Vises

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Indicating Animation

Indicating the Parlec solid jaw animation. The slot on the top of the solid jaw can also be used.
Move the bed left & right, make minute adjustments of the vise position until zeroed, then lock it
down. Minor (+/-0.0001") variation may be observed but that is usually manufacturing tolerances.
This Swiss Interapid dial test indicator has 0.0005" per gradation resolution. The needle moved
0.0001" in the center which is 10x below the vise manufacturer's spec. See instructions on how to
set tip geometry & see illustration. Lock the Y & Z axes before aligning the fixed jaw of the vise.

Machinists distinguish between indicating a part (alignment) vs. tramming (centering). The definition of
tramming is "to adjust or align (mechanical parts). Accurate mechanical adjustment: The device is in tram."

Indicating the vise bed animation.
Note in the center location, only the small needle moves showing that the large needle changed by 0.030".

Precision ground parallels of varying heights accurately hold parts at the proper depth inside the vise jaws.

5-axis milling stop with 1/4" rod; strong construction & versatile low-profile positioning (USA).
The metal-constructed locking handle can be easily repositioned by lifting upward & rotating.
One end of the steel rod is squared-off (diamond ground) while the other end is hemispherical.
Made a blind hole slipover aluminum handle, held on with 6-32 set screws, for the 1/4" hex wrench.
The three flush hex set screws positively engage the flat. Left off the knurling so it would not hold dirt.
The stop rod engages the square 5C fixture edge. The 5C collet has a depth stop screwed into its end.

Click on linked thumbnails. Different sizes available.

Palmgren variable angle drill press vise (USA).
1-1/2" (38mm) W x 1" (25mm) D x 6" (146mm) OAL. Opens to 1-9/16" max.

Eron 3-inch drill press vise (Japan). Sides are also machined flat & true.
Base groove for table mounting. Excellent quality, good for metal work.

4-inch, low-profile Delta drill press vise (Taiwan). Good for wood but not precise enough for metal projects.

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Palmgren 3" wide, 1-1/8" deep, 6.5" square base, 13lbs., cradle-style, variable angle drill press vise (import).
Positive pin stops at 0, 15, 30, 45, 60, 75, & 90 degrees. Hand-tightened lock at all positions; 0 to 90 by 1 deg scale.
Solid jaw has vertical & horizontal V-grooves. The base has 1/2" shoulder slots for bolting down to a drill press table.

Tool Maker's Vise

Tool maker's vise: 2-9/16" (62mm) W x 1-1/4" (32mm) D opens 3-3/8" (86mm) & OAL is 7-1/2" (190mm).
Hardened & precision ground to within 0.0002". Single-piece base construction. Vertical & horizontal
grooves to hold round parts. Acme ISO TR16x4 threaded lead screw for speed & strength (China).

The movable jaw has a counter bore around the lead screw attachment point which provides
relief for the threaded bronze insert. This allows full jaw retraction for maximum vise opening.

The movable jaw is not quite as wide as the base so it can be moved while still clamped in a setup.
Also handy for use as a transfer vise between setups. Shown here with the 5-axis work stop (right).

Its strength, speed, size, & precision make it one of the best all-around vises I own.

Click on linked thumbnails for different sized & types of vises.

3-inch screwless vise mounted on the Taig mill. This style is vise pulls the movable jaw down as it closes.

An adjustable, pivoting, solid-jaw mounted work stop. An M6-1 cap head screw holds the bracket to the vise.
The adjustable 8-32 screw has a pressed-on knob, a tip that was diamond ground flat, & a knurled lock nut.

Detail of the spring-loaded ball bearing detent for adapter retention in the precision ground spindle.
The flat spring has been rotated to expose the ball bearing detent. The vise is allowed to float in two
directions enabling easy tap/hole alignment. The example shows tapping eight, #7 holes, with 1/4-20
threads. A rotary table was used to drill every 45 deg.

Mounted in t he RF-25 mill, showing a #2 center drill bit which was then followed by a #21 drill bit.
Held the part in a smaller vise so the setup could be easily transferred to the hand tapper for threading.

Very small pieces can be held in the miniature vise, then held in other vises or set-ups.
The small vise can be transferred from machine to machine while still retaining a part's orientation.
Parallels (steps) are ground into the jaws. The movable jaw is not as wide as the solid jaw allowing
it to be adjusted while still clamped in a larger vise. Tolerances are +/-0.0002"

Sine Vises

2-inch & 3-inch wide sine vises that are both 4-inchs between rolls.
See sine vise/bar angle calculation.

The ubiquitous, obligatory Bench Vise.

Upgraded to a 5", rotating-head, Palmgren bench vise. The mount uses a 1/2" thick sub-plate & hex bolts.
Three, 3/8-16, 6-in long bolts with washers pass all the way through the bench's 2x4 edge. 56-lbs. (Taiwan).

High-grade steel & three types of replaceable, hardened steel jaws. The movable jaw & slide bar are one piece.
Full 360 deg rotation with 12-positions (every 30 deg) with a spring-loaded detent that holds head position during setups.
I would not buy this type of vise if it did not have the detent mechanism to hold a given jaw position during setup.

Bench Vise Animation

12 position, rotating vise head animation. Two O-rings were placed at each end of the sliding handle.

