Gallery, Projects and General > How to's

Keeping your vice straight

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Bogstandard:
Chris,

Vices are usually held in the Y axis purely because you are then not limited to the length you can hold, whereas if you have the vice mounted in line with the X axis, then you can only hold material as long as the vice can open it's jaws to.

If you are never going to use the vice in the X axis, then that lug can be cut off, as you will be using the two side lugs to hold the vice down.

With regards to using the groove you already have in the bottom of your vice.

As long as it is in line with your hold down lugs, then what you do is to put a good fitting bigger bar into the slot you have, and tighten it down. Then by taking some off each side of the bar, bring it to the same width as the slots in your table.  You will in fact be making a t-bar.
Make sure the bolt heads you use are smaller than your table slots, and don't dig too much out of the bottom of the vice casting as you skim down the sides. Verniers are no good for measuring the width for going into the slot, they are too inaccurate, you must use a mic and work to a tight tolerances otherwise the fit into the slot won't be good enough for keeping the vice spot on. The more time you spend on getting the width spot on, the more accurate your vice will be held in line.
I have had my vice off a few times since I have done it, and just locating it into the slot and tightening down, there is absolutely no runout at all. So now I can trust it so much, it does not need to be checked each time. That saves at least ten to fifteen minutes during setups.


Bogs

75Plus:

--- Quote from: craynerd on February 20, 2011, 02:50:19 PM ---I`m digging this older post up because I`m wanting to do this to my vice. I`ve made my piece that fits perfectly in the T slots but my problem is my vice already has a slot and holes drilled and tapped.
Chris

--- End quote ---

Chris,  I had the same problem so I solved it by using material that was an exact fit for the existing slots on the vice and then machine it down to fit the T slots. I had to mill off about 1mm.

Joe

marfaguy:
Hi Chris,
I'm planning on doing this mod this weekend. I've been thinking about this and
wondered what my plan "b" would be in case I messed up and made the slot in
the vise too wide. I always like having a plan b. Anyway I decided that if missed
the vise side slot width by making it too big, I would go ahead and make it very
much too big (maybe .10" or so) then mill a new brass bar to first push fit into the vise side then carefully
re-mill one half to push fit into the table slot. In other words, the bar would have a step in it
so it has two different widths. Would something like that work on your vise? Might also be
away to fix it if the previous owner wasn't careful and didn't get the vise slot perfectly parallel
to the fixed jaw. In still other words, Do as Bogs suggested with the bar in the vise upside down
then clean up the slot a bit if needed, then make sure the slot width is uniform. Then make a
new bar with the appropriate change in width so it's a push fit on both sides.

I used to something similar when making mortise and tenon joints in wood. I always found it easier to
fit the tenon to the already cut mortise which you can't really do when plowing out the vise side slot in this mod.

 I would think a similar approach could be used on the other axis if desired.
-Charles

Edit:
Looks like Bogs beat me too it.  :thumbup:
Second edit:
Not only did bogs beat me to it but Joe did as well and about four days ago.
Note to self, read the whole thing before replying.

raynerd:
Digging up this blast from the past for the second time!!!

I am GOING to do this but John took down his pictures. Are there any other threads on the net which show this method with photos. I can't remember the process without them despite the personalised message from John in one post.

Chris

Stilldrillin:
Is this any use to you Chris?  :thumbup:

http://madmodder.net/index.php/topic,7643.msg82113.html#msg82113

David D

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