Vises for Milling Machines

Sean O'Hare

Sean O'Hare

Joined
Jul 24, 2003
Messages
1,183
I've got the Taig mini-mill and am interested in buying a new vise for it. We don't have Hrabor freight in Canada but do have KBC Tools so this is where I will probably buy the vise.

I'm looking at either a swivel vise or one of the small precision vises. My question is would the swivel vise hold enough accuracy for knife making or should I go with the precision vise? I like the ability to move the swivel vise to whatever angle I want but am not sure of it's accuracy. I will be using this both with fixed blade guards and bolsters as well as cutting folder locks (both liner and frame lock types).

Thanks,
Sean
 
Not sure what type of swivel vise your talking about, don't know if they make one for a mill?

One thing to remember during milling operations, if the iteam being milled is not held down rock solid you get chatter, broken mills/cutters, and damaged parts.
 
The vise is THE most important part of your system


If the part moves or isnt square when you are cutting it, you are screwed from the beginning.

Buy the very best one you can find.

KURT comes to mind!
 
Once you get a GOOD vice the next thing to buy would be a dial indicater with a magnetic base so that you can get the vice straight with the mill.
Another thing that I find usefull is a sine bar. Look in a machinest handbook and you will learn all about setting angles with a sine bar. If you are low on cash once you have the mill a sine bar is an easy thing to make.
Good luck
 
I have a quality swivel vise from KAR but find I seldom need that feature and when it could be used I have other easier means of holding work down at an angle. Yes it is accurate enough to reset to 0* using the indicator on the base but I still do a test cut to ensure accuracy anyhow.

The only feature that I do use is the tilt feature to cut dovetails on jigs.
 
For the mini mill I would suggest the wilton super accuracy in either 2 inch or 3 inch... I find i do not need much bigger in size for most light milling duties and i bought mine with the superaccuracy swivel base and have NEVER set it off of 0 degrees...

For the size of that mill the 2 inch will be about the biggest you want to use IMO, I cant see even being able to fit a 6 inch Kurt vise in there at all...

Alan Folts
 
Thanks guys.

The one I was thinking of is a Wilton if I get a swivel vise. We'll see, more thinking on this is needed. The crappy vise I have will have to suffice until I can afford a new vise but it's good to know before hand what I'm looking at in terms of cost.

Thanks again.

Sean
 
For general purpose I most highly recommend having a swivel machine vise. You will also want to have a dial test indicater to square the vise. You should have a dial test indicator regardless for any machine vise. A tool vise is also good to have but for general purpose the swival vise is probably what you will use more often. One draw back to remember is that the swival vise will have a higher profile, another reason to have a precision tool vise available when lower profile is required. My bottom line: get both but if only one can be afforded now start with the swival.

RL
 
Thanks guys. I will definitely look at that site. I can only afford one for now, will look at the swivel vise first and see how it goes from there.

Sean
 
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