Vertical vise

R

RARanney

Moderator / Gold Member
Joined
Apr 6, 2001
Messages
3,010
Does anyone know of a vertical vise for the milling machine? The jaws would be top and bottom (over and under) as opposed to side by side or fore and aft. Thanks.
 
Originally posted by RARanney
Does anyone know of a vertical vise for the milling machine? The jaws would be top and bottom (over and under) as opposed to side by side or fore and aft. Thanks.
Click to expand...

I'm probably wrong here, but I've always heard that type of vise referred to as a horizontal vise.
The vertical vise being the common type we're all using on our workbenches, and machines. :confused:

Regardless, if anyone would have something like that, it would be MSC.
http://www.mscdirect.com/
 
You're probably correct. Anyway I want one jaw on top and one on the bottom, as if a standard type vise were rotated 90 degrees, but with the jaws still parallel to the table/bench. I Checked MSC, but didn't see anything other than a tool vise that can be clamped in the big vise, which takes up too much travel room. Thanks all the same.
 
One other way could be to mount a small machinist's vise on a 90 degree plate. MSC has those specifically for applications like you propose.:confused:
 
I tried of the 90 degree plates, but the way I want to mount it takes up too much travel distance (I can always come up with a way of doing things that's, if not impossible, very difficult). I think the reason there aren't too many vises in the configuration I want is that they would hit the spindle head. Looks like I'll have to build a raft to bolt things to and clamp it in the main vise. Work holding is kind of an art form in itself.
 
One way to accomplish this is to clamp a smaller toolmakers vise in you main vise. This also allows you to mill a range of angles. In my shop I do a lot of clamping things in clamping things. :)
 
The toolmakers vise in vise thing I did too and it works, but I want to cut using only the x axis and in this configuration the vise hits the spindle unless I turn it 90 degrees. In this configuration I have to use the y axis, which would otherwise be locked. Again, it worked but I was trying to optimize my view and reduce chatter by engaging only the x table (I told you I'd find the hard way to do things :D ). Maybe if I pivot the big vise 90 degrees this might work better. A low profile toolmaker's vise might be ideal. BTW if anyone ever gets one of the Kurt copies, have the good sense to buy the swivel base with it. Do I need to say how I know?
 
I think the simplestway to do this is by using toe clamps, studs and T-nuts anchored in the T-slots of the milling table. If you need to raise the workpiece a bit, you can put a 1-2-3 block (or any other shim with parallel surfaces) under it before you attach the clamp.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top