# Stews Vice



## SBWHART (Aug 25, 2010)

The vice I use on my mill gets quite a few comments, so I thought I'd start a thread with a few detailed photos.

The vice was made by an old friend who I worked with, he was a grinder in our Tool Room, and the vice was made to use on a surface grinder with a magnetic table, so when I got it there was no way to clamp it to the mill. Its made from hardened and tempered steel and ground perfectly square and parallel, by good fortune before it was hardened he drilled and tapped a number of holes along the base and up the edges, so I was able to fasten two 1" square bars down each, side drilled and countersunk for clamp screws.







I also screwed a register bar along the bottom that is perfectly square to the jaws, it fits neatly into the T slots of my mill so that the vice is square on the table.







The stop is based on a thread posted by John Bogstandard, this is the thread http://madmodder.net/index.php?topic=1007.0






The parallel stop on the right in the photo is just my take on the same idea I dropped on some parallels at the scrappy, putting the work up against the parallel brings it perfectly square.






Her's a couple of pics of the stops in use:-






This one gets the job square as well as acting as a stop.






OK what the story about your vice then  :big:

Stew


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## Deanofid (Aug 25, 2010)

I like that one, Stew. It looks like it belongs in a shop that turns out work. Like your shop!



			
				sbwhart  said:
			
		

> OK what the story about your vice then  :big:
> Stew



Since you asked  ;D

This is the vise that came with my Taig mill. It's okay, but leaves a bit to be desired for some things.







So, I made this one, and have been using it ever since. I still need to stamp my name in it! 






Dean


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## Captain Jerry (Aug 25, 2010)

Neat vise stew. The pics of the stops got me thinking again.  I need to do something but had forgotten about Bog's post.

Dean, I have looked at your vise and at the plans on your website and thought about building one. I have a little 1" toolmakers vise that uses the same design. Its great for holding the tiny stuff but it drives me crazy when I have to adjust it. The barrel shaped nut inside drops out of the side slots and gets cocked before I can get it into another slot. I have to unmount the vise, turn it over and reposition the barrel. I hold the little vise in my milling vise so it easy enough to do but I lose my position.  

I see commercial vises like this and have wondered if the all have this problem or have you found a way to avoid this? I'd go nuts if I had to reindicate the vise every time I used it.

Jerry


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## Deanofid (Aug 25, 2010)

> The barrel shaped nut inside drops out of the side slots and gets cocked before I can get it into another slot
> I see commercial vises like this and have wondered if the all have this problem or have you found a way to avoid this?



Hi Jerry; I've worked with quite a few different screwless vises over the years. A few of my own, and 
a number of them at places I've worked. Usually, the barrel nut thing inside will just slip out of it's 
channel when you loosen the screw, and you only let it drop enough to be able to move the jaw. Then keep a little pressure on the allen wrench so it slips back up into the next channel.
The one I made works like that, too, and I've not had to actually take the vise off the mill to change
setting for it.

I do have one screwless vise that has 'the problem'. I didn't make it. Some Chinese fellers did. 
(Credit where credit's due) it's finished very nice on the outside, and the jaws are good. It has the 
'barrel thing' problem you describe. The reason is, the inside channel and the barrel nut thing are so
unbelievably poorly finished that the surfaces that rub together when changing the vise jaws hang up
on each other. (Again, credit where credit's due) it looks like a drunken man with a chisel got in there
and hacked out the place where the barrel thing goes. It's bad, and a source of frustration, because 
the rest of the thing is good. It's the only one I've used that does that. 

Dean


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## krv3000 (Aug 25, 2010)

brill vice just wood love a mill to mack one :-\


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## Captain Jerry (Aug 25, 2010)

Thanks for the answer, Dean.  My little vise is all stainless steel and all nicely finished inside and out. I think the problem is clearances. If the barrel were a little larger in Dia. (on mine) and fit the slot a little closer, it probably wouldn't get cocked. If I do get around to making one, I'll pay close attention to this part of the fit.

Meanwhile, is this an open topic on vice mods? If so, lets see some other ideas. It will take some time but I'll get some pics of my 8" vise mounted on the HF X2 mill if anyone is interested. Anyone can have one for about $30 and an hours work.

Jerry


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## GailInNM (Aug 25, 2010)

Jerry,
I have a 1 inch vice that is probably similar to yours. I made a carrier for the barrel nut that is tall enough to fit between the sides of the bed of the vice. It captures the the nut to keep it from turning. Everything is a loose fit with the hole for the nut about 0.005 oversize and about 0.005 clearance on the sides.The photos should explain. No strength is need in the part as all it does is keep the nut in line while you are changing positions. 

Gail in NM


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## Blogwitch (Aug 26, 2010)

Stew,

Shame on you.

You never showed me the bit you made to keep things square.

I will now have to go into the shop and make me one of those, when time allows.


John


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## Captain Jerry (Aug 26, 2010)

I love my new little 1" vise!! Wait a minute....its not a new vise. I made the little hickey posted by Gail I NM and it works a treat. What a difference. Thanks Gail.

Jerry


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## GailInNM (Aug 27, 2010)

Glad it worked well for you Jerry.
I know it sure made my life easier.
Gail in NM


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## Omnimill (Aug 29, 2010)

Not as elegant as some others but I guess my vice stop will do the trick 






Vic.


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