How Easily Does Your Vise Move

Bob La Londe · 2019-09-11T22:11:14+00:00

On one of my machines I pulled of the pair of lock down vises I normally have on the table so I could mount some custom fixtures to machine a mold that was almost the full work envelope of the machine.After I finished I had to put my pair of vise back on, align them and align them to each other. Not that long ago (a few years atleast) that would have been a daunting task. I have gotten to the point that I expect them to be within the range of my test indicator on the first try... and they almost were, but getting the vises within 50 thousandths is not the goal of course. LOLI quickly got the first squared up on the table, and proceeded to the second. Of course I tighten the hold down clamps they shift a few thousandths. Lightly tapping with a hammer and going back and forth as I bring the bolts down as far as I dare tighten them without to much fear of damaging the table gets me within about a thousandth across 2 six inch vise with a 3 inch gap between them.One vise. No problem. five minutes any day of the week, and much faster on a good day. 2 vises... not a "problem," but tedious. Maybe 20-30 minutes. Maybe longer. I didn't really pay attention to how long it took. Probably also not all that necessary as I use soft jaws with a premachined step on the bottom so I can fully face them square to the travel of the machine. Then I add a step in the top of the jaws, or in this case take a skim cut on the step that is already there. I can use the step for a high hold or for thinner parts, and use the entire jaw when necessary.Anyway, none of that really matters. Just background until I get to the point. The point is even clamped down as hard as I dare the vises still can move with only a modestly firm tap with a hammer. Its only a few tenths to a couple thou depending on the blow, but it does move. I know a hammer blow delivers a deceptively large amount of force, but still. It made me wonder how easily those vises really move, and if there was something...

Sep 11, 2019 24 Replies

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Bob La Londe 7 years ago

Aftermarket Taig column and bed pictured next to the stock ones.

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Charlie+ 7 years ago

On Sun, 15 Sep 2019 09:33:26 -0700, Bob La Londe snipped-for-privacy@none.com wrote as underneath :

Cant be accessed unless facebook joinee.

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rangerssuck 7 years ago

I have seen it, I have coveted it and I will get one when I move (in the next couple of years).

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Bob La Londe 7 years ago

Sorry. Not my group. It might be all groups though. Never checked. I manage an FB group called Makers & Builders and somebody recently said they can't access something I posted there. They are in Bulgaria though, so I thought it might just be due to European access restrictions of some kind. I posted what he wanted on a private forum and he was able to see it.

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