and they aren't that bad as far as precision goes. However, how does one
mount them on eg a mill table with T-slots?
Thanks,
-- Peter Fairbrother
bored, it's too early to do noisy stuff
In article , Peter Fairbrother
writes
Peter,
If you mean the method of alignment, since it's hardened, the option of
machining a key slot across the base and fixing a key (made as a close
fit to your table slots) is out. I set my milling vice by gripping a
substantial bar of gauge plate and clocking it. Takes a few minutes but
can be done as accurately as you like. Does mean I am perhaps a bit more
reluctant to remove it to make room for other fittings that I should be!
If you mean the method of holding, then I can't help you as mine is
quite different and I haven't seen one of the ones you refer to, at
least close enough to examine it in detail.
David
Does yours have a matching curved slot in the other end of the base?
Those are for toe clamps or big washers. However that style works
better as an insert vise clamped in the normal vise, holding the work
at an angle which is how I normally employ them.
They can be used on a surface grinder or stood on end to hold small
pieces in a horizontal bandsaw. The small ones are excellent for
soldering electrical connectors.
If you need to level and machine the top edge of an irregular piece
you can clamp that vise on it upside-down with a spacer under the vise
jaw, for example a cast pipe elbow that can't be leveled from below on
parallels.
jsw
I had to go down to check a few things. The tapped holes in the fixed
jaw on mine take a 5/16-18 bolt, but not 8mm.
It looks like I could hold the vise flat against the end of a 1/2"
drill chuck in the lathe tailstock to clamp a chucked piece like a
pipe tee and nipple squarely upright, to mill the face of the tee
perpendicular to the thread axis and obtain a reference surface for
further work.
jsw
Peter
I have a smaller version of this vice and although I could fasten it down to
the T slots by putting pegs in the side holes and using a toe clamp
arrangement I gave up using it more or less altogether.
I found that the vice has to removed from the table every time I open and
close the jaws because the 'trunion' type nut falls out of position and its
a real pain to reposition it from any position bar underneath the vice.
The basic accuracy might be high but the usability is really poor. I would
go the extra mile (I mean £s) and get a vice with a leadscrew.
Ian
I'm having some luck with it by aligning the jaw face over the pin
hole center before removing the pin, controlling the screw with an
Allen wrench and coarsely locating the trunnion with a pencil before
reinserting the pin.
jsw
Going to reply to many posts here, thanks to all for the thoughts:
David; yes, I meant the method of holding the vice to the table.
Jim; yes, it does have a matching curved slot in either end of the base.
However the mill table is maybe 6" wide, but the vice is 8" long - when
in the normal position at right angels to the long edge of the mill
table, the ends of the vice protrude over the table edges, making the
slots useless for fixing the vice down.
Jim again; it doesn't have any tapped holes. It does have a hole through
the fixed jaw, parallel to the base and at right angles to the opening
direction, about 1 inch up and 8mm diameter, but I don't know what
that's for.
Ian; as to useability and the nut getting twisted/lost, I too found it
hard to use as supplied, but then reworked it (using an angle grinder
disk in an adapter in the mill on the hardened steel, noisy ... had to
buy ear defenders, don't know what the neighbours thought) and built a
new nut thingy, and that's no longer a problem.
-- Peter Fairbrother
You could mount it on a plate by the ends, cut notches for tee slot
bolts, and use dowel pins to align it square to the edge of the table.
I located my milling vise so that the largest end mill I have a collet
for is completely behind the fixed jaw face when the table is fully
forward.
I bought a cheaper copy of this for a mill-drill in an electronics
company:
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It's no Kurt, but it was adequate for light-duty milling and drilling
in aluminium, and much less likely to smash someone's toes since it
had to come off frequently to drill large flat panels.
jsw
I have a Record Imp that I use all the time for that purpose, bought
by a family member in the 1950's and inherited. Clamps on the edge of
the bench though, not for milling :-)...
Regards,
Chris
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