Author Topic: milling vice restoration (Read 25998 times)

Andrew Wildman · « **on:** February 02, 2016, 03:57:07 PM »

The vice that I use on the Omnimil is a bit shabby looking, has had a number of mishaps in the past (not me!) and could do with a rebuild. I thought about getting a new one from Arc but the budget has to be spent on other things so I am going to tidy it up and make sure it is all square and true.

Here is the lump in all it's glory:

Over the next few weeks I will strip it down, fill the holes with epoxy metal, scrape it true, fit new jaws and give it a lick of paint. I still have a couple of other projects to complete so progress will not be particularly quick but here goes...

leg17 · « **Reply #1 on:** February 02, 2016, 09:35:02 PM »

You can probably R&R those jaw inserts.

Arbalist · « **Reply #2 on:** February 03, 2016, 12:39:13 PM »

I had an Abwood like that, should never have let it go when I sold the mill. Can you not get someone to fill the holes with weld for you?

Andrew Wildman · « **Reply #3 on:** February 05, 2016, 03:45:22 PM »

Leg17,the jaws have been milled lower than the main body of the vice so they really need replacing. I don't think they are original.

Arbalist, I did think about welding up the holes myself, but the main one is quite big and I don't want to distort the vice. The epoxy metal solution is not as nice but I think it will be sufficient to stop stuff dropping into the holes. What do you think about weld distorting the vice?

awemawson · « **Reply #4 on:** February 05, 2016, 04:00:40 PM »

Andrew, before I had my Bridgeport table re-ground a few decades ago, I (perhaps rather foolishly) had some 'oops dings' by the previous owner welded up professionally. They did all the right things, creating a large pre-heat brick enclosure, used the right nickel rods, and let it cool very slowly. Looked ok until it was finish ground, then the welds looked pretty awful

OK I probably notice them more than others would, but I keep them covered by a darn great vice most of the time

Can you not fabricate a dovetail insert from cast iron to replace the bit with those holes - I'm imagining a bit with a lower dovetail to lock it to the body of the vice, and an upper one to match what is there (but without the holes!)

chipenter · « **Reply #5 on:** February 05, 2016, 04:52:03 PM »

Just key them and fill them then keep the vice shut , I used sperglue and ci dust stood up well so far .

Arbalist · « **Reply #6 on:** February 06, 2016, 05:23:27 AM »

I'm not the one to ask about weld distortion, just seen it done on another vice someone refurbed.

RobWilson · « **Reply #7 on:** February 06, 2016, 05:57:09 AM »

Like Andrew mentioned weld repairs on cast Iron look really awful unless painted and can also be problematic when it comes to machining the welded area back .

Personally I would go with one of the two better options ,your idea to fill the holes with some epoxy material or as Andrew mentioned just machine off the dovetail and bolt on a new .

I have a few Elliot machine vices and they are all steel construction with a separate steel dovetail .

Cheers Rob

nrml · « **Reply #8 on:** February 06, 2016, 09:02:53 AM »

In the past, I have filled an accidentally drilled hole in a mild steel project with soft solder. I melted in enough solder to fill the hole and dome above the level of the surrounding steel. I then pounded it flat with a hammer after cooling to fill all the little nooks and crannies at the edge of the hole and sanded it flat. The resulting plug was a different colour from the surrounding steel but it still looked like an exceptionally good repair cosmetically.

The hole I filled was smaller and deeper than yours, but it might work well on your vice. If it doesn't work, you could very easily remove the residue and revert to the ever trusty JB weld. All the JB weld fillings I have done have been an eyesore but that might be down to me.

awemawson · « **Reply #9 on:** February 06, 2016, 09:36:33 AM »

Someone mentioned cast iron dust in super-glue - I'd be interested in pictures to see how that looks as it sounds fairly universally applicable by choosing the appropriate filler metal.

mattinker · « **Reply #10 on:** February 06, 2016, 11:19:00 AM »

It doesn't look like too big a hole, how about drilling it out tapping and putting a steel plug in it? The two smaller holes could also be fixed this way.

