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Quick vice.

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Stilldrillin:
My new mini mill arrived with a "free" 100mm quick vice, instead of the promised 80mm version...... Nice!  :thumbup:

I tried to fit it lengthways, but the mounting slots are a little wider than the 56mm T slot centres.  :scratch:





No problem...... Lengthen the slots by 1mm or so, & mill 3mm deep recesses in the body to clear the bolt heads.





I`ll take off the fixed jaw, to clamp the body upside down to plunge the recesses........

          WHAAT!!!!!  :jaw:


Is THAT the mating face??????





The vice is surface ground on all it`s exterior surfaces, and angle grinder tickled on the fixed jaw mating face, the most important joint!!!
Any pressure will tilt the jaw outward!  :bugeye:

It`s a good job I`ve got a mill, to square up the body end face......... It will be ok, within it`s limits.

So pleased I didn`t pay £30 or so for it........

Anyone recommend a decent milling vice, to fit 56mm centres?

David.

bogstandard:
David,

The general consensus is that the vice should always be fitted with the jaws in line with the X axis.

The reason being, that if you fit them in line with the Y, you can only machine lengths along the X (your longest feed) by the amount the jaws will open.

Don't be afraid of having the vice overhanging the front of the table. Mine is over 12" long and overhangs the front by half that figure.



It is a mistake usually made by people new to milling, and I have had to correct a few people in my time.

If you are happy with it, leave it as it is, but just remember that you are most probably cutting your machining length down by at least a half.

John

Stilldrillin:
Do you know John, yer quite right! :thumbup:

The work I used to do needed 4 or more fixings to stop it walking.......  ::)










Time to slacken back a little.......  :thumbup:

David.

Stilldrillin:
I`d forgotten this posting!  ::)

Machined the grotty end face & rebuilt the vice properly, with loctite etc.

It`s a crackin` little vice now!

Perfectly square and true. Completely adequate for purpose.....  :thumbup:






David.

bogstandard:
Nice one David  :clap:

Just plodding along, doing little tweaks like that, soon gets your workshop ticking along like a Swiss watch. You start to work with it, rather than fighting against it.

If you have little problems like this, stop what you are doing, and fix it, don't carry it or leave it until another day. Otherwise you will soon find it becomes a chore to get anything accurate done.

John

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