PALMGREN VISE SPECS
Stock Number	29503
Model	MJ50
Jaw Width	5-1/8" (13cm)
Throat Depth	3-1/2" (9cm)
Height	10-5/8" (27cm)
Length	16-1/2" (42cm)
Base Width	9-1/2" (24cm)
Max Jaw Opening	4" (10cm)
Max Pipe Capacity	3-1/2" (9cm)
Max V-Jaw Opening	4-1/2" (12cm)
Weight	56-lbs. (25.4-kg)

The vise base has 3 mounting lugs but the sub-plate allowed a 4th (6") bolt to be utilized.
Spring-loaded detent shown. There are two, base swivel locking lugs.

Attached my benches to the wall for maximum stability.

Soft Jaws

Soft jaws made out of aluminum L-bracket. The stick-on magnetic backing was problematic.

OEM hardened, ground steel jaws (above) & aluminum soft jaws (below). Original M6-1 cap-head
screws were reused. The jaw dimensions are 5-1/8"(L) x 1"(H) x 1/2" (D). The aluminum soft jaws
were drilled for 5/16" clearance followed by an end mill for a 1/2" counter bore to 0.310" depth.

A Columbian 4-1/2-inch (USA) bench vise. Milled, smooth-finish, soft aluminum replacement jaws.
To remove sideways play in the slide bar, I drilled & tapped (1/4-20) the vise body for a set screw
(other side). I put a small (3mm) length of Teflon rod in-between the screw & slide bar to reduce friction.

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Pin Vises

This pin vise stores drill bits in the handle (USA). Very high quality with a precision chuck.

The chuck has a 1/4" (0.25" or 6.35mm) capacity.

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This pin vise has a reversible collet to hold both 1/16" (0.0625" or 1.6mm) & 3/32" (0.09375 or 2.4mm) sizes.

Hand Vises

Custom-made hand vise with an aluminum head & handle. After reviewing the pros & cons of many different
designs available for purchase, I decided to make one that incorporated the desired mechanical attributes.
This hand vise was specifically made to hold hardened pins while they are being diamond ground.

The jaws are opened & closed using a lead screw that has both left- & right-handed 10-32 threads.
Using this type of lead screw moves the jaws at twice the single-thread rate. The non-threaded
center section of the screw has clearance via short counter-bored holes. The movable jaw is
guided by a 1/4" dowel pin riding in a 0.251" precision reamed hole. The movable jaw has
a blind hole with a 6-32 set screw that holds the pin as it slides through the fixed-jaw hole. The
movable jaw's bottom surface also slides on the fixed jaw which greatly reduces any twisting.
Jaw size: 1/2" W x 1" D x 3/4" opening. Aluminum jaws are fairly soft so part marring is minimized.

The fixed jaw has two V-grooves to clamp round parts. The knob was threaded 10-32 &
then a 6-32 set screw was installed. A 4-40 pan-head also screws into the lead screw's end.

The 9/16" knurled aluminum handle is attached using a hardened, one-inch long 1/4-20 set screw.
The other end is tapped for 8-32 to hold another head.

This long-nose hand vise was made for grinding delicate parts.
These jaws also open & close using a lead screw that has both left- & right-handed
10-32 threads. Using this type of lead screw moves the jaws at twice the single-thread rate.

V-grooves were cut to hold small round parts. Jaw size: 1/4" W x 2-3/4" D x 1-1/16" opening.

A long 8-32 set screw holds the lower brass guide rod & the handle. A 4-40 set screw holds the upper guide.
The brass rods slide in precision reamed 1/8" holes. A 4-40 pan-head screw at the end of the lead screw
limits the overall travel. The knurled brass thumb adjustment knob is held by two, 6-32 set screws.

The same knurled handle is used for both vise heads: 8-32 left & 1/4-20 right.

Two different styles of drop-forged hand vises (Germany). Acme thread used for extra strength.
Narrow spring-loaded jaws: 1/2" W x 1" D x 3/4" opened. 3-3/4" OAL. Excellent design & high quality.

A hand vise designed to clamp long wire (Germany).
The tightening screw & handle have clearance holes. Jaws: 5/8" W x 1/2" D x 1/4" opened. 4-5/8" OAL.

Replaced the original wing nut with a higher quality part. Replaced the steel washer with a brass type.

Made a washer out of oil-impregnated bronze to ease operation of the (tight) wing nut.

Lowell Pattern hand vise (wire-working tool) with hollow handle (Pakistan). Moderate quality.
Overall length is 4-15/16" (125mm). Handle diameter is 3/4" (19mm). Jaw width is 1/2" (12.7mm).
Serrated jaws open to 3/8" (9.5mm). Body hole is 0.118" (3mm). Nickel-plated finish.
Weight is 6.8oz. (193gr). Long wires can be pulled completely through the handle for twisting.

A universal work holder (India). It has 60 peg slot positions & is supplied with eight, 3mm steel pegs.
Aluminum vise head dimensions: 2" diameter (head only) x 3-1/4" W (head plus thumb screw) x 1-1/8" H.
Max pin-to-pin opening is 2-3/16". Overall length, including the detachable wooden handle is six-inches.

To store all eight pins with the tool, I sometimes clamp them onto a soft plastic tube.

Another custom-made aluminum hand vise that uses the same 3mm pegs with or without their silicon grips.

The stepped base allows easy clamping in a larger bench vise. 6-32 set screws hold the dowel rods in place.

The movable jaw runs on two, 1/4" dowel pins in precision-reamed holes. The adjustment screw is M6-1.
The spring compresses into two, 9mm counter-bored holes allowing complete jaw closure.
A custom-made Teflon washer makes turning the screw smooth & precise. There are 50 holes.

Anvils

Low-cost anvil.