Regards, Matthew.

chipenter · « **Reply #11 on:** February 06, 2016, 01:55:33 PM »

It goes blacker with age One of the half bits got knocked off last week lasted over five monthes .

awemawson · « **Reply #12 on:** February 06, 2016, 01:58:46 PM »

Thanks Jeff - yes that looks rather like the table on on my Bridgeport. Still functional though

Andrew Wildman · « **Reply #13 on:** February 06, 2016, 03:58:24 PM »

While I was waiting for paint to dry on the die filer I had a potter about with the vice. I decided to mill a pocket and Loctite a piece to fit. Here is the result. In hidsight I should have just made the pocket square, this would have saved a lot of effort. the other smaller holes are filled with epoxy metal. The bit was a light press fit on the width and height so with the Loctite I don't think it will go anywhere.

Once the adhesives are dry I will skim it and scrape it all flat. I got to use my new tool that arrived in the post this morning. Anybody else use a similar endmill/face mill? It worked well in cast Iron. BTW the equally crusty vice in the picture is the one for the AEW mill.

tom osselton · « **Reply #14 on:** February 06, 2016, 04:19:31 PM »

This may be of interest to some looking at cast iron repair.

http://ezweldtigwire.com/about-ez-weld-tig-wire/

awemawson · « **Reply #15 on:** February 06, 2016, 04:39:39 PM »

I think one of the major issues welding cast iron by any process is getting it clean. Being relatively porous it will have absorbed all sort of oily grungy stuff.

Received wisdom is to bake it at quite an elevated temperature for several hours, but even then there will still be contaminants in it, and it risks distorting the casting.

I've had most success using 'sifbronze' rods and oxy-acetylene with pre-heat, but of course it will show as it isn't a colour match for the iron.

Perhaps it would have been feasible to bronze weld it, then clean up well and give it a light nickel plating to give a uniform appearance.

Andrew Wildman · « **Reply #16 on:** February 07, 2016, 05:34:49 PM »

so I skimmed the vice until the insert was at the level of the surrounding metal, although wear is evident at the sliding end of the vice. I decided not to go any further on the mill.

Measuring the flatness shows about 0.002" wear that I will take out by scraping. That does not sound like much but after an hour I have an aching arm and still have about 0.0005 to go!

I will post pics when flat

Arbalist · « **Reply #17 on:** February 08, 2016, 05:59:24 AM »

Looking good so far. I do hope you're not going to put Hammerite on it though unless it's the smooth stuff!

Andrew Wildman · « **Reply #18 on:** February 08, 2016, 07:48:27 AM »

Ive got a bit of magnolia dulux left over from the kitchen!

Andrew Wildman · « **Reply #19 on:** February 08, 2016, 05:04:18 PM »

I finished scraping the bottom of the vice. It is about 0.0002-0.0003 off flat which is good enough for the bottom of a general machining vice.

I do like that with a few basic tools you can scrape surface to a very high geometric accuracy (much better than I have done here). all it takes is a bit of patience and a bit of elbow grease.

Spurry · « **Reply #20 on:** February 08, 2016, 05:18:57 PM »

V nice work Andrew.

Pete

RussellT · « **Reply #21 on:** February 09, 2016, 03:40:30 AM »

Looks good - and hides your repair well.

Russell

RobWilson · « **Reply #22 on:** February 09, 2016, 04:28:54 AM »

Nicely done Andrew

Rob

RotarySMP · « **Reply #23 on:** February 09, 2016, 09:36:45 AM »

A tool to be proud of.

Mark

Arbalist · « **Reply #24 on:** February 09, 2016, 02:12:20 PM »

Very nice job. It'll need some of that Dulux soon!

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Author Topic: milling vice restoration (Read 25998 times)

RobWilson

RobWilson