Stew's two little vices

[sbwhart]

Booze and Women

 

Now to get serious

I've noticed talking to John and watching him work, that in some ways my work is a bit slap dash and that I could do things better if a pay a bit more attention to detail and fix myselve up with some simple yet efective bits of kit, hence the tapping stand and the tram.

I have a couple of small vices that I just don't use and with a little bit of care and attention I could put them to better use, to improve my work.



The larger of the two I made when in the first year apprentice shop, I used it when I was grinding then for many years it just sat in my tool box getting wet from a leaking garage roof and going rusty, the smaller one I inherited from my Dad I don't know where he got it from but the jaws were missing.

Here they are after a bit of TLC



To get the rust of the larger of the two I stripped it down and resorted to Darrens tip and imersed the bits in vinagar for a couple of days, washed the vinagar off in water rubbed the gunge off with scotch bright a final rub with wet and dry and a sqert with WD40 and we have a big improvement, I checked it over for squareness and it was spot on  (by gum I was good in them days)



For the small one the check on squareness showed it to be out, it needed the base skimming off to bring it square, so I set the body up in the mill sitting flat on parallels and skimed the base off with a tipped facing mill, I tried to do it with a fly cutter but it was made out of something tough and it just dulled the cutter.



For the jaws I had a piece of suitable gauge plate, which I trued and squared up in the mill and cut the jaws out. I cut a 90deg slot hoizontaly down one jaw and in the other I cut a 90 deg slot verticaly. I did this with an end mill with the head of my mill tilted over 45 deg





These slot I would use to hold small round parts to work on :- cut off, cross drill, mill slot, mill flat etc.

Head of mill set square again with the tram  five minute job.



The jaws were drilled and tapped M3.

To tap the M3 hole square the jaw was placed on a flat serface the vice was placed over the top of it and the jaws tightend up flip the vice over and it being held nice a flat for tapping on the milling stand,

See how things are starting to pay off. 





Screw the jaws in and this is what you've got





Now all I've got is a few lead hammers to make, level up my lathe etc etc

And I'll start back on my Loco

Stew

[Brass_Machine]

..

I've noticed talking to John and watching him work, that in some ways my work is a bit slap dash and that I could do things better if a pay a bit more attention to detail and fix myselve up with some simple yet efective bits of kit, hence the tapping stand and the tram.
...

I have found that is some of the best advice I have heard yet. It is amazing what one can do with the correct well balanced (measured and squared) tools. Way to go Stew... thems looking nice.

Eric

[Darren]

I'm starting to think I need some small holding fixtures....

Nicely shown Stew, what did you think of the vinegar?

[bogstandard]

WHY DO I GET THE BLAME FOR EVERYTHING?

Nice ones Stew.


Bogs

[raynerd]

Nice job stew. I am needing to get some small vices myself. Good pics as well, being new to this, they helped me understand the process a lot more. I notice your mill has an adjustable head and that you can angle it rather than it being stuck vertical - does this often come in handy and is it a necessity when choosing a mill? Keep us posted on the lead hammer

John -

WHY DO I GET THE BLAME FOR EVERYTHING?

- It is a good thing - I think it is called inspiration.

Chris

[Stilldrillin]

Nicely done, shown, and told Stew..... 

David D

[sbwhart]

Nicely shown Stew, what did you think of the vinegar?

The vinegar was great for removing the rust,

But it made my chips tast a bit metalic 

Chris

You don't have to tilt the head very often but its handy when you do, but there are other ways round it like tilting the vice.

Cheers

Stew

[Bernd]

Stew,

Nice bit of onfo there. 

I'll have to try the vinegar trick if I ever get anything rusty.

Bernd

[Darren]

Stew you bugger, I can't stop thinking about a little vice now, I needed one tonight.......oh hum, something else to hunt down and make my own....

[sbwhart]

Darren

Making a small vice wouldn't be too much of a job: nice little milling exercise, but if you have a go get some nice free machining mild steel.  only the jaws need to be tough stuff

Whoops    is worse the pig flu.

Stew

[Darren]

I could make one but the steel would most likely cost more than this finished item !!

Only thing is, would it be any good? I see it has no removable jaws, but for £12 what do you want 

http://www.rdgtools.co.uk/acatalog/NEW_LINES_TO_RDGTOOLS.html

[sbwhart]

That looks a nice handy size you can't go far wrong at 12 squid you'd have to take a chance on quality if you hang on you could eye ball them at Harogate.

Stew

[bogstandard]

Darren,

I was only recently looking at that, and was going to recommend it as a nice vice for working on your tapping stand. Looks like you beat me to it.

Actually it is very similar to the one I use. But mine was an out of calibration instrument makers vice from a metrology lab, and cost about 400 squid when new about 20 years ago, and came to me as a donation.

Beggars can't be choosers.


Bogs

[Darren]

Oh, I won't be going to Harrogate, takes about 4hrs from here both ways and about 80 quid in fuel. No thanks.

Then I would need accommodation for the night on top cos I'm too old to do it all in one day.  

Wouldn't be so bad if I could share the journey, & the driving, I have 7 seats !!

[Darren]

Beggars can't be choosers.


Bogs

John, you must stop accepting any old junk that's thrown out, get one that's properly trued up. 

I think at £12 it's a must, it will go on my next order