# Holding parallels in the vice



## GailInNM (Dec 30, 2008)

A few years ago I assumed that everyone who had ever used a vice on a milling machine knew about using springs to hold the parallels against the jaws as in the first photo. Then I was visited by a budding model engineer who had been a job shop machinist for about 15 years. While demonstrating something I put a pair of parallels in the vice and put a pair of springs between them and he thought that was the neatest idea. Even though he had been a machinist for a long time he had never seen it done. 

There are lots of reasons to hold the parallels in place. A couple are that if you are doing several of the same part, it keeps the chips out from getting under the parallels when you change parts. It also keeps them from creeping under a tool while you are making an operation that requires going through the part.

OK, so most of you are like me and have a good assortment of springs in the tool box for just such purposes. I collect springs any time I can. 

But what happens when the parallels need to be so close to each other that the conventional spring approach will not work. Enter the wave spring. I have several that I have made from feeler gage stock. They are about 0.010 inch thick. I just bend them with my fingers. You have to bend them quite a bit as the stock is quite springy. See photos 2 and 3. The stuff is springy enough that you can clamp it down flat and it will still spring by to the wave form. Now you can clamp down on parts as narrow as the two parallels plus the thickness of the spring plus a little bit for safety. 

If that is still too wide, then take out one of the parallels and use a single one. 

If you do not have any feeler stock, a strip of brass, aluminum, or steel shim stock can be pressed in to service. It will not have as much spring action, but it will work. I just make a single bend in it to form a shallow "U" or "V" shape in it. 

Gail in NM,USA


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## joeby (Dec 30, 2008)

Good tip, Gail.
I use pieces of the steel banding used for strapping stuff to shipping skids. I also cut up my old bandsaw blades into 6"-8" long pieces and grind the teeth off. They work pretty well for wavy springs as well as for shims on various setups.

Kevin


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## Maryak (Dec 30, 2008)

Thanks Gail,

Another one for my glossary of handy hints. :bow:

Best Regards
Bob


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## ksouers (Dec 30, 2008)

That's a great trick, Gail.

Thanks very much  :bow:


Kevin


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## speakerme (Dec 30, 2008)

If you take a little ways oil (thick oil) and apply it to the back of the parallel it will stay where it is put against the jaws of the vice. I have never had any problems or need to use the spring device.

Best Wishes

Chuck M


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## kustomkb (Dec 30, 2008)

Good tips, 

In a pinch I use rubber bands, (especially when I have to use the .030 parallels) which dont stand up to coolant for long, good thing they come by the hundreds.

thanks for the photo's

Next time i'll try the wavy.


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## NickG (Dec 31, 2008)

That's a great idea, never thought of that!


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## gunboatbay (Dec 31, 2008)

Lotsa stuff you buy/order these days comes packed with styrofoam sheets. I save the 1/2" thick stuff and just cut it to size with a single-edge razor blade to hold the parallels in place. When you tighten the vise, it compresses nicely. Unlike the springs though, it's a one time use thing, but sure is handy when you have a wide piece of material in the vise that sometimes makes the springs a bit awkward.


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## Kermit (Dec 31, 2008)

I need to start making chips or something. I can't make heads or tails of this idea at all.

I presume that I will never understand it until I'm actually standing there with a running machine and chips flying around. Then I'm sure hoping these things will start to make some sense.

I get impatient sometimes when people screw up Ohms law, as it is the most basis of electronic rules and like multiplication tables "everyone" should know it. 

I'm going to be screwing up some of you'se guys basic rules, be patient with me,
EMO Kermit


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## kvom (Dec 31, 2008)

> I can't make heads or tails of this idea at all.


The point is that the parallels need to be standing parallel to do their job, and that means flat against both the jaws and the base of the vise. When you tighten the vise jaws it can tend to tilt the parallels away from the jaws. Having a spring or similar to push the parallels flat against the jaws counteracts this movement.

As for being flat against the base, you also need to make sure there are no chips underneath the bottom of the parallels, hence you should have a brush handy to sweep the vise before clamping.


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## Lew Hartswick (Dec 31, 2008)

Kermit  said:
			
		

> I get impatient sometimes when people screw up Ohms law, as it is the most basis of electronic rules and like multiplication tables "everyone" should know it.



If youre susceptable to ulcers, I suggest you never read any post that has to do with 
electricity. I gave up years ago. There so many pseudo experts on the subject it does
nothing but drive you crazy. The poor questioner has no basis on which to judge the 
answers. It's almost (not quite) as bad with some math type questions, depends on 
the level.
  ...lew...


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## Kermit (Dec 31, 2008)

Got rid of my ulcer-aka acid reflux with apple cider vinegar.  Its a cure for reflux NOT a treatment like all those acid reducing pills. I was on those for ten years and when the insurance said the prescriptions would be costing me $90 a month. I started looking real hard for a cure instead of a "treatment".

Throw that prilosec and tagamet and others away.  The stomach will "empty" into the intestines after a specific level of pH is reached. By increasing the acidity with vinegar you trigger the empty mechanism and the contents of your stomach go where they are supposed to and not back up your esphogus.

I still occasionally eat a good strong dill pickle when I get some "indigestion" and it clears up right away.


Eating tomato soup and spagetti again, hurray,
Kermit


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## mklotz (Dec 31, 2008)

In addition to cutting oil to stick them to the vise jaws, I use polyurethane foam (pillow stuffing) cut to strips of varying width. Since it's compressible, you only need two or three widths. Unlike styrofoam, it's reusable.

BTW, the fancy spring-loaded parallel keepers sold by Kurt et al go for around $80.

http://www1.mscdirect.com/CGI/NNSRIT?PMPXNO=12576867&PMT4NO=55826657


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## rleete (Dec 31, 2008)

Kermit  said:
			
		

> I get impatient sometimes when people screw up Ohms law, as it is the most basis of electronic rules and like multiplication tables "everyone" should know it.



My Grandmother (passed away at 96 in 1985) used to shake electrical cords after unplugging them. Some one had once explained elecricity to her as similar to water in a hose, so she shook those cords to get rid of the "extra" electricity. It must have worked, she never got a shock!

I'm one of those strange people that can do 4 bar calculations in my head, but show me an electrical schematic, and it might as well be written in martian runes. About all I know of electronics is not to let the magic smoke out.


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## Kludge (Dec 31, 2008)

rleete  said:
			
		

> but show me an electrical schematic, and it might as well be written in martian runes.


That's because they ARE Martian runes. Just more stolen alien technology. :big: :big: :big:

BEst regards,

Kludge


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## wespe (Dec 31, 2008)

rleete  said:
			
		

> About all I know of electronics is not to let the magic smoke out.



Good start. I think we all should keep some of this around, especially with those British Sportcars


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## Groewrs (Dec 31, 2008)

That's golden, wespe :big:

Cheers for the tips too, guys. As a newby on the Mill, I'm storing them all up!

Gordon


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## dwentz (Jan 1, 2009)

Wish I would have had some of that Lucus smoke when I had my MGs! I wonder of they had some thing similar for the SU carbs that they used. I had the shop manuals, neither were listed, but now I understand why I had all the problems.

Dale


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