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DW mill table

I've got a dore-westbury mill, and have just acquired a nice 3" Abwood swivel vice to put on it.

However, the slots in the table aren't conveniently placed for the vice mounting points. This isn't the first time I've had this problem, but mounting this vice diagonally seems less than ideal.

The usual slot arrangement on a DW mill is 6 or 8 short slots from each side, and two slots along the long centre line that reach only 1/3 of the way along : i.e. they don't meet in the middle, leaving about 1/3 unslotted.

Picture :

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I'm considering cutting the central slot full length, which would make life much easier. But there's probably some reason why this wasn't done in the first place : maybe it would make the table significantly less rigid.

Someone seems to have done this here :

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Alternatives might be to extend the slots only a little way (another inch or so would do, perhaps with a shallow groove to take the vice location keys) or to make an adapter plate.

Anybody got any thoughts about the wisdom of this ?

-adrian

Reply to
Adrian Godwin
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I have used a steel sub table between the table( mine was the boring table on the Myford) and the odd vice- of which I have many!

With a decent sub-table, you can bore holes or whatever without worries about messing up the machine.

Cheers

Norm

Reply to
ravensworth2674

You could consider simply drilling and tappind a series of holes to be used to hold down the vice in the positions you feel most appropriate. Were I in that position, I suspect I would start with just two holes, and make some blanking screws to fill them when they are not in use for the vice. A simple threaded stud with a slot end for a screwdriver would serve nicely.

As for the vice key, it can be dispensed with. It merely provides a quick means of rough alignment. I doubt that a DW mill will ever push the vice hard enough to move it from the holding forces of a pair of hold down studs.

Cheers Trevor Jones

Reply to
Trevor Jones

Adrian

I have a DW with a fully machined centre slot, slightly larger than those cast in the sides of the table. It was like that when I bought the machine, the builder was a professional engineer (unlike me) - take the point about weakening the table, but it seems to be ok and very useful.

I would commend the raising base idea on the German one, both dad's and mine sit on fabricated bases to lift the casting 4 - 5 inches off the bench. Helps keep the millings out of the back of your hands if the bench top goes under the handwheels.

Steve (Sheffield)

Reply to
Steve

Thanks, folks.

I think I'll go with the adapter plate for now : I'd like to do the longer slot but the adapter plate is less invasive to start with.

The tapped holes would be neat, but I have a 3-axis vice I'd also like to use with slightly smaller hole spacing. If I tap for everything, I could end up with an emmenthal bed :-).

-adrian

Reply to
Adrian Godwin

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