doing more than a handful of parts.

Is that question supposed to relate to me?

Reply to
BottleBob

So you're now relegated to running production? Based on what you have posted in the past about how you feel about production I guess it sucks to be you. . ;>)

If you feel it relates to you then I guess it does.

Jon Banquer San Diego, CA

Reply to
jon_banquer

Jon:

Don't let those unfounded speculations get the better of you. We do a variety of prototype and tooling work, and occasionally get short-run production jobs. The CNC guys program & set them up. If it's more than a handful of parts someone else is usually drafted to run them.

It doesn't.

Reply to
BottleBob

Speaking of unfounded speculations, I lose respect very quickly for those who make unfounded speculations and are too lazy and too chicken shit to follow up to see how wrong they really are.

Seems like you thought it did.

Jon Banquer San Diego, CA

Reply to
jon_banquer

Jon:

That's a little cryptic.

You were replying to my post, it's not unreasonable to assume that you thought your comment applied to me. That's why I asked you to clarify it.

Reply to
BottleBob

Good thing that John Scheldroup spelled it all out of you then. ;P

Jon Banquer San Diego, CA

Reply to
jon_banquer

Jon:

Let's see if we can't extract something useful out of this idle chit-chat.

What are some of the features & advantages of the Chick vise that you learned from your demo?

Reply to
BottleBob

It's not made in China.

It's lead screw is covered.

The solid jaw has a better more rigid design than a Kurt vise does.

You can adapt your standard kurt soft jaws with an adapter.

Removing the jaws is very fast.

You don't have to waste a lot of time moving the movable jaw.

The owner of your shop is too cheap to buy one.

Jon Banquer San Diego, CA

Reply to
jon_banquer

Correction. It's almost $800 not $900.

Jon Banquer San Diego, CA

Reply to
jon_banquer

Jon:

Are you positive?

So are Kurt's.

Kurt's solid jaw supports are keyed and screwed, I've not had a problem with them. How does Chick do it?

That's a plus factor from an interchangeability standpoint.

We've got some custom jaws and screws that only require about a quarter turn to remove the jaws. But most of our jaws are normal. The amount of time for jaw changes (like what ~ 5 min. max), are usually a pretty insignificant part of a job.

That would come in handy if you were constantly changing from skinny parts to long parts during a run. But usually a vise is used on one size part so that feature doesn't seem all that valuable. Especially, when you can spin a spider handle pretty fast.

You're assuming facts not in evidence. Unlike your particular employment situation we're a (for profit) job shop, so if a piece of tooling will help the bottom line then the cost may very well be justified. But from the features you've outlined so far, I wouldn't waste the owner's time showing him the Chick vise. If it has other features you haven't mentioned, I'd be more than willing to hear them.

If not. Then I guess we're pretty much done here.

I hope you have a Happy Turkey Day.

Reply to
BottleBob

Lets face it. There is no "perfect" cad or cam system. I'll fully admit, I get frustrated from time to time with VX. But it does the job, and it does it well.

If Delcam has added PowerShape's chaining tools. It's better than anything out there I'd bet.

I doubt it. PowerMill main target is Mold, die, and 5 axis work. 2 & 2

1/2 is good, but it's not it's forte'

We're going to look at Featurecam one of these days to replace Surfcam, which we haven't updated since 2001.

Bart is a good shit, that's for sure.

Reply to
Steve Mackay

Bob/Jon, I bought a couple of the 3600V when we got our new VMC:

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The fixed jaw on these is no longer keyed and screwed on, it's truly solid. The coolant flange is gone so you can mount the vise on its side if needed. The screw has a brush type seal and there is a provision for sliding a piece shim stock to cover the screw when the vise is opened wide enough to expose the screw.

The two vises came in matched ground at no additional charge, which is nice.

All in all I'm happy with my purchase.

Best, Steve

Reply to
Garlicdude

Last I checked, Bob's shop had a Makino horizontal in it. How many Makinos are in your shop, Jon?

Reply to
Joe788

Yup

Not as well.

Over time they begin to move.

Not for your shop as the Chick CNC vise isn't made in China.

Agree. 5min hardly makes up for the time that Gibbscam wastes compared to a good CADCAM system.

I'm not assuming anything. I know the ridiculous low wage you get paid. Your boss is beyond cheap.

You mean the one you're too lazy to show up at and evaluate so you just make false statements like this and many others? LOL.

I wouldn't because your boss is too cheap to buy them.

Jon Banquer San Diego, CA

Reply to
jon_banquer